In this review, we will be comparing Bravus II 12D 650W 12" Powered Subwoofer and ForceField 4, two Powered Subwoofer speakers from Aperion and GoldenEar. 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 GoldenEar ForceField 4 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 12D 650W 12" Powered Subwooferand GoldenEar ForceField 4 have a single woofer setup however the Aperion Bravus II 12D 650W 12" Powered Subwoofer's woofer is 12-inch whereas the GoldenEar ForceField 4 features a 10-inch woofer.
Frequency Response
Bravus II 12D 650W 12" Powered Subwoofer has a frequency range of 22-350 Hz whereas ForceField 4 has a frequency range of 14-250 Hz. With a minimum frequency of 14Hz, the ForceField 4 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
The Aperion Bravus II 12D 650W 12" 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 GoldenEar ForceField 4 have Passive Radiator type enclosure. Passive Radiator type subwoofers sports a non-powered cone that moves in response to the main woofer to move air out in order to generate stronger bass in a smaller body compared to ported or 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 12D 650W 12" Powered Subwoofer's and GoldenEar ForceField 4'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 GoldenEar ForceField 4 has external dimensions of 331.0 x 340.0 x 482.0mm (13inch x 13-3/8inch x 18-15/16inch).
GoldenEar ForceField 4 is 53.7mm narrower and 100.8mm shorter than Aperion Bravus II 12D 650W 12" Powered Subwoofer but it is also 88.3mm deeper.
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 GoldenEar ForceField 4 is approximately 1638.8cm2 / 254.0inch2. The Bravus II 12D 650W 12" Powered Subwoofer requires 5% less surface area than the ForceField 4 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 GoldenEar ForceField 4 weighs 14.55kg / 32lbs. This makes the Bravus II 12D 650W 12" Powered Subwoofer 59% heavier than the ForceField 4.
Here is a comparison of how Bravus II 12D 650W 12" Powered Subwoofer and ForceField 4'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 |
 High Frequency Response |
350k Hz
vs
250k Hz
|
Generates higher frequency |
 Base Surface Area |
1550cm2
vs
1638cm2
|
Takes less floor space |
| Low Frequency Response |
14 Hz
vs
22 Hz
|
Generates deeper bass |
 Height |
331mm
vs
431mm
|
Easier to fit in smaller spaces |
 Price per pair* |
799USD
vs
1199USD
|
costs less (*prices may change depending on the seller, location and time) |
| General |
Aperion Bravus II 12D 650W 12" Powered Subwoofer |
GoldenEar ForceField 4 |
| Brand |
Aperion |
GoldenEar |
| Speaker Type |
Powered Subwoofer |
Powered Subwoofer |
| Max Amplifier Output |
650 watts |
1200 watts |
| Impedance |
4 ohms |
n/a |
| Frequency Response |
22-350 Hz |
14-250 Hz |
Amplifier |
|
|
| Watts RMS (Continuous) |
650-watt RMS |
1200-watt RMS |
Drivers |
|
|
| Woofer Quantity |
1 |
1 |
| Woofer Size |
12" |
10" |
| Woofer Composition |
|
Polypropylene |
| Tweeter Size |
- |
- |
| Aimable Tweeter |
No |
No |
| Midrange Driver |
No |
No |
| Firing Direction |
n/a |
front |
Physical Specs |
|
|
| Height |
431.8mm (17") |
331.0mm (13") |
| Width |
393.7mm (15.5") |
340.0mm (13.4") |
| Depth |
393.7mm (15.5") |
482.0mm (19") |
| Weight |
23.13kg (50.9lbs) |
14.55kg (32lbs) |
| Enclosure |
Acoustic Suspension |
Passive Radiator |
| Grille |
Yes |
n/a |
| Moisture Resistancy |
No |
No |
Connections |
|
|
Other |
|
|
| Parts Warranty |
|
3 Years |
| Labor Warranty |
|
3 Years |