In this review, we will be comparing SUB80P and ASW608, two Powered Subwoofer speakers from JBL 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 JBL SUB80P 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.JBL SUB80Pand B&W ASW608 have the same driver set up: Both subwoofers have 1 x 8" drivers.
Frequency Response
SUB80P has a frequency range of 45-200 Hz whereas ASW608 has a frequency range of 32-140 Hz. With a minimum frequency of 32Hz, the ASW608 can go significantly deeper on the low side and provide stronger bass compared to the SUB80P's min frequency of 45Hz.
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 JBL SUB80P and B&W ASW608 have Acoustic Suspension type cabinets. 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 JBL SUB80P's and B&W ASW608's external dimensions. JBL SUB80P has external dimensions of 353.0 x 267.0 x 267.0mm (13-7/8 x 10-1/2 x 10-1/2inch) 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).
B&W ASW608 is 6mm narrower and 81mm shorter than JBL SUB80P but it is also 83mm deeper.
Size, drawn to scale
Both speakers 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 surface and pushed back to the same wall, so the deeper one visibly sticks out further.
B&W ASW608 needs about 28% more floor or shelf area. B&W ASW608 is 83mm deeper, so it stands that much further out from the wall. JBL SUB80P is 81mm taller.
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 JBL SUB80P is approximately 712.9cm2 / 110.5inch2 and base area of the B&W ASW608 is approximately 913.5cm2 / 141.6inch2. The SUB80P requires 22% less surface area than the ASW608 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 JBL SUB80P weighs 9.00kg / 19.8lbs and the B&W ASW608 weighs 8.86kg / 19.5lbs. This makes the SUB80P 2% heavier than the ASW608.
Here is a comparison of how SUB80P and ASW608's weights compare with the average, max and min weights in Powered Subwoofer class.
Weight
All Subwoofer Speakers
 High Frequency Response |
200 Hz
vs
140 Hz
|
Generates higher frequency |
 Base Surface Area |
712cm2
vs
913cm2
|
Takes less floor space |
 Wireless Operation |
Yes
vs
No
|
Connect your subwoofer to your system wireless |
 Low Frequency Response |
32 Hz
vs
45 Hz
|
Generates deeper bass |
 Height |
272mm
vs
353mm
|
Easier to fit in smaller spaces |
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.
B&W ASW608 needs about 28% more floor area. B&W ASW608 stands 83mm further into the room. JBL SUB80P is 81mm taller.
| General |
JBL SUB80P |
Bowers & Wilkins ASW608 |
| Brand |
JBL |
Bowers Wilkins |
| Speaker Type |
Powered Subwoofer |
Powered Subwoofer |
| Max Amplifier Output |
200 watts |
200 watts |
| Frequency Response |
45-200 Hz |
32-140 Hz |
Amplifier |
|
|
| Watts RMS (Continuous) |
200-watt RMS |
200-watt RMS |
| Watts Peak (Max) |
400-watt RMS |
n/a |
Drivers |
|
|
| Woofer Quantity |
1 |
1 |
| Woofer Size |
8" |
8" |
| Woofer Composition |
Fibre composite |
Paper/Aramid Fiber |
| Woofer Surround Material |
n/a |
Rubber |
| Tweeter Size |
- |
- |
| Aimable Tweeter |
No |
No |
| Midrange Driver |
No |
No |
| Firing Direction |
n/a |
front |
Physical Specs |
|
|
| Height |
353.0mm (13.9") |
272.0mm (10.7") |
| Width |
267.0mm (10.5") |
261.0mm (10.3") |
| Depth |
267.0mm (10.5") |
350.0mm (13.8") |
| Weight |
9.00kg (19.8lbs) |
8.86kg (19.5lbs) |
| Enclosure |
Acoustic Suspension |
Acoustic Suspension |
| Grille |
Yes |
Yes |
| Moisture Resistancy |
No |
No |
Connections |
|
|
Other |
|
|
| Parts Warranty |
|
2 Years |
| Labor Warranty |
|
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 | B | B&W ASW608 goes deeper - 32Hz against 45Hz. A real difference, though most music has little content below 45Hz. |
| Amplifier power | evenly matched | Much the same amplifier (200W vs 200W RMS) - under 1dB apart. |
| Driver area | evenly matched | Near-identical radiating area (8" against 8"). |
| Enclosure | evenly matched | Both are sealed designs, so they roll off in much the same way. |
| Wireless option | depends | Only JBL SUB80P offers a wireless link. It decides where the sub can go if you cannot run a cable, and is worth nothing if you can. |
| Driver placement | depends | JBL SUB80P fires 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. |
| Price | evenly matched | Priced within a few per cent of each other. |
A JBL SUB80P 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?
B&W ASW608 has the edge on paper, though not by much. The "depends" rows are more likely to decide this than the score is.
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.