Boston Acoustics CPS8Wi Black 8" back 200W wireless-ready Classic series subwoofer

Ready when you are (for wireless, that is)

In one respect, a subwoofer is the most versatile loudspeaker that you can add to a home theater setup. You see, the wide, slow waves of a sub's low-frequency audio output are characterized by what is called "low directionality". All this means is that because of the nature of bass audio, it's much more difficult to identify the position of a subwoofer just by listening than it is to locate other types of speakers. Accordingly, while floorstanding and bookshelf speakers must be placed in specific areas around your home theater in order to create an enveloping, surround-sound effect, a subwoofer can be placed anywhere, and still achieve a similar effect. Theoretically, you could place a sub clear at the back of your home theater without sacrificing performance. However, while the position of a subwoofer might not affect your listening experience, it can complicate the speaker's installation. Placing a sub at the rear of a room requires you to run audio cables all the way from the receiver at the front. Concealing those cables to prevent an eye-sore can be a big hassle. There is another option, however . . . the CPS 8Wi from Boston Acoustics. This wireless-capable subwoofer allows you to use wireless audio signals to connect to your home theater system without any cables. All you need is the WT 50 transmitter (sold separately). Now, should you choose to connect the CPS 8Wi using cables, you have three versatile options at your disposal. The CPS 8Wi offers line-level, speaker-level, and LFE input.

Even more versatility

While the CPS 8Wi's combo of low-frequency audio output and wireless-capability allows for versatile placement in your home theater, the versatility doesn't stop there. Most home-theater subwoofers are designed with down-firing drivers. In other words, the speaker driver is positioned facing downward. The purpose here is to take advantage of solid surfaces — such as a floor — to add some directionality or punch to the bass audio. However, if you're thinking about placing a sub inside a cabinet or other piece of home-theater furniture, a down-firing design can cause unwanted vibrations and resonance. The Boston Acoustics CPS 8Wi solves this problem by sporting a front-firing driver design. Because the CPS 8Wi's woofer driver faces forward, it minimizes resonance when placed in cabinets, and instead fills your listening area with deep, controlled bass audio. Further enhancing bass efficiency and performance, the CPS 8Wi houses its driver in a ported, bass-reflex enclosure.

Multi-sensory surround sound

In our opinion, the term "surround sound" is a little misleading. Or, at least, a little narrow. You see, the term focuses your attention on what you hear. You know, the special audio effects served up by rear- and front-channel bookshelf or floorstanding speakers, the movie dialogue or music lyrics provided by the center-channel speaker. But there's a part of surround sound that you can feel, too. That's right, feel. It's no wonder the subwoofer often gets overlooked when discussing multi-channel speaker systems; after all, it's the little "0.1" in phrases like "5.1-channel" or "7.1-channel." But we're here to tell you, the subwoofer plays one of the biggest roles in a true home theater surround sound experience. In fact, most home theater speaker systems are pretty meager without a little support from the subwoofer. Imagine a squadron of tanks caravanning across the desert in your favorite action movie. Without a subwoofer, you hear a low drone of engines. With a subwoofer, however, you hear the deep roar of gears and tracks and internal combustion . . . and a rumbling that you can actually feel. Fueling its 8" Deep Channel Design woofer with 200W of built-in power amplification, the CPS 8Wi from Boston Acoustics is capable of reproducing full, wide-dispersion bass audio that can be heard and felt. Further, BassTrac circuitry virtually eliminates distortion for deep, controlled low-frequency audio.

More on bass-reflex performance

As a vented-enclosure subwoofer (also known as a bass-reflex sub), the CPS 8Wi allows you to experience enhanced low-frequency reproduction out of a smaller enclosure. Vented systems use the sound produced at the rear side of the driver's diaphragm to increase the efficiency of the system at low frequencies by taking advantage of the resonance of ports or vents designed into the enclosure. The air mass in the cylindrical ports resonates in response to the movement of the air behind the diaphragm within the enclosure, similar to the way that the air in a glass bottle resonates when you blow air across its mouth. The CPS 8Wi's bass-reflex design and acoustically tuned port extend low-frequency bass performance and, simultaneously, allow for a more modest enclosure size that won't dominate space in your living room.

The finishing touches — cables

Go one step further in your quest to reach the pinnacle of home audio. A high-performance floorstanding speaker like the CPS 8Wi can only help your home audio system reach its full potential if it is receiving a quality, high-integrity audio signal. Audio cables — chosen specifically for the needs of your system — deliver the ability to maximize your CPS 8Wi's potential. View the accessories list attached to the CPS 8Wi at Vanns.com or call a Vann's customer service representative at the 800 number at the top of this page for assistance in selecting the right set of cables.