BIC V1020 10" Down-Firing Powered Subwoofer

So you can get technical about electronics or you can keep it on the simple side... this review will be one of simplicity. I purchased two of these for a larger living room area in a new home. My TV is located in one corner of the room (I hate that but that is way the home was built). So my media seats face the TV with a sub located in each corner to the left and right of the seating. I have four 8" Pinnacle ceiling speakers above for rear and side surrounds.... and a Pinnacle Barnone 3 channel sound bar under the TV. That is my 7.2 surround sound setup... basically a much better system than the typical all in one setups that you can buy as a package... but still on a tight budget. The last system I had one Sony SA-W2500 10" powered sub. I hated that the sub output in my old home was so directional due to being located in a corner 10 feet to the left of my TV. So I opted for dual 10" subs to balance out the sound output. So I searched all over for the "best bang for the buck 10" sub".... read a ton of reviews and checked pricing everywhere online. There were some driving factors in my sub choice... one was centered around my toddler "Matthew the Menace"... I say that with all the love in the world of course! My older Sony sub had very sharp corners and I was very concerned with him falling and slitting his head or face on those corners. So I needed something kid friendly. My other desire was a sub that faced down. I think down firing subs are less directional and have a better dispersion pattern that a forward firing sub. The added bonus (considering Matthew) is that he would not be encouraged to touch the sub itself. I have seen kids poke and smash speakers... so the down firing sub helps prevent that. This sub covers both concerns. The corners on the top of the sub have a nice bevel to it. So if Matthew falls and hits the sub his battle damage will be minimized... at least in theory. The down firing sub has not drawn his attention.... so no worries there. One other consideration is the port tube on one of the sides of the speaker. HIDE THIS FROM YOUR KIDS! LOL Matthew did find that and to my surprise I found no less than 30 little toys inside the sub.... cars, weeble wobbles, plastic farm animals, etc... he stuck everything he could into that tube! So needless to say... I adjusted the speaker so the tube faces the couch instead of facing forward. Sound quality is awesome... for my "on a budget system"! Far better than my older Sony sub for sure. The fact that I have two subs balancing out the sound really helps you feel immersed in your movie watching experience. For around the $150 price point I doubt that you can find anything better. Packaging was rock solid... so no worries there. Both subs came in perfect condition. Of course, you cannot beat Amazon as a company. I trust Amazon to always step up if I ever have an issue of any type. I make most purchases from Amazon strictly due to pricing and trust in the company. My entire media system came from Amazon including a 55" LG LED TV.... completely happy with all of my purchases! I hope this review helps you with your purchase! Let me know if you have any questions.

Good bang for the buck, but should have a *much* more powerful internal amp to make justice to the otherwise great project. Despite the weak internal amp, the V1020 can handle high power producing deep frequencies without distortion, and plays very well once you pump the gain up. The cabinet is very well made, has simple and functional plugs, the detachable power cord is indeed a plus, and the speaker itself is very well made (almost a shame it stays hidden, pointing to the floor). But, maybe because I compare it to my fantastic 37 year old B.I.C. Formula 4 speakers, that answer down to 25Hz without any fancy amplification (the V1020 starts at 26Hz), this sub requires at least a +6db adjust at my pre-amplifier to make it sound at the same level as my F4s powered by a 100w Kenwood VR-7070 (although the sub's 160 Watts Built-in Amplifier is 60% more powerful). Once I set the gain right, all is good, but still I can't really find it useful when set along my F4s. Probably shows more when set with the much smaller and limited speakers that B.I.C. makes nowadays. Anyway, for the price, yes, I do recommend it (my Formula 4s cost 3x more at Ebay). Just remember to crank up the gain if you already own a decent pair of front speakers - but, then again, you might not want a sub at all if you do. -------------------- - June 2014 update - In one phrase: it NEVER, EVER DISTORTED (and I've tried neighborhood war sound levels). Connected to the 100w THX certified Kenwood VR-7070 receiver's pre-amp sub out, I set the sub's controls at full volume and crossover at about 80Hz; on the receiver I still let the sub gain at +6db to match my front set, but I'm pinning that on my 1973 BIC Formula Four extreme sensitivity: 95 dB @1w. The rest of the system is a BIC America FH6-LCR Dual 6.5-Inch 175-Watt LCR Speaker with Mid/High Frequency Horn as center (-4db adjustment at the receiver), a pair of Bic America FH-65B Bookshelf Speakers 350 Watt 6.5IN 2 Way (each) as surround. And it sounds all right to my ears. As with most systems, I prefer 2.1 when listening music, and 5.1 when watching video. I don't usually listen at high volumes, but during a party I noticed some vibrations. After some search, we found that it was the whole sub "jumping" over my hard stone floor (!) whenever the drummer kicked his foot. I've putted some weights over it (large vase over several magazines), and it now stands still whatever volume I set it at. And it appears to be long lasting. The finishing still looks as new as the day it came out of the box (and we move it weekly for house cleaning). Since it downfires, I don't have to rotate the speaker as I have to do to my Formula Four's every quarter (I rotate the woofers 90°, so that they don't warp. Being working for over 40 years, but it's a pain). Considering the price, I'm upgrading my rate from three to four stars. Although it might deserve five, when I think that there's nothing close to it for the price... -------------------- - May 2020 update - Ten years after, it still rocks 100%!

