In September 2024, my review of the Dayton Audio Classic B65 standmount loudspeaker was published here on Access. At the time, the B65 was on sale for US$69.98 per pair from Parts Express, Dayton Audio’s parent company, as well as from Amazon. Since then, the price has risen to US$79.98, which is still a bargain. At the time of my review, it struck me that the one thing my review pair needed was a subwoofer. Although I really enjoyed the sound of them, their bass response quit around 65–70 Hz. And now, there’s a solution.
In late 2025, Shawn Behmer, Parts Express’s social-media and community-engagement lead, let me know about the addition of three subs to Dayton Audio’s Classic Collection series, in 8″, 10″, and 12″ variants (the CS800, CS1000, and CS1200, respectively), and asked if I’d like to review one. I chose the 10″ model (US$249.99, CA$299, €299.95), reasoning that my Vera‑Fi Audio Vanguard Caldera 10 would be a good reference. While the list price of the CS1000 is US$249.99, it’s available in the US from Parts Express for US$199.98.
Description
Measuring 16″H × 13.5″W × 14.4″D and weighing 29.3 pounds, the CS1000 is rather large for a 10″ sub. The vinyl-clad cabinet, available in black and walnut finishes, houses a mineral-filled poly-cone driver powered by a built-in class-D amp rated at 180W RMS. The slot port on the rear is tuned to 39Hz. Specified frequency response is 28–200Hz (deviation is not specified). On the base are four squishy feet that do a reasonably good job of limiting vibrations to the floor.
On the upper-left of the back panel is a stereo pair of line-level inputs (RCA), and below them is a single LFE input (also RCA) for connection to an A/V receiver or processor. Further down, you’ll find four pairs of spring-loaded clips for speaker-level audio: two pairs for input, and the other two for passthrough to the main speakers. If you’re using the stereo line-level or speaker-level inputs, you set the frequency for the sub’s low-pass filter with the crossover control at the top-right of the back panel; it’s adjustable from 40 to 180Hz. If you’re using the LFE input, the sub’s low-pass filter is bypassed; crossover frequency is set using the bass-management options on your A/V receiver or processor. A level control is also provided to adjust the sub’s volume. Next to the RCA inputs is a phase switch with 0° and 180° positions. The manual provides helpful guidance for setting these controls and for subwoofer placement.
There is also a switch that toggles the CS1000’s auto-on modes. In Auto, the sub will power up when it detects a signal from the amplifier and revert to standby after 15 minutes if no signal is detected. Switched to On, the sub will stay on all the time. Power status is shown by an LED that glows green when the subwoofer is on and red when it’s in standby mode. The master power switch and two-prong power inlet are at the bottom of the back panel.
Setup
I connected the CS1000 to the speaker outputs of my NAD C 275BEE power amplifier and the Dayton Audio B65 speakers to the sub’s speaker outputs. The spring-loaded clips were a bit of a hassle—they’ll accommodate stripped wire or pin connectors, but not banana plugs or spades. So instead of using my Nakamichi speaker cables, which have captive banana plugs, I used Audtek 12-gauge OFC copper cable to connect the sub to the amp and the main speakers to the sub.
Instead of a speaker-level connection, I could have used a line-level connection, as my vintage Apt Holman preamp has two sets of line outputs. One of these feeds my NAD power amp via Morrow MA1 interconnects, but the other could have been used for the sub. This is the connection method recommended in the CS1000’s manual. However, I didn’t have a set of RCA interconnects on hand that were long enough for this purpose. But also, I think an affordable sub like the CS1000 will often be used with a vintage or entry-level amplifier that lacks line outputs; a speaker-level connection will match many use cases for this model.
Source components comprised a Technics SL‑100C turntable with Goldring E4 cartridge, connected to the Apt Holman preamp with Pro‑Ject Connect it E cables, and a Cambridge Audio Azur 650C CD player connected with Linn Silver RCA cables.
The manual recommends 80Hz as a starting point for the CS1000’s crossover control. After experimenting a little, I found that a 90Hz setting provided a good blend with the Dayton B65 speakers—which I think makes sense, as that’s a bit less than a half-octave above the 65–70Hz point at which the B65s start to run out of steam. For selecting the phase-control setting, I followed the manual’s recommendation to play bass-heavy music and “use the setting that sounds more full and balanced,” which turned out to be the 0° setting. After adjusting the level to achieve a smooth blend between the CS1000 and B65s, it was time for some serious listening.
Listening
What better way to test subwoofer performance than some pipe-organ music? With that thought in mind, I cued up a performance of J.S. Bach’s Toccata and Fugue in D minor, BWV 565, by Hans-Christoph Becker-Foss, from a two-CD compilation of Bach’s music from Critic’s Choice (CCD 2202). The Toccata has huge, dramatic chords, with pedal notes as deep as 37Hz. With the CS1000 augmenting the B65s, those pedal notes sounded deep, effortless, and well defined. This is a fine recording, and the B65-CS1000 combination showed off the great sound of the organ and the skill of the organist.
