In this review, we will be comparing Bravus II 12D 650W 12" Powered Subwoofer and DB4S, two Powered Subwoofer speakers from Aperion and Bowers Wilkins. 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 12D 650W 12" Powered Subwoofer and B&W DB4S 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.
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 12D 650W 12" Powered Subwooferand B&W DB4S have a single woofer setup however the Aperion Bravus II 12D 650W 12" Powered Subwoofer's woofer is 12-inch whereas the B&W DB4S features a 10-inch woofer.
Frequency Response
Bravus II 12D 650W 12" Powered Subwoofer has a frequency range of 22-350 Hz whereas DB4S has a frequency range of 10-350 Hz. With a minimum frequency of 10Hz, the DB4S can go significantly deeper on the low side and provide stronger bass compared to the Bravus II 12D 650W 12" Powered Subwoofer's min frequency of 22Hz.
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 12D 650W 12" Powered Subwoofer
High Frequency
Subwoofer Speakers
Aperion Bravus II 12D 650W 12" Powered Subwoofer
Cabinet Type
Both Aperion Bravus II 12D 650W 12" Powered Subwoofer and B&W DB4S have Acoustic Suspension type cabinets. 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.
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 12D 650W 12" Powered Subwoofer's and B&W DB4S's external dimensions. Aperion Bravus II 12D 650W 12" Powered Subwoofer has external dimensions of 431.8 x 393.7 x 393.7mm (17 x 15.5 x 15.5inch) whereas B&W DB4S has external dimensions of 375.0 x 362.0 x 434.0mm (14-3/4 x 14-1/4 x 17-1/16inch).
B&W DB4S is 31.7mm narrower and 56.8mm shorter than Aperion Bravus II 12D 650W 12" Powered Subwoofer but it is also 40.3mm deeper.
Size, drawn to scale
Both speakers 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 surface and pushed back to the same wall, so the deeper one visibly sticks out further.
Near-identical footprints. B&W DB4S is 40mm deeper, so it stands that much further out from the wall. Aperion Bravus II 12D 650W 12" Powered Subwoofer is 57mm taller.
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 12D 650W 12" Powered Subwoofer is approximately 1550.0cm2 / 240.3inch2 and base area of the B&W DB4S is approximately 1571.1cm2 / 243.5inch2. The Bravus II 12D 650W 12" Powered Subwoofer requires 1% less surface area than the DB4S 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 12D 650W 12" Powered Subwoofer weighs 23.13kg / 50.9lbs and the B&W DB4S weighs 26.05kg / 57.3lbs. This makes the DB4S 13% heavier than the Bravus II 12D 650W 12" Powered Subwoofer.
Here is a comparison of how Bravus II 12D 650W 12" Powered Subwoofer and DB4S's weights compare with the average, max and min weights in Powered Subwoofer class.
Weight
All Subwoofer Speakers
Aperion Bravus II 12D 650W 12" Powered Subwoofer
 Woofer Size |
12 inches
vs
10 inches
|
Larger woofer |
 Base Surface Area |
1550cm2
vs
1571cm2
|
Takes less floor space |
 Price per pair* |
1199USD
vs
2199USD
|
costs less (*prices may change depending on the seller, location and time) |
| Low Frequency Response |
10 Hz
vs
22 Hz
|
Generates deeper bass |
 App-Based Control |
iOS,Android
vs
None
|
Control the speaker via an app |
 Height |
375mm
vs
431mm
|
Easier to fit in smaller spaces |
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.
Near-identical footprints. B&W DB4S stands 40mm further into the room. Aperion Bravus II 12D 650W 12" Powered Subwoofer is 57mm taller.
| General |
Aperion Bravus II 12D 650W 12" Powered Subwoofer |
Bowers & Wilkins DB4S |
| Brand |
Aperion |
Bowers Wilkins |
| Speaker Type |
Powered Subwoofer |
Powered Subwoofer |
| Max Amplifier Output |
650 watts |
1000 watts |
| Impedance |
4 ohms |
n/a |
| Frequency Response |
22-350 Hz |
10-350 Hz |
Amplifier |
|
|
| Watts RMS (Continuous) |
650-watt RMS |
n/a |
Drivers |
|
|
| Woofer Quantity |
1 |
1 |
| Woofer Size |
12" |
10" |
| Woofer Composition |
|
Aerofoil |
| Woofer Surround Material |
n/a |
Rubber |
| Tweeter Size |
- |
- |
| Aimable Tweeter |
No |
No |
| Midrange Driver |
No |
No |
| Firing Direction |
n/a |
front |
Physical Specs |
|
|
| Height |
431.8mm (17") |
375.0mm (14.8") |
| Width |
393.7mm (15.5") |
362.0mm (14.3") |
| Depth |
393.7mm (15.5") |
434.0mm (17.1") |
| Weight |
23.13kg (50.9lbs) |
26.05kg (57.3lbs) |
| Enclosure |
Acoustic Suspension |
Acoustic Suspension |
| Grille |
Yes |
Yes |
| Moisture Resistancy |
No |
No |
Connections |
|
|
Other |
|
|
| Parts Warranty |
|
2 Years |
| Labor Warranty |
|
2 Years |
Different price classes - B&W DB4S costs roughly 1.8x what Aperion Bravus II 12D 650W 12" Powered Subwoofer does. Before paying it, read the note below about two smaller subwoofers.
| Area | Better | Why |
|---|
| Bass depth | B | B&W DB4S goes deeper - 10Hz against 22Hz. Under 20Hz is felt more than heard - the bottom of a pipe organ and the bottom of a film mix. |
| Amplifier power | B | B&W DB4S has the bigger amplifier - 1000W against 650W RMS, about 1.9dB more on tap. In a large room that is headroom before the DSP starts limiting. |
| Driver area | A | Aperion Bravus II 12D 650W 12" Powered Subwoofer moves more air: 12" against 10" is 1.44x the cone area, not the 1.2x the diameters suggest. More area means the same output with less excursion, and less distortion with it. |
| Enclosure | evenly matched | Both are sealed designs, so they roll off in much the same way. |
| Price | A | Aperion Bravus II 12D 650W 12" Powered Subwoofer costs less - $1,199 against $2,199, about 45% less. |
A Aperion Bravus II 12D 650W 12" Powered Subwoofer B B&W DB4S
depends neither is better in the abstract - it turns on your room, your system or how you will use them. Only specs published for both subwoofers are judged; anything missing on either side is left out rather than guessed.
Which should you choose?
B&W DB4S is ahead, but on only 1 of the measured areas, and it costs about 83% more. Aperion Bravus II 12D 650W 12" Powered Subwoofer is the sensible buy unless your room is large enough to need the extra. Two small subwoofers beat one big one in most rooms - a pair evens out the room modes in a way no single box can, whatever its specs. At $1,199 each, two Aperion Bravus II 12D 650W 12" Powered Subwoofer cost about $2,398 against $2,199 for one of the other, which is worth a thought.
One thing outweighs everything above: where the subwoofer stands. Room modes can add or remove 10dB or more at a given seat, which is far larger than any difference on this page. Before spending more, try the sub in two or three positions - the crawl test, where you put it in the listening seat and crawl the room to find where the bass sounds best, costs nothing and usually beats an upgrade.