Wharfedale announced the Nova series this week: four subwoofers with 8, 10, 12 and 15 inch drivers. I added all four to our database straight away, because Wharfedale already has a subwoofer range that people on this site compare a lot.
The Wharfedale Nova 15 and SW-15 subwoofers
That range is the SW series. The Wharfedale SW-15 is in the top 6 percent of the 273 subwoofers readers compare here, and the SW-12 is in the top 14 percent. And the SW subs are not going away. Both of Wharfedale's own stores still sell them next to the new ones. So anyone shopping for a Wharfedale sub now has two ranges to choose from at the same sizes, and a real price gap between them.
Quick facts
- Nova 8, 10, 12 and 15 cost 1,099, 1,299, 1,599 and 1,999 dollars on Wharfedale's US store.
- The SW-10, SW-12 and SW-15 cost 849, 999 and 1,199 dollars. So a Nova costs 450, 600 or 800 dollars more at the same size.
- The boxes are about the same size, but every Nova is heavier. The Nova 15 weighs 47.8 kg against 27 kg for the SW-15.
- The Nova has no ports. It uses a passive radiator that fires at the floor. The SW subs are ported.
- The Nova adds speaker-level inputs, line outputs, a 12V trigger and USB updates. The SW subs have none of these.
The prices, size by size
Here are the three sizes where both ranges have a model. Every figure comes from Wharfedale's own product pages. Prices are from Wharfedale's US store today.
| Driver size | SW price | Nova price | Nova costs more by |
|---|
| 10 inch | 849 dollars (SW-10) | 1,299 dollars (Nova 10) | 450 dollars, 53 percent |
| 12 inch | 999 dollars (SW-12) | 1,599 dollars (Nova 12) | 600 dollars, 60 percent |
| 15 inch | 1,199 dollars (SW-15) | 1,999 dollars (Nova 15) | 800 dollars, 67 percent |
The gap grows with size. The Nova 8 has no SW partner, and I come back to it below.
One note on prices. What Hi-Fi printed US prices of 999, 1,199, 1,499 and 1,999 dollars. Wharfedale's own store asks 100 dollars more for the three smaller models. I used the store. If a dealer sells at What Hi-Fi's prices, the gap is 100 dollars smaller at 10 and 12 inches.
What the extra money buys
Turn the two 15 inch subs around and you see most of the difference.
Rear panels of the Wharfedale SW-15 on the left and the Nova 15 on the right
A passive radiator instead of ports. The SW-12 and SW-15 have two large ports on the back. The Nova has none. It has a second cone underneath, firing at the floor. That cone has no motor. The air inside the box moves it, and it does the job a port does without the port noise. Wharfedale calls it an ABR, and it is the same size as the main driver on the 10, 12 and 15. The Nova 8 gets a bigger 10 inch one.
DSP and dynamic EQ. The Nova is controlled by a digital processor. Wharfedale says it keeps the bass full at low volume and stops the driver moving too far when you turn it up. The SW subs have a traditional analog control panel.
More ways to connect. This is the part you will actually notice when you set it up:
- Speaker-level inputs. Four binding posts on the Nova. So you can run it from a stereo amplifier that has no subwoofer output, straight from the speaker terminals. The SW subs only take RCA line inputs.
- Line outputs. A stereo RCA output, to pass the signal on to a second sub or to your main amplifier.
- 12V trigger. The sub switches on when your amplifier or receiver does.
- USB for firmware updates. Wharfedale can change the DSP later.
