In this review, we will be comparing Bravus III B212S Dual 12" Slim Cinema 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 III B212S Dual 12" Slim Cinema 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.
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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 B212S Dual 12" Slim Cinema Powered Subwoofer and B&W DB4S have a totally different setup: the Aperion Bravus III B212S Dual 12" Slim Cinema Powered Subwoofer features 2 x 12-inch drivers whereas the DB4S features 1 x 10-inch drivers.
Frequency Response
Bravus III B212S Dual 12" Slim Cinema Powered Subwoofer has a frequency range of 19-180 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 III B212S Dual 12" Slim Cinema Powered Subwoofer's min frequency of 19Hz.
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 B212S Dual 12" Slim Cinema Powered Subwoofer
High Frequency
Subwoofer Speakers
Aperion Bravus III B212S Dual 12" Slim Cinema Powered Subwoofer
Cabinet Type
The Aperion Bravus III B212S Dual 12" Slim 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 B&W DB4S 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 B212S Dual 12" Slim Cinema Powered Subwoofer's and B&W DB4S's external dimensions. Aperion Bravus III B212S Dual 12" Slim Cinema Powered Subwoofer has external dimensions of 899.2 x 449.6 x 248.9mm (35.4 x 17.7 x 9.8inch) 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 87.6mm narrower and 524.2mm shorter than Aperion Bravus III B212S Dual 12" Slim Cinema Powered Subwoofer but it is also 185.1mm 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 III B212S Dual 12" Slim Cinema Powered Subwoofer is approximately 1119.1cm2 / 173.5inch2 and base area of the B&W DB4S is approximately 1571.1cm2 / 243.5inch2. The Bravus III B212S Dual 12" Slim Cinema Powered Subwoofer requires 29% 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 III B212S Dual 12" Slim Cinema Powered Subwoofer weighs 41.10kg / 90.4lbs and the B&W DB4S weighs 26.05kg / 57.3lbs. This makes the Bravus III B212S Dual 12" Slim Cinema Powered Subwoofer 58% heavier than the DB4S.
Here is a comparison of how Bravus III B212S Dual 12" Slim Cinema Powered Subwoofer and DB4S's weights compare with the average, max and min weights in Powered Subwoofer class.
Weight
All Subwoofer Speakers
Aperion Bravus III B212S Dual 12" Slim Cinema Powered Subwoofer
 Woofer Size |
12 inches
vs
10 inches
|
Larger woofer |
| Number of Woofers |
2
vs
1
|
More woofers |
 Base Surface Area |
1119cm2
vs
1571cm2
|
Takes less floor space |
| Low Frequency Response |
10 Hz
vs
19 Hz
|
Generates deeper bass |
 High Frequency Response |
350k Hz
vs
180k Hz
|
Generates higher frequency |
 App-Based Control |
iOS,Android
vs
None
|
Control the speaker via an app |
 Height |
375mm
vs
899mm
|
Easier to fit in smaller spaces |
 Price per pair* |
2199USD
vs
2999USD
|
costs less (*prices may change depending on the seller, location and time) |
| General |
Aperion Bravus III B212S Dual 12" Slim Cinema Powered Subwoofer |
Bowers & Wilkins DB4S |
| Brand |
Aperion |
Bowers Wilkins |
| Speaker Type |
Powered Subwoofer |
Powered Subwoofer |
| Max Amplifier Output |
750 watts |
1000 watts |
| Impedance |
4 ohms |
n/a |
| Frequency Response |
19-180 Hz |
10-350 Hz |
Amplifier |
|
|
| Watts RMS (Continuous) |
750-watt RMS |
n/a |
Drivers |
|
|
| Woofer Quantity |
2 |
1 |
| Woofer Size |
12" |
10" |
| Woofer Composition |
|
Aerofoil |
| Woofer Surround Material |
n/a |
Rubber |
| Tweeter Size |
- |
- |
| Aimable Tweeter |
No |
No |
| Midrange Driver |
No |
No |
| Crossover Frequency |
40-160 Hz |
n/a |
| Firing Direction |
n/a |
front |
Physical Specs |
|
|
| Height |
899.2mm (35.4") |
375.0mm (14.8") |
| Width |
449.6mm (17.7") |
362.0mm (14.3") |
| Depth |
248.9mm (9.8") |
434.0mm (17.1") |
| Weight |
41.10kg (90.4lbs) |
26.05kg (57.3lbs) |
| Enclosure |
Bass Reflex |
Acoustic Suspension |
| Grille |
Yes |
Yes |
| Moisture Resistancy |
No |
No |
Connections |
|
|
Other |
|
|
| Parts Warranty |
|
2 Years |
| Labor Warranty |
|
2 Years |