In this review, we will be comparing Bravus III B215 Dual 15" Cinema Powered Subwoofer and SuperSub XXL, 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 III B215 Dual 15" Cinema Powered Subwoofer and GoldenEar SuperSub XXL 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 III B215 Dual 15" Cinema Powered Subwooferand GoldenEar SuperSub XXL have a double woofer setup however the Aperion Bravus III B215 Dual 15" Cinema Powered Subwoofer's woofer is 15-inch whereas the GoldenEar SuperSub XXL features a 12-inch woofer.
Frequency Response
Bravus III B215 Dual 15" Cinema Powered Subwoofer has a frequency range of 15-180 Hz whereas SuperSub XXL has a frequency range of 10-250 Hz. With a minimum frequency of 10Hz, the SuperSub XXL can go significantly deeper on the low side and provide stronger bass compared to the Bravus III B215 Dual 15" Cinema Powered Subwoofer's min frequency of 15Hz.
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 B215 Dual 15" Cinema Powered Subwoofer
High Frequency
Subwoofer Speakers
Aperion Bravus III B215 Dual 15" Cinema Powered Subwoofer
Cabinet Type
The Aperion Bravus III B215 Dual 15" 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 GoldenEar SuperSub XXL 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 III B215 Dual 15" Cinema Powered Subwoofer's and GoldenEar SuperSub XXL's external dimensions. Aperion Bravus III B215 Dual 15" Cinema Powered Subwoofer has external dimensions of 1099.8 x 530.9 x 500.4mm (43.3 x 20.9 x 19.7inch) whereas GoldenEar SuperSub XXL has external dimensions of 447.0 x 485.0 x 434.0mm (17-9/16inch x 19-1/16inch x 17-1/16inch).
Aperion Bravus III B215 Dual 15" Cinema Powered Subwoofer is clearly the larger of the two speakers. Its body is 45.9mm wider, 652.8mm taller and 66.4mm deeper than GoldenEar SuperSub XXL.
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 III B215 Dual 15" Cinema Powered Subwoofer needs about 26% more floor or shelf area. Aperion Bravus III B215 Dual 15" Cinema Powered Subwoofer is 66mm deeper, so it stands that much further out from the wall. Aperion Bravus III B215 Dual 15" Cinema Powered Subwoofer is 653mm 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 III B215 Dual 15" Cinema Powered Subwoofer is approximately 2656.6cm2 / 411.8inch2 and base area of the GoldenEar SuperSub XXL is approximately 2104.9cm2 / 326.3inch2. The Bravus III B215 Dual 15" Cinema Powered Subwoofer requires 26% more surface area than the SuperSub XXL 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 B215 Dual 15" Cinema Powered Subwoofer weighs 83.91kg / 184.6lbs and the GoldenEar SuperSub XXL weighs 37.27kg / 82lbs. This makes the Bravus III B215 Dual 15" Cinema Powered Subwoofer 125% heavier than the SuperSub XXL.
Here is a comparison of how Bravus III B215 Dual 15" Cinema Powered Subwoofer and SuperSub XXL's weights compare with the average, max and min weights in Powered Subwoofer class.
Weight
All Subwoofer Speakers
Aperion Bravus III B215 Dual 15" Cinema Powered Subwoofer
 Woofer Size |
15 inches
vs
12 inches
|
Larger woofer |
| Low Frequency Response |
10 Hz
vs
15 Hz
|
Generates deeper bass |
 High Frequency Response |
250 Hz
vs
180 Hz
|
Generates higher frequency |
 Passive Radiator |
two 13-inch x 15-inch
vs
None
|
Increases the bass performance |
 Height |
447mm
vs
1099mm
|
Easier to fit in smaller spaces |
 Base Surface Area |
2104cm2
vs
2656cm2
|
Takes less floor space |
 Price per pair* |
2499USD
vs
4999USD
|
costs less (*prices may change depending on the seller, location and time) |
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 III B215 Dual 15" Cinema Powered Subwoofer needs about 26% more floor area. Aperion Bravus III B215 Dual 15" Cinema Powered Subwoofer stands 66mm further into the room. Aperion Bravus III B215 Dual 15" Cinema Powered Subwoofer is 653mm taller.
| General |
Aperion Bravus III B215 Dual 15" Cinema Powered Subwoofer |
GoldenEar SuperSub XXL |
| Brand |
Aperion |
GoldenEar |
| Speaker Type |
Powered Subwoofer |
Powered Subwoofer |
| Max Amplifier Output |
1300 watts |
1600 watts |
| Impedance |
4 ohms |
n/a |
| Frequency Response |
15-180 Hz |
10-250 Hz |
Amplifier |
|
|
| Watts RMS (Continuous) |
1300-watt RMS |
1600-watt RMS |
Drivers |
|
|
| Woofer Quantity |
2 |
2 |
| Woofer Size |
15" |
12" |
| Woofer Composition |
|
Fiber |
| Tweeter Size |
- |
- |
| Aimable Tweeter |
No |
No |
| Midrange Driver |
No |
No |
| Crossover Frequency |
40-160 Hz |
n/a |
| Firing Direction |
n/a |
side |
Physical Specs |
|
|
| Height |
1099.8mm (43.3") |
447.0mm (17.6") |
| Width |
530.9mm (20.9") |
485.0mm (19.1") |
| Depth |
500.4mm (19.7") |
434.0mm (17.1") |
| Weight |
83.91kg (184.6lbs) |
37.27kg (82lbs) |
| Enclosure |
Bass Reflex |
Passive Radiator |
| Grille |
Yes |
n/a |
| Moisture Resistancy |
No |
No |
Connections |
|
|
Other |
|
|
| Parts Warranty |
|
3 Years |
| Labor Warranty |
|
3 Years |
A ported 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 XXL goes deeper - 10Hz against 15Hz. Under 20Hz is felt more than heard - the bottom of a pipe organ and the bottom of a film mix. |
| Amplifier power | evenly matched | Much the same amplifier (1300W vs 1600W RMS) - under 1dB apart. |
| Driver area | A | Aperion Bravus III B215 Dual 15" Cinema Powered Subwoofer moves more air: 2 x 15" against 2 x 12" is 1.56x the cone area, not the 1.25x the diameters suggest. More area means the same output with less excursion, and less distortion with it. |
| Enclosure | depends | Aperion Bravus III B215 Dual 15" Cinema Powered Subwoofer is ported - a ported box gives more output low down for its size, at the cost of a steeper roll-off below tuning; GoldenEar SuperSub XXL 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 III B215 Dual 15" Cinema Powered Subwoofer fires front and GoldenEar SuperSub XXL 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 XXL is about 68% 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 | B | GoldenEar SuperSub XXL costs less - $2,499 against $4,999, about 50% less. |
A Aperion Bravus III B215 Dual 15" Cinema Powered Subwoofer B GoldenEar SuperSub XXL
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?
Neither runs away with it - they trade advantages. Let your room size and where the box can actually stand settle it. 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 $2,499 each, two GoldenEar SuperSub XXL cost about $4,998 against $4,999 for one of the other, which is worth a thought. If placement is the constraint - a corner, behind a sofa, under a desk - GoldenEar SuperSub XXL 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.