Rythmik F12SE Direct Servo Subwoofer Review. **READ THE PINNED COMMENT** 

***CORRECTIONS & UPDATES*** -When I said I wouldn't use it for theater I think a lot of people misunderstood me as saying that it's not capable. This is just as capable as any sealed 12" and will best most of them in a theater environment. What I was saying is most people who build theaters generally use larger ported subwoofers like Rythmiks own FVX12 (which I also love). Again just to be clear this will be a dominant competitor in a theater environment. -Another note on dynamics, a lot of you guys misunderstood me and maybe that's my fault. This subwoofer is plenty dynamic, it just integrates extremely well and for my personal taste I like exaggerated bass that is less accurate and more exciting but that is just my personal taste guys. Do not take this off your list just because it doesn't have the exaggerated characteristics I like as you may prefer it's more natural and accurate bass response. This is an outstanding performer and years later I still own this, if you're like me and prefer a slight exaggeration in the low end go for the FVX12 (I own that too). - I referred to the L22 as the L12 at one point during the comparison, should be obvious which part.

Rythmic deserves more respect

Great review. I'm learning subwoofers are the most complicated thing in a system. At least for me they are. I've spent more time trying to figure these things out then I thought I would. They are also something you don't see many people reviewing. So much appreciated.

My dual F18s arrived yesterday. Going to be hooking them up tonight. I cannot wait. Coming from dual Klipsch r115sw.

Excellent review! Thank you for putting this together. You are very articulate.

Think this is the first time I've seen one of your reviews, and it was absolutely fantastic. You did an amazing job at explaining the sound characteristics in a simple and articulate fashion.

Hey Nemo , you managed this Review so well ,one can see you're far more prepared, focused on the subject & understand these Subs very well ....all the best !

Great review Nemo! Really clear and concise comparisons.

Your channel has helped me immensely over the last couple of days in understanding subs! Making a purchase soon! Thanks for the guidance! This may be the one for my 2 channel system.

FINALLY! Thank you sub sensei!

Loved the review and the comparisons...!

Great review (As usual) and couldn’t agree more! To quote Family Guy, it doesn’t insist upon itself. I had the opportunity to test it with my Klipsch RVX-42 on-wall speakers before my Maggies showed up, and it integrated perfectly width them. I never once said there’s my sub kicking in. With the Maggie’s now that I’ve dialed them in, it’s the same thing. A lot differ than my old Klipsch Synergy 12. When that kicked in it made itself known.

Sounds like an awesome sealed choice. Thank you bro! 💪🏽🔥‼️

Great video! I just ordered an F12 for my 2 channel music system after watching 👍🏼

I picked up two of these with the GR paper woofer. First system I used it on was Magnepan MMG, tricky to get dialed in and I may keep tweaking the sub but it's every bit as good as you stated. Then I hooked it up with my Vandersteen speakers and it is seamless, added alot of deep freqs. Thanks for your great reviews.

I've had this sub for about five days...all I can say is WOW WEE!!!...it's so smooth and forceful.....

Great review! I recently looked at these subs and I lean on Rythmik when I upgrade my subwoofers so the timing of this review was just great. Will watch your other review also.

New F12SE owner here, and your review is spot on. Really happy with how the sub just disappears with all but the most bass intensive tracks.

Another solid review

*Very good review. You outdid yourself today.*

Great review buddy! I've never heard a Rhythmik sub but I have a REL s510 that integrates quite well with Dyn S40s on a primare i35. I sometimes have to check to see if the sub is on or off except for some bass heavy tracks where you can tell its your sub thats making it happen.

Great job bro! thanks

I have a pair of these and they are so good. Nice review! I have been able to mess around with mine to get more impact - the amp has a lot of different settings which is great. Brian at Rythmik has been awesome about answering questions and making recommendations.

Very good review!

You had me at texture and tone my friend, I dunno who wouldnt want all of that listening to music lol. I'm saving for two of these for sure...

