Right now, there’s a race for bass taking place in the home theatre world. Industry stalwarts such as JL Audio, SVS, REL Acoustics, and Krix inevitably dominate, but we’re also seeing new competition from Chinese high-end audio manufacturer Tonewinner. Its latest D6000 subwoofer takes up residence at StereoNET to show whether the Old Boys’ Club of big woofers should be looking over their shoulders.

Since 1999, Guangzhoi Tonewinner Electronics Co,. Ltd—known as Tonewinner to its friends—has been making cost-effective, high-performing hi-fi and AV products, both as a manufacturer for OEMs like Philips and Sharp and as a brand in its own right, with processors, amplifiers, speakers, subwoofers, and soundbars.

UP CLOSE

For a 15-inch subwoofer, the D6000 is an imposing size – 598x628x480mm – and weighs a back-breaking 42kg. Part of the reason for the latter is its triple port design – which comes with foam bungs if needed – and another is its hefty MDF cabinet. It sports a choice of XLR or RCA inputs, plus a built-in DSP with 7-band parametric EQ, settings for the front port options, sound profiles (Deep, Strong, User, Normal), as well as the regular phase/polarity/hi- and low-pass filters. The Class D amplifier is rated at 800W (4,000W peak), and the drive unit sports a largish 75mm voice coil and aluminium cast frame. The manufacturer claims a frequency response from 220Hz down to as low as 15Hz.

The rear display and controls are conveniently mounted upside down, making it easier to operate when peering down over the top of the box. That said, the sheer size of this sub is such that most people will likely ram it right up against the boundary wall. For that reason, there are apps for both iOS and Android. It has a welter of options, as you’d wish. One omission is a 12V trigger, but the auto-sensing power-on function works well enough that you won’t be concerned by this. Setting up is a breeze. However, the default filter settings are at 100Hz from the factory, which many will want to bypass and let their processor room correction handle. Audyssey had no concerns setting levels via my Marantz 8805A.

SOUND AND VISION

The D6000 offers a level of tactile bass that is almost unbelievable for its price. Taking the opportunity to enjoy the 4K UHD release of 2013’s Rush, a pair of these subs pressurise my listening space with supreme authority, adding a new dimension to the racing scenes. The whoosh of air as a Formula 1 car roars past the screen carries sufficient weight to make you feel like you’re actually there. The heavy bass note used to punctuate the tension of the scene when James Hunt throws up before the F3 race creates a solid feel that draws the listener in.

Similarly, 2022’s Top Gun: Maverick is one of the current audio blockbusters, and the D6000 easily rises to every moment. From the opening drum beats as the music builds to the jet afterburners that shake the light fittings and my chair, it’s an incredible four-dimensional experience. When the Darkstar engines fire up, the sound is physically overwhelming. In fact, the FA-18 flybys throughout the various flight scenes are the closest I have felt to the feeling of being at a motorsport event with a low-altitude flyover.

You might assume that such a large cabinet might result in an overtly boomy or resonant bass, but that isn’t the case in my experience. Moving the port plugs in situ for a quasi-sealed setup does show that the ports are important for allowing that low grunt to shine but don’t impact resonance or port noise – of which there is none. The ports enable powerful notes to be emitted but can be limited should you wish to stay on good terms with your neighbours.

While the specs indicate a response down to 15Hz, in my setup, I found that the D6000 really found its feet closer to 20Hz and carried that all the way up. I would caution that I was limited with placement, and I suspect that in an environment where you can place the subs in ideal locations and/or spend more time finessing the settings, you would likely be able to drive that sweet spot even lower. Even so, the maximising response at 20Hz is no small feat and is enough to shake my projector into the ceiling, throwing the image around on my screen.

Such low-end grunt is valuable when watching Hunter-Killer. This dramatic submarine combat movie is part U-571, part Hunt for the Red October, and the D6000 proves suitably oppressive at recreating the low-frequency sounds of the ocean's pressure weighing down on the viewer. The thunderclap as the SEAL team dives through the storm clouds has me checking my weather app, and combat scenes like the jeep-mounted 50-calibre machine gun shooting down the extraction team get my arm hairs standing to attention!

Musically, the Tonewinner holds its own too. Watching the Blu-ray release of Roger Waters' Us+Them, this sub supports, yet does not overshadow the musical performance. However, when the atom bomb explodes during Money, the D6000 provides a thunderous low-point that moves you into Amsterdam’s Ziggo Dome. I want a little more sensation of the kick-drum, but I suspect more direct intervention with the EQ might alleviate this. After all, this sub boasts customisability, allowing experts or enthusiasts to tune their way to better integration.

Playing an SACD of Dire Straits’ Brothers in Arms and So Far Away From Me has ample bottom end from both the bass drum and bass guitar. Indeed, I really enjoy the clarity and definition of the various percussive and stringed basslines. My only real criticism is that this subwoofer is so big that it’s a pain to unbox and set up – although you’ve got to remember that Tonewinner isn’t pricing this against an SVS PB4000, or an Ascendo 16”, but instead are competing against a budget that includes units like the Klipsch RP1200SW, or a Velodyne Deep Blue 10. In the latter company, it’s clear how well the Tonewinner hits the mark for the price-conscious bass bandits among us.

THE VERDICT

The Tonewinner is a fine-sounding subwoofer at a surprisingly low price, considering what it does. The only downside is its sheer physical size, which may be too bulky for some prospective purchasers. While it may not outperform its largest competitors, when it comes to bang for your buck, the D6000 will shake, rattle, and roll over almost anything in the same price range. Well worth an audition, then.

For more information visit Tonewinner