first off im redoing both my systems living room and beedroom .this sub was for my bedroom ,it replaces a smaller sony unit.shipping was faster than i expected very fast and it was in good condition when it got there.color was a bit darker than what i expected but that was fine i like the color.the manual that came with it is usefull much better and helpfull than other sub instruction ive seen.there is a good bit of differance between this and the sony sub.you can hear it .i was never happy with the sound of the bedroom system.im using a sony receiver 6.1 110 watts rms pioneer 8 in 3 way mains and pioneer 5 in 2 ways for the back channels and a sony center with dual 5 1/4 drivers.i didnt have a lot of money in it which for a bedroom system is what i wanted.i was considering replacing the mains and i still might but if i do they will be bic america speakers.this sub made a huge differance in the sound .i set the crossover at 80 htz and the bass from it was low and clean much cleaner than the sony.and it stayed that way at higher levels to my suprize.and it seemed to improve the sound of the mains seems they now produce better mid bass and even mid range and the sound stage is wider and cleaner not sure why must have something to do with the sonys cross over or filters not sure which it used in the old sub but i knew it was a starter sub sonys cheapest.but as the bic is new i didnt drive it hard,i think all speakers need a break in period my self and it should only get better with time.ive heard better subs but for 160.00 shipping included its hard to beat.if i upgrade my living room onkyo system it will proballt get the big brother to this one.one thing that seems to make a differance is this is a down firing sub while the sony was front firing .it sits on a tile floor this may have a lot to do with it in my opnion.overall its a fine value for the money and compares very well to subs costing a good bit more .dont expect top preformance but expect very good preformance far surpassing the cost.good tight clean bass.

For just $160, this thing is freekin' AMAZING! It makes the floor shake like crazy, and it sounds great even at low frequencies (down to about 15hz if you turn it up loud enough). I plan on purchasing the BIC Acoustech (a better series from BIC America) PL-200 front-firing subwoofer, and will compare when I do. However, in my room, it resonates off the wall, and collects in one spot of my room. This is because of where I put it, it's all about placement when it comes to speakers (sometimes more than the speaker itself). It shakes your entire body when all the way up. I would NOT recommend using the variable crossover (it is getting loose on mine, and I have to keep turning it back and forth to get it to work). To me though, it's useless anyways, I never use it. The volume control works perfectly though, and I use that regularly. The only thing it lacks is midbass, but my room's resonance frequency is 50hz, so it is enhanced at 50hz, but that is because of my room. It is equalized fairly well, and can actually take a lot of abuse. You MAY hear the wiring or port rattle inside the sub. To fix this, just unscrew the 8 screws holding the speaker in, and tape it to the walls of the sub box, and it should work fine. It's not very noticeable though, and once you fix it, it should be fine. Also, you can BARELY hear some sublag (this is when the speaker has to work its way up to the full potential, and can affect the quality). It is not very noticeable to me, but I have a very tuned ear, as I listen to music ALL the time. Don't let the last two comments scare you though, this sub is WORTH EVERY PENNY!

