Cerwin Vega XD8s Review – Convenient Low-End Boost

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Cerwin Vega XD8s has proven to be one of the most attractive studio subwoofers you can get under $200. It's fairly compact, full of power, and reaches as low as you need it to go. As we're about to find out, XD8s is a great addition to any home studio.

Design

On a first glance, Cerwin Vega XD8s comes across as a fairly unusual subwoofer. Unlike many of its competitors, this subwoofer features a tower design. They've used a decently think MDF for the cabinet build, which definitely inspires confidence. The speaker is mounted to the side and actually looks pretty small compared to the size of the cabinet. It is covered with a strong metal mesh, which protects the cone without hiding it. What Cerwin Vega did right was the bass reflex port. You will find it on the front panel and it is rather massive.

The entire cabinet is mounted on four vibration reducing feet, although it is questionable how smart it would be to put the XD8s on a desktop. In terms of aesthetics, no one can deny that XD8s is one attractive unit. Being mostly black, it will fit in seamlessly with most of the current studio monitor designs.

Features

The core of Cerwin Vega XD8s is its 8″ high excursion driver. Being an active subwoofer, XD8s is capable of delivering some 80 Watts RMS on demand. In terms of controls, you will find everything you need on the back panel. These include a volume knob, Crossover knob, and a polarity switch. Pretty standard stuff, but still worth mentioning.

When it comes to the I/O options, there are several. you have both RCA outs as well as 1/4″ TRS ins and outs. Both of these are divided into left and right channel stacks. The only thing we would like to see different is the power cable. It might sound petty, but having a detachable power cable makes life much easier. Unfortunately, Cerwin Vega went with an integrated design.

Performance

Performance wise, things are looking great. This subwoofer offers a nominal frequency response range that goes from 35Hz to 255Hz. More importantly, the response within this range is flat straight out of the box. You won't have to EQ much of anything in order to get the XD8s to fit into your current studio monitor setup. With 80 Watts of dedicated power, Cerwin Vega XD8s delivers plenty of headroom. If you are working in a smaller studio, the Crossover knob we have mentioned before will definitely give you some versatility.

On a similar note, the built in magnetic shielding will eliminate most, if not all interference. You can easily place this subwoofer as close to your other equipment as you need to. At the end of the day, the performance Cerwin Vega XD8s brings to the table is a great value at this price.

Conclusion

Designing a good, yet compact subwoofer is anything but an easy task. Cerwin Vega's XD8s is one such design that really works and doesn't cost a fortune. It will give you all the necessary boost in the low end, even in smaller studios where free space is a luxurious commodity.

For more info about the Cerwin Vega XD8s, click here.
For more studio subwoofers you might like, click here.