In this review, we will be comparing Bravus II 10D 500W 10" Powered Subwoofer and Monitor XT12, two Powered Subwoofer speakers from Aperion and Polk Audio. Being Powered subwoofers, they both have built-in amplifiers so you don't need an external power amp or an integrated amp to power them. Let's have a brief look at the main features of Aperion Bravus II 10D 500W 10" Powered Subwoofer and Polk Monitor XT12 first before getting into our more detailed comparison.
The sections below take each area in turn: driver and amplifier, frequency response, physical size and connectivity.
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Drivers
The efficiency of a subwoofer is directly proportional to the total radiating are squared hence the woofer quantity and diameter.Both Aperion Bravus II 10D 500W 10" Powered Subwooferand Polk Monitor XT12 have a single woofer setup however the Aperion Bravus II 10D 500W 10" Powered Subwoofer's woofer is 10-inch whereas the Polk Monitor XT12 features a 12-inch woofer.
Frequency Response
Bravus II 10D 500W 10" Powered Subwoofer has a frequency range of 28-350 Hz whereas Monitor XT12 has a frequency range of 24-160 Hz. With a minimum frequency of 24Hz, the Monitor XT12 can go slightly deeper then the Bravus II 10D 500W 10" Powered Subwoofer's min frequency of 28Hz.
Below graphs depict how these two speakers compare with the max, min and average values of the Min and Max Frequencies of other speakers in the Subwoofer class in our database.
Low Frequency
Subwoofer Speakers
Aperion Bravus II 10D 500W 10" Powered Subwoofer
High Frequency
Subwoofer Speakers
Aperion Bravus II 10D 500W 10" Powered Subwoofer
Cabinet Type
The Aperion Bravus II 10D 500W 10" Powered Subwoofer has a Acoustic Suspension type cabinet. Acoustic Suspension aka Sealed type subwoofers have enclosures that are sealed hence no ports or holes exists on the cabinet. Sealed designs helps to provide more accurate and tight bass responses compared to ported designs. On the other hand the Polk Monitor XT12 have Bass Reflex type enclosure. Bass Reflex type subwoofers (aka Ported, Vented or Reflex Port) have enclosures that uses a port, hole or vent cut into the cabinet. Ported designs are generally more efficient than the Sealed designs.
Physical Specs
The size of a speaker can sometimes be an important decision factor due to space constraints or in some cases purely for esthetic reasons. In this section, we are going to compare Aperion Bravus II 10D 500W 10" Powered Subwoofer's and Polk Monitor XT12's external dimensions. Aperion Bravus II 10D 500W 10" Powered Subwoofer has external dimensions of 381.0 x 342.9 x 342.9mm (15 x 13.5 x 13.5inch) whereas Polk Monitor XT12 has external dimensions of 418.0 x 408.0 x 485.0mm (16-7/16inch x 16-1/16inch x 19-1/16inch).
Polk Monitor XT12 is clearly the larger of the two speakers. Its body is 65.1mm wider, 37mm taller and 142.1mm deeper than Aperion Bravus II 10D 500W 10" Powered Subwoofer.
Base Surface Area Comparison
Base surface area of a loudspeaker may become a determining factor when the space in your room or desk is limited.
The base surface area of the Aperion Bravus II 10D 500W 10" Powered Subwoofer is approximately 1175.8cm2 / 182.2inch2 and base area of the Polk Monitor XT12 is approximately 1978.8cm2 / 306.7inch2. The Bravus II 10D 500W 10" Powered Subwoofer requires 41% less surface area than the Monitor XT12 which gives it a small advantage on placement in tight spaces.
Weight Comparison The weight of a subwoofer may become an important factor if you need to move and reposition the unit often to find the optimal positioning, also known as 'Subwoofer Crawling'. The Aperion Bravus II 10D 500W 10" Powered Subwoofer weighs 17.24kg / 37.9lbs and the Polk Monitor XT12 weighs 17.73kg / 39lbs. This makes the Monitor XT12 3% heavier than the Bravus II 10D 500W 10" Powered Subwoofer.
Here is a comparison of how Bravus II 10D 500W 10" Powered Subwoofer and Monitor XT12's weights compare with the average, max and min weights in Powered Subwoofer class.
Weight
All Subwoofer Speakers
Aperion Bravus II 10D 500W 10" Powered Subwoofer
 High Frequency Response |
350k Hz
vs
160k Hz
|
Generates higher frequency |
 Height |
381mm
vs
418mm
|
Easier to fit in smaller spaces |
 Base Surface Area |
1175cm2
vs
1978cm2
|
Takes less floor space |
 Woofer Size |
12 inches
vs
10 inches
|
Larger woofer |
| Low Frequency Response |
24 Hz
vs
28 Hz
|
Generates deeper bass |
 Price per pair* |
399USD
vs
899USD
|
costs less (*prices may change depending on the seller, location and time) |
| General |
Aperion Bravus II 10D 500W 10" Powered Subwoofer |
Polk Monitor XT12 |
| Brand |
Aperion |
Polk Audio |
| Speaker Type |
Powered Subwoofer |
Powered Subwoofer |
| Max Amplifier Output |
500 watts |
50 watts |
| Impedance |
4 ohms |
n/a |
| Frequency Response |
28-350 Hz |
24-160 Hz |
Amplifier |
|
|
| Watts RMS (Continuous) |
500-watt RMS |
50-watt RMS |
Drivers |
|
|
| Woofer Quantity |
1 |
1 |
| Woofer Size |
10" |
12" |
| Woofer Composition |
|
Bi-laminate paper |
| Tweeter Size |
- |
- |
| Aimable Tweeter |
No |
No |
| Midrange Driver |
No |
No |
| Firing Direction |
n/a |
front |
Physical Specs |
|
|
| Height |
381.0mm (15") |
418.0mm (16.5") |
| Width |
342.9mm (13.5") |
408.0mm (16.1") |
| Depth |
342.9mm (13.5") |
485.0mm (19.1") |
| Weight |
17.24kg (37.9lbs) |
17.73kg (39lbs) |
| Enclosure |
Acoustic Suspension |
Bass Reflex |
| Grille |
Yes |
Yes |
| Moisture Resistancy |
No |
No |
Connections |
|
|
Other |
|
|
| Parts Warranty |
|
3 Years |
| Labor Warranty |
|
3 Years |