...except it doesn't perform like a little brother. I'm going to keep this short (short for me, anyway). To find a more detailed review of BIC subwoofers, see my long-winded review on the 12-inch V-1220. My normal disclaimer: If you can, listen to any speaker system you are interested in before buying (and don't rely on other people's opinion, and that certainly includes mine). Initially, I was going to purchase the 100 watt, 8-inch V80. But once I saw the price of the 10-inch V-1020, I couldn't pass it up. I use the V-1220 in the family room, while this V-1020 model is placed in the computer room (smaller area and much smaller volume). And like all BIC speaker systems, it requires a break in period (around 40 to 60 hours), so don't judge it until it has been fully broken in (I've had this sub for about a month now). How does the V-1020 compare to its bigger brother? I find only minor differences between the two (other than the 12-inch model will obviously go deeper). Both have BASH-designed amplifiers -- this one rated at 160 watts RMS vs 200 watts RMS for the V-1220, and each have the exact same control panel, external finish, Venturi vent, and coned feet. The specs state that this model goes down to 26 Hz (compared to 23 Hz for the V-1220). There is an old saying, "Location, location, location", and this applies to subwoofers as well as to real estate. Once you've broken this puppy in and have found the right crossover for your main speakers, try several locations to see how it performs in your environment. Understand that there will be dead zones (it's the nature of any subwoofer), and moving your sub around to mitigate these dead zones is standard procedure. While there are plenty of outstanding subs that will reach deeper than the V-1020 (some significantly so), good luck finding one to match it at close to this price level. By any account, this is a price to performance leader (as is the V-1220), and should be given some serious thought. Its bass is solid, tight and surprisingly deep for a sub of this size. BIC proves in most of their speaker lines that a low price tag doesn't always mean low quality. Between 1 and 10, I rate the V-1020 an 8 (or a 4-star rating), which is the same rating I gave to its big brother.

Just hooked up a new Onkyo 507 and wanted to replace my Yamaha YST-216 sub. I'm actually a big Yammy fan but wanted one with a dedicated LFE input and adjustable crossover. Was looking at Polk and Energy - from the numerous reviews, it seemed that the Polk was average and that the Energy was a better sub, but the price was also much higher. I have had a pair of BIC Venturi bookshelf speakers for over ten years so I thought I'd give their sub line a look and am very happy that I did. The box itself is a very solid and nicely constructed enclosure with a handsome silvery black finish. The hardware is solid and the knobs have a nice feel to them. The cone is sturdy as well - the only improvement I could suggest is upgrading the feet to something other than plastic but that is superficial and will not have any effect on the sound. Speaking of the sound, it is excellent! After using the mic to run the calibration on the Onkyo, the correct crossover was determined and a smooth bass that blends seamlessly with the music was quickly dialed in. Don't get me wrong, you can turn it up for ridiculous boom if you prefer as well. I noticed immediately that the bass lines on a Dave Matthews DVD were immediately better defined and more distinctive than they had been with the Yamaha. And with a peak of 360W, the BIC should be able to handle whatever you throw at it - explosions in "Iron Man" had nice, loud impact. BIC may not be a highly marketed, over-hyped or commercially sexy brand, but if you want a very solid, strong yet smooth sub with features that are comparable with an Energy/Klipsch/Polk in the $350-$500 range, pick this up (or the 12-inch even) for under $200 and use the leftover cash for another upgrade to your system. Incredible value, you won't be disappointed.

After reading multiple reviews, I guess I was just expecting more from this sub. It's definitely not bad, but it's really somewhat muddy sounding, and not all that powerful for a 10", 160-watt, powered subwoofer. The 10" Boston Acoustics that I was replacing sounded better than this, and it was kind of a cheapie. I'm sure I'll continue trying to tweak it, but I would bet it winds up in my office for my computer sound system, and I'll probably eventually look for something better for my home theater system.

