In this review, we will be comparing ForceField 4 and ASW610, 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 4 and B&W ASW610 first before getting into our more detailed comparison.
In the following sections, we will get into details in order to better understand how the GoldenEar ForceField 4 and B&W ASW610 compare and hopefully end up with enough arguments to decide which one of these subwoofers is the better choice for you.
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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.GoldenEar ForceField 4and B&W ASW610 have the same driver set up: Both subwoofers have 1 x 10" drivers.
Frequency Response
ForceField 4 has a frequency range of 14-250 Hz whereas ASW610 has a frequency range of 27-140 Hz. With a minimum frequency of 14Hz, the ForceField 4 can go significantly deeper on the low side and provide stronger bass compared to the ASW610's min frequency of 27Hz.
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 4 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 ASW610 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
Size of a speaker can sometimes become 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 4's and B&W ASW610's external dimensions. GoldenEar ForceField 4 has external dimensions of 331.0 x 340.0 x 482.0mm ( 13inch x 13-3/8inch x 18-15/16inch ) whereas B&W ASW610 has external dimensions of 321.0 x 312.0 x 394.0mm ( 12-5/8 x 12-1/4 x 15-1/2inch) .
GoldenEar ForceField 4 is clearly the larger of the two speakers. Its body is 28mm wider, 10mm taller and 88mm deeper than B&W ASW610.
Below you can see the front view size comparison of GoldenEar ForceField 4 and B&W ASW610 in scale.
Comparison image of GoldenEar ForceField 4 and B&W ASW610 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 4 is approximately 1638.8cm2 / 254.0inch2 and base area of the B&W ASW610 is approximately 1229.3cm2 / 190.5inch2. The ForceField 4 requires 33% more surface area than the ASW610 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 4 weighs 14.55kg / 32lbs and the B&W ASW610 weighs 12.55kg / 27.6lbs. This makes the ForceField 4 16% heavier than the ASW610.
Here is a comparison of how ForceField 4 and ASW610'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 4?
Here are the items that are included inside the box of ForceField 4:
Powered Subwoofer10-feet AC power cordOwners Manual
What's in the Box of B&W ASW610?
Here are the items that come with the ASW610:
Powered subwooferGrille6.5-feet AC power cord4 Rubber feet4 Spike feet4 Lock-nutsManualBowers & Wilkins brochureWarranty Information
 Low Frequency Response |
14 Hz
vs
27 Hz
|
Generates deeper bass |
 High Frequency Response |
250k Hz
vs
140k Hz
|
Generates higher frequency |
 Price per pair* |
799USD
vs
899USD
|
costs less (*prices may change depending on the seller, location and time) |
 Height |
321mm
vs
331mm
|
Easier to fit in smaller spaces |
 Base Surface Area |
1229cm2 (312x394mm)
vs
1638cm2 (340x482mm)
|
Takes less floor space |
| General |
GoldenEar ForceField 4 |
Bowers & Wilkins ASW610 |
| Brand |
GoldenEar |
Bowers Wilkins |
| Speaker Type |
Powered Subwoofer |
Powered Subwoofer |
| Max Amplifier Output |
1200 watts |
200 watts |
| Frequency Response |
14-250 Hz |
27-140 Hz |
Amplifier |
|
|
| Watts RMS (Continuous) |
1200-watt RMS |
200-watt RMS |
Drivers |
|
|
| Woofer Quantity |
1 |
1 |
| Woofer Size |
10" |
10" |
| 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 |
front |
Physical Specs |
|
|
| Height |
331.0mm (13") |
321.0mm (12.6") |
| Width |
340.0mm (13.4") |
312.0mm (12.3") |
| Depth |
482.0mm (19") |
394.0mm (15.5") |
| Weight |
14.55kg (32lbs) |
12.55kg (27.6lbs) |
| 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 |