In this review, we will be comparing ForceField 4 and ASW610XP, 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 ASW610XP 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 4and B&W ASW610XP 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 ASW610XP has a frequency range of 25-140 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 ASW610XP's min frequency of 25Hz.
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 ASW610XP 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 4's and B&W ASW610XP'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 ASW610XP has external dimensions of 337.0 x 328.0 x 410.0mm (13-1/4 x 12-7/8 x 16-1/8inch).
B&W ASW610XP is 12mm narrower and 72mm less deeper than GoldenEar ForceField 4 but it is also 6mm taller.
Below you can see the front view size comparison of GoldenEar ForceField 4 and B&W ASW610XP in scale.
Comparison image of GoldenEar ForceField 4 and B&W ASW610XP 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 ASW610XP is approximately 1344.8cm2 / 208.4inch2. The ForceField 4 requires 22% more surface area than the ASW610XP 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 ASW610XP weighs 18.69kg / 41.1lbs. This makes the ASW610XP 28% heavier than the ForceField 4.
Here is a comparison of how ForceField 4 and ASW610XP'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 Subwoofer
- 10-feet AC power cord
- Owners Manual
What's in the Box of B&W ASW610XP?
Here are the items that come with the ASW610XP:
- 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 |
14 Hz
vs
25 Hz
|
Generates deeper bass |
 High Frequency Response |
250 Hz
vs
140 Hz
|
Generates higher frequency |
 Height |
331mm
vs
337mm
|
Easier to fit in smaller spaces |
 Price per pair* |
799USD
vs
1799USD
|
costs less (*prices may change depending on the seller, location and time) |
 Base Surface Area |
1344cm2
vs
1638cm2
|
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.
GoldenEar ForceField 4 needs about 22% more floor area. GoldenEar ForceField 4 stands 72mm further into the room.
| General |
GoldenEar ForceField 4 |
Bowers & Wilkins ASW610XP |
| Brand |
GoldenEar |
Bowers Wilkins |
| Speaker Type |
Powered Subwoofer |
Powered Subwoofer |
| Max Amplifier Output |
1200 watts |
500 watts |
| Frequency Response |
14-250 Hz |
25-140 Hz |
Amplifier |
|
|
| Watts RMS (Continuous) |
1200-watt RMS |
500-watt RMS |
Drivers |
|
|
| Woofer Quantity |
1 |
1 |
| Woofer Size |
10" |
10" |
| Woofer Composition |
Polypropylene |
Paper/Aramid Fiber/Resin |
| 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") |
337.0mm (13.3") |
| Width |
340.0mm (13.4") |
328.0mm (12.9") |
| Depth |
482.0mm (19") |
410.0mm (16.1") |
| Weight |
14.55kg (32lbs) |
18.69kg (41.1lbs) |
| 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 4 goes deeper - 14Hz against 25Hz. 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 4 has the bigger amplifier - 1200W against 500W RMS, about 3.8dB more on tap. In a large room that is headroom before the DSP starts limiting. |
| Driver area | evenly matched | Near-identical radiating area (10" against 10"). |
| Enclosure | depends | GoldenEar ForceField 4 is passive radiator - a passive radiator behaves like a port without the pipe noise, and suits a slim cabinet; B&W ASW610XP 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. |
| Phase control | B | B&W ASW610XP has a phase control. Without one, the only way to fix a cancellation at the crossover is to move the box. |
| Warranty | A | GoldenEar ForceField 4 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 | A | GoldenEar ForceField 4 costs less - $799 against $1,799, about 56% less. |
A GoldenEar ForceField 4 B B&W ASW610XP
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 4 is the easier recommendation: it leads on most of the measured areas and costs less. Take B&W ASW610XP if one of the "depends" rows describes your room. Films or music? If this is mainly a home cinema, GoldenEar ForceField 4 will hit harder for the money; if it is mainly for music in a normal-sized room, B&W ASW610XP is usually the easier one to make sound right. Two small subwoofers beat one big one in most rooms - a pair evens out the room modes in a way no single box can, whatever its specs. At $799 each, two GoldenEar ForceField 4 cost about $1,598 against $1,799 for one of the other, which is worth a thought.
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.