What are these subs?

[Guest Lakadian]

UPDATE!!

 

Spoke to Bill Flannery at Bob Carver Audio Repair and have finally reached the end of my quest!  I would like to begin by saying that it was one of the most pleasant and informative conversations I've had in quite some time.  He took the time to thoroughly investigate what I have and explain every possible detail as to their identity, right down to the fact that one of the two was made in March of '99 and the other in May of '99.  He answered every stupid question without ever acting as though I was wasting his time and spoke to me for nearly half an hour.  I just can't say enough good things about Bill or my overall experience with Bob Carver Audio Repair.

 

Back to the topic at hand;  They are indeed Sunfire's Professional series version of the True Subwoofer.  They have the large power amp (2700 watt version, although I'm sure everyone knows that's a ridiculously overblown number) and really the only differences between these and the True Sub is the available low impedance inputs and the durable finish differences (i.e.; texture, metal corners, crossbars). 

 

I asked about their possible intended use as a supplement for a small pa or dj rig.  Bill said definitely not.  These were intended for use in a professional grade home audio setting.  He explained why this is the case and while I won't bore anyone with the details, I will say asking this question kept me from destroying two very rare subs.

 

Turns out there were VERY few of these made.  So few, in fact, that although he worked for Sunfire personally and has been in the Seattle Metro area working directly in audio service and repair since '92, he's only ever seen one or two of these himself.  All that being said, these particular models weren't made until '99 and even then, very briefly.  So that's approximately 12-13 years.  But to have worked as closely as he has with Sunfire, to have have been chosen by Bob Carver himself in 2008 to work at Bob Carver Audio Repair and provide service to all out-of-warranty Sunfire products and to have only seen one or two?

 

When I told him how I came to be in possession of them, his reply was, "My advice to you is to hold onto those for dear life."  Who knows?  I wasn't in the market for these when they hit my lap, but it seems now that I may actually have found something worth finding. 

 

Thanks to all of you who have been along for the ride.  I'll try to keep you posted and I'm glad to have found such an amazing community of individuals as yourselves.  Thanks for making me feel welcome all along.  Be well and God bless you and yours.

[zumbini 6,147]

I'm glad you finally got some answers Lakadian but I'm left with quite a few questions.

What the heck is a "professional grade home audio setting"?

If it was intended for home audio use why does it have a steel safety bar?

Does it have a name? (Sunfire Laboratories Professional Subwoofer is quite a mouthful)

Did it have a model or catalog number?

 

Congratulations on your unique and wonderful find. ENJOY!

[Guest Lakadian]

Thanks so much, Zumbini.  As for your questions, trust me.  I have asked the exact same questions. 

 

At first, I was going to attempt to address your questions, but then reminded myself that you are much more knowledgeable than I in regards to these and only a fool tries to instruct those he seeks instruction from.  I can answer the last two with the information I have readily available.

 

Bob Carver's

Sunfire Professional Laboratories

 

This is ALL that is written on the back of the speaker by way of a name.  Anything else is the address, voltage specs, control descriptions, input labels and warnings for idiots with paperclips.  There's nothing to hint at there ever having been a model name, model number or catalog number.  I can't help but wonder if these were a market trial that just didn't do well.  At the same time, even for a market trial, it still wouldn't make much sense to not even have a name or number to refer to.  I do know that after checking the serials Bill said neither of these had a "first run board" and that was a good thing, for whatever that's worth.

 

Who knows?  All that I'm really sure of, is that I hooked one up to my home theater system yesterday evening and my entire house seemed to move.  I'm sure any of these True Subs would have the same effect, but you have to understand that while I've been involved in a lifelong love affair with music, I've never been an audiophile like many of you.  I just accidentally stumbled onto two of the best subs on the market.  And it may very well have started me on my way to becoming an audiophile...like many of....well, you get it.  That Black Beauty is an awfully pretty stack of tubes...

 

Thanks again!

[weitrhino 1,443]

I'm sure we all appreciate the education on these unique subs, Lakadian. Stick around for the ride. It sounds like your approach to music and audio equipment mirrors my own.

[PMAT 2,038]

That is very cool, you never know what's going to pop up on the site. Thanks for posting that.