In this review, we will be comparing Vestra W12 and SW-15, two Powered Subwoofer speakers from Monitor Audio and Wharfedale. 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 Vestra W12 and Wharfedale SW-15 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 Monitor Audio Vestra W12and Wharfedale SW-15 have a single woofer setup however the Monitor Audio Vestra W12's woofer is 12-inch whereas the Wharfedale SW-15 features a 15-inch woofer.
Frequency Response
Vestra W12 has a frequency range of 19-200 Hz whereas SW-15 has a frequency range of 30-120 Hz. With a minimum frequency of 19Hz, the Vestra W12 can go significantly deeper on the low side and provide stronger bass compared to the SW-15'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
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 Vestra W12's and Wharfedale SW-15's external dimensions. Monitor Audio Vestra W12 has external dimensions of 384.2 x 371.5 x 442.9mm () whereas Wharfedale SW-15 has external dimensions of 570.0 x 493.0 x 615.0mm (22-7/16inch x 19-3/8inch x 24-3/16inch).
Wharfedale SW-15 is clearly the larger of the two speakers. Its body is 121.5mm wider, 185.8mm taller and 172.1mm deeper than Monitor Audio Vestra W12.
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 Vestra W12 is approximately 1645.4cm2 / 255.0inch2 and base area of the Wharfedale SW-15 is approximately 3032.0cm2 / 470.0inch2. The Vestra W12 requires 46% less surface area than the SW-15 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 Monitor Audio Vestra W12 weighs 18.28kg / 40.2lbs and the Wharfedale SW-15 weighs 31.57kg / 69.5lbs. This makes the SW-15 73% heavier than the Vestra W12.
Here is a comparison of how Vestra W12 and SW-15's weights compare with the average, max and min weights in Powered Subwoofer class.
Weight
All Subwoofer Speakers
 Low Frequency Response |
19 Hz
vs
30 Hz
|
Generates deeper bass |
 High Frequency Response |
200 Hz
vs
120 Hz
|
Generates higher frequency |
 Height |
384mm
vs
570mm
|
Easier to fit in smaller spaces |
 Base Surface Area |
1645cm2
vs
3032cm2
|
Takes less floor space |
| Woofer Size |
15 inches
vs
12 inches
|
Larger woofer |
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.
Wharfedale SW-15 needs about 84% more floor area. Wharfedale SW-15 stands 172mm further into the room. Wharfedale SW-15 is 186mm taller.
| General |
Monitor Audio Vestra W12 |
Wharfedale SW-15 |
| Brand |
Monitor Audio |
Wharfedale |
| Speaker Type |
Powered Subwoofer |
Powered Subwoofer |
| Frequency Response |
19-200 Hz |
30-120 Hz |
Amplifier |
|
|
| Watts RMS (Continuous) |
500-watt RMS |
400-watt RMS |
Drivers |
|
|
| Woofer Quantity |
1 |
1 |
| Woofer Size |
12" |
15" |
| Woofer Composition |
|
Paper |
| Tweeter Size |
- |
- |
| Aimable Tweeter |
No |
No |
| Midrange Driver |
No |
No |
| Firing Direction |
n/a |
front |
Physical Specs |
|
|
| Height |
384.2mm (15.1") |
570.0mm (22.4") |
| Width |
371.5mm (14.6") |
493.0mm (19.4") |
| Depth |
442.9mm (17.4") |
615.0mm (24.2") |
| Weight |
18.28kg (40.2lbs) |
31.57kg (69.5lbs) |
| Enclosure |
|
Bass Reflex |
| Grille |
n/a |
Yes |
| Moisture Resistancy |
No |
No |
Connections |
|
|
Other |
|
|
| Parts Warranty |
5 Years |
3 Years |
| Labor Warranty |
5 Years |
3 Years |
A sealed subwoofer against a ported 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 | Monitor Audio Vestra W12 goes deeper - 19Hz against 30Hz. Under 20Hz is felt more than heard - the bottom of a pipe organ and the bottom of a film mix. |
| Amplifier power | A | Monitor Audio Vestra W12 has the bigger amplifier - 500W against 400W RMS, about 1dB more on tap. In a large room that is headroom before the DSP starts limiting. |
| Driver area | B | Wharfedale SW-15 moves more air: 15" against 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 | depends | Monitor Audio Vestra W12 is sealed - a sealed box rolls off gently and is usually the easier one to integrate in a small or awkward room; Wharfedale SW-15 is ported - a ported box gives more output low down for its size, at the cost of a steeper roll-off below tuning. Neither is better in the abstract; ported tends to suit films and sealed tends to suit music, and both generalisations have exceptions. |
| Cabinet size | depends | Monitor Audio Vestra W12 is about 63% 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. |
| Warranty | A | Monitor Audio Vestra W12 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 | evenly matched | Priced within a few per cent of each other. |
A Monitor Audio Vestra W12 B Wharfedale SW-15
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?
Monitor Audio Vestra W12 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, Wharfedale SW-15 will hit harder for the money; if it is mainly for music in a normal-sized room, Monitor Audio Vestra W12 is usually the easier one to make sound right. If placement is the constraint - a corner, behind a sofa, under a desk - Monitor Audio Vestra W12 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.