In this review, we will be comparing Bravus III B212 Dual 12" Cinema Powered Subwoofer and KUBE 8b, two Powered Subwoofer speakers from Aperion and KEF. 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 III B212 Dual 12" Cinema Powered Subwoofer and KEF KUBE 8b 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.Aperion Bravus III B212 Dual 12" Cinema Powered Subwoofer and KEF KUBE 8b have a totally different setup: the Aperion Bravus III B212 Dual 12" Cinema Powered Subwoofer features 2 x 12-inch drivers whereas the KUBE 8b features 1 x 8-inch drivers.
Frequency Response
Bravus III B212 Dual 12" Cinema Powered Subwoofer has a frequency range of 17-180 Hz whereas KUBE 8b has a frequency range of 34-140 Hz. With a minimum frequency of 17Hz, the Bravus III B212 Dual 12" Cinema Powered Subwoofer can go significantly deeper on the low side and provide stronger bass compared to the KUBE 8b's min frequency of 34Hz.
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 III B212 Dual 12" Cinema Powered Subwoofer
High Frequency
Subwoofer Speakers
Aperion Bravus III B212 Dual 12" Cinema Powered Subwoofer
Cabinet Type
The Aperion Bravus III B212 Dual 12" Cinema Powered Subwoofer has a Bass Reflex type cabinet. 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. On the other hand the KEF KUBE 8b have Acoustic Suspension type enclosure. 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 III B212 Dual 12" Cinema Powered Subwoofer's and KEF KUBE 8b's external dimensions. Aperion Bravus III B212 Dual 12" Cinema Powered Subwoofer has external dimensions of 899.2 x 444.5 x 439.4mm (35.4 x 17.5 x 17.3inch) whereas KEF KUBE 8b has external dimensions of 294.0 x 296.0 x 339.0mm (11-9/16 x 11-5/8 x 13-5/16inch).
Aperion Bravus III B212 Dual 12" Cinema Powered Subwoofer is clearly the larger of the two speakers. Its body is 148.5mm wider, 605.2mm taller and 100.4mm deeper than KEF KUBE 8b.
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 III B212 Dual 12" Cinema Powered Subwoofer is approximately 1953.1cm2 / 302.7inch2 and base area of the KEF KUBE 8b is approximately 1003.4cm2 / 155.5inch2. The Bravus III B212 Dual 12" Cinema Powered Subwoofer requires 95% more surface area than the KUBE 8b 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 III B212 Dual 12" Cinema Powered Subwoofer weighs 44.50kg / 97.9lbs and the KEF KUBE 8b weighs 11.36kg / 25lbs. This makes the Bravus III B212 Dual 12" Cinema Powered Subwoofer 292% heavier than the KUBE 8b.
Here is a comparison of how Bravus III B212 Dual 12" Cinema Powered Subwoofer and KUBE 8b's weights compare with the average, max and min weights in Powered Subwoofer class.
Weight
All Subwoofer Speakers
Aperion Bravus III B212 Dual 12" Cinema Powered Subwoofer
 Woofer Size |
12 inches
vs
8 inches
|
Larger woofer |
| Number of Woofers |
2
vs
1
|
More woofers |
| Low Frequency Response |
17 Hz
vs
34 Hz
|
Generates deeper bass |
 High Frequency Response |
180k Hz
vs
140k Hz
|
Generates higher frequency |
 Height |
294mm
vs
899mm
|
Easier to fit in smaller spaces |
 Base Surface Area |
1003cm2
vs
1953cm2
|
Takes less floor space |
 Price per pair* |
600USD
vs
3299USD
|
costs less (*prices may change depending on the seller, location and time) |
| General |
Aperion Bravus III B212 Dual 12" Cinema Powered Subwoofer |
KEF KUBE 8b |
| Brand |
Aperion |
KEF |
| Speaker Type |
Powered Subwoofer |
Powered Subwoofer |
| Max Amplifier Output |
750 watts |
300 watts |
| Impedance |
4 ohms |
n/a |
| Frequency Response |
17-180 Hz |
34-140 Hz |
Amplifier |
|
|
| Watts RMS (Continuous) |
750-watt RMS |
300-watt RMS |
Drivers |
|
|
| Woofer Quantity |
2 |
1 |
| Woofer Size |
12" |
8" |
| Woofer Composition |
|
|
| Tweeter Size |
- |
- |
| Aimable Tweeter |
No |
No |
| Midrange Driver |
No |
No |
| Crossover Frequency |
40-160 Hz |
40-140 Hz |
| Firing Direction |
n/a |
front |
Physical Specs |
|
|
| Height |
899.2mm (35.4") |
294.0mm (11.6") |
| Width |
444.5mm (17.5") |
296.0mm (11.7") |
| Depth |
439.4mm (17.3") |
339.0mm (13.3") |
| Weight |
44.50kg (97.9lbs) |
11.36kg (25lbs) |
| Enclosure |
Bass Reflex |
Acoustic Suspension |
| Grille |
Yes |
n/a |
| Moisture Resistancy |
No |
No |
Connections |
|
|
Other |
|
|
| Parts Warranty |
|
2 Years |
| Labor Warranty |
|
2 Years |