In this review, we will be comparing ForceField 4 and Radius 380, two Powered Subwoofer speakers from GoldenEar and Monitor Audio. 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 Monitor Audio Radius 380 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 4and Monitor Audio Radius 380 have a single woofer setup however the GoldenEar ForceField 4's woofer is 10-inch whereas the Monitor Audio Radius 380 features a 8-inch woofer.
Frequency Response
ForceField 4 has a frequency range of 14-250 Hz whereas Radius 380 has a frequency range of 30-120 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 Radius 380's min frequency of 30Hz.
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
Both GoldenEar ForceField 4 and Monitor Audio Radius 380 have Passive Radiator type cabinets. 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.
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 Monitor Audio Radius 380'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 Monitor Audio Radius 380 has external dimensions of 308.0 x 291.0 x 345.0mm (12-1/8 x 11-7/16 x 13-9/16inch).
GoldenEar ForceField 4 is clearly the larger of the two speakers. Its body is 49mm wider, 23mm taller and 137mm deeper than Monitor Audio Radius 380.
Below you can see the front view size comparison of GoldenEar ForceField 4 and Monitor Audio Radius 380 in scale.
Comparison image of GoldenEar ForceField 4 and Monitor Audio Radius 380 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 Monitor Audio Radius 380 is approximately 1004.0cm2 / 155.6inch2. The ForceField 4 requires 63% more surface area than the Radius 380 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 Monitor Audio Radius 380 weighs 10.18kg / 22.4lbs. This makes the ForceField 4 43% heavier than the Radius 380.
Here is a comparison of how ForceField 4 and Radius 380'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 Monitor Audio Radius 380?
Here are the items that come with the Radius 380:
- Powered sub
- 6-feet AC power cord
- 10.75-feet Mono minijack cable
- Owners Manual
- Important Safety Instructions
 Woofer Size |
10 inches
vs
8 inches
|
Larger woofer |
| Low Frequency Response |
14 Hz
vs
30 Hz
|
Generates deeper bass |
 High Frequency Response |
250 Hz
vs
120 Hz
|
Generates higher frequency |
 Price per pair* |
799USD
vs
875USD
|
costs less (*prices may change depending on the seller, location and time) |
 Height |
308mm
vs
331mm
|
Easier to fit in smaller spaces |
 Base Surface Area |
1004cm2
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 63% more floor area. GoldenEar ForceField 4 stands 137mm further into the room. GoldenEar ForceField 4 is 23mm taller.
| General |
GoldenEar ForceField 4 |
Monitor Audio Radius 380 |
| Brand |
GoldenEar |
Monitor Audio |
| Speaker Type |
Powered Subwoofer |
Powered Subwoofer |
| Max Amplifier Output |
1200 watts |
200 watts |
| Frequency Response |
14-250 Hz |
30-120 Hz |
Amplifier |
|
|
| Watts RMS (Continuous) |
1200-watt RMS |
200-watt RMS |
Drivers |
|
|
| Woofer Quantity |
1 |
1 |
| Woofer Size |
10" |
8" |
| Woofer Composition |
Polypropylene |
C-CAM |
| Tweeter Size |
- |
- |
| Aimable Tweeter |
No |
No |
| Midrange Driver |
No |
No |
| Firing Direction |
front |
side |
Physical Specs |
|
|
| Height |
331.0mm (13") |
308.0mm (12.1") |
| Width |
340.0mm (13.4") |
291.0mm (11.5") |
| Depth |
482.0mm (19") |
345.0mm (13.6") |
| Weight |
14.55kg (32lbs) |
10.18kg (22.4lbs) |
| Enclosure |
Passive Radiator |
Passive Radiator |
| Moisture Resistancy |
No |
No |
Connections |
|
|
Other |
|
|
| Parts Warranty |
3 Years |
2 Years |
| Labor Warranty |
3 Years |
2 Years |
No single best subwoofer here. Your room, where the box can physically go, and whether this is mainly for films or mainly for music will settle it long before the specs do.
| Area | Better | Why |
|---|
| Bass depth | A | GoldenEar ForceField 4 goes deeper - 14Hz against 30Hz. 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 200W RMS, about 7.8dB more on tap. In a large room that is headroom before the DSP starts limiting. |
| Driver area | A | GoldenEar ForceField 4 moves more air: 10" against 8" is 1.56x the cone area, not the 1.25x the diameters suggest. More area means the same output with less excursion, and less distortion with it. |
| Enclosure | evenly matched | Both are passive radiator designs, so they roll off in much the same way. |
| Speaker-level inputs | A | GoldenEar ForceField 4 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 | Monitor Audio Radius 380 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 4 fires front and Monitor Audio Radius 380 fires side. 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 | Monitor Audio Radius 380 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 | 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 $875, about 9% less. |
A GoldenEar ForceField 4 B Monitor Audio Radius 380
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 has the edge on paper, though not by much. The "depends" rows are more likely to decide this than the score is. Check your amplifier first: if it has no subwoofer or preamp output, GoldenEar ForceField 4 is the only one of these two you can connect at all. If placement is the constraint - a corner, behind a sofa, under a desk - Monitor Audio Radius 380 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.