In this review, we will be comparing Gravis III 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 III and B&W ASW610 first before getting into our more detailed comparison.
In the following sections, we will get into details in order to better understand how the Sonus faber Gravis III and B&W ASW610 compare and hopefully end up with enough arguments to decide which one of these subwoofers is the better choice for you.
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Drivers
The efficiency of a subwoofer is directly proportional to the total radiating are squared hence the woofer quantity and diameter.Sonus faber Gravis IIIand B&W ASW610 have the same driver set up: Both subwoofers have 1 x 10" drivers.
Frequency Response
Gravis III 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 III 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
Both Sonus faber Gravis III and B&W ASW610 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
Size of a speaker can sometimes become 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 III's and B&W ASW610's external dimensions. Sonus faber Gravis III has external dimensions of 415.0 x 400.0 x 495.0mm ( 16-5/16 x 15-3/4 x 19-1/2inch) 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 III is clearly the larger of the two speakers. Its body is 88mm wider, 94mm taller and 101mm deeper than B&W ASW610.
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 III is approximately 1980.0cm2 / 306.9inch2 and base area of the B&W ASW610 is approximately 1229.3cm2 / 190.5inch2. The Gravis III requires 61% 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 III weighs 26.70kg / 58.7lbs and the B&W ASW610 weighs 12.55kg / 27.6lbs. This makes the Gravis III 113% heavier than the ASW610.
Here is a comparison of how Gravis III and ASW610's weights compare with the average, max and min weights in Powered Subwoofer class.
Weight
All Subwoofer Speakers
 Low Frequency Response |
25 Hz
vs
27 Hz
|
Generates deeper bass |
 High Frequency Response |
140k Hz
vs
120k Hz
|
Generates higher frequency |
 Height |
321mm
vs
415mm
|
Easier to fit in smaller spaces |
 Base Surface Area |
1229cm2
vs
1980cm2
|
Takes less floor space |
| General |
Sonus faber Gravis III |
Bowers & Wilkins ASW610 |
| Brand |
Sonus faber |
Bowers Wilkins |
| Speaker Type |
Powered Subwoofer |
Powered Subwoofer |
| Max Amplifier Output |
600 watts |
200 watts |
| Frequency Response |
25-120 Hz |
27-140 Hz |
Amplifier |
|
|
| Watts RMS (Continuous) |
600-watt RMS |
200-watt RMS |
| Watts Peak (Max) |
900-watt RMS |
n/a |
Drivers |
|
|
| Woofer Quantity |
1 |
1 |
| Woofer Size |
10" |
10" |
| Woofer Composition |
Honeycomb sandwich |
Paper/Aramid Fiber |
| Woofer Surround Material |
n/a |
Rubber |
| Tweeter Size |
- |
- |
| Aimable Tweeter |
No |
No |
| Midrange Driver |
No |
No |
| Crossover Frequency |
Continuously adjustable |
n/a |
| Firing Direction |
n/a |
front |
Physical Specs |
|
|
| Height |
415.0mm (16.3") |
321.0mm (12.6") |
| Width |
400.0mm (15.7") |
312.0mm (12.3") |
| Depth |
495.0mm (19.5") |
394.0mm (15.5") |
| Weight |
26.70kg (58.7lbs) |
12.55kg (27.6lbs) |
| Enclosure |
Acoustic Suspension |
Acoustic Suspension |
| Grille |
Yes |
Yes |
| Moisture Resistancy |
No |
No |
Connections |
|
|
Other |
|
|
| Parts Warranty |
|
2 Years |
| Labor Warranty |
|
2 Years |