More weight. Every Nova is heavier than the SW of the same size. The Nova 10 weighs 22.2 kg against 15 kg, the Nova 12 29.3 kg against 22.1 kg, and the Nova 15 47.8 kg against 27 kg. That is 77 percent more on the biggest one, from a box of about the same size. Some of that weight is the mass-loaded passive radiator. Wharfedale does not say how much.
| FEATURE and SPECS COMPARISON | |  |  |
| Model | Wharfedale Nova 15 | Wharfedale SW-15 |
| Driver | 15" Paper | 15" Paper |
| Passive Radiator | 1 x 15-inch | - |
| Enclosure | Passive Radiator | Ported |
| Firing Direction | Front | Front |
| Amplifier Power (RMS) | 360 watts | 400 watts |
| Amplifier Power (Peak) | 770 watts | 850 watts |
| Amplifier Class | Class D | - |
| Frequency Response | 28 Hz (-6dB) | 30-120 Hz |
| Low Pass Crossover | 40-160 Hz | 30-150 Hz |
| Phase | Yes | Yes |
| Line Level Inputs | Stereo RCA/LFE | Stereo RCA/LFE |
| Speaker Level Inputs | Binding posts | No |
| Speaker Level Outputs | No | No |
| Wireless | | |
| Height | 549.0mm | 570.0mm |
| Width | 540.0mm | 493.0mm |
| Depth | 607.0mm | 615.0mm |
| Weight | 47.80kg | 31.57kg |
| Finish | Matte Black | - |
| MSRP | 1999 USD | 1199 USD |
| Check Current Price | Amazon | Amazon |
The bass figures do not line up
This is the part to be careful with. Wharfedale says the Nova 10 reaches 29 Hz, and the SW-10 40 Hz. That looks like a big win. But the two numbers are measured in different ways.
The SW figures are a response range, within 3 dB. The Nova figures are the point where the output has already dropped by 6 dB. A 6 dB point is always lower than the same sub's 3 dB point. So the Nova numbers look deeper partly because of how they are measured. Here is what Wharfedale publishes:
| Size | SW, ±3 dB | Nova, -6 dB |
|---|
| 10 inch | 40 Hz | 29 Hz |
| 12 inch | 35 Hz | 28 Hz |
| 15 inch | 30 Hz | 28 Hz |
At 15 inches, the two figures are only 2 Hz apart, and the Nova's is the one measured at the easier point. I would not buy a Nova 15 over an SW-15 for deeper bass. The spec sheets do not show that it has any. A proper measurement from a reviewer will settle it.
Size is the easy part. Here are the two 15 inch models at the same scale, with our SW-15 figures:
Size, drawn to scale
Both subwoofers and both views share one scale, so everything here is directly comparable. Hover a box for its dimensions.
One scale for both, standing on the same floor and pushed back to the same wall, so the bigger one visibly takes more of the room.
Wharfedale Nova 15 needs about 8% more floor area. Wharfedale SW-15 is 21mm taller.
Wharfedale gives the Nova 15 as 549 x 540 x 607 mm, including its grille and terminals. It gives the SW-15 as about 598 x 500 x 555 mm with its feet. Our SW-15 page shows Crutchfield's own measurements, which come out a little deeper. On Wharfedale's own figures, the Nova 15 is about 50 mm lower but 40 mm wider. So if your SW-15 sits in a tight gap, measure the width first.
Where the Nova is hard to justify
You do not get more power. At 12 and 15 inches, the SW has the bigger amplifier. The SW-12 is rated 300 W against 280 W for the Nova 12. The SW-15 is rated 400 W against 360 W for the Nova 15. Only the Nova 10 beats its SW partner, 230 W against 200 W. The Nova's peak figures are higher at 10 and 12 inches, but the SW-15 wins on peak power too, 850 W against 770 W.
You cannot prove deeper bass from the specs. See the section above. Until someone measures both, the claim is "different", not "deeper".
You get one colour. The Nova comes in matte black only. Wharfedale lists four finishes for the SW series.
The SW-15 in white, one of four SW finishes. The Nova comes in matte black only
If your amplifier has a subwoofer output, you do not need the new connections. An RCA cable from the sub output to an SW sub does the same job. For a home cinema receiver, the SW subs connect exactly as the Nova does.
