In this review, we will be comparing Radius 390 and ASW610, two Powered Subwoofer speakers from Monitor Audio 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 Monitor Audio Radius 390 and B&W ASW610 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.Monitor Audio Radius 390and B&W ASW610 have the same driver set up: Both subwoofers have 1 x 10" drivers.
Frequency Response
Radius 390 has a frequency range of 30-120 Hz whereas ASW610 has a frequency range of 27-140 Hz. With a minimum frequency of 27Hz, the ASW610 can go slightly deeper then the Radius 390'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
The Monitor Audio Radius 390 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 B&W ASW610 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 Monitor Audio Radius 390's and B&W ASW610's external dimensions. Monitor Audio Radius 390 has external dimensions of 348.0 x 331.0 x 385.0mm (13-11/16 x 13 x 15-1/8inch) whereas B&W ASW610 has external dimensions of 321.0 x 312.0 x 394.0mm (12-5/8 x 12-1/4 x 15-1/2inch).
B&W ASW610 is 19mm narrower and 27mm shorter than Monitor Audio Radius 390 but it is also 9mm deeper.
Below you can see the front view size comparison of Monitor Audio Radius 390 and B&W ASW610 in scale.
Comparison image of Monitor Audio Radius 390 and B&W ASW610 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 Monitor Audio Radius 390 is approximately 1274.4cm2 / 197.5inch2 and base area of the B&W ASW610 is approximately 1229.3cm2 / 190.5inch2. The Radius 390 requires 4% more surface area than the ASW610 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 Monitor Audio Radius 390 weighs 13.77kg / 30.3lbs and the B&W ASW610 weighs 12.55kg / 27.6lbs. This makes the Radius 390 10% heavier than the ASW610.
Here is a comparison of how Radius 390 and ASW610's weights compare with the average, max and min weights in Powered Subwoofer class.
Weight
All Subwoofer Speakers
What's in the Box of Monitor Audio Radius 390?
Here are the items that are included inside the box of Radius 390:
- Powered sub
- 6-feet AC power cord
- 10.75-feet Mono minijack cable
- Owners Manual
- Important Safety Instructions
What's in the Box of B&W ASW610?
Here are the items that come with the ASW610:
- Powered subwoofer
- Grille
- 6.5-feet AC power cord
- 4 Rubber feet
- 4 Spike feet
- 4 Lock-nuts
- Manual
- Bowers & Wilkins brochure
- Warranty Information
 Low Frequency Response |
27 Hz
vs
30 Hz
|
Generates deeper bass |
 High Frequency Response |
140 Hz
vs
120 Hz
|
Generates higher frequency |
 Height |
321mm
vs
348mm
|
Easier to fit in smaller spaces |
 Base Surface Area |
1229cm2
vs
1274cm2
|
Takes less floor space |
 Price per pair* |
899USD
vs
1150USD
|
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.
Near-identical footprints. Monitor Audio Radius 390 is 27mm taller.
| General |
Monitor Audio Radius 390 |
Bowers & Wilkins ASW610 |
| Brand |
Monitor Audio |
Bowers Wilkins |
| Speaker Type |
Powered Subwoofer |
Powered Subwoofer |
| Max Amplifier Output |
220 watts |
200 watts |
| Frequency Response |
30-120 Hz |
27-140 Hz |
Amplifier |
|
|
| Watts RMS (Continuous) |
220-watt RMS |
200-watt RMS |
Drivers |
|
|
| Woofer Quantity |
1 |
1 |
| Woofer Size |
10" |
10" |
| Woofer Composition |
C-CAM |
Paper/Aramid Fiber |
| Woofer Surround Material |
n/a |
Rubber |
| Tweeter Size |
- |
- |
| Aimable Tweeter |
No |
No |
| Midrange Driver |
No |
No |
| Firing Direction |
side |
front |
Physical Specs |
|
|
| Height |
348.0mm (13.7") |
321.0mm (12.6") |
| Width |
331.0mm (13") |
312.0mm (12.3") |
| Depth |
385.0mm (15.2") |
394.0mm (15.5") |
| Weight |
13.77kg (30.3lbs) |
12.55kg (27.6lbs) |
| Enclosure |
Passive Radiator |
Acoustic Suspension |
| Grille |
n/a |
Yes |
| Moisture Resistancy |
No |
No |
Connections |
|
|
Other |
|
|
| Parts Warranty |
2 Years |
2 Years |
| Labor Warranty |
2 Years |
2 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 | B | B&W ASW610 goes deeper - 27Hz against 30Hz. A real difference, though most music has little content below 30Hz. |
| Amplifier power | evenly matched | Much the same amplifier (220W vs 200W RMS) - under 1dB apart. |
| Driver area | evenly matched | Near-identical radiating area (10" against 10"). |
| Enclosure | depends | Monitor Audio Radius 390 is passive radiator - a passive radiator behaves like a port without the pipe noise, and suits a slim cabinet; B&W ASW610 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. |
| Speaker-level inputs | B | B&W ASW610 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. |
| Driver placement | depends | Monitor Audio Radius 390 fires side and B&W ASW610 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 | B | B&W ASW610 costs less - $899 against $1,150, about 22% less. |
A Monitor Audio Radius 390 B B&W ASW610
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 ASW610 is the easier recommendation: it leads on most of the measured areas and costs less. Take Monitor Audio Radius 390 if one of the "depends" rows describes your room. Films or music? If this is mainly a home cinema, Monitor Audio Radius 390 will hit harder for the money; if it is mainly for music in a normal-sized room, B&W ASW610 is usually the easier one to make sound right. Check your amplifier first: if it has no subwoofer or preamp output, B&W ASW610 is the only one of these two you can connect at all.
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.