Just found your amazing channel - brilliant! Great reviews on subwoofers. I've narrowed my search to Rythmik and am unsure whether to choose dual L12s or F12s. I have a small listening room (13.5' x 12.5' x 8.25') running a Hegel H360's 420 watts (4ohm) into a pair of Magnepan .7s. In adding a subwoofer, it has been frequently recommended that given the small space I should add a pair in 'opposing corner' configuration. I love the non-colored sound of this setup but when listening to everything from organ to orchestra, to jazz quartets, to Weather Report, to Zappa, I miss the bass extension I used to get with my Klipsch La Scallas. I'm told that two L12s will sound better than one F12. After watching your review of both of these Rythmiks, I'm torn. My question is whether in your opinion it is worth nearly double the price to go with two F12s. As you described the performance of different subwoofer models, my preference would be to have them 'disappear' sonically. I trust your honest and insightful reviews and would appreciate your thoughts.

Very nice review and explanation of the performance characteristics of this sub. I actually own the non SE version of this sub (F12 in the Matte Black finish) I have used it for over 3 years now in a smallish room (12 and 1/2 feet by 17 feet), with a pair of Ascend Acoustics tower speakers, and it performs very well. The bass with music is tight, accurate and Impactful. When I go back and forth with using the Pure Direct mode on my receiver (No sub output) and the other modes, Straight or Dolby surround the difference is clearly heard. One thing I wanted to point out is that for movies is not going to shake the house, there are some settings on the back you can adjust that makes movies sound great as well. The first thing is, change the damping from "high" to "Low" and turn the rumble filter off, for more output and it does just fine with movies too. But if you really want to rock the house for movies you probably want dual F12s or get a bigger more powerful sub. But again, great review. And I love my F12!

I only care about 2ch and would like to get 2 of them when my Velodyne HGS 12 finally dies. It's hard to believe the FS12 could be as good for under 50% of the $ of the Velodyne did 20 years ago, but value for $ has improve a lot since that time.

It's like you were reading my mind. I have been going back and forth on what sub to get. The F12 or the SB3000. I also started looking at REL. This review broke everything down for the hours of research I have done and summed it up for me in 11 minutes. Going to get the F12. I want my sub to disappear, and this will be for my HT. THANK YOU!

Nice comparisons. By the way, i set mine on 28hz low damping. Hi damping on 14 extension does sound too flat.

i've owned subs from Hsu Research, Energy, SVS, and Power Sound Audio. SVS and PSA definitely make great subwoofers, but none of the above can compete with Rythmik's sound. my one regret is that i waited a dozen years between first wanting an F12, and finally owning a pair. the F12 doesn't even sound like a subwoofer. it sounds like i have a pair of truly full-range speakers

Thank you this is super useful for me as i am choosing between SVS sb2000pro and This to pair with my bookshelf legacy audio studio hd monitors . Not really a bass head and prioritize accuracy above all things so looks like Rythmik is it. Would have liked to hear how it handles for movies but no worries. Thank you again

Excellent review! Love the info. Relying on your videos for a decision I am making. When are you reviewing the Speedwoofer?

Thanks!

another awesome review. Would be awesome if you tested studio monitors, active speakers. Like adam a7x, genelecs, neumann, jbl, etc...

I really enjoyed your review. I started looking at these. I think I am going with this sub (2). I am a vinyl dude who appreciates quality bass so you gave a great Impression, thank you. I wonder what is your impression next to a REL? S/510...Hmmmm

Their website is unchanged for years. Cracks me up.

I wonder if some of what you notice is the servo reducing distortion. Punch is generally 40Hz to 80Hz+, and with normal subs, you'll get a bit more of the 2nd harmonic. The measurements I've seen put the distortion at negligible levels. I really notice it on my pair on certain movies. My arm hair can be shaking, but you don't really hear the bass when it's really low. You just feel it.

Just bought the fvx15

Hey Nemo,How's f12 compare to rel Ht 1205 for music? Keep up the awesome reviews!!!

Thank you for your review, so what do think of it for movies? Too bad you don’t do any measurements! I use my system primarily for movies 🎥

Review the Rythmik FM8 some time.

