In this review, we will be comparing Foundry F12 and DB4S, two Powered Subwoofer speakers from PS 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 PS Audio Foundry F12 and B&W DB4S 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 PS Audio Foundry F12and B&W DB4S have a single woofer setup however the PS Audio Foundry F12's woofer is 12-inch whereas the B&W DB4S features a 10-inch woofer.
Frequency Response
Foundry F12 has a frequency range of 20-500 Hz whereas DB4S has a frequency range of 10-350 Hz. With a minimum frequency of 10Hz, the DB4S can go significantly deeper on the low side and provide stronger bass compared to the Foundry F12's min frequency of 20Hz.
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 PS Audio Foundry F12 and B&W DB4S 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 PS Audio Foundry F12's and B&W DB4S's external dimensions. PS Audio Foundry F12 has external dimensions of 425.0 x 375.0 x 444.0mm (16-3/4 x 14-3/4 x 17-1/2inch) whereas B&W DB4S has external dimensions of 375.0 x 362.0 x 434.0mm (14-3/4 x 14-1/4 x 17-1/16inch).
PS Audio Foundry F12 is clearly the larger of the two speakers. Its body is 13mm wider, 50mm taller and 10mm deeper than B&W DB4S.
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.
Near-identical footprints. PS Audio Foundry F12 is 50mm 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 PS Audio Foundry F12 is approximately 1665.0cm2 / 258.1inch2 and base area of the B&W DB4S is approximately 1571.1cm2 / 243.5inch2. The Foundry F12 requires 6% more surface area than the DB4S 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 PS Audio Foundry F12 weighs 35.00kg / 77lbs and the B&W DB4S weighs 26.05kg / 57.3lbs. This makes the Foundry F12 34% heavier than the DB4S.
Here is a comparison of how Foundry F12 and DB4S's weights compare with the average, max and min weights in Powered Subwoofer class.
Weight
All Subwoofer Speakers
 Woofer Size |
12 inches
vs
10 inches
|
Larger woofer |
 High Frequency Response |
500 Hz
vs
350 Hz
|
Generates higher frequency |
 Passive Radiator |
RCA
vs
None
|
Increases the bass performance |
| Low Frequency Response |
10 Hz
vs
20 Hz
|
Generates deeper bass |
| App-Based Control |
iOS,Android
vs
None
|
Control the speaker via an app |
 Height |
375mm
vs
425mm
|
Easier to fit in smaller spaces |
 Base Surface Area |
1571cm2
vs
1665cm2
|
Takes less floor space |
 Price per pair* |
2199USD
vs
2749USD
|
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. PS Audio Foundry F12 is 50mm taller.
| General |
PS Audio Foundry F12 |
Bowers & Wilkins DB4S |
| Brand |
PS Audio |
Bowers Wilkins |
| Speaker Type |
Powered Subwoofer |
Powered Subwoofer |
| Max Amplifier Output |
1000 watts |
1000 watts |
| Frequency Response |
20-500 Hz |
10-350 Hz |
Amplifier |
|
|
| Watts RMS (Continuous) |
1000-watt RMS |
n/a |
Drivers |
|
|
| Woofer Quantity |
1 |
1 |
| Woofer Size |
12" |
10" |
| Woofer Composition |
Composite |
Aerofoil |
| Woofer Surround Material |
n/a |
Rubber |
| Tweeter Size |
- |
- |
| Aimable Tweeter |
No |
No |
| Midrange Driver |
No |
No |
| Firing Direction |
n/a |
front |
Physical Specs |
|
|
| Height |
425.0mm (16.7") |
375.0mm (14.8") |
| Width |
375.0mm (14.8") |
362.0mm (14.3") |
| Depth |
444.0mm (17.5") |
434.0mm (17.1") |
| Weight |
35.00kg (77lbs) |
26.05kg (57.3lbs) |
| Enclosure |
Acoustic Suspension |
Acoustic Suspension |
| Grille |
Yes |
Yes |
| Moisture Resistancy |
No |
No |
Connections |
|
|
Other |
|
|
| Parts Warranty |
|
2 Years |
| Labor Warranty |
|
2 Years |
No single best subwoofer here. Your room, where the box can physically go, and whether this is mainly for films or mainly for music will settle it long before the specs do.
| Area | Better | Why |
|---|
| Bass depth | B | B&W DB4S goes deeper - 10Hz against 20Hz. Under 20Hz is felt more than heard - the bottom of a pipe organ and the bottom of a film mix. |
| Amplifier power | evenly matched | Much the same amplifier (1000W vs 1000W RMS) - under 1dB apart. |
| Driver area | A | PS Audio Foundry F12 moves more air: 12" against 10" is 1.44x the cone area, not the 1.2x 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 | B&W DB4S is about 17% 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 | B&W DB4S costs less - $2,199 against $2,749, about 20% less. |
A PS Audio Foundry F12 B B&W DB4S
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?
Neither runs away with it - they trade advantages. Let your room size and where the box can actually stand settle it.
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.