In this review, we will be comparing ForceField 3 and SB-2000, two Powered Subwoofer speakers from GoldenEar and SVS. 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 GoldenEar ForceField 3 and SVS SB-2000 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 GoldenEar ForceField 3and SVS SB-2000 have a single woofer setup however the GoldenEar ForceField 3's woofer is 8-inch whereas the SVS SB-2000 features a 12-inch woofer.
Frequency Response
ForceField 3 has a frequency range of 18-250 Hz whereas SB-2000 has a frequency range of 19-220 Hz. With a minimum frequency of 18Hz, the ForceField 3 can go slightly deeper then the SB-2000's min frequency of 19Hz.
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 GoldenEar ForceField 3 has a Passive Radiator type cabinet. 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. On the other hand the SVS SB-2000 have Acoustic Suspension type enclosure. 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.
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 GoldenEar ForceField 3's and SVS SB-2000's external dimensions. GoldenEar ForceField 3 has external dimensions of 288.0 x 293.0 x 432.0mm (11-5/16inch x 11-1/2inch x 17inch) whereas SVS SB-2000 has external dimensions of 372.0 x 362.0 x 478.0mm (14-5/8 x 14-1/4 x 18-13/16inch).
SVS SB-2000 is clearly the larger of the two speakers. Its body is 69mm wider, 84mm taller and 46mm deeper than GoldenEar ForceField 3.
Below you can see the front view size comparison of GoldenEar ForceField 3 and SVS SB-2000 in scale.
Comparison image of GoldenEar ForceField 3 and SVS SB-2000 Size and External Dimensions
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 GoldenEar ForceField 3 is approximately 1265.8cm2 / 196.2inch2 and base area of the SVS SB-2000 is approximately 1730.4cm2 / 268.2inch2. The ForceField 3 requires 27% less surface area than the SB-2000 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 GoldenEar ForceField 3 weighs 11.82kg / 26lbs and the SVS SB-2000 weighs 15.82kg / 34.8lbs. This makes the SB-2000 34% heavier than the ForceField 3.
Here is a comparison of how ForceField 3 and SB-2000's weights compare with the average, max and min weights in Powered Subwoofer class.
Weight
All Subwoofer Speakers
What's in the Box of GoldenEar ForceField 3?
Here are the items that are included inside the box of ForceField 3:
- Powered Subwoofer
- 10-feet AC power cord
- Owners Manual
What's in the Box of SVS SB-2000?
Here are the items that come with the SB-2000:
- Powered subwoofer
- Grille
- 8-feet AC power cord
- Owners Manual
- Quick Start Guide
 Low Frequency Response |
18 Hz
vs
19 Hz
|
Generates deeper bass |
 High Frequency Response |
250 Hz
vs
220 Hz
|
Generates higher frequency |
 Height |
288mm
vs
372mm
|
Easier to fit in smaller spaces |
 Base Surface Area |
1265cm2
vs
1730cm2
|
Takes less floor space |
 Price per pair* |
599USD
vs
600USD
|
costs less (*prices may change depending on the seller, location and time) |
| Woofer Size |
12 inches
vs
8 inches
|
Larger woofer |
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.
SVS SB-2000 needs about 37% more floor area. SVS SB-2000 stands 46mm further into the room. SVS SB-2000 is 84mm taller.
| General |
GoldenEar ForceField 3 |
SVS SB-2000 |
| Brand |
GoldenEar |
SVS |
| Speaker Type |
Powered Subwoofer |
Powered Subwoofer |
| Max Amplifier Output |
1000 watts |
500 watts |
| Frequency Response |
18-250 Hz |
19-220 Hz |
Amplifier |
|
|
| Watts RMS (Continuous) |
1000-watt RMS |
500-watt RMS |
Drivers |
|
|
| Woofer Quantity |
1 |
1 |
| Woofer Size |
8" |
12" |
| Woofer Composition |
Polypropylene |
Aluminum |
| Tweeter Size |
- |
- |
| Aimable Tweeter |
No |
No |
| Midrange Driver |
No |
No |
| Crossover Frequency |
n/a |
50-160 Hz and 80 Hz |
| Firing Direction |
front |
front |
Physical Specs |
|
|
| Height |
288.0mm (11.3") |
372.0mm (14.6") |
| Width |
293.0mm (11.5") |
362.0mm (14.3") |
| Depth |
432.0mm (17") |
478.0mm (18.8") |
| Weight |
11.82kg (26lbs) |
15.82kg (34.8lbs) |
| Enclosure |
Passive Radiator |
Acoustic Suspension |
| Grille |
n/a |
Yes |
| Moisture Resistancy |
No |
No |
Connections |
|
|
Other |
|
|
| Parts Warranty |
3 Years |
5 Years |
| Labor Warranty |
3 Years |
5 Years |
A passive radiator subwoofer against a sealed 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 | evenly matched | Effectively the same reach (18Hz vs 19Hz). |
| Amplifier power | A | GoldenEar ForceField 3 has the bigger amplifier - 1000W against 500W RMS, about 3dB more on tap. In a large room that is headroom before the DSP starts limiting. |
| Driver area | B | SVS SB-2000 moves more air: 12" against 8" 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 | GoldenEar ForceField 3 is passive radiator - a passive radiator behaves like a port without the pipe noise, and suits a slim cabinet; SVS SB-2000 is sealed - a sealed box rolls off gently and is usually the easier one to integrate in a small or awkward room. Neither is better in the abstract; ported tends to suit films and sealed tends to suit music, and both generalisations have exceptions. |
| Speaker-level inputs | A | GoldenEar ForceField 3 takes a speaker-level connection as well as line level. That is what lets it work with an integrated amplifier or a vintage receiver that has no subwoofer output at all. |
| Phase control | B | SVS SB-2000 has a phase control. Without one, the only way to fix a cancellation at the crossover is to move the box. |
| Cabinet size | depends | GoldenEar ForceField 3 is about 43% 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. |
| Warranty | B | SVS SB-2000 carries 5 years on parts against 3 years. A subwoofer amplifier works harder than anything else in the system, so this is not a throwaway line. |
| Price | evenly matched | Priced within a few per cent of each other. |
A GoldenEar ForceField 3 B SVS SB-2000
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?
SVS SB-2000 has the edge on paper, though not by much. The "depends" rows are more likely to decide this than the score is. Films or music? If this is mainly a home cinema, GoldenEar ForceField 3 will hit harder for the money; if it is mainly for music in a normal-sized room, SVS SB-2000 is usually the easier one to make sound right. Check your amplifier first: if it has no subwoofer or preamp output, GoldenEar ForceField 3 is the only one of these two you can connect at all.
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.