In this review, we will be comparing PC13-Ultra and ForceField 40, two Powered Subwoofer speakers from SVS 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 SVS PC13-Ultra and GoldenEar ForceField 40 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 SVS PC13-Ultraand GoldenEar ForceField 40 have a single woofer setup however the SVS PC13-Ultra's woofer is 13.5-inch whereas the GoldenEar ForceField 40 features a 10-inch woofer.
Frequency Response
PC13-Ultra has a frequency range of 15-200 Hz whereas ForceField 40 has a frequency range of 14-250 Hz. With a minimum frequency of 14Hz, the ForceField 40 can go slightly deeper then the PC13-Ultra's min frequency of 15Hz.
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 SVS PC13-Ultra has a Bass Reflex type cabinet. Bass Reflex type subwoofers (aka Ported, Vented or Reflex Port) have enclosures that uses a port, hole or vent cut into the cabinet. Ported designs are generally more efficient than the Sealed designs. On the other hand the GoldenEar ForceField 40 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 SVS PC13-Ultra's and GoldenEar ForceField 40's external dimensions. SVS PC13-Ultra has external dimensions of 1194.0 x 422.0 x 422.0mm (47 x 16-5/8 x 16-5/8inch) whereas GoldenEar ForceField 40 has external dimensions of 378.0 x 339.0 x 485.0mm (14-7/8inch x 13-5/16inch x 19-1/16inch).
GoldenEar ForceField 40 is 83mm narrower and 816mm shorter than SVS PC13-Ultra but it is also 63mm 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.
SVS PC13-Ultra needs about 8% more floor or shelf area. GoldenEar ForceField 40 is 63mm deeper, so it stands that much further out from the wall. SVS PC13-Ultra is 816mm 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 SVS PC13-Ultra is approximately 1780.8cm2 / 276.0inch2 and base area of the GoldenEar ForceField 40 is approximately 1644.2cm2 / 254.9inch2. The PC13-Ultra requires 8% more surface area than the ForceField 40 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 SVS PC13-Ultra weighs 40.80kg / 89.8lbs and the GoldenEar ForceField 40 weighs 18.41kg / 40.5lbs. This makes the PC13-Ultra 122% heavier than the ForceField 40.
Here is a comparison of how PC13-Ultra and ForceField 40's weights compare with the average, max and min weights in Powered Subwoofer class.
Weight
All Subwoofer Speakers
 Woofer Size |
13.5 inches
vs
10 inches
|
Larger woofer |
| Low Frequency Response |
14 Hz
vs
15 Hz
|
Generates deeper bass |
 High Frequency Response |
250 Hz
vs
200 Hz
|
Generates higher frequency |
 Height |
378mm
vs
1194mm
|
Easier to fit in smaller spaces |
 Base Surface Area |
1644cm2
vs
1780cm2
|
Takes less floor space |
 Price per pair* |
1199USD
vs
1700USD
|
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.
SVS PC13-Ultra needs about 8% more floor area. GoldenEar ForceField 40 stands 63mm further into the room. SVS PC13-Ultra is 816mm taller.
| General |
SVS PC13-Ultra |
GoldenEar ForceField 40 |
| Brand |
SVS |
GoldenEar |
| Speaker Type |
Powered Subwoofer |
Powered Subwoofer |
| Max Amplifier Output |
1000 watts |
1000 watts |
| Frequency Response |
15-200 Hz |
14-250 Hz |
Amplifier |
|
|
| Watts RMS (Continuous) |
1000-watt RMS |
1000-watt RMS |
| Watts Peak (Max) |
3600-watt RMS |
n/a |
Drivers |
|
|
| Woofer Quantity |
1 |
1 |
| Woofer Size |
13.5" |
10" |
| Woofer Composition |
Fiberglass composite |
Polypropylene |
| Tweeter Size |
- |
- |
| Aimable Tweeter |
No |
No |
| Midrange Driver |
No |
No |
| Firing Direction |
front |
front and bottom |
Physical Specs |
|
|
| Height |
1194.0mm (47") |
378.0mm (14.9") |
| Width |
422.0mm (16.6") |
339.0mm (13.3") |
| Depth |
422.0mm (16.6") |
485.0mm (19.1") |
| Weight |
40.80kg (89.8lbs) |
18.41kg (40.5lbs) |
| Enclosure |
Bass Reflex |
Passive Radiator |
| Grille |
Yes |
n/a |
| Moisture Resistancy |
No |
No |
Connections |
|
|
Other |
|
|
| Parts Warranty |
5 Years |
3 Years |
| Labor Warranty |
5 Years |
3 Years |
A ported 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 | evenly matched | Effectively the same reach (15Hz vs 14Hz). |
| Amplifier power | evenly matched | Much the same amplifier (1000W vs 1000W RMS) - under 1dB apart. |
| Driver area | A | SVS PC13-Ultra moves more air: 13.5" against 10" is 1.82x the cone area, not the 1.35x the diameters suggest. More area means the same output with less excursion, and less distortion with it. |
| Enclosure | depends | SVS PC13-Ultra is ported - a ported box gives more output low down for its size, at the cost of a steeper roll-off below tuning; GoldenEar ForceField 40 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 | SVS PC13-Ultra has a phase control. Without one, the only way to fix a cancellation at the crossover is to move the box. |
| Driver placement | depends | SVS PC13-Ultra fires front and GoldenEar ForceField 40 fires front/down. 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 | GoldenEar ForceField 40 is about 71% 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 | SVS PC13-Ultra 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 | B | GoldenEar ForceField 40 costs less - $1,199 against $1,700, about 29% less. |
A SVS PC13-Ultra B GoldenEar ForceField 40
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: SVS PC13-Ultra measures better, GoldenEar ForceField 40 costs about 29% 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 - GoldenEar ForceField 40 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.