It's a freakishly amazing sub isn't it? I'll tell you that these are the subs that make the REL woofer boxes inconsequential. (I say this because unless you go up to an S812, it won't have any base anyway... REL make great wofers but practically non-existent subwoofers) I was amazed when I first heard them too. But a pair of these working with your main left and rights does all your music justice. And to be fair I realize they're not necessarily the best speakers for movies, even two of them, but sound-wise they're better than any SVS, they just won't make your hair on your arms stand up straight. Regardless no one ever talks about these speakers and I've heard most of the high end musical subwoofers and bought a pair of these. Well if they're good enough for Salk, they must have something very right about them. Nice to hear a review of them, thank you!

Any chance you plan on reviewing the Rythmick E15 sealed subwoofer? The E15 is a slightly smaller version of the F15, which is the next step up bigger brother of the F12. Great review as I'm considering a bigger sub like the F12 or E15. Unfortunately I can't find any reviews on the E15. Keep up the great work on these sub reviews!

Hey, thanks so much for the awesome reviews! I'm interested in the Rythmik f12se, f12g, and the Rel t7i for 2 channel high fi. I'm SUPER picky about sound and listen primarily to Classical, Bluegrass, and Jazz with a little rock mixed in every once in awhile. Which one would you choose? Thanks again for your awesome reviews, man!

Have two rel ht-1205s. I wanted to go for F12 but for the price of two and the balance of music and movies, I could not find anything better, especially where I live

I've been trying to find something that integrates like a REL but is better for home theater than REL. I placed an order for the Rythmik E22 and I plan to get a 2nd later. It'll essentially be like having 4 F12's. Should be good for music and theater.

-2db @ 14Hz with less than 400W RMS holy crap now THAT'S what I call a subwoofer.

Do you think you might review the Ascend acoustics sierra 2EX in the near future? They have a 30 day audition and seem to have some good impressions. Unfortunately i live in Canada so don't think it applies

Great review brother!. Thinking about 2 of these for home theater and music use. Do you think a pair of F12's will give that dynamic punch were I'm currently using JL E110s?

Nice review. Sounds like it does it's job 'too well'. However, if the bass is or is not there, the job of a sub is to play what is not is not there! Thanks!

Can you recommend a tower speaker and center channel in the $1500 to $1800 per speaker price point? I was thinking the d17 from definitive or the klipsh rf~7III. I like SVS subs but not big on their tower speakers.

Hi! Not sure if you are able to advise - I have a REL HT1205 for home theatre. However, I am planning to add an integrated stereo amp for 2 channel music. As the REL HT1205 only has single LFE inputs, I will probably need to get another sub for music. I am considering getting the Rythmik F12 for my 2 Channel music. However, as the Rythmik has dual inputs, I'm also planning to plug it into my AVR. Might as well use it since its there, and HT could always do with more output. My question is, do you think the REL HT1205 and the Rythmik F12 could combine well enough for HT?

THANK YOU! Been waiting on this one! So my question is this... While the F12 won't have the same slam and impact as the SVS SB300(which I own two of), in your opinion does it still do justice to bass heavy music? I listen to about 85% hip-hop music and I'm considering these for my "music only" system I'm currently making purchases for. We chatted in the past before you received the F12's and I'd told you how I really love the SB3000's in my living room setup for mixed usage, but I felt like they maybe weren't perfect in terms of blending and speaker integration. I'm really wanting to improve that in this system while still keeping the price around that $1k mark. Maybe I just need to work things out more through SVS's PEQ, but the speaker level connections available from Rythmik seem like a possibly better method to integrate? Anyhow, I know your personal opinion is all you can provide, but I'd be interested in hearing it!

Great video! Cross shopping the F12SE vs REL T9x or the REL S510. I own the Kinki EX-M1 integrated amp and Polk LSIM 707's tower speakers. How do you feel the RYTHMIK stands up vs the two RELS? My system is a separate stereo system only. Looking for the a sub that would have speed and are an enhancement for music. Would the REl or RYTHMIK be the better choice?

I tried to get my cheap sub to 75db, it couldn't even when I turned it up all the way. Anyway , even that cheap thing was rattling the bottles on my bar and I didn’t like it, it was distracting. Couldn't imagine a big ported RSL12s. Should I be leaning sealed then?

