The TS-WX120A caused quite a stir in our subwoofer review. The Japanese electronics giant, Pioneer, has launched very few active subwoofers to date. In this review, we saw once again that size isn’t everything. Pioneer has proven this so far with its many years of experience in the music scene, where it has already secured a reputation for high quality. You can find out whether the TS-WX120A active subwoofer also earns this reputation in our review report.
The successor: Pioneer TS WX130EA
Unfortunately, the TS-WX120A subwoofer is hardly available for purchase (except on eBay), as it already has an equally good successor – the TS-WX130EA!
The TS-WX120A Subwoofer
The TS-WX120A is very compact. This makes it possible to install it throughout the car without taking up space or attracting attention at first sight. The design, like its shape, is simple and modern. The angular shape makes it disappear into any cavity, it is easy to hide under the passenger seat, under the back seat or in the trunk. There you can also mount it on the back of the back seat. Unfortunately its shape does not fit into the spare wheel recess, but the basic idea for the shape was missing
In terms of construction, it is very much like its big brother, the TS-WX710A. The material used is high quality, scratch-resistant and very robust, the basic requirements for a long life! The manufacturer advertises his product, that due to its special shape it is even possible to put your luggage on the subwoofer without affecting the sound. Sounds very implausible at first, but in fact, it’s true! We don’t know how such a thing can work, but Pioneer has created this phenomenon. In addition to this feature, it was also very easy to install and remove. No straps or adhesive tape are needed, just a few screws and it sits bombproof with optimal sound. In our subwoofer review, almost no other competitor found a subwoofer that was as well designed as this one.
The only thing that wasn’t completely convincing with the TS-WX120A was the bass. That’s because it’s an active subwoofer and can’t keep up with the big passives. On the other hand, it has quite different strengths, such as its small form and good sound. In return, we liked the sound very much. It’s a very beautiful sound with precise and atmospheric tones. The reason is that the diaphragm is a bit smaller, but bigger than the front speakers. So it also improves the sound of the middle frequencies and not just the low frequencies.
To give you an idea of the TS-WX120A, the following video shows you a small guide for the installation and from 1:35 a review with the before and after comparison:
Unique to the TS-WX120A is its small size (28 x 7 x 20 cm) combined with the pleasant and efficient shape that fills the room perfectly. Its 19 cm diameter diaphragm is also compact inside, but is made of the highest quality aluminium fabric, which gives it a great sound that is one of the good ones at 98 dB. Its low output of 50 Wrms is not noticeable. This may also be due to the built-in MOSFET amplifier, which achieves 150 Wmax. All cables are included in delivery. Unfortunately the RCA cable is a bit short and if you have long cable runs you should definitely order a longer RCA cable*. Otherwise you will have to wait until the cable is delivered.
Some features of the TS-WX120A include a wired remote control and low-pass filter. The wired remote control allows you to adjust the gain, phase and crossover frequency at any time and easily from the driver’s seat. The low-pass filter (50-125Hz, -12dB/oct.) is already integrated and variable, which above all ensures beautiful bass without interference. Click here for a direct comparison of the Pioneer subwoofers in our review.