In this review, we will be comparing Foundry F12 and SuperSub XXL, two Powered Subwoofer speakers from PS Audio and GoldenEar. 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 GoldenEar SuperSub XXL 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.PS Audio Foundry F12 and GoldenEar SuperSub XXL have a totally different setup: the PS Audio Foundry F12 features 1 x 12-inch drivers whereas the SuperSub XXL features 2 x 12-inch drivers.
Frequency Response
Foundry F12 has a frequency range of 20-500 Hz whereas SuperSub XXL has a frequency range of 10-250 Hz. With a minimum frequency of 10Hz, the SuperSub XXL 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
The PS Audio Foundry F12 has a Acoustic Suspension type cabinet. 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. On the other hand the GoldenEar SuperSub XXL have Passive Radiator type enclosure. 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.
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 GoldenEar SuperSub XXL'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 GoldenEar SuperSub XXL has external dimensions of 447.0 x 485.0 x 434.0mm (17-9/16inch x 19-1/16inch x 17-1/16inch).
PS Audio Foundry F12 is 110mm narrower and 22mm shorter than GoldenEar SuperSub XXL but it is also 10mm deeper.
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.
GoldenEar SuperSub XXL needs about 26% more floor or shelf area. GoldenEar SuperSub XXL is 22mm 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 GoldenEar SuperSub XXL is approximately 2104.9cm2 / 326.3inch2. The Foundry F12 requires 21% less surface area than the SuperSub XXL 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 PS Audio Foundry F12 weighs 35.00kg / 77lbs and the GoldenEar SuperSub XXL weighs 37.27kg / 82lbs. This makes the SuperSub XXL 6% heavier than the Foundry F12.
Here is a comparison of how Foundry F12 and SuperSub XXL's weights compare with the average, max and min weights in Powered Subwoofer class.
Weight
All Subwoofer Speakers
 High Frequency Response |
500 Hz
vs
250 Hz
|
Generates higher frequency |
 Height |
425mm
vs
447mm
|
Easier to fit in smaller spaces |
 Base Surface Area |
1665cm2
vs
2104cm2
|
Takes less floor space |
 Number of Woofers |
2
vs
1
|
More woofers |
| Low Frequency Response |
10 Hz
vs
20 Hz
|
Generates deeper bass |
 Price per pair* |
2499USD
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.
GoldenEar SuperSub XXL needs about 26% more floor area. GoldenEar SuperSub XXL is 22mm taller.
| General |
PS Audio Foundry F12 |
GoldenEar SuperSub XXL |
| Brand |
PS Audio |
GoldenEar |
| Speaker Type |
Powered Subwoofer |
Powered Subwoofer |
| Max Amplifier Output |
1000 watts |
1600 watts |
| Frequency Response |
20-500 Hz |
10-250 Hz |
Amplifier |
|
|
| Watts RMS (Continuous) |
1000-watt RMS |
1600-watt RMS |
Drivers |
|
|
| Woofer Quantity |
1 |
2 |
| Woofer Size |
12" |
12" |
| Woofer Composition |
Composite |
Fiber |
| Tweeter Size |
- |
- |
| Aimable Tweeter |
No |
No |
| Midrange Driver |
No |
No |
| Firing Direction |
n/a |
side |
Physical Specs |
|
|
| Height |
425.0mm (16.7") |
447.0mm (17.6") |
| Width |
375.0mm (14.8") |
485.0mm (19.1") |
| Depth |
444.0mm (17.5") |
434.0mm (17.1") |
| Weight |
35.00kg (77lbs) |
37.27kg (82lbs) |
| Enclosure |
Acoustic Suspension |
Passive Radiator |
| Grille |
Yes |
n/a |
| Moisture Resistancy |
No |
No |
Connections |
|
|
Other |
|
|
| Parts Warranty |
|
3 Years |
| Labor Warranty |
|
3 Years |
A sealed subwoofer against a passive radiator 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 | GoldenEar SuperSub XXL 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 | B | GoldenEar SuperSub XXL has the bigger amplifier - 1600W against 1000W RMS, about 2dB more on tap. In a large room that is headroom before the DSP starts limiting. |
| Driver area | B | GoldenEar SuperSub XXL moves more air: 2 x 12" against 12" is 2x the cone area, not the 1.41x the diameters suggest. More area means the same output with less excursion, and less distortion with it. |
| Enclosure | depends | PS Audio Foundry F12 is sealed - a sealed box rolls off gently and is usually the easier one to integrate in a small or awkward room; GoldenEar SuperSub XXL is passive radiator - a passive radiator behaves like a port without the pipe noise, and suits a slim cabinet. Neither is better in the abstract; ported tends to suit films and sealed tends to suit music, and both generalisations have exceptions. |
| Phase control | A | PS Audio Foundry F12 has a phase control. Without one, the only way to fix a cancellation at the crossover is to move the box. |
| Driver placement | depends | PS Audio Foundry F12 fires front and GoldenEar SuperSub XXL fires side. 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. |
| Cabinet size | depends | PS Audio Foundry F12 is about 25% 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 | GoldenEar SuperSub XXL costs less - $2,499 against $2,749, about 9% less. |
A PS Audio Foundry F12 B GoldenEar SuperSub XXL
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?
GoldenEar SuperSub XXL 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, GoldenEar SuperSub XXL will hit harder for the money; if it is mainly for music in a normal-sized room, PS Audio Foundry F12 is usually the easier one to make sound right.
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.