A solid product for the money. Has volume control, frequency crossover control, automatic off/on, etc. Plenty of power to "shake the windows" on movies, etc. Adds good very low bass to music, etc. Fairly clean sound, but, like many subwoofers, doesn't add bass much above the lowest frequencies...so, if you buy really cheap bookshelf speakers, that can't supply some lower bass, you'll have some gaps. I'm running this subwoofer with some Polk TSi speakers (surprisingly great speakers for the money...good bass too) for a home theater, and it's a nice combo. Note color is a slightly "silvery" black...not a pure black. P.S. I tried one of the lowest end Polk subwoofers and was very disappointed...just not enough power to do much of anything (no "window rattling" bass for movies, etc.).

This sub-woofer is absolutely amazing. I have it hooked up to my 7.2 Surround Sound System and it compliments it nicely. It has 8 connection ports for wiring if you don't have a sub woofer cable, and it has 3 modes for usage : Standby , Auto, and On The quality of the bass that it produces really is something else. I have the dial on about 3 right now, and the house shakes when I have my speaker volume set to 30-35. The first time I turned it on and put on a Bass Nectar song, I was literally smiling the entire song. This is perfect for your casual entertainment center at home, and you can definitely host some loud parties with this thing. I absolutely love it.

My Denon DSW391 Subwoofer just died after barely 3 years. I guess budget entry level Sub has a short life expectancy. So, I got and tested both the Polk PSW10 and the BIC V1020 with my Denon AVR391 HT system. For four days totalling around 24 hours of movie time. I used the following bluray movies: Flight of the Phoenix, Terminator Salvation, Iron Man 1 & 2, Avengers, Master and Commander:The Far Side of the World and Man of Steel. I returned the PSW10 to Futureshop for this reason. When you turn up the Sub volume at 70%, it does get really loud, shakes the room, pushes out a lot of air but the sound is muddy, not deep and no definition. I kept the V1020 because its specs trumps the PSW10 specs and in real time outperforms the PSW10 as well. Also based on my Internet research on this Sub and limited other choices (better and affordable Subs) here in Canada which is practically none.The V1020 can easily handle 70% volume gain, has a deep bass and definition. It does not shake the room but you could feel that little shudder in your chest. Some say it gets better in time when it is fully broken in. The PSW10 is readily available in Futureshop, in store here in Canada, that is why I got it first, tested it and came away disappointed. It was on sale and priced less than the V1020 by about 1/3 of the V1020's price (all fees & taxes in). I ordered the V1020 from Amazon.ca on a Thursday and UPS delivered it on my doorstep next day Friday afternoon. I live 5 hours away from their fullfillment centre. It came in a very big box with brown paper stuffing enclosing the actual Sub's "Transit Tested" packaging. The Sub was well protected, no scratches or loose components to complain about. Kudos to Amazon's excellent service. The V1020 works as expected out of the box. I like this Sub a lot, better than the PSW10 and my old DSW391, definitely an upgrade for me. Recommended for Canadians looking for a budget Sub of good quality and performance.

Very happy. Not a disco boom box, just right for a home theatre in a mid size room. A good addition to my bookshelf speakers for music. Accurate with no port flutter. Pleased with my purchase.

Bought this subwoofer three years ago, a good sub, like it. Two days ago, I noticed the red power LED was not on, found the fuse was blown, I bought a 1.6A250V fuse, which was blown instantly on power up, the red power LED blinked on then off, and I heard subwoofer rumbled, meaning power supply part of the amplifier could be working, the problem should be on amplifier side. I found a forum thread, same subwoofer same issue, a guy couldn't locate where the problem was, as no was schematic available, he contacted BIC, and ended up paying $100 for a main board, as apposed to paying another $450 for a brand new. I opened up the circuit board from back, main board was made by Indigo, Indigo 60088R5. I thought it could be the power amplifier MOSFET IRF640N failed. There are two of them, I used a digital multimeter on selector diode, checking resistance between D(drain) and S(source) with everything disconnected. One MOSFET was found around 0.5 both ways, the other one was tested 0.5 only when red lead on D and black lead on S, and it was unlimited the other way. I though the first MOSFET was gone. I went to my local electronic store the last minute before the store was closed for the day. Bought four IRF640N and a small bag of silicon, used one IRF640N for replacement of the dead one, and fixed the problem. Subwoofer works again.

the previous reviews are over rate for this speaker performance