Any chance you could review the Rythmik G25HP? (the dual opposed 15" design)

Thanks that was an informative review! You said you were only going to talk about the single sub, but can you comment briefly on your experience with the pair of them? Does it improve the experience and if so how? Does running two help with any of the issues you encountered?

You said you found yourself missing the wild attack that you like and that it may have integrated a little to well. What can integrate nearly as well but still have the attack you’re looking for? Great review.

I saw the review on the L22. I am considering a pair of the E22 for a music only system with a pair of Klipsch La Scala II driven by an NAD M33. The listening room is 18 x 18 with 12 ft ceiling. Does this seem like a good pairing?

They make amazing subwoofers IMHO. A lot of people will prefer boosted bass, but that doesn’t mean they shouldn’t get a sub like this. It means they should use EQ.

@Nemo how does this sub compare to the Rel T9x/i that you reviewed recently. I am saving for a dual sub set up for 2 channel set for music only. Tekton Double Impacts are my floor standers… I am considering this Rhythmik, the Hsu ULS 15 mk2 , the RELs T9s ( probably the very least to be considered due to its price) Thanks ☺️.

Hi Nemo, I am currently between F12 and FVX12. This is going to be for 80% music. It seems that you have used both variations for your music listening. Which sub did you like the most? And why.

So, to supplement Magnepan LRSs in a smallish room (11x14x8): 1 F12 or 2 L12?

At $1000 for music, one F12 or two L12's? Which is going to integrate and disappear into the sound picture better? If I'm crossing over to my mains at 80hz, would a single F12 disappear or localize? (I know. I keep asking you questions on this. Chatted with my dad who sent me the speakers I'm trying to match a bass to. Apparently, he has a Rythmik F12se and loves it. However, he's also got a pair of fancy-expensive bass extenders that mate with the speakers, so he's able to cross over to the sub at 50hz, and not worry about localization.)

What would you recommend close in price range for music and home theater? Thanks

Nice review. For the price Rythmik seem to be a good option. Were you in a good mood for this review? You were Mr.SnappyFingers hahaha

@NemoPropaganda I see you have reviwed both f12SE and REL MKII 10"-12" I'm getting ready to build a system, room is fairly small (12x12x7) Fronts Polk R700, Center Polk L400. I listen to about 50/50 music-movies. I will most likely go with a pair of subwoofers, both next to the front stage. I will be using DSP (Dirac) Would you choose one over the other? Reasonings? Both REL and Rythmik have great reviews everywhere you turn which is making my decision a bit harder. Cheers!

What is your opinion on how they would integrate with relax/warm speakers? Sonus Farber Lumina V to be specific?

Hey Nemo, when will you do a review of HSU ULS sub? They have been out for a while now and in the subwoofer department only your opinion counts to me.

Hey another question for you, is Room EQ wizard a program you have ever used for setting up a stereo subwoofer integration? If so, how well and or complicated was that to use? Can an average audiophile correctly EQ and tune an F12 with this setup or do you use something else?

Was the larger E15HP2 lacking in dynamics as well? Would you say it’s not good for bass heads?

Its indeed hard to hide the SVS SB-2000 pro in a music setup. Nevertheless i love mine. Thnx again for the recommendation! I read you’re going to review the Kef kc62, are you also gonna look at the new sb-1000 pro?

Can you review on Dali 12 inch subwoofers. Also can you please compare it with REL.

Is there a big or difference between the F12SE and F12-400 besides the finish?

Nemo Propaganda so I’ve been commenting on your videos for the past couple weeks talking about Rythmik. I love my fvx12 and I want another one but now that I’m getting into expensive nice stuff I want the best of the best. Do you have any experience with dual opposing subs? Specifically the g22 by Rythmik? Before I go dual I want to make sure I have exactly what I want and I’m reading some awesome things about that subwoofer.

Nemo Thoughts on dual pairing with your Buchardt S400?

