It is difficult to be even marginally involved in the field of high fidelity and not have heard of Velodyne. The company founded by Dave Hall in 1983 evolved into one of the most significant subwoofer manufacturers, shaping, at multiple levels, the way we perceive the concept of this device and actively contributing to its transformation from an odd accessory into a component of substantial importance in certain installations and systems.
The answer to the question “why do I need a subwoofer?” is an important one: A loudspeaker specifically designed to reproduce very low frequencies has, first and foremost, an obvious purpose—the improvement of a system’s response in this part of the audio band, particularly when the main loudspeakers are small in volume and employ accordingly small-diameter woofers. A small loudspeaker is often an unavoidable choice: if the room is small, it can be positioned more easily in the appropriate locations. However, limited performance at very low frequencies is equally unavoidable, and a subwoofer addresses this problem in a particularly effective manner.

Nevertheless, 2.1 systems offer additional advantages. By directing low frequencies to a loudspeaker specifically designed to handle them, equipped with its own amplifier and—typically—a woofer with high (sometimes extremely high) excursion, the system’s dynamic headroom increases and the final result may be improved. The ability to re-position and adjust the subwoofer so that it is phase-aligned (i.e., temporally aligned with the main loudspeakers) within the room also provides opportunities for acoustic optimization. It is easier to move and correctly place a single enclosure measuring 400*400*400mm than two loudspeakers, which, in addition, must maintain a fixed geometric relationship with each other and with the listener.
All of the above applies to all systems. In the case of a home entertainment system, where an LFE channel is present, the choice of installing a subwoofer is—almost—a foregone conclusion. Historically, subwoofer manufacturers at some point “forgot” the two-channel user and turned toward products primarily intended for home entertainment rather than Hi-Fi. Not all of them—and certainly not anymore.
Velodyne, even during their California-based years, produced models intended for use in high-fidelity systems, something that remains true today during their European era. I write “European” because, for several years now (since 2019), the company has been acquired and operates from Germany under Audio Reference, a major dealer that had handled Velodyne distribution for many years.
The Deep Blue series, to which the model under review belongs, is what one might describe as a classic design. It comprises four models, featuring 8-, 10-, 12-, and 15-inch woofers, without DSP, but with a comprehensive set of connectivity options. In the following pages, you will read about the “10.”
Let us examine the details…

Dimitris Stamatakos

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Original Publilcation: 2026/02/24	Last Follow Up: 2026/02/24

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