In this review, we will be comparing ForceField 40 and SB-3000, 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 40 and SVS SB-3000 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.
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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.Both GoldenEar ForceField 40and SVS SB-3000 have a single woofer setup however the GoldenEar ForceField 40's woofer is 10-inch whereas the SVS SB-3000 features a 13-inch woofer.
Frequency Response
ForceField 40 has a frequency range of 14-250 Hz whereas SB-3000 has a frequency range of 18-270 Hz. With a minimum frequency of 14Hz, the ForceField 40 can go slightly deeper then the SB-3000's min frequency of 18Hz.
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 40 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-3000 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 40's and SVS SB-3000's external dimensions. GoldenEar ForceField 40 has external dimensions of 378.0 x 339.0 x 485.0mm (14-7/8inch x 13-5/16inch x 19-1/16inch) whereas SVS SB-3000 has external dimensions of 397.0 x 388.0 x 453.0mm (15-5/8 x 15-1/4 x 17-13/16inch).
GoldenEar ForceField 40 is 49mm narrower and 19mm shorter than SVS SB-3000 but it is also 32mm deeper.
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 40 is approximately 1644.2cm2 / 254.9inch2 and base area of the SVS SB-3000 is approximately 1757.6cm2 / 272.4inch2. The ForceField 40 requires 6% less surface area than the SB-3000 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 40 weighs 18.41kg / 40.5lbs and the SVS SB-3000 weighs 24.77kg / 54.5lbs. This makes the SB-3000 35% heavier than the ForceField 40.
Here is a comparison of how ForceField 40 and SB-3000'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 40?
Here are the items that are included inside the box of ForceField 40:
- Powered subwoofer
- 10-feet AC power cord
- Quick Start Guide
- Owners Manual
What's in the Box of SVS SB-3000?
Here are the items that come with the SB-3000:
- Powered subwoofer
- Grille
- 6.5-feet AC power cord
- Owners Manual
- Quick Start Guide
- Online Registration Card
- SVS brochure
 Low Frequency Response |
14 Hz
vs
18 Hz
|
Generates deeper bass |
 Height |
378mm
vs
397mm
|
Easier to fit in smaller spaces |
 Base Surface Area |
1644cm2
vs
1757cm2
|
Takes less floor space |
| Woofer Size |
13 inches
vs
10 inches
|
Larger woofer |
 High Frequency Response |
270 Hz
vs
250 Hz
|
Generates higher frequency |
 App-Based Control |
iOS,Android
vs
None
|
Control the speaker via an app |
 Price per pair* |
1100USD
vs
1199USD
|
costs less (*prices may change depending on the seller, location and time) |
 Wireless Operation |
Optional
vs
No
|
Connect your subwoofer to your system wireless |
| General |
GoldenEar ForceField 40 |
SVS SB-3000 |
| Brand |
GoldenEar |
SVS |
| Speaker Type |
Powered Subwoofer |
Powered Subwoofer |
| Max Amplifier Output |
1000 watts |
800 watts |
| Frequency Response |
14-250 Hz |
18-270 Hz |
Amplifier |
|
|
| Watts RMS (Continuous) |
1000-watt RMS |
800-watt RMS |
| Watts Peak (Max) |
n/a |
2500-watt RMS |
Drivers |
|
|
| Woofer Quantity |
1 |
1 |
| Woofer Size |
10" |
13" |
| Woofer Composition |
Polypropylene |
Aluminum |
| Tweeter Size |
- |
- |
| Aimable Tweeter |
No |
No |
| Midrange Driver |
No |
No |
| Firing Direction |
front and bottom |
front |
Physical Specs |
|
|
| Height |
378.0mm (14.9") |
397.0mm (15.6") |
| Width |
339.0mm (13.3") |
388.0mm (15.3") |
| Depth |
485.0mm (19.1") |
453.0mm (17.8") |
| Weight |
18.41kg (40.5lbs) |
24.77kg (54.5lbs) |
| 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 | A | GoldenEar ForceField 40 goes deeper - 14Hz against 18Hz. 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 40 has the bigger amplifier - 1000W against 800W RMS, about 1dB more on tap. In a large room that is headroom before the DSP starts limiting. |
| Driver area | B | SVS SB-3000 moves more air: 13" against 10" is 1.69x the cone area, not the 1.3x the diameters suggest. More area means the same output with less excursion, and less distortion with it. |
| Enclosure | depends | GoldenEar ForceField 40 is passive radiator - a passive radiator behaves like a port without the pipe noise, and suits a slim cabinet; SVS SB-3000 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. |
| Wireless option | depends | Only SVS SB-3000 offers a wireless link (as a paid option). It decides where the sub can go if you cannot run a cable, and is worth nothing if you can. |
| Phase control | B | SVS SB-3000 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 40 fires front/down and SVS SB-3000 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. |
| Warranty | B | SVS SB-3000 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 | B | SVS SB-3000 costs less - $1,100 against $1,199, about 8% less. |
A GoldenEar ForceField 40 B SVS SB-3000
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-3000 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 40 will hit harder for the money; if it is mainly for music in a normal-sized room, SVS SB-3000 is usually the easier one to make sound right.
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.