In this review, we will be comparing Daedalus DS15 Class D 15" Powered Subwoofer and ForceField 40, 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 Daedalus DS15 Class D 15" Powered Subwoofer and GoldenEar ForceField 40 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 Daedalus DS15 Class D 15" Powered Subwooferand GoldenEar ForceField 40 have a single woofer setup however the Aperion Daedalus DS15 Class D 15" Powered Subwoofer's woofer is 15-inch whereas the GoldenEar ForceField 40 features a 10-inch woofer.
Frequency Response
Daedalus DS15 Class D 15" Powered Subwoofer has a frequency range of 18-195 Hz whereas ForceField 40 has a frequency range of 14-250 Hz. With a minimum frequency of 14Hz, the ForceField 40 can go slightly deeper then the Daedalus DS15 Class D 15" Powered Subwoofer's min frequency of 18Hz.
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 Daedalus DS15 Class D 15" Powered Subwoofer
High Frequency
Subwoofer Speakers
Aperion Daedalus DS15 Class D 15" Powered Subwoofer
Cabinet Type
The Aperion Daedalus DS15 Class D 15" 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 ForceField 40 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 Daedalus DS15 Class D 15" Powered Subwoofer's and GoldenEar ForceField 40's external dimensions. Aperion Daedalus DS15 Class D 15" Powered Subwoofer has external dimensions of 569.0 x 469.9 x 551.2mm (22.4 x 18.5 x 21.7inch) whereas GoldenEar ForceField 40 has external dimensions of 378.0 x 339.0 x 485.0mm (14-7/8inch x 13-5/16inch x 19-1/16inch).
Aperion Daedalus DS15 Class D 15" Powered Subwoofer is clearly the larger of the two speakers. Its body is 130.9mm wider, 191mm taller and 66.2mm deeper than GoldenEar ForceField 40.
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 Daedalus DS15 Class D 15" Powered Subwoofer needs about 58% more floor or shelf area. Aperion Daedalus DS15 Class D 15" Powered Subwoofer is 66mm deeper, so it stands that much further out from the wall. Aperion Daedalus DS15 Class D 15" Powered Subwoofer is 191mm 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 Daedalus DS15 Class D 15" Powered Subwoofer is approximately 2590.1cm2 / 401.5inch2 and base area of the GoldenEar ForceField 40 is approximately 1644.2cm2 / 254.9inch2. The Daedalus DS15 Class D 15" Powered Subwoofer requires 58% more surface area than the ForceField 40 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 Daedalus DS15 Class D 15" Powered Subwoofer weighs 35.38kg / 77.8lbs and the GoldenEar ForceField 40 weighs 18.41kg / 40.5lbs. This makes the Daedalus DS15 Class D 15" Powered Subwoofer 92% heavier than the ForceField 40.
Here is a comparison of how Daedalus DS15 Class D 15" Powered Subwoofer and ForceField 40's weights compare with the average, max and min weights in Powered Subwoofer class.
Weight
All Subwoofer Speakers
Aperion Daedalus DS15 Class D 15" Powered Subwoofer
 Woofer Size |
15 inches
vs
10 inches
|
Larger woofer |
| Low Frequency Response |
14 Hz
vs
18 Hz
|
Generates deeper bass |
 High Frequency Response |
250 Hz
vs
195 Hz
|
Generates higher frequency |
 Height |
378mm
vs
569mm
|
Easier to fit in smaller spaces |
 Base Surface Area |
1644cm2
vs
2590cm2
|
Takes less floor space |
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 Daedalus DS15 Class D 15" Powered Subwoofer needs about 58% more floor area. Aperion Daedalus DS15 Class D 15" Powered Subwoofer stands 66mm further into the room. Aperion Daedalus DS15 Class D 15" Powered Subwoofer is 191mm taller.
| General |
Aperion Daedalus DS15 Class D 15" Powered Subwoofer |
GoldenEar ForceField 40 |
| Brand |
Aperion |
GoldenEar |
| Speaker Type |
Powered Subwoofer |
Powered Subwoofer |
| Max Amplifier Output |
550 watts |
1000 watts |
| Impedance |
4 ohms |
n/a |
| Frequency Response |
18-195 Hz |
14-250 Hz |
Amplifier |
|
|
| Watts RMS (Continuous) |
550-watt RMS |
1000-watt RMS |
Drivers |
|
|
| Woofer Quantity |
1 |
1 |
| Woofer Size |
15" |
10" |
| Woofer Composition |
|
Polypropylene |
| Tweeter Size |
- |
- |
| Aimable Tweeter |
No |
No |
| Midrange Driver |
No |
No |
| Firing Direction |
n/a |
front and bottom |
Physical Specs |
|
|
| Height |
569.0mm (22.4") |
378.0mm (14.9") |
| Width |
469.9mm (18.5") |
339.0mm (13.3") |
| Depth |
551.2mm (21.7") |
485.0mm (19.1") |
| Weight |
35.38kg (77.8lbs) |
18.41kg (40.5lbs) |
| 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 ForceField 40 goes deeper - 14Hz against 18Hz. Under 20Hz is felt more than heard - the bottom of a pipe organ and the bottom of a film mix. |
| Amplifier power | B | GoldenEar ForceField 40 has the bigger amplifier - 1000W against 550W RMS, about 2.6dB more on tap. In a large room that is headroom before the DSP starts limiting. |
| Driver area | A | Aperion Daedalus DS15 Class D 15" Powered Subwoofer moves more air: 15" against 10" is 2.25x the cone area, not the 1.5x the diameters suggest. More area means the same output with less excursion, and less distortion with it. |
| Enclosure | depends | Aperion Daedalus DS15 Class D 15" 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 ForceField 40 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 Daedalus DS15 Class D 15" Powered Subwoofer fires front and GoldenEar ForceField 40 fires front/down. 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 ForceField 40 is about 58% 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 | evenly matched | Priced within a few per cent of each other. |
A Aperion Daedalus DS15 Class D 15" Powered Subwoofer B GoldenEar ForceField 40
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?
GoldenEar ForceField 40 has the edge on paper, though not by much. The "depends" rows are more likely to decide this than the score is. If placement is the constraint - a corner, behind a sofa, under a desk - GoldenEar ForceField 40 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.