So the Nova makes most sense in two cases. You run a stereo amplifier with no sub output and want speaker-level inputs. Or you plan to add a second sub and want a line output to chain it. If neither is you, the SW-15 at 1,199 dollars leaves 800 dollars for something else.
Stock is also uneven right now. On Wharfedale's US store, the Nova 12 already shows out of stock, and so does the SW-10.
The Nova 8 is a new size
The four Wharfedale Nova subwoofers drawn to the same scale
The Nova range starts smaller than the SW range. The Nova 8 uses an 8 inch driver with a 10 inch passive radiator, 200 W, and a box of 348 x 320 x 361 mm. It weighs 16.3 kg, about the same as the SW-10, in a smaller box.
The Wharfedale Nova 8 with its grille off
But it is not cheap. At 1,099 dollars, the smallest Nova costs 100 dollars more than the SW-12, which has a 12 inch driver and a 300 W amplifier. The Nova 8 is for a small room where the box size matters more than the price. The other three are the Nova 10, Nova 12 and Nova 15.
What SW readers compare them with
On this site, the SW-15 gets put next to the Klipsch R-100SW, the Polk Audio PSW10 and the SVS SB-1000 Pro most often, then the SW-12. The SW-12 is compared most with the SVS SB-1000 Pro, then with the SW-10 and the SW-15.
That last part is the interesting bit. A lot of SW shoppers are already choosing between Wharfedale's own sizes. Now they choose between two Wharfedale ranges as well.
Being straight about our own data: adding the Nova rows showed three things wrong on our SW pages. They listed the SW-12 and SW-15 ports on the front, but Wharfedale's photos show them on the back. The SW-10 still showed 799 dollars; it is 849 now. And our sub pages said "with room correction" for any sub with DSP, including the Nova, which has none. All three are fixed. The SW pages now also show Wharfedale's peak power and maximum output figures.
Wharfedale Nova 15 Powered Subwoofer Speaker Key Specs
- 1 x 15" Paper Woofer
- 28 Hz (-6dB) Frequency Response
- 360-watt RMS ( 770-watt Peak) Class D Type Integrated Amplifier
- 1 x 15-inch Passive Radiators
- 40-160Hz Low Pass Filter
- Stereo RCA/LFE Inputs
- Weight:105.38 lbs / 47.80 kg
- Dimensions (H x W x D): 21.61" x 21.26" x 23.9" / 549.0 x 540.0 x 607.0mm
- Read the Review
Questions answered
Does the Wharfedale Nova replace the SW series?
No. Wharfedale still sells the SW-10, SW-12 and SW-15 on its UK and US stores next to the four Nova models. The Nova is a second, more expensive range.
How much do the Wharfedale Nova subwoofers cost?
On Wharfedale's US store, the Nova 8 is 1,099 dollars, the Nova 10 1,299, the Nova 12 1,599 and the Nova 15 1,999. UK launch prices are 799, 899, 1,099 and 1,299 pounds.
What is the difference between the Wharfedale Nova 15 and SW-15?
The Nova 15 uses a passive radiator that fires at the floor instead of rear ports, adds DSP, speaker-level inputs, line outputs, a 12V trigger and USB updates, and weighs 47.8 kg against 27 kg. The SW-15 has the bigger amplifier, 400 W against 360 W, comes in more finishes and costs 800 dollars less.
Does the Wharfedale Nova go deeper than the SW?
The spec sheets cannot tell you. Wharfedale quotes the Nova at -6 dB and the SW at plus or minus 3 dB, and a -6 dB figure always reads lower. At 15 inches the two figures are 28 Hz and 30 Hz.
Can I connect a Wharfedale Nova to an amplifier without a subwoofer output?
Yes. Every Nova has speaker-level inputs on four binding posts, so it can take its signal from the amplifier's speaker terminals. The SW subs cannot do this; they need an RCA line or LFE signal.
So which way would you go: an SW-15 and 800 dollars in your pocket, or the Nova 15 for its passive radiator and the extra connections?