BG Radia 210i Features
The BG Radia 210i has dual ten-inch Kevlar woofers powered by a 500-watt switching (digital) amplifier. The two woofers are electrically in-phase and mounted back-to-back with their cones facing outward and mechanically coupled in a rigid cylindrical housing. According to BG, the output of the two woofers is equivalent to a single 15” woofer.
The opposing forces of the two cones moving in opposite directions results in cancellation of the cabinet vibrations usually associated with a subwoofer and produces tighter bass definition. BG Radia calls it ‘Reactance Canceling Design’ and it is so effective in reducing vibration and resonance that a nickel coin can be balanced on edge the subwoofer without rolling or falling on its side. I’ve seen it demonstrated even when the subwoofer is played at high levels.
The Reactance Canceling Design has more benefits than simply impressing your friends by balancing a nickel on its side. By canceling cabinet vibrations, more of the subwoofer’s energy is used to produce bass than to shake the cabinet, which increases its efficiency.
The BG Radia 210i includes a variable crossover (40Hz – 120Hz), a phase switch (0 - 180 degrees), line-level inputs and a volume control. The crossover can be enabled or disabled to allow the user to choose the crossover in a processor or receiver or the subwoofer’s crossover, a valuable feature that can prevent electronic interference between two crossovers. A switchable Auto-On feature is included and the 210i has a detachable power cord.
The 210i has a small footprint, which provides more room placement options.
Audio Performance
A subwoofer can be a difficult speaker to place in a listening room. Tight, well-defined bass is best achieved by experimenting with placement. Bass can sound boomy or heavy if a subwoofer is placed where it excites aroom resonance. The BG 210i makes this process somewhat easier with its two opposing woofers, because bass is output in two different directions, which helps alleviate room resonances. In my listening room I found the best location was on the sidewall roughly halfway between the front and rear of the room.
With movie and music sources, the BG 210i is a strong performer. It was a great complement to my Dahlquist DQ-10 speakers, which roll off quickly at about 80Hz. It produced deep, tight bass with very quick transient response. The two ten-inch woofers responded with a swift, taut sound quality in George Strait’s “I Want to Dance with You”, producing very accurate and deep bass.
The BG 210i sounded remarkable in the actions scenes from Titanic. As the ship approaches the iceberg and the watch captain issues the command to reverse the engines, the awesome sound of the enormous engines grinding to a halt and reversing direction was reproduced with deep, resonant, room-shaking bass. This is a sonically demanding scene, challenging for any subwoofer.
As the ship nears its final moments, the stern lifts into the air then falls into the frigid Atlantic waters with an astonishing acoustic force that enabled me to feel the weight of its massive hull and its three mammoth propellers. The BG 210i recreated the scene with deep, reverberating bass response.
Conclusion
The BG Radia 210i is a great choice for a high-performance music or home theater system. The subwoofer’s ten-inch drivers are agile enough to provide quick transient response and have enough surface area to produce deep, visceral bass response. Its dual-driver design also makes it easier to place in a room. The 210i is a good complement for BG Radia speakers and other speaker systems that require high-performance bass for movies and music.Specifications
- Frequency Response: 20Hz – 150Hz
- Amplifier Power: 500 watts RMS, 1000 watts peak, switching power supply
- Drivers: Two ten-inch Kevlar woofers
- Dimensions (W x H x D) inches: 14.69” x 16.25” x 17.5”
- Weight: 62 lbs.
- Finish: Black
- Warranty: Five year limited
- Price: $1499.00
- www.BGRadia.com
