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[aaron linder]

Hi,  I am thinking of upgrading my DXS15 sub to a nice one with a flat frequency response and plenty of power and volume for my needs.  I need it to be light since I'm not strong and would have to lift it into my car alone occasionally (which I can't do with the DXS15 but have gotten by so far luckily).  I also need it to be no higher than 26" so it will fit into my hatchback. 

Has anyone compared the Bassboss BB15 to the JTR Captivator 212Pro?  There are a few pretty glowing reports on the 212Pro on this forum but not much about the BB15.  On another site one Bassboss user said the BB15 he compared with an RCF 8004 was pretty much a dead heat.  I think on this forum someone said that the only sub they'd consider maybe replacing the 212Pro with would be an 8004 or better. 

They seem very comparable on frequency response and weight.  The 212Pro has a very long, short profile vs the more traditional BB15 shape.  Part of me wondered if the 212Pro would be easier to get into my car if I just tilted it onto the back a bit and then lifted the one end to shove it in.  OTOH, the BB15 seems like it would be easier to lift and move down a few stairs if I had to.  The 212Pro has a 1200W amp.  The BB15 has a 2400W amp.  Both have a low pass filter with non-high-passed output.  The 212Pro has more cone area and a larger volume, but that doesn't necessarily mean it's better of course. 

I think I can get a demo of the 212Pro within a 3 hr drive.  There is a Guitar Center with a demo BB15 a few hours from me.  I thought maybe I could buy the BB15 at GC, drive it to the 212Pro demo site, compare them directly, and then decide whether to return the BB15.  Maybe just listening would be enough.  If I were betting, I'd assume they are very comparable.

[Mike Pyle]

Where are you located? I have a BB15 in stock that I can demo.

[aaron linder]

Where are you located? I have a BB15 in stock that I can demo.

zip code 12603!  a bit of a drive! 

How would you compare it to other subs I might have heard of?

[Mike Pyle]

How would you compare it to other subs I might have heard of?

Compared to an RCF SUB905 the BB15 had slightly deeper response and a little more output with the RCF at hard limit. It is a little hard to do a solid comparison because the RCF has a menu of different processing that could affect the results. Both subs were set to 100 Hz low pass.

The cabinets are similar footprint but the RCF is a few inches taller.

[aaron linder]

My faulty memory had the 905 as a bit heavier, but it looks good.  I'm assuming you'd take the 905 over the BB15 then or no, given the price difference?  I could maybe get a used 905 for much less than the BB15, or even open box would be maybe $1800.  i like the dsp option as well.  i'm assuming it's not as flat of a frequency response though.  I need to see if I can get that info. from Bassboss. 

[Jonathan Hole]

Hi,  I am thinking of upgrading my DXS15 sub to a nice one with a flat frequency response and plenty of power and volume for my needs.  I need it to be light since I'm not strong and would have to lift it into my car alone occasionally (which I can't do with the DXS15 but have gotten by so far luckily).  I also need it to be no higher than 26" so it will fit into my hatchback. 

Has anyone compared the Bassboss BB15 to the JTR Captivator 212Pro?  There are a few pretty glowing reports on the 212Pro on this forum but not much about the BB15.  On another site one Bassboss user said the BB15 he compared with an RCF 8004 was pretty much a dead heat.  I think on this forum someone said that the only sub they'd consider maybe replacing the 212Pro with would be an 8004 or better. 

They seem very comparable on frequency response and weight.  The 212Pro has a very long, short profile vs the more traditional BB15 shape.  Part of me wondered if the 212Pro would be easier to get into my car if I just tilted it onto the back a bit and then lifted the one end to shove it in.  OTOH, the BB15 seems like it would be easier to lift and move down a few stairs if I had to.  The 212Pro has a 1200W amp.  The BB15 has a 2400W amp.  Both have a low pass filter with non-high-passed output.  The 212Pro has more cone area and a larger volume, but that doesn't necessarily mean it's better of course. 

