Elac Varro PS350 Powered Subwoofer (12-inch, 700W)

ELAC Varro PS350 Powered Subwoofer

The ELAC Varro PS350 is the 12-inch powered subwoofer in ELAC’s Varro Premium series. It pairs a 12-inch treated paper cone woofer with a BASH amplifier that ELAC rates at 350 watts RMS and 700 watts peak into 4 ohms, in a bass reflex cabinet finished in black vinyl. What separates the Varro Premium models from conventional subwoofers at this level is the control system: the PS350 is set up through ELAC’s Sub Control 3.0 app, which adds AutoEQ room calibration measured with a phone microphone, so the subwoofer is corrected for the room it actually plays in rather than left to excite every boom the walls create.

Key features

• BASH amplifier rated by ELAC at 350 W RMS / 700 W peak into 4 ohms
• 12-inch treated paper cone woofer with 2-inch voice coil
• Frequency response of 24 Hz to 150 Hz anechoic, 21 Hz to 150 Hz in-room
• Maximum output of 108 dB at 1 metre, anechoic
• AutoEQ room calibration through the Sub Control 3.0 app
• App control of volume and the 40 Hz to 150 Hz low-pass crossover
• RCA line-level and speaker-level inputs, USB port for firmware updates

The amplifier rating, stated the way ELAC states it

Subwoofer wattage figures are often quoted as a single large number with no basis behind them. ELAC publishes two figures for the PS350: 350 watts RMS and 700 watts peak, measured into the 4 ohm load of its own woofer, from a BASH tracking amplifier. BASH designs vary their supply rails with the signal, which gives the amplifier the voltage swing to handle short, demanding peaks while running efficiently the rest of the time. The working figure for everyday output is the 350 watt RMS rating; the peak figure describes momentary headroom on transients such as drum hits and effects impacts, not a continuous output level.

AutoEQ and Sub Control 3.0

Placement decides much of what a subwoofer sounds like, because corners and walls reinforce some bass frequencies and cancel others. ELAC’s AutoEQ compares a near-field measurement of the subwoofer with a far-field measurement taken at the listening position using the phone’s microphone, then corrects the difference the room introduced. Setup, volume and the low-pass crossover are handled from the same Sub Control 3.0 app over Bluetooth Low Energy, including the configuration of more than one subwoofer, so adjustments are made from the seat where the result is heard instead of by reaching behind the cabinet.

Cabinet, connections and everyday use

The bass reflex cabinet stands 437 mm high, 416 mm wide and 418 mm deep and weighs 21.8 kg. A grille, AC power cord and floor spikes are supplied. Connection options cover the two common cases: RCA line-level inputs, including an LFE feed from an AV receiver, and speaker-level inputs for amplifiers without a subwoofer output. A USB connection is provided for firmware updates, and standby power consumption is below 0.5 watts.

Where the PS350 fits

In a home theatre system the PS350 carries the LFE channel and the bass redirected from the main speakers, with extension to 21 Hz in-room for film effects. In a stereo system it underpins bookshelf and smaller floorstanding speakers, extending them into the low bass they cannot reach on their own. One unit serves most rooms; a second can be added through the app where smoother coverage across several seats is needed.

Full specifications are listed in the Additional Information tab.