In this review, we will be comparing ForceField 30 and ASW608, two Powered Subwoofer speakers from GoldenEar and Bowers Wilkins. 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 30 and B&W ASW608 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.GoldenEar ForceField 30and B&W ASW608 have the same driver set up: Both subwoofers have 1 x 8" drivers.
Frequency Response
ForceField 30 has a frequency range of 18-250 Hz whereas ASW608 has a frequency range of 32-140 Hz. With a minimum frequency of 18Hz, the ForceField 30 can go significantly deeper on the low side and provide stronger bass compared to the ASW608's min frequency of 32Hz.
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 30 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 B&W ASW608 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 30's and B&W ASW608's external dimensions. GoldenEar ForceField 30 has external dimensions of 324.0 x 291.0 x 421.0mm (12-3/4inch x 11-7/16inch x 16-9/16inch) whereas B&W ASW608 has external dimensions of 272.0 x 261.0 x 350.0mm (10-11/16 x 10-1/4 x 13-3/4inch).
GoldenEar ForceField 30 is clearly the larger of the two speakers. Its body is 30mm wider, 52mm taller and 71mm deeper than B&W ASW608.
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 30 is approximately 1225.1cm2 / 189.9inch2 and base area of the B&W ASW608 is approximately 913.5cm2 / 141.6inch2. The ForceField 30 requires 34% more surface area than the ASW608 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 GoldenEar ForceField 30 weighs 14.32kg / 31.5lbs and the B&W ASW608 weighs 8.86kg / 19.5lbs. This makes the ForceField 30 62% heavier than the ASW608.
Here is a comparison of how ForceField 30 and ASW608'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 30?
Here are the items that are included inside the box of ForceField 30:
- Powered subwoofer
- 10-feet AC power cord
- Quick Start Guide
- Owners Manual
What's in the Box of B&W ASW608?
Here are the items that come with the ASW608:
- Powered subwoofer
- Grille
- 6.5-feet AC power cord
- 4 Rubber feet
- 4 Spike feet
- 4 Lock-nuts
- Manual
- Bowers & Wilkins brochure
- Warranty Information
 Low Frequency Response |
18 Hz
vs
32 Hz
|
Generates deeper bass |
 High Frequency Response |
250 Hz
vs
140 Hz
|
Generates higher frequency |
 Height |
272mm
vs
324mm
|
Easier to fit in smaller spaces |
 Base Surface Area |
913cm2
vs
1225cm2
|
Takes less floor space |
 Price per pair* |
599USD
vs
899USD
|
costs less (*prices may change depending on the seller, location and time) |
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.
GoldenEar ForceField 30 needs about 34% more floor area. GoldenEar ForceField 30 stands 71mm further into the room. GoldenEar ForceField 30 is 52mm taller.
| General |
GoldenEar ForceField 30 |
Bowers & Wilkins ASW608 |
| Brand |
GoldenEar |
Bowers Wilkins |
| Speaker Type |
Powered Subwoofer |
Powered Subwoofer |
| Max Amplifier Output |
1000 watts |
200 watts |
| Frequency Response |
18-250 Hz |
32-140 Hz |
Amplifier |
|
|
| Watts RMS (Continuous) |
1000-watt RMS |
200-watt RMS |
Drivers |
|
|
| Woofer Quantity |
1 |
1 |
| Woofer Size |
8" |
8" |
| Woofer Composition |
Polypropylene |
Paper/Aramid Fiber |
| Woofer Surround Material |
n/a |
Rubber |
| Tweeter Size |
- |
- |
| Aimable Tweeter |
No |
No |
| Midrange Driver |
No |
No |
| Firing Direction |
front and bottom |
front |
Physical Specs |
|
|
| Height |
324.0mm (12.8") |
272.0mm (10.7") |
| Width |
291.0mm (11.5") |
261.0mm (10.3") |
| Depth |
421.0mm (16.6") |
350.0mm (13.8") |
| Weight |
14.32kg (31.5lbs) |
8.86kg (19.5lbs) |
| Enclosure |
Passive Radiator |
Acoustic Suspension |
| Grille |
n/a |
Yes |
| Moisture Resistancy |
No |
No |
Connections |
|
|
Other |
|
|
| Parts Warranty |
3 Years |
2 Years |
| Labor Warranty |
3 Years |
2 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 | A | GoldenEar ForceField 30 goes deeper - 18Hz against 32Hz. Under 20Hz is felt more than heard - the bottom of a pipe organ and the bottom of a film mix. |
| Amplifier power | A | GoldenEar ForceField 30 has the bigger amplifier - 1000W against 200W RMS, about 7dB more on tap. In a large room that is headroom before the DSP starts limiting. |
| Driver area | evenly matched | Near-identical radiating area (8" against 8"). |
| Enclosure | depends | GoldenEar ForceField 30 is passive radiator - a passive radiator behaves like a port without the pipe noise, and suits a slim cabinet; B&W ASW608 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 | B | B&W ASW608 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 | B&W ASW608 has a phase control. Without one, the only way to fix a cancellation at the crossover is to move the box. |
| Driver placement | depends | GoldenEar ForceField 30 fires front/down and B&W ASW608 fires front. 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 | B&W ASW608 is about 37% 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 | A | GoldenEar ForceField 30 carries 3 years on parts against 2 years. A subwoofer amplifier works harder than anything else in the system, so this is not a throwaway line. |
| Price | B | B&W ASW608 costs less - $599 against $899, about 33% less. |
A GoldenEar ForceField 30 B B&W ASW608
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 30 is ahead, but on only 1 of the measured areas, and it costs about 50% more. B&W ASW608 is the sensible buy unless your room is large enough to need the extra. Films or music? If this is mainly a home cinema, GoldenEar ForceField 30 will hit harder for the money; if it is mainly for music in a normal-sized room, B&W ASW608 is usually the easier one to make sound right. Check your amplifier first: if it has no subwoofer or preamp output, B&W ASW608 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.