The F12G has a GR paper driver. It's lighter and faster. Any experience with these? Might pair better with Magnepans and the like

F12SE ( signature Edition) has gloss finish that F12 don't have . choice to have 2 type of feet ( default screw-in rubber , Spike for $25 ) .........................different amplifier ( A370XLR3 default ,A370PEQ , A370PEQ3 discontinued, A370XLR2 ) the comparison subwoofer could be perhaps : Paradigm Defiance X10 (usa canada) and Focal 1000F ( france eu). A video review beetween rythmik F12 and focal 1000 F ?

Any plans on reviewing the new KEF KC62?

So now Rythmic has an e22, a new model. I wonder how it compares to the f series. Plus comes in a gloss black with the black drivers. The question is that would f12se still beat the e22 for music? I know it would for HT but not sure about music. Thoughts?

For a music / high-fi optimized sub, would you recommend this Rythmik F12SE or the REL T9/x ? Let's make that cost-independent -- overall quality and experience only.

I have a vintage Rotel receiver that doesn't have sub outs. Will this still work on my system?

Did you review the REL t7i? Wondering how this compares, given similar price points.

But what about the new KEF sub? 🤣🤣🤣 just kidding man. Great review. It seems this is the sub I need for my Heresy IV. Thanks. It would be great to hear your take on that KEF sub though...

Excellent review! Quick question for you I’m debating 2 rythmik f18s they are sealed so I’m wondering would they be good for theater or would the ported version be better ? I’m leaning to the sealed because I’m not a fan of port noise . Thanks Chris

which is the most musical subwoofer today ?

Hi and thanks for your informative reviews. I was hoping that with your Subwoofer knowledge and experience that you can maybe advise me? I have a good HiFi set-up (as per at the bottom of this text) and I am considering adding a Subwoofer to my system (‘maybe’ at a later date adding another); I am only interested in one for my HiFi / music, please bear in mind I want as much as possible the best ‘sounding’, detailed and integratable overall as one etc... going by your review this Rythmik F12SE Direct Servo Subwoofer sounds like a very good candidate, but was wondering if I can get your opinion when comparing it to the ones below and / or any others you may think even ‘more’ suitable. My room is 15 square metres in overall size, 4.75m length x 3.44m listening end / 3.10m ‘speaker end - because of ‘literal’ practicalities they have to be where they are and a relatively low ceiling height of 2.25m where the ‘speakers are: Comparison Sub’s: Kef KC62 Kef KF92 Rel Serie T/7x Rel Serie S/510 My system: Naim HDX CD/HD Naim XPS Power supply Musical Fidelity Nu-Vista 800 (further tuned with better capacitors, WBT Binding posts for CD/HD and ‘speaker inputs) - No Sub-out option. Kef Reference 1's Chord Electronics Qutest DAC Chord Signature Tuned Aray Interconnects & ‘speaker cable Atlas EOS 4DD UK Mains Power Cables fed into a Russ Andrews X4 Power Block Thanks in advance... all the best, Simon (UK).

How does it compare to asw608 you reviewed? Just for music in small to medium room. Looking for music quality and hitting low notes? Anything else you want to mention will be a plus. Cheers

Would you prefer this over kc62?

I was kind of interested in these subs but not now. After calling and leaving a message in Texas , got a call back. He said how many watts is your tube amplifier? I said 35 watt premaluna. He said sorry, you have to have 60 or 80 Watts. Huh ? For a signal? Call me ignorant. Those expensive Rel subs I had Worked with just a signal from my amplifier. So did my pair of SVS subs , so does my Emotiva sub.

What size room can the F12 handle? My room is about 20w x 30d x 9h. Rythmik advised me to use F15. Your room is how big?

"Lacking dynamics... the bass is not there" - are you sure you are recommending this over a REL?

Do you know what the power consumption of this subwoofer is?

these integrate better than the REL t/x series?

How much do those go for ?...price wise

“Super anal picky audiophile”… I’d like to say that’s not me, but it kind of is. I own this sub and I’ve been looking for reviews to send friends who don’t live locally, but are interested to know about it. Your description is spot on. In fact, per my preference, that level of integration is perfect. I have this sub filling in with Vienna Acoustics Beethoven Baby Grands. As you stated, the first few weeks of ownership, I too have checked to make sure it’s on. Great review and description.

This or the JL E112?

What acoustic panels do you use?

Rythmic f18 or rel 1508