In this review, we will be comparing Bravus II 12D 650W 12" Powered Subwoofer and SuperSub X, 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 SuperSub X 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.Aperion Bravus II 12D 650W 12" Powered Subwoofer and GoldenEar SuperSub X have a totally different setup: the Aperion Bravus II 12D 650W 12" Powered Subwoofer features 1 x 12-inch drivers whereas the SuperSub X features 2 x 8-inch drivers.
Frequency Response
Bravus II 12D 650W 12" Powered Subwoofer has a frequency range of 22-350 Hz whereas SuperSub X has a frequency range of 12-250 Hz. With a minimum frequency of 12Hz, the SuperSub X 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 SuperSub X 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 SuperSub X'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 SuperSub X has external dimensions of 324.0 x 356.0 x 388.0mm (12-3/4inch x 14inch x 15-1/4inch).
Aperion Bravus II 12D 650W 12" Powered Subwoofer is clearly the larger of the two speakers. Its body is 37.7mm wider, 107.8mm taller and 5.7mm deeper than GoldenEar SuperSub X.
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.
Aperion Bravus II 12D 650W 12" Powered Subwoofer needs about 12% more floor or shelf area. Aperion Bravus II 12D 650W 12" Powered Subwoofer is 108mm 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 GoldenEar SuperSub X is approximately 1381.3cm2 / 214.1inch2. The Bravus II 12D 650W 12" Powered Subwoofer requires 12% more surface area than the SuperSub X which gives it a small disadvantage 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 SuperSub X weighs 18.18kg / 40lbs. This makes the Bravus II 12D 650W 12" Powered Subwoofer 27% heavier than the SuperSub X.
Here is a comparison of how Bravus II 12D 650W 12" Powered Subwoofer and SuperSub X'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
8 inches
|
Larger woofer |
 High Frequency Response |
350 Hz
vs
250 Hz
|
Generates higher frequency |
 Price per pair* |
1199USD
vs
1499USD
|
costs less (*prices may change depending on the seller, location and time) |
| Number of Woofers |
2
vs
1
|
More woofers |
| Low Frequency Response |
12 Hz
vs
22 Hz
|
Generates deeper bass |
 Passive Radiator |
two 10.5-inch x 9.5-inch
vs
None
|
Increases the bass performance |
 Height |
324mm
vs
431mm
|
Easier to fit in smaller spaces |
 Base Surface Area |
1381cm2
vs
1550cm2
|
Takes less floor space |
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.
Aperion Bravus II 12D 650W 12" Powered Subwoofer needs about 12% more floor area. Aperion Bravus II 12D 650W 12" Powered Subwoofer is 108mm taller.
| General |
Aperion Bravus II 12D 650W 12" Powered Subwoofer |
GoldenEar SuperSub X |
| Brand |
Aperion |
GoldenEar |
| Speaker Type |
Powered Subwoofer |
Powered Subwoofer |
| Max Amplifier Output |
650 watts |
1400 watts |
| Impedance |
4 ohms |
n/a |
| Frequency Response |
22-350 Hz |
12-250 Hz |
Amplifier |
|
|
| Watts RMS (Continuous) |
650-watt RMS |
1400-watt RMS |
Drivers |
|
|
| Woofer Quantity |
1 |
2 |
| Woofer Size |
12" |
8" |
| Woofer Composition |
|
Fiber |
| Tweeter Size |
- |
- |
| Aimable Tweeter |
No |
No |
| Midrange Driver |
No |
No |
| Firing Direction |
n/a |
side |
Physical Specs |
|
|
| Height |
431.8mm (17") |
324.0mm (12.8") |
| Width |
393.7mm (15.5") |
356.0mm (14") |
| Depth |
393.7mm (15.5") |
388.0mm (15.3") |
| Weight |
23.13kg (50.9lbs) |
18.18kg (40lbs) |
| Enclosure |
Acoustic Suspension |
Passive Radiator |
| Grille |
Yes |
n/a |
| Moisture Resistancy |
No |
No |
Connections |
|
|
Other |
|
|
| Parts Warranty |
|
3 Years |
| Labor Warranty |
|
3 Years |
A sealed subwoofer against a passive radiator one. That is the most consequential line on this page: it decides how the bass rolls off, how it behaves in a small room, and how much output you get for the size of the box.
| Area | Better | Why |
|---|
| Bass depth | B | GoldenEar SuperSub X goes deeper - 12Hz 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 | GoldenEar SuperSub X has the bigger amplifier - 1400W against 650W RMS, about 3.3dB more on tap. In a large room that is headroom before the DSP starts limiting. |
| Driver area | evenly matched | Near-identical radiating area (12" against 2 x 8"). |
| Enclosure | depends | Aperion Bravus II 12D 650W 12" Powered Subwoofer is sealed - a sealed box rolls off gently and is usually the easier one to integrate in a small or awkward room; GoldenEar SuperSub X is passive radiator - a passive radiator behaves like a port without the pipe noise, and suits a slim cabinet. Neither is better in the abstract; ported tends to suit films and sealed tends to suit music, and both generalisations have exceptions. |
| Driver placement | depends | Aperion Bravus II 12D 650W 12" Powered Subwoofer fires front and GoldenEar SuperSub X fires side. A down-firing driver is more forgiving of a grille-less look and of a hard floor; a front-firing one is the safer choice on a thick carpet or a suspended timber floor. |
| Cabinet size | depends | GoldenEar SuperSub X is about 33% smaller by volume. In a subwoofer that is a real trade rather than a preference: box volume is how you get output low down without a bigger amplifier. |
| Price | A | Aperion Bravus II 12D 650W 12" Powered Subwoofer costs less - $1,199 against $1,499, about 20% less. |
A Aperion Bravus II 12D 650W 12" Powered Subwoofer B GoldenEar SuperSub X
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?
The usual trade-off: GoldenEar SuperSub X measures better, Aperion Bravus II 12D 650W 12" Powered Subwoofer costs about 20% less. In a normal room, placement will make a bigger difference than the gap between these two. Films or music? If this is mainly a home cinema, GoldenEar SuperSub X will hit harder for the money; if it is mainly for music in a normal-sized room, Aperion Bravus II 12D 650W 12" Powered Subwoofer is usually the easier one to make sound right. If placement is the constraint - a corner, behind a sofa, under a desk - GoldenEar SuperSub X is the one that will actually go there, and a well-placed small subwoofer beats a badly-placed big one every time.
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.