Perhaps for some people these DPS series subs will seem attractive. My guess is that there is nothing substantially new or better about these. Why? The information given on the web page has marketing/sales origins without describing something new from an engineering or acoustical point of view. Questions that come to my mind:
I find DSP selections (Hall, Studio, etc.) on my pre/pro to be unnecessary, why, if I take the time and care to properly set up my sub(s) to integrate well with the rest of my system, would I need DSP settings for my sub? While this gimmick (my humble opinion) may garner additional sales of Velodyne equipment to the average consumer, after the purchase, is the consumer
really going to get up and change the setting on the sub
every time they choose a different type of source? I think the consumer will end up picking a level/favorite setting and just leaving it set that way anyway. Conclusion: The additional control is a partial substitute for not finding the best location and level setting for a sub in a given room. This sub is to increase sales, not to provide something better than the competition. (I have no problem with Velodyne being in business to make money, that’s true for almost any business.)
The Velodyne is front-firing, both the driver and the port. The LFM-1 is down-firing, both the driver and the ports. If set on a level floor, the top of the LFM-1 can also be level, the top of the Velodyne appears mildly curved and slanted. (Was someone at Velodyne thinking of wind tunnel drag reduction? Not likely. Probably thinking about consumer styling instead of better utility.)
I think the available amplifier power is one aspect in Outlaw’s favor. However this factor cannot be considered alone.
Magnet size? I think that there are so many factors in driver design that asking for a consumer decision based on magnet size is once again a means employed by a marketing department to reduce rather involved performance issues to a single number that oversimplifies the situation but tends to make the consumer more confident, whether or not that confidence has any basis in overall fact.
Until we see a technical/performance comparison, such as the one mentioned in
this post by gonk, the potential purchaser is without sufficient information. In the case of these low-cost Velodyne subs vs. Outlaw, I would lean in Outlaw’s direction.