The normal formula of high fidelity says bigger speakers equal more bass, but Sunfire has turned that calculus on its head with the Atmos subwoofer. Designed by the physicist and audio rule-breaker Bob Carver, the Atmos is about the size of five or so stacked hardback books.
Packing powerful bass into a box measuring roughly 8.5 inches by 9 inches by 10 inches and weighing 32 pounds was technologically daunting.
For one thing, the device has a built-in 1400-watt amplifier, which would normally produce a lot of heat and require big cooling fins. The company said a circuit called a “tracking down converter” constantly adjusts the current so the Atmos draws no more than it needs to move the drivers, resulting in little excess heat. After about 40 minutes of play at modest volume, the Atmos was still cool to the touch.
Another problem the company faced was that the two 6.5-inch drivers move enough air to cause air pressure changes of as much as 50 pounds per square inch in the small cabinet; that was enough to break apart the composite wooden cases used for prototypes. To withstand the pressure changes, the final Atmos cabinet chassis was made of extruded aluminum.
Finally, even at 32 pounds, the subwoofer vibrated powerfully enough for it to walk around the floor. The tire manufacturer Goodyear was enlisted to produce rubber feet that would keep the device stuck in place.
Playing a variety of music, the Atmos put out enough bass that the gain had to be turned to a low setting not to overpower the rest of the system. It has a nice tone, taut and well controlled.
The drawback is that this serious engineering costs serious greenbacks; list price is $2000. That also means it won’t be widely available. You’ll have to search out a high-end boutique audio shop if you want to hear it yourself.
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