In this review, we will be comparing DWM and Sub Utopia EM Colour Evo, two Passive Subwoofer speakers from Magnepan and Focal. Let's have a brief look at the main features of Magnepan DWM and Focal Sub Utopia EM Colour Evo 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.
**This post contains affiliate links, and we will be compensated if you make a purchase after clicking through our links. As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases.
Drivers
The efficiency of a subwoofer is directly proportional to the total radiating are squared hence the woofer quantity and diameter.Magnepan DWM and Focal Sub Utopia EM Colour Evo have a totally different setup: the Magnepan DWM features x -inch drivers whereas the Sub Utopia EM Colour Evo features 1 x 13-inch drivers.
Frequency Response
DWM has a frequency range of 40-200 Hz whereas Sub Utopia EM Colour Evo has a frequency range of 22-500 Hz. With a minimum frequency of 22Hz, the Sub Utopia EM Colour Evo can go significantly deeper on the low side and provide stronger bass compared to the DWM's min frequency of 40Hz.
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
Focal Sub Utopia EM Colour Evo
High Frequency
Subwoofer Speakers
Focal Sub Utopia EM Colour Evo
Cabinet Type
The Magnepan DWM has a Dipole type cabinet. On the other hand the Focal Sub Utopia EM Colour Evo 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 Magnepan DWM's and Focal Sub Utopia EM Colour Evo's external dimensions. Magnepan DWM has external dimensions of 489.0 x 571.5 x 31.8mm (19.25 x 22.5 x 1.25inch) whereas Focal Sub Utopia EM Colour Evo has external dimensions of 634.0 x 483.0 x 622.0mm (24-15/16 x 19 x 24-1/2inch).
Magnepan DWM is 145mm shorter and 590.2mm less deeper than Focal Sub Utopia EM Colour Evo but it is also 88.5mm wider.
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 Magnepan DWM is approximately 181.7cm2 / 28.2inch2 and base area of the Focal Sub Utopia EM Colour Evo is approximately 3004.3cm2 / 465.7inch2. The DWM requires 94% less surface area than the Sub Utopia EM Colour Evo which gives it a small advantage on placement in tight spaces.