I think I can get a demo of the 212Pro within a 3 hr drive.  There is a Guitar Center with a demo BB15 a few hours from me.  I thought maybe I could buy the BB15 at GC, drive it to the 212Pro demo site, compare them directly, and then decide whether to return the BB15.  Maybe just listening would be enough.  If I were betting, I'd assume they are very comparable.

I have four of the 212Pro's and have had them a good while and can tell you how I use them.  We use them for smaller to med size venues when space and weight is a concern.  The would not be good for low EDM or dance type music or if you like your sub to play that low, they are great for a band and such use.  The output of these for their size always puts a smile on my face, 50hz and up they will hang with subs far larger than they have a right too and sound good doing it.  The built in amps are high quality but come from high end home theater, so they have XLR and so forth but some don't like that they have RCA inputs as well - so figure if you're a stickler for such things.  We are a traveling 80's cover band and for many indoor or smaller event shows I use these.  We have 218Pro's powered by Powersoft and for larger and outdoor shows I use those along w/ Danley SM80 tops.  They are low to the ground and I've covered med size ballrooms and smaller with one or two with astonishing results.  Our lead singers appreciate that they can hop up on them when I center cluster two and sing from up there at venues w/ no staging.  But they are not for everyone, especially the limited extension for playback music and I would not see them as best for DJ use as I'd want more output at the bottom, but for bands are a great tool.

[Luis_Marquez]

Those two subs are great choices. Can't go wrong with either. Report your findings when you demo both subs. What tops/mains are you using? Are you looking at a single or pair? and intended use? I have listened to the BB15 and the sub905asll . I own the c212pro's. The BB15 and c212pro's have a Flat (linear) frequency response with the c212pro slight tilt up towards 100hz and similar frequency response.  For transport, both will fit your hatch back and have similar weight while bb15 slightly more compact. BB15 has a larger amp with an excellent Italian driver while the c212 has excellent American custom dual drivers and having an advantage in the upper low frequencies. Build is top notch on both.

My c212pro's are with the earlier 900W amp modules. Normally paired with dsr112's, are an excellent match and sound great. Used mostly for live sound. Weather and time permitting, next is to pair them with db technologies IG3T. I like the fact that they fill nicely when used with smaller mains. At a small event while providing playback/ background music, a pair of rcf TT052a could not keep up with a single c212 and had to turn down the gain.  Sound wise they have a nice mix of low end and low mids making them sound "musical"

The BB15 I listened to was over a Diamon 112 on its own with no other speakers to compare. This is an excellent combo for any sound provider looking into a solid compact portable speaker system. The combo response was more linear(flat) where no peaks, dips. smiley face, frown face or slants were observed with this combo. It was loud and filled the area nicely. I have not seen any response graphs for the BB15 but upon the listening test, am guessing it has a slight tilt down and 105hz being -3db.

As Mike pointed out. The Sub905-as-ll will limit on extended low preset when c212 will have  more to go in an outdoor setting when pushing. It sounds good in the different presets with having a bump at around 50hz-ish. This is a great match with 12" or smaller mains for small events. Weight is great at 67lbs but feels a bit heavy lifting when grabbing both handles with grill on chest.

You can not go wrong with either sub, BB15 or C212. Both have solid amplifiers, drivers, dsp protection, similar price and good warranty. I do not know if JTR has a back log but the BB15 can be in stock at your local guitar store. The demo will be the deciding factor performance wise if that is the area of comparison.

