In this review, we will be comparing Gravis II and ASW610, two Powered Subwoofer speakers from Sonus faber 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 Sonus faber Gravis II and B&W ASW610 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.Sonus faber Gravis IIand B&W ASW610 have the same driver set up: Both subwoofers have 1 x 10" drivers.
Frequency Response
Gravis II has a frequency range of 25-120 Hz whereas ASW610 has a frequency range of 27-140 Hz. With a minimum frequency of 25Hz, the Gravis II can go slightly deeper then the ASW610's min frequency of 27Hz.
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 Sonus faber Gravis II has a Passive Radiator type cabinet. 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. On the other hand the B&W ASW610 have Acoustic Suspension type enclosure. 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 Sonus faber Gravis II's and B&W ASW610's external dimensions. Sonus faber Gravis II has external dimensions of 407.0 x 358.0 x 435.0mm (16inch x 14-1/16inch x 17-1/8inch) whereas B&W ASW610 has external dimensions of 321.0 x 312.0 x 394.0mm (12-5/8 x 12-1/4 x 15-1/2inch).
Sonus faber Gravis II is clearly the larger of the two speakers. Its body is 46mm wider, 86mm taller and 41mm deeper than B&W ASW610.
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.
Sonus faber Gravis II needs about 27% more floor or shelf area. Sonus faber Gravis II is 41mm deeper, so it stands that much further out from the wall. Sonus faber Gravis II is 86mm 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 Sonus faber Gravis II is approximately 1557.3cm2 / 241.4inch2 and base area of the B&W ASW610 is approximately 1229.3cm2 / 190.5inch2. The Gravis II requires 27% more surface area than the ASW610 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 Sonus faber Gravis II weighs 21.50kg / 47.3lbs and the B&W ASW610 weighs 12.55kg / 27.6lbs. This makes the Gravis II 71% heavier than the ASW610.
Here is a comparison of how Gravis II and ASW610's weights compare with the average, max and min weights in Powered Subwoofer class.
Weight
All Subwoofer Speakers
What's in the Box of Sonus faber Gravis II?
Here are the items that are included inside the box of Gravis II:
- Powered subwoofer
- Grille
- 6-feet AC power cord
- 33-feet Speakon cable
- Owners Manual
- Environmental Information
What's in the Box of B&W ASW610?
Here are the items that come with the ASW610:
- Powered subwoofer
- Grille
- 6.5-feet AC power cord
- 4 Rubber feet
- 4 Spike feet
- 4 Lock-nuts
- Manual
- Bowers & Wilkins brochure
- Warranty Information
 Low Frequency Response |
25 Hz
vs
27 Hz
|
Generates deeper bass |
 Passive Radiator |
2 x 10-inch
vs
None
|
Increases the bass performance |
 High Frequency Response |
140 Hz
vs
120 Hz
|
Generates higher frequency |
 Height |
321mm
vs
407mm
|
Easier to fit in smaller spaces |
 Base Surface Area |
1229cm2
vs
1557cm2
|
Takes less floor space |
 Price per pair* |
899USD
vs
1499USD
|
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.
Sonus faber Gravis II needs about 27% more floor area. Sonus faber Gravis II stands 41mm further into the room. Sonus faber Gravis II is 86mm taller.
| General |
Sonus faber Gravis II |
Bowers & Wilkins ASW610 |
| Brand |
Sonus faber |
Bowers Wilkins |
| Speaker Type |
Powered Subwoofer |
Powered Subwoofer |
| Max Amplifier Output |
350 watts |
200 watts |
| Frequency Response |
25-120 Hz |
27-140 Hz |
Amplifier |
|
|
| Watts RMS (Continuous) |
350-watt RMS |
200-watt RMS |
Drivers |
|
|
| Woofer Quantity |
1 |
1 |
| Woofer Size |
10" |
10" |
| Woofer Composition |
Treated Paper |
Paper/Aramid Fiber |
| Woofer Surround Material |
n/a |
Rubber |
| Tweeter Size |
- |
- |
| Aimable Tweeter |
No |
No |
| Midrange Driver |
No |
No |
| Firing Direction |
front |
front |
Physical Specs |
|
|
| Height |
407.0mm (16") |
321.0mm (12.6") |
| Width |
358.0mm (14.1") |
312.0mm (12.3") |
| Depth |
435.0mm (17.1") |
394.0mm (15.5") |
| Weight |
21.50kg (47.3lbs) |
12.55kg (27.6lbs) |
| Enclosure |
Passive Radiator |
Acoustic Suspension |
| Available Colors |
Piano Black,Matte White |
n/a |
| Grille |
Yes |
Yes |
| Moisture Resistancy |
No |
No |
Connections |
|
|
Other |
|
|
| Parts Warranty |
2 Yr/3 Yr registered |
2 Years |
| Labor Warranty |
2 Yr/3 Yr registered |
2 Years |
A passive radiator subwoofer against a sealed 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 (25Hz vs 27Hz). |
| Amplifier power | A | Sonus faber Gravis II has the bigger amplifier - 350W against 200W RMS, about 2.4dB more on tap. In a large room that is headroom before the DSP starts limiting. |
| Driver area | evenly matched | Near-identical radiating area (10" against 10"). |
| Enclosure | depends | Sonus faber Gravis II is passive radiator - a passive radiator behaves like a port without the pipe noise, and suits a slim cabinet; B&W ASW610 is sealed - a sealed box rolls off gently and is usually the easier one to integrate in a small or awkward room. Neither is better in the abstract; ported tends to suit films and sealed tends to suit music, and both generalisations have exceptions. |
| Driver placement | depends | Sonus faber Gravis II fires front/down and B&W ASW610 fires front. 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 | B&W ASW610 is about 38% 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 ASW610 costs less - $899 against $1,499, about 40% less. |
A Sonus faber Gravis II B B&W ASW610
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?
Sonus faber Gravis II is ahead, but on only 1 of the measured areas, and it costs about 67% more. B&W ASW610 is the sensible buy unless your room is large enough to need the extra. Films or music? If this is mainly a home cinema, Sonus faber Gravis II will hit harder for the money; if it is mainly for music in a normal-sized room, B&W ASW610 is usually the easier one to make sound right. Two small subwoofers beat one big one in most rooms - a pair evens out the room modes in a way no single box can, whatever its specs. At $899 each, two B&W ASW610 cost about $1,798 against $1,499 for one of the other, which is worth a thought.
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.