PSI Audio AVAA C20 Active Bass TrapPSI Audio AVAA C20 Active Bass Trap Since its release in 2016, the AVAA C20 has accumulated a reputation that is unusual in acoustic treatment: it simply works, the improvement is immediate, and virtually everyone who tries it in a room with meaningful bass problems ends up keeping it. Bob Katz mastering engineer and Stereophile contributor described the precision, beauty, tightness, and control of bass in his mastering room as a result of the AVAA,

PSI Audio AVAA C20 Active Bass Trap

Since its release in 2016, the AVAA C20 has accumulated a reputation that is unusual in acoustic treatment: it simply works, the improvement is immediate, and virtually everyone who tries it in a room with meaningful bass problems ends up keeping it.

Bob Katz — mastering engineer and Stereophile contributor — described the precision, beauty, tightness, and control of bass in his mastering room as a result of the AVAA, and called it something he wished he'd had more pages to describe.

Fully Analog

The C20 is the original AVAA — fully analog circuitry, no digital signal processing of any kind. A microphone senses particle velocity at the room boundary. Analog circuitry responds in real time. A small loudspeaker generates the counter-pressure that simulates an infinitely absorptive surface. The fully analog processing chain means no latency, no digital artifacts, no frequency response anomalies from DSP filters. It is also, by design, sonically transparent — the C20 treats bass without touching the signal above 150Hz.

The C214 (also available from us) adds digital processing and some additional features. Listeners who specifically want an all-analog treatment chain — as is common in high-end listening rooms — choose the C20 for that reason.

The Result

Bass that tightens, extends, and evens out across the listening area. Room modes that overwhelmed a listening position become manageable. The bass that was congested and thick becomes articulate and controlled. Three to four times more effective than passive traps of equivalent size, effective from 15Hz to 150Hz.

Press Recognition

Stereophile has covered the AVAA C20. Bob Katz has written about it. Ta Shen-Lu's review in The Absolute Sound called it effective beyond expectations.

Specifications

• Type: Active Velocity Acoustic Absorber, fully analog
• Frequency range: 15–150Hz
• Effectiveness: 3–4x passive trap equivalent
• Processing: Fully analog, no DSP
• Placement: Room corners
• Power: AC powered

Questions about C20 versus C214, or how many units your room needs? Reach out.