In this review, we will be comparing Bravus III B215 Dual 15" Cinema Powered Subwoofer and Monitor XT12, two Powered Subwoofer speakers from Aperion and Polk Audio. 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 Polk Monitor XT12 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 B215 Dual 15" Cinema Powered Subwoofer and Polk Monitor XT12 have a totally different setup: the Aperion Bravus III B215 Dual 15" Cinema Powered Subwoofer features 2 x 15-inch drivers whereas the Monitor XT12 features 1 x 12-inch drivers.
Frequency Response
Bravus III B215 Dual 15" Cinema Powered Subwoofer has a frequency range of 15-180 Hz whereas Monitor XT12 has a frequency range of 24-160 Hz. With a minimum frequency of 15Hz, the Bravus III B215 Dual 15" Cinema Powered Subwoofer can go significantly deeper on the low side and provide stronger bass compared to the Monitor XT12's min frequency of 24Hz.
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
Both Aperion Bravus III B215 Dual 15" Cinema Powered Subwoofer and Polk Monitor XT12 have Bass Reflex type cabinets. 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.
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 Polk Monitor XT12'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 Polk Monitor XT12 has external dimensions of 418.0 x 408.0 x 485.0mm (16-7/16inch x 16-1/16inch x 19-1/16inch).
Aperion Bravus III B215 Dual 15" Cinema Powered Subwoofer is clearly the larger of the two speakers. Its body is 122.9mm wider, 681.8mm taller and 15.4mm deeper than Polk Monitor XT12.
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 Polk Monitor XT12 is approximately 1978.8cm2 / 306.7inch2. The Bravus III B215 Dual 15" Cinema Powered Subwoofer requires 34% more surface area than the Monitor XT12 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 Polk Monitor XT12 weighs 17.73kg / 39lbs. This makes the Bravus III B215 Dual 15" Cinema Powered Subwoofer 373% heavier than the Monitor XT12.
Here is a comparison of how Bravus III B215 Dual 15" Cinema Powered Subwoofer and Monitor XT12'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 |
| Number of Woofers |
2
vs
1
|
More woofers |
| Low Frequency Response |
15 Hz
vs
24 Hz
|
Generates deeper bass |
 High Frequency Response |
180k Hz
vs
160k Hz
|
Generates higher frequency |
 Height |
418mm
vs
1099mm
|
Easier to fit in smaller spaces |
 Base Surface Area |
1978cm2
vs
2656cm2
|
Takes less floor space |
 Price per pair* |
399USD
vs
4999USD
|
costs less (*prices may change depending on the seller, location and time) |
| General |
Aperion Bravus III B215 Dual 15" Cinema Powered Subwoofer |
Polk Monitor XT12 |
| Brand |
Aperion |
Polk Audio |
| Speaker Type |
Powered Subwoofer |
Powered Subwoofer |
| Max Amplifier Output |
1300 watts |
50 watts |
| Impedance |
4 ohms |
n/a |
| Frequency Response |
15-180 Hz |
24-160 Hz |
Amplifier |
|
|
| Watts RMS (Continuous) |
1300-watt RMS |
50-watt RMS |
Drivers |
|
|
| Woofer Quantity |
2 |
1 |
| Woofer Size |
15" |
12" |
| Woofer Composition |
|
Bi-laminate paper |
| 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 |
1099.8mm (43.3") |
418.0mm (16.5") |
| Width |
530.9mm (20.9") |
408.0mm (16.1") |
| Depth |
500.4mm (19.7") |
485.0mm (19.1") |
| Weight |
83.91kg (184.6lbs) |
17.73kg (39lbs) |
| Enclosure |
Bass Reflex |
Bass Reflex |
| Grille |
Yes |
Yes |
| Moisture Resistancy |
No |
No |
Connections |
|
|
Other |
|
|
| Parts Warranty |
|
3 Years |
| Labor Warranty |
|
3 Years |