In this review, we will be comparing S6 and S8, two Powered Subwoofer speakers by Audioengine. 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 Audioengine S6 and Audioengine S8 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 Audioengine S6and Audioengine S8 have a single woofer setup however the Audioengine S6's woofer is 6-inch whereas the Audioengine S8 features a 8-inch woofer.
Frequency Response
S6 has a frequency range of 33-132 Hz whereas S8 has a frequency range of 27-180 Hz. With a minimum frequency of 27Hz, the S8 can go significantly deeper on the low side and provide stronger bass compared to the S6's min frequency of 33Hz.
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
High Frequency
Subwoofer Speakers
Cabinet Type
The Audioengine S6 has a Acoustic Suspension type cabinet. 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. On the other hand the Audioengine S8 have Bass Reflex type enclosure. 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 Audioengine S6's and Audioengine S8's external dimensions. Audioengine S6 has external dimensions of 250.0 x 221.0 x 281.0mm (9-13/16inch x 8-11/16inch x 11-1/16inch) whereas Audioengine S8 has external dimensions of 334.0 x 293.0 x 337.0mm (13-1/8 x 11-1/2 x 13-1/4inch).
Audioengine S8 is clearly the larger of the two speakers. Its body is 72mm wider, 84mm taller and 56mm deeper than Audioengine S6.
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.
Audioengine S8 needs about 59% more floor or shelf area. Audioengine S8 is 56mm deeper, so it stands that much further out from the wall. Audioengine S8 is 84mm 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 Audioengine S6 is approximately 621.0cm2 / 96.3inch2 and base area of the Audioengine S8 is approximately 987.4cm2 / 153.0inch2. The S6 requires 37% less surface area than the S8 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 Audioengine S6 weighs 7.00kg / 15.4lbs and the Audioengine S8 weighs 13.64kg / 30lbs. This makes the S8 95% heavier than the S6.
Here is a comparison of how S6 and S8's weights compare with the average, max and min weights in Powered Subwoofer class.
Weight
All Subwoofer Speakers
What's in the Box of Audioengine S6?
Here are the items that are included inside the box of S6:
- Powered subwoofer
- Grille
- 6-feet AC power cord
- 6.5-feet Stereo RCA cable
- 6.5-feet Stereo minijack audio cable
- Cloth subwoofer bag
- Cloth cable bag
- Quick Start Guide
- Audioengine brochure
What's in the Box of Audioengine S8?
Here are the items that come with the S8:
- Powered subwoofer
- 6-feet AC power cord
- 6.5-feet Stereo RCA cable
- 6.5-feet Stereo minijack audio cable
- Cloth subwoofer bag
- Cloth cable bag
- Quick Start Guide
- Audioengine brochure
 Height |
250mm
vs
334mm
|
Easier to fit in smaller spaces |
 Base Surface Area |
621cm2
vs
987cm2
|
Takes less floor space |
 Price per pair* |
299USD
vs
349USD
|
costs less (*prices may change depending on the seller, location and time) |
 Wireless Operation |
Optional
vs
No
|
Connect your subwoofer to your system wireless |
 Woofer Size |
8 inches
vs
6 inches
|
Larger woofer |
| Low Frequency Response |
27 Hz
vs
33 Hz
|
Generates deeper bass |
 High Frequency Response |
180 Hz
vs
132 Hz
|
Generates higher frequency |
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.
Audioengine S8 needs about 59% more floor area. Audioengine S8 stands 56mm further into the room. Audioengine S8 is 84mm taller.
| General |
Audioengine S6 |
Audioengine S8 |
| Brand |
Audioengine |
Audioengine |
| Speaker Type |
Powered Subwoofer |
Powered Subwoofer |
| Max Amplifier Output |
140 watts |
125 watts |
| Frequency Response |
33-132 Hz |
27-180 Hz |
Amplifier |
|
|
| Watts RMS (Continuous) |
140-watt RMS |
125-watt RMS |
Drivers |
|
|
| Woofer Quantity |
1 |
1 |
| Woofer Size |
6" |
8" |
| Woofer Composition |
Treated paper |
Treated paper |
| Tweeter Size |
- |
- |
| Aimable Tweeter |
No |
No |
| Midrange Driver |
No |
No |
| Firing Direction |
front |
bottom |
Physical Specs |
|
|
| Height |
250.0mm (9.8") |
334.0mm (13.1") |
| Width |
221.0mm (8.7") |
293.0mm (11.5") |
| Depth |
281.0mm (11.1") |
337.0mm (13.3") |
| Weight |
7.00kg (15.4lbs) |
13.64kg (30lbs) |
| Enclosure |
Acoustic Suspension |
Bass Reflex |
| Grille |
Yes |
n/a |
| Moisture Resistancy |
No |
No |
Connections |
|
|
Other |
|
|
| Parts Warranty |
3 Years |
3 Years |
| Labor Warranty |
3 Years |
3 Years |
A sealed subwoofer against a ported 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 | Audioengine S8 goes deeper - 27Hz against 33Hz. A real difference, though most music has little content below 33Hz. |
| Amplifier power | evenly matched | Much the same amplifier (140W vs 125W RMS) - under 1dB apart. |
| Driver area | B | Audioengine S8 moves more air: 8" against 6" is 1.78x the cone area, not the 1.33x the diameters suggest. More area means the same output with less excursion, and less distortion with it. |
| Enclosure | depends | Audioengine S6 is sealed - a sealed box rolls off gently and is usually the easier one to integrate in a small or awkward room; Audioengine S8 is ported - a ported box gives more output low down for its size, at the cost of a steeper roll-off below tuning. Neither is better in the abstract; ported tends to suit films and sealed tends to suit music, and both generalisations have exceptions. |
| Wireless option | depends | Only Audioengine S6 offers a wireless link (as a paid option). It decides where the sub can go if you cannot run a cable, and is worth nothing if you can. |
| Driver placement | depends | Audioengine S6 fires front and Audioengine S8 fires 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 | Audioengine S6 is about 53% 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 | A | Audioengine S6 costs less - $299 against $349, about 14% less. |
A Audioengine S6 B Audioengine S8
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?
The usual trade-off: Audioengine S8 measures better, Audioengine S6 costs about 14% less. In a normal room, placement will make a bigger difference than the gap between these two. Films or music? If this is mainly a home cinema, Audioengine S8 will hit harder for the money; if it is mainly for music in a normal-sized room, Audioengine S6 is usually the easier one to make sound right. If placement is the constraint - a corner, behind a sofa, under a desk - Audioengine S6 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.