In this review, we will be comparing Depth 215 and Depth 212, two Powered Subwoofer speakers by MartinLogan. 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 MartinLogan Depth 215 and MartinLogan Depth 212 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 MartinLogan Depth 215and MartinLogan Depth 212 have a double woofer setup however the MartinLogan Depth 215's woofer is 15-inch whereas the MartinLogan Depth 212 features a 12-inch woofer.
Frequency Response
Depth 215 and Depth 212 has exactly the same frequency range of 18-120 Hz.
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 MartinLogan Depth 215 and MartinLogan Depth 212 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 MartinLogan Depth 215's and MartinLogan Depth 212's external dimensions. MartinLogan Depth 215 has external dimensions of 572.0 x 580.0 x 595.0mm (22-1/2 x 22-13/16 x 23-7/16inch) whereas MartinLogan Depth 212 has external dimensions of 533.0 x 503.0 x 518.0mm (21 x 19-13/16 x 20-3/8inch).
MartinLogan Depth 215 is clearly the larger of the two speakers. Its body is 77mm wider, 39mm taller and 77mm deeper than MartinLogan Depth 212.
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.
MartinLogan Depth 215 needs about 32% more floor or shelf area. MartinLogan Depth 215 is 77mm deeper, so it stands that much further out from the wall. MartinLogan Depth 215 is 39mm 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 MartinLogan Depth 215 is approximately 3451.0cm2 / 534.9inch2 and base area of the MartinLogan Depth 212 is approximately 2605.5cm2 / 403.9inch2. The Depth 215 requires 32% more surface area than the Depth 212 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 MartinLogan Depth 215 weighs 78.50kg / 172.7lbs and the MartinLogan Depth 212 weighs 57.60kg / 126.7lbs. This makes the Depth 215 36% heavier than the Depth 212.
Here is a comparison of how Depth 215 and Depth 212's weights compare with the average, max and min weights in Powered Subwoofer class.
Weight
All Subwoofer Speakers
 Woofer Size |
15 inches
vs
12 inches
|
Larger woofer |
 Height |
533mm
vs
572mm
|
Easier to fit in smaller spaces |
 Base Surface Area |
2605cm2
vs
3451cm2
|
Takes less floor space |
 Price per pair* |
5500USD
vs
7000USD
|
costs less (*prices may change depending on the seller, location and time) |
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.
MartinLogan Depth 215 needs about 32% more floor area. MartinLogan Depth 215 stands 77mm further into the room. MartinLogan Depth 215 is 39mm taller.
| General |
MartinLogan Depth 215 |
MartinLogan Depth 212 |
| Brand |
MartinLogan |
MartinLogan |
| Speaker Type |
Powered Subwoofer |
Powered Subwoofer |
| Max Amplifier Output |
2200 watts |
1100 watts |
| Frequency Response |
18-120 Hz |
18-120 Hz |
Amplifier |
|
|
| Watts RMS (Continuous) |
2200-watt RMS |
1100-watt RMS |
| Watts Peak (Max) |
4400-watt RMS |
2200-watt RMS |
Drivers |
|
|
| Woofer Quantity |
2 |
2 |
| Woofer Size |
15" |
12" |
| Woofer Composition |
Aluminium |
Aluminium |
| Tweeter Size |
- |
- |
| Aimable Tweeter |
No |
No |
| Midrange Driver |
No |
No |
| Crossover Frequency |
35–120Hz |
35–120Hz |
Physical Specs |
|
|
| Height |
572.0mm (22.5") |
533.0mm (21") |
| Width |
580.0mm (22.8") |
503.0mm (19.8") |
| Depth |
595.0mm (23.4") |
518.0mm (20.4") |
| Weight |
78.50kg (172.7lbs) |
57.60kg (126.7lbs) |
| Enclosure |
Acoustic Suspension |
Acoustic Suspension |
| Grille |
Yes |
Yes |
| Moisture Resistancy |
No |
No |
Connections |
|
|
Other |
|
|
| Parts Warranty |
|
|
| Labor Warranty |
|
|
Siblings in MartinLogan's Depth range - same design thinking, different size. It comes down to your room and your budget.
| Area | Better | Why |
|---|
| Bass depth | evenly matched | Effectively the same reach (18Hz vs 18Hz). |
| Amplifier power | A | MartinLogan Depth 215 has the bigger amplifier - 2200W against 1100W RMS, about 3dB more on tap. In a large room that is headroom before the DSP starts limiting. |
| Driver area | A | MartinLogan Depth 215 moves more air: 2 x 15" against 2 x 12" 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 sealed designs, so they roll off in much the same way. |
| Cabinet size | depends | MartinLogan Depth 212 is about 30% 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. |
| Price | B | MartinLogan Depth 212 costs less - $5,500 against $7,000, about 21% less. |
A MartinLogan Depth 215 B MartinLogan Depth 212
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?
The usual trade-off: MartinLogan Depth 215 measures better, MartinLogan Depth 212 costs about 21% less. In a normal room, placement will make a bigger difference than the gap between these two. If placement is the constraint - a corner, behind a sofa, under a desk - MartinLogan Depth 212 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.