What We Like
- Beautiful front cone.
- Detachable power cable.
- Satisfying low-end.
What We Don't Like
- Not as tight as other subwoofers.
- Rear, circular port.
BIC America’s H-100II is a beautiful, hefty, and excellent subwoofer in the midrange price bracket. Providing exceptional low-end inside of a beautiful package add up to make this subwoofer one of the best options under $300.
Design
The first thing that sticks out to be is the gorgeous look of the H-100II. The back is finished in a gloss black, sides in wood grain, with the front coming in at more of a matte black. The front is beautifully accented by the orange-ish yellow cone of the woofer, branding the subwoofer and making it one of a kind. The back features the usual assortment of controls you’d expect at this price point including volume and crossover knobs, power and phase switches, RCA input, a rear port, a replaceable fuse, and a removable power cable.
To be clear, the images online do not so this subwoofer justice. The finish on the cone shines beautifully, bringing the attention immediately to the center. While it is fun to look at, the subwoofer still maintains a design that isn’t intruding, meaning it will integrate well into most setups. The black box and rear ported design hide almost everything behind the back, with the only thing sticking out being the cone on the woofer.
Features
Feature-wise, there’s a lot here to appreciate while not completely adding unnecessary cost to the subwoofer. Tunable crossover and auto signal sensing are present, as well as a phase reversal switch to ensure your subwoofer is firing in phase with the rest of your subwoofers. A switch for receiver type is handy to include, as well as a detachable (and replaceable) power cable. Rounding out the feature set is a rear port in the back, exhausting some bass pressure to maintain tight low-end.
There isn’t much to complain about here. Sure, additions like enhancement or more EQ options are always welcome, but the feature set satisfies in almost every conventional way. Phase reversal and auto signal sensing are very welcome, but I’m very happy with the detachable power cable. This flexibility means you can easily replace a faulty power cable or run a long one if needed. While not a huge deal, this addition makes the H-100II jump in terms of it’s feature set.
Performance
Tweaking features are lacking on the H-100II, but that’s not a problem. This subwoofer sounds absolutely incredible. The low-end is full powered, giving a more rounded experience than some other subwoofers. I wouldn’t describe it as ‘tight’, but the bass response certainly doesn’t sound overinflated.
This is largely due to the circular port in the back which is a little small considering the power this subwoofer can crank out. What this leads to is tighter low-end, but not as tight as some other options at or even below this price point. Additionally, being rear ported, it wouldn’t be a good idea to put the subwoofer up against a wall, which will effectively nullify the port.
The Rumble:
The BIC America H-100II is a beautiful subwoofer that performs well. While not the best subwoofer at the price, it still manages superb quality in terms of sound and build. While not the best, this subwoofer is still exceptional.
