In this review, we will be comparing Black TreVoce 12 PRO and SW-15, two Powered Subwoofer speakers from OSD 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 OSD Black TreVoce 12 PRO 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 OSD Black TreVoce 12 PROand Wharfedale SW-15 have a single woofer setup however the OSD Black TreVoce 12 PRO's woofer is 12-inch whereas the Wharfedale SW-15 features a 15-inch woofer.
Frequency Response
Black TreVoce 12 PRO has a frequency range of 18-250 Hz whereas SW-15 has a frequency range of 30-120 Hz. With a minimum frequency of 18Hz, the Black TreVoce 12 PRO 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 OSD Black TreVoce 12 PRO's and Wharfedale SW-15's external dimensions. OSD Black TreVoce 12 PRO has external dimensions of 450.9 x 404.8 x 473.1mm () 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 88.2mm wider, 119.1mm taller and 141.9mm deeper than OSD Black TreVoce 12 PRO.
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.
Wharfedale SW-15 needs about 58% more floor or shelf area. Wharfedale SW-15 is 142mm deeper, so it stands that much further out from the wall. Wharfedale SW-15 is 119mm 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 OSD Black TreVoce 12 PRO is approximately 1915.1cm2 / 296.8inch2 and base area of the Wharfedale SW-15 is approximately 3032.0cm2 / 470.0inch2. The Black TreVoce 12 PRO requires 37% 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 OSD Black TreVoce 12 PRO weighs 21.09kg / 46.4lbs and the Wharfedale SW-15 weighs 31.57kg / 69.5lbs. This makes the SW-15 50% heavier than the Black TreVoce 12 PRO.
Here is a comparison of how Black TreVoce 12 PRO and SW-15's weights compare with the average, max and min weights in Powered Subwoofer class.
Weight
All Subwoofer Speakers
 Low Frequency Response |
18 Hz
vs
30 Hz
|
Generates deeper bass |
 High Frequency Response |
250 Hz
vs
120 Hz
|
Generates higher frequency |
 Height |
450mm
vs
570mm
|
Easier to fit in smaller spaces |
 Base Surface Area |
1915cm2
vs
3032cm2
|
Takes less floor space |
 Price per pair* |
800USD
vs
1199USD
|
costs less (*prices may change depending on the seller, location and time) |
| 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 58% more floor area. Wharfedale SW-15 stands 142mm further into the room. Wharfedale SW-15 is 119mm taller.
| General |
OSD Black TreVoce 12 PRO |
Wharfedale SW-15 |
| Brand |
OSD |
Wharfedale |
| Speaker Type |
Powered Subwoofer |
Powered Subwoofer |
| Frequency Response |
18-250 Hz |
30-120 Hz |
Amplifier |
|
|
| Watts RMS (Continuous) |
300-watt RMS |
400-watt RMS |
| Watts Peak (Max) |
800-watt RMS |
n/a |
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 |
450.9mm (17.8") |
570.0mm (22.4") |
| Width |
404.8mm (15.9") |
493.0mm (19.4") |
| Depth |
473.1mm (18.6") |
615.0mm (24.2") |
| Weight |
21.09kg (46.4lbs) |
31.57kg (69.5lbs) |
| Enclosure |
|
Bass Reflex |
| Grille |
n/a |
Yes |
| Moisture Resistancy |
No |
No |
Connections |
|
|
Other |
|
|
| Parts Warranty |
2 Years |
3 Years |
| Labor Warranty |
2 Years |
3 Years |
A passive radiator 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 | OSD Black TreVoce 12 PRO goes deeper - 18Hz against 30Hz. Under 20Hz is felt more than heard - the bottom of a pipe organ and the bottom of a film mix. |
| Amplifier power | B | Wharfedale SW-15 has the bigger amplifier - 400W against 300W RMS, about 1.2dB 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 | OSD Black TreVoce 12 PRO is passive radiator - a passive radiator behaves like a port without the pipe noise, and suits a slim cabinet; 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 | OSD Black TreVoce 12 PRO is about 50% 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 | B | Wharfedale SW-15 carries 3 years on parts against 2 years. A subwoofer amplifier works harder than anything else in the system, so this is not a throwaway line. |
| Price | A | OSD Black TreVoce 12 PRO costs less - $800 against $1,199, about 33% less. |
A OSD Black TreVoce 12 PRO 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?
The usual trade-off: Wharfedale SW-15 measures better, OSD Black TreVoce 12 PRO costs about 33% 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 - OSD Black TreVoce 12 PRO 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.