The benchmark for bass
JL Audio Fathom f212v2 is a sealed powered subwoofer with two 12-inch drivers and a 3600 W RMS (short-term) switching amplifier, finished in gloss black.
The Fathom v2 models are meant for bigger rooms, because of their greater efficiency and the power on tap. Pairing very long-throw drivers with a high-power switching amplifier gives strong performance at any listening level. The stated frequency response runs from 20 to 97 Hz, within ±1.5 dB in anechoic conditions.
Key features
- Two 12-inch W7-HT drivers
- Switching amplifier rated at 3600 W RMS (short-term)
- Sealed cabinet in gloss black
- D.A.R.O. automatic calibration
- Low-pass at 12 or 24 dB/octave, adjustable from 30 to 130 Hz
- E.L.F. trim at 28 Hz, between -12 and +3 dB
- RCA and balanced XLR inputs, master or slave mode
- Removable fabric grille
Technology taken from the Gotham
The Fathom models share driver and amplifier technology with the flagship Gotham line: this brings low distortion, excellent dynamics and very deep bass extension. Each model has its own driver from the W7-HT family, capable of extreme excursion with great linearity and dynamic stability. The switching amplifier relies on a large toroidal transformer and on a patented circuit that improves control and fidelity.
Controls and D.A.R.O. calibration
All adjustments sit on the front: a flexible low-pass, phase variable from 0 to 280°, switchable polarity, trim of the lowest frequencies (E.L.F.) and D.A.R.O. calibration. The latter relies on an internal DSP to optimise, automatically, how the subwoofer responds in the room wherever it stands, and it includes a laboratory-grade microphone. Inputs are unbalanced RCA and balanced XLR, with an XLR output for linking a second subwoofer in slave mode.
The driver technologies
The W-shaped cone is made of two light skins of mineral-filled polypropylene bonded together: it is stiff, tough and resistant to moisture. Cooling is handled by a frame that channels fast-moving air across the top plate of the voice coil and by a pole piece with radial holes, which work together to carry heat away. The surround uses space that normally goes unused to manage the large excursion without taking area from the cone, and DMA modelling looks after motor, suspension and cone.
Supplied accessories
The box contains the subwoofer, the power cord and the grille, already attached.