[aaron linder]

I have four of the 212Pro's and have had them a good while and can tell you how I use them.  We use them for smaller to med size venues when space and weight is a concern.  The would not be good for low EDM or dance type music or if you like your sub to play that low, they are great for a band and such use.  The output of these for their size always puts a smile on my face, 50hz and up they will hang with subs far larger than they have a right too and sound good doing it.  The built in amps are high quality but come from high end home theater, so they have XLR and so forth but some don't like that they have RCA inputs as well - so figure if you're a stickler for such things.  We are a traveling 80's cover band and for many indoor or smaller event shows I use these.  We have 218Pro's powered by Powersoft and for larger and outdoor shows I use those along w/ Danley SM80 tops.  They are low to the ground and I've covered med size ballrooms and smaller with one or two with astonishing results.  Our lead singers appreciate that they can hop up on them when I center cluster two and sing from up there at venues w/ no staging.  But they are not for everyone, especially the limited extension for playback music and I would not see them as best for DJ use as I'd want more output at the bottom, but for bands are a great tool.

Thanks for the reply!  I would be using them for live sound, so I don't need the really low frequencies either. 

[aaron linder]

Those two subs are great choices. Can't go wrong with either. Report your findings when you demo both subs. What tops/mains are you using? Are you looking at a single or pair? and intended use? I have listened to the BB15 and the sub905asll . I own the c212pro's. The BB15 and c212pro's have a linear (flat) frequency response with the c212pro slight upward tilt towards 100hz and similar frequency response.  For transport, both will fit your hatch back and have similar weight while bb15 slightly more compact. BB15 has a larger amp with an excellent Italian driver while the c212 has excellent American custom dual drivers and having an advantage in the upper low frequencies. Build is top notch on both.

My c212pro's are with the earlier 900W amp modules. Normally paired with dsr112's, are an excellent match and sound great. Used mostly for live sound. Weather and time permitting, next is to pair them with db technologies IG3T. I like the fact that they fill nicely when used with smaller mains. At a small event while providing playback/ background music, a pair of rcf TT052a could not keep up with a single c212 and had to turn down the gain.  Sound wise they have a nice mix of low end and low mids making them sound "musical"

The BB15 I listened to was over a Diamon 112 on its own with no other speakers to compare. This is an excellent combo for any sound provider looking into a solid compact portable speaker system. The response is more linear(flat) where no peaks, dips. smiley face, frown face or slants were observed with this combo. It was loud and filled the area nicely. I have not seen any response graphs for the BB15 but upon the listening test, am guessing it has a slight tilt down and 105hz being -3db.

As Mike pointed out. The Sub905-as-ll will limit on extended low preset when c212 will have  more to go in an outdoor setting when pushing. It sounds good in the different presets with having a sling bump at around 50hz-ish. This is a great match with 12" or smaller mains for small events. Weight is great at 67lbs but feels a bit heavy lifting when grabbing both handles with grill on chest.

You can not go wrong with either sub, BB15 or C212. Both have solid amplifiers, drivers, dsp protection, similar price and good warranty. I do not know if JTR has a back log but the BB15 can be in stock at your local guitar store. The demo will be the deciding factor performance wise if that is the area of comparison.

Thanks for all of the info!  I am going to buy some new tops.  Right now I'm just using high-passed yamaha dxr10/12s.  I would just get one sub.  I don't see needing more than that.  If I need more sound for some large event, I would just rent something.  Going to use them for live sound reinforcement only.  I was thinking of getting some RCF 945s and using an external crossover.  I don't need that kind of output, but everyone says they sound incredible, so I'd just run them at a lower setting of course. 

I noticed the freq. graph for the 212pro seems to slowly keep increasing the higher you go!  I emailed Bassboss to see if they'd send me a chart for the BB15.  It says +/-3 from 40-105, so maybe it starts dipping around 100ish, as you seem to think.  I'd probably crossover at the typical 80-100 Hz.  I noticed on the frequency charts that the RCF and Yamaha subs seem to have a bump around 50ish or so.

I am going to try to demo them together.  We'll see if it works out.  Nice to hear a little more about the BB15. 

[aaron linder]

I asked Bassboss if I could have the frequency response for the BB15, and they emailed it to me.  They also put it up onto their website.  Looks like it is pretty flat over much of the range.  Definitely has a different shape from the 212pro, but I don't know if you could hear a difference.  Anyway, just an FYI.

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