In this review, we will be comparing Bravus III B215S Dual 15" Slim Cinema Powered Subwoofer and SW-15, two Powered Subwoofer speakers from Aperion and Wharfedale. 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 B215S Dual 15" Slim Cinema Powered Subwoofer and Wharfedale SW-15 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 B215S Dual 15" Slim Cinema Powered Subwoofer and Wharfedale SW-15 have a totally different setup: the Aperion Bravus III B215S Dual 15" Slim Cinema Powered Subwoofer features 2 x 15-inch drivers whereas the SW-15 features 1 x 15-inch drivers.
Frequency Response
Bravus III B215S Dual 15" Slim Cinema Powered Subwoofer has a frequency range of 17-180 Hz whereas SW-15 has a frequency range of 30-120 Hz. With a minimum frequency of 17Hz, the Bravus III B215S Dual 15" Slim Cinema Powered Subwoofer can go significantly deeper on the low side and provide stronger bass compared to the SW-15's min frequency of 30Hz.
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 B215S Dual 15" Slim Cinema Powered Subwoofer
High Frequency
Subwoofer Speakers
Aperion Bravus III B215S Dual 15" Slim Cinema Powered Subwoofer
Cabinet Type
Both Aperion Bravus III B215S Dual 15" Slim Cinema Powered Subwoofer and Wharfedale SW-15 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 B215S Dual 15" Slim Cinema Powered Subwoofer's and Wharfedale SW-15's external dimensions. Aperion Bravus III B215S Dual 15" Slim Cinema Powered Subwoofer has external dimensions of 1099.8 x 551.2 x 299.7mm (43.3 x 21.7 x 11.8inch) whereas Wharfedale SW-15 has external dimensions of 570.0 x 493.0 x 615.0mm (22-7/16inch x 19-3/8inch x 24-3/16inch).
Wharfedale SW-15 is 58.2mm narrower and 529.8mm shorter than Aperion Bravus III B215S Dual 15" Slim Cinema Powered Subwoofer but it is also 315.3mm 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 B215S Dual 15" Slim Cinema Powered Subwoofer is approximately 1651.9cm2 / 256.0inch2 and base area of the Wharfedale SW-15 is approximately 3032.0cm2 / 470.0inch2. The Bravus III B215S Dual 15" Slim Cinema Powered Subwoofer requires 46% less surface area than the SW-15 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 B215S Dual 15" Slim Cinema Powered Subwoofer weighs 71.53kg / 157.4lbs and the Wharfedale SW-15 weighs 31.57kg / 69.5lbs. This makes the Bravus III B215S Dual 15" Slim Cinema Powered Subwoofer 127% heavier than the SW-15.
Here is a comparison of how Bravus III B215S Dual 15" Slim Cinema Powered Subwoofer and SW-15's weights compare with the average, max and min weights in Powered Subwoofer class.
Weight
All Subwoofer Speakers
Aperion Bravus III B215S Dual 15" Slim Cinema Powered Subwoofer
 Number of Woofers |
2
vs
1
|
More woofers |
| Low Frequency Response |
17 Hz
vs
30 Hz
|
Generates deeper bass |
 High Frequency Response |
180k Hz
vs
120k Hz
|
Generates higher frequency |
 Base Surface Area |
1651cm2
vs
3032cm2
|
Takes less floor space |
 Height |
570mm
vs
1099mm
|
Easier to fit in smaller spaces |
 Price per pair* |
1199USD
vs
4499USD
|
costs less (*prices may change depending on the seller, location and time) |
| General |
Aperion Bravus III B215S Dual 15" Slim Cinema Powered Subwoofer |
Wharfedale SW-15 |
| Brand |
Aperion |
Wharfedale |
| Speaker Type |
Powered Subwoofer |
Powered Subwoofer |
| Max Amplifier Output |
1300 watts |
400 watts |
| Impedance |
4 ohms |
n/a |
| Frequency Response |
17-180 Hz |
30-120 Hz |
Amplifier |
|
|
| Watts RMS (Continuous) |
1300-watt RMS |
400-watt RMS |
Drivers |
|
|
| Woofer Quantity |
2 |
1 |
| Woofer Size |
15" |
15" |
| Woofer Composition |
|
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") |
570.0mm (22.4") |
| Width |
551.2mm (21.7") |
493.0mm (19.4") |
| Depth |
299.7mm (11.8") |
615.0mm (24.2") |
| Weight |
71.53kg (157.4lbs) |
31.57kg (69.5lbs) |
| Enclosure |
Bass Reflex |
Bass Reflex |
| Grille |
Yes |
Yes |
| Moisture Resistancy |
No |
No |
Connections |
|
|
Other |
|
|
| Parts Warranty |
|
3 Years |
| Labor Warranty |
|
3 Years |