My reservations about the DB-15 don't really concern its performance. A run-through of Michael Jackson's one-two punch of Beat It and Billie Jean (Thriller, CD) benefitted from a rich bass tone and the scale it bought to drums. That said, with the more upper-range bass of the frequent gunplay in Free Fire (Blu-ray) it sounded really fast and responsive, and this characteristic worked well when I put it to work with music. The subwoofer's 15in polypropylene cone driver gets a four-layer voice coil and hefty magnet Arguably, it sometimes makes a bit too much of them, not quite nailing a transient snap. The DB-15 attacks LFE effects with gusto.

That's not to says its output is loose, flabby or uncertain – there's enough engineering skill here to keep the 15in woofer in healthy check – but it's not polite either.

Instead of the steely-eyed control of some sealed, big-driver rivals, this Velodyne gives off a slight feeling of flying by the seat of its 3in voice coil. It's also a sub that brings a good-time feel to your movie-watching. Your experience may differ, but I can't imagine many people moaning that the Velodyne DB-15 is 'too quiet.' What was particularly welcome was that it didn't seem to reach the limits of its ability even when I'd pushed the level way beyond what my neighbours would tolerate. The frequency response is rated down to 23Hz at -3dB, with the promise of effective wooferage to 13Hz, and in my medium-sized room it proved to be a genuine trouser-flapper. This sub, as advertised, goes loud and deep.

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