One of the strongest and deepest bass lines I know is found on “Bali Run” from Fourplay’s eponymous first album (LP, Evosound EVLP 025). I don’t mean that the bass line is overpowering, but rather that it constitutes a major presence during the song and adds a strong low-frequency dimension to the recording. On this piece, the blend between the speakers and the sub was very smooth, and the sub’s deep bass was a welcome addition to the sound of the B65s that I already like so much.
To round out my listening, I cued up some tracks that feature some of the best bass-guitar players I know. The first was “Think” by Aretha Franklin and the Blues Brothers Band from The Blues Brothers movie soundtrack (LP, Atlantic SD 16017), with Donald “Duck” Dunn on bass. This was one of the highlights of the movie for me. Dunn’s tight bass runs duplicate the riffs of the horns. The CS1000 gave a fine performance, conveying solid, meaty bass. Even when played loudly (and I always play Aretha loudly), the B65‑CS1000 combination sounded full and rich.
Next up was another Aretha track, “Respect,” from Aretha’s Best (CD, Atlantic/Rhino R2 74295). On this hit, she’s backed by the Swampers, with David Hood on bass. Hood’s bass sounds like something you’d hear in a joint on some backwoods highway in the Deep South. At first it seems a bit sloppy, but then you realize Hood is just manipulating the song to give it a bluesy, roadhouse feel. The lows on this recording are more elevated than on “Think,” and the CS1000 provided ample bass texture and blended with the B65s very nicely.
On “Ain’t No Mountain High Enough,” performed by Marvin Gaye and Tammi Terrell, which I played from Marvin Gaye: Anthology (LP, Motown M791 A3), James Jamerson’s complicated bass runs set the pace for the song. I was extremely impressed by the iconic Motown sound transmitted through the B65s and CS1000: not a lot of highs, but a fulsome midrange and a driving bass. Jamerson’s playing had loads of deep bass grunt and his fingering came through perfectly.
Several of my friends consider Jaco Pastorius the finest bass player of all time. On his composition “Teen Town” from Weather Report’s Heavy Weather (LP, Columbia 34418), the bass carries the melody—and I have to admit that Pastorius plays a mean bass, with a number of very complicated runs up and down the fingerboard. The CS1000 reproduced his mostly low bass line with precision and a good deal of slam. I was especially taken by his counterpoint to Wayne Shorter’s soprano sax line.
Comparison
I compared the CS1000 with my Vera‑Fi Audio Vanguard Caldera 10 (US$199), which has a 10″ driver powered by a class-AB amp rated at 175W. Vera‑Fi specifies the ‑3dB point at 30Hz and the ‑6dB point at 27Hz. As I’d done with the Dayton sub, I connected the Vera‑Fi to my NAD amplifier’s speaker outputs and the B65s to the subwoofer’s speaker outputs, and I set the crossover frequency at 90Hz.
For this comparison, I chose another song with a strong bass line: the title track from Steve Winwood’s Roll with It (CD, Virgin America V2 90946). Winwood plays most of the instruments on this song, including bass. This is another song that sounds as if it was coming from a rural roadhouse in the Deep South—very bluesy and hard-driven.
The CS1000 combined good slam with very taut response down low. Response was pretty even across the bass’s range, with neither boom nor dropouts. The bass drum was present but was overpowered by the bass guitar. In comparison, the Vanguard Caldera 10 was more mellow with less slam, but it still provided a decent amount of low-end punch. Overall, the CS1000’s bass was slightly tighter-sounding, while the Caldera’s was just a tiny amount more fulsome. Bottom line: both subs performed extremely well, and I’d be glad to have either in my system. And they both sell for just under US$200!
Conclusion
Throughout my listening, Dayton Audio’s CS1000 subwoofer proved itself a boon companion to the standmounted B65s. I expect it would also mate well with the B65’s big brother, the floorstanding T65, which I reviewed earlier this year. The CS1000 has strong, taut bass response, perfect for rock and jazz. It even performed well on the Bach organ piece, which I didn’t quite expect. The Dayton Audio CS1000 is well built, well priced, and a great value. I recommend it highly.
. . . Thom Moon
thom@soundstagenetwork.com
Associated Equipment
- Loudpeakers: Dayton Audio Classic B65
- Subwoofer: Vera‑Fi Vanguard Caldera 10
- Power amplifier: NAD C 275BEE
- Preamplifier: Apt Holman
- Analog source: Technics SL‑100C turntable with Goldring E4 cartridge
- Digital source: Cambridge Audio Azur 650C CD player
- Interconnects: Pro‑Ject Connect it E for turntable; Linn Silver for CD player; Morrow Audio MA1 for preamp to power amp
- Speaker cables: Audtek 12-gauge OFC copper speaker cables using bare wire to connect the amplifier to the subwoofer’s high-level inputs and its outputs to the speakers; connections at the amplifier and speakers were banana plugs.
Dayton Audio Classic CS1000 subwoofer
Price: US$249.99, CA$299, €299.95; available from Parts Express for US$199.98
Warranty: Five years, parts and labor
Dayton Audio (Parts Express)
705 Pleasant Valley Drive
Springboro, OH 45066
Phone: (937) 743-8248
Website: www.daytonaudio.com
