Why You Can Trust CNET Blueroom Loudspeakers Bass Station (Carnaby Blue) review: Blueroom Loudspeakers Bass Station (Carnaby Blue)
Blueroom Loudspeakers Bass Station (Carnaby Blue)
Blueroom's Bass Station is styled to match the company's eye-catching Minipod satellite speakers. Looking something like a futuristic conga drum, the Bass Station can add low-end weight to small satellites. But you'll end up paying a bit more for its looks than you will for a comparable boxy sub.
Blueroom's Bass Station is styled to match the company's eye-catching Minipod satellite speakers. Looking something like a futuristic conga drum, the Bass Station can add low-end weight to small satellites. But you'll end up paying a bit more for its looks than you will for a comparable boxy sub.
Bongo bass
The Bass Station is housed in a round, plastic case and is available in eight different colors. It stands on four thin, aluminum legs, which definitely add to its space-age look. An upward-firing, 10-inch woofer provides the sound and is activated by a 75-watt internal amp.
This sub's back panel is equipped with all the connectors and controls that you might ask for. There are both speaker and line-level inputs as well as a high-pass, line-level output. You also get standard crossover and level controls, along with a phase button and a power switch that can be set to automatically deactivate the sub's amp when it's not in use.
Sub sounds
We tested the Bass Station in both stereo and home-theater setups with Blueroom's Minipod speakers. With our usual test DVDs, the Bass Station delivered ample rumble in our midsized room. Mortar explosions in Saving Private Ryan had plenty of visceral kick. If you have a large room, however, you may need a sub with more power.
When listening to music with challenging bass, such as Morphine's The Night, the Bass Station was a tad muddy; Mark Sandman's two-string bass wasn't clearly defined. This is a common problem for less expensive subs, but we expect more from a model in this price range.
In the time that the Bass Station spent in our listening room, it garnered lots of comments from visitors. But with outstanding subs such as the Polk Audio PSW450 selling for $150 less than this Blueroom, it's difficult to recommend the Bass Station on looks alone.
Bongo bass
The Bass Station is housed in a round, plastic case and is available in eight different colors. It stands on four thin, aluminum legs, which definitely add to its space-age look. An upward-firing, 10-inch woofer provides the sound and is activated by a 75-watt internal amp.
This sub's back panel is equipped with all the connectors and controls that you might ask for. There are both speaker and line-level inputs as well as a high-pass, line-level output. You also get standard crossover and level controls, along with a phase button and a power switch that can be set to automatically deactivate the sub's amp when it's not in use.
Sub sounds
We tested the Bass Station in both stereo and home-theater setups with Blueroom's Minipod speakers. With our usual test DVDs, the Bass Station delivered ample rumble in our midsized room. Mortar explosions in Saving Private Ryan had plenty of visceral kick. If you have a large room, however, you may need a sub with more power.
When listening to music with challenging bass, such as Morphine's The Night, the Bass Station was a tad muddy; Mark Sandman's two-string bass wasn't clearly defined. This is a common problem for less expensive subs, but we expect more from a model in this price range.
In the time that the Bass Station spent in our listening room, it garnered lots of comments from visitors. But with outstanding subs such as the Polk Audio PSW450 selling for $150 less than this Blueroom, it's difficult to recommend the Bass Station on looks alone.