Home Entertainment

BassNation Audio unleashes BlackBox Speaker System

BassNation Audio unleashes BlackBox Speaker System
BassNation Audio has released the BlackBox speaker system, which can be used with any device with a 3.5-mm audio jack or RCA phono outputs
BassNation Audio has released the BlackBox speaker system, which can be used with any device with a 3.5-mm audio jack or RCA phono outputs
View 7 Images
Close up of the front steel plate with power on/off volume control and 3.5-mm input jack
1/7
Close up of the front steel plate with power on/off volume control and 3.5-mm input jack
To the rear, RCA inputs and power connection
2/7
To the rear, RCA inputs and power connection
Working on the t-short design
3/7
Working on the t-short design
Multiple units can be stacked on top of each other for increased volume
4/7
Multiple units can be stacked on top of each other for increased volume
BlackBox highlghts, including that the unit can be used in a car via the supplied 12V cigarette lighter adapter
5/7
BlackBox highlghts, including that the unit can be used in a car via the supplied 12V cigarette lighter adapter
Front and back, showing the bass porting and 6.5-inch mid woofers
6/7
Front and back, showing the bass porting and 6.5-inch mid woofers
BassNation Audio has released the BlackBox speaker system, which can be used with any device with a 3.5-mm audio jack or RCA phono outputs
7/7
BassNation Audio has released the BlackBox speaker system, which can be used with any device with a 3.5-mm audio jack or RCA phono outputs
View gallery - 7 images

Like the just-released Hanwell from Marshall, the BlackBox speaker system from BassNation Audio has the look of a guitar amp but delivers its quality audio amplification payload for a fraction of the price. Any device sporting either a 3.5-mm jack or RCA phono outputs can be used as an audio source (TVs, games consoles, smartphones and music players, for example), and multiple units can be stacked on top of each other for increased volume ... and some extra points in the cool department.

BassNation's engineering and design team embarked on a new mission in 2011 to build a wood-enclosed, acoustically-superior speaker system at a wallet-friendly price. After 14 months of tweaking, testing and configuring, the new BlackBox speaker system is finally ready for release.

Front and back, showing the bass porting and 6.5-inch mid woofers
Front and back, showing the bass porting and 6.5-inch mid woofers

Within its 8.75 x 20 x 9.25-inch (223 x 508 x 235-mm) bass-ported, black-vinyl-covered MDF housing sit two 6.5-inch mid woofers (each with a 1-inch voice coil and Y25 ferrite magnet), a pair of 1-inch tweeters (0.5-inch voice coil and N40 neodymium magnet) and a built-in 25W TI-TAS5713 digital amplifier with EQ and dual-band DRC. To the front of the speaker system is a brass/gold colored steel plate with a 3.5-mm jack input and a push in/out power knob that's also used for volume. The RCA inputs can be found at the back.

BassNation has treated the BlackBox to protective metal corners, steel speaker grills and clamps, and a sturdy carry handle on top for portability. Although powered by an included AC adapter, the unit's power supply can also support 12-volt power, so it can be taken along for the ride courtesy of the supplied cigarette lighter car adapter.

The company says that the 17W per channel output (RMS) system has a frequency response of 87 Hz - 20 kHz (± 3 dB), a signal-to-noise ratio of 92 dB (A-weighted), impedance of 6.4 Ohms (8 Ohms nominal) and continuous sound pressure level (SPL) of 96 dB (2.83V, 1 kHz, at 1 meter) or 104dB (750mV input into 3.5 mm jack) peak. It's also claimed that the distortion at full tilt is virtually zero.

A single BlackBox carries a suggested retail of US$295, but BassNation Audio's website is currently showing the unit as available for a special price of $265. Production is currently limited to 7,000 units per year, as all systems are hand-crafted in the U.S.

Source: BassNation Audio

The following video features the company's Aderito Beltran walking through the features and design of the BlackBox speaker system.

View gallery - 7 images
7 comments
7 comments
Australian
With a low end of 87 Hz, putting the "Bass Nation" brand on it would seem disigenuous.
Audio-Man
I own a "BlackBox" and can say ..."it has a ton of Bass frequency reproduction" on tap,even at MAX output volume.Don't get caught up in specifications....Loud Speakers need to be auditioned to judge them.
Mind Dragon
I was considering the purchase of a Marshall Handwell but after seeing this article, I really want to check out the BlackBox! It looks like it would have everything I need for my TV.
Edge
I was there when the first prototype was built. For the price this thing rocks!!
Dennis Pierre
The BassNation "BlackBox" speaker system is a great new product that stands head-to-head with far more expensive models. The speakers' amazing clarity at loud volumes empowers any music to play in full glory, thanks to 14 pounds of wood and steel that give this beast hefty guts you can feel. BassNation proves the military's proudest adage: no guts, no glory. I recommend you grab one (or several to stack) before the makers realize how crazy-low their price is.
--Dennis St. Pierre, former Technical Writer/Editor and audio/video columnist of Off-Duty Magazine, an international entertainment magazine for active-duty U.S. military personnel
packoftwenty
"I was there when the first prototype was built. For the price this thing rocks!! " etc. I thought it was unethical for people who work for a company to write glowing 'reviews' of it on websites... LOL. That also applies to 'Dennis St Pierre'... LOL! Could this thing be any uglier if they tried? $295? Why not just buy some proper monitor speakers?
Audio-Man
I like the guitar amplifier look,kinda like Marshall...it looks like a product that would fit well in my "Man Cave".