In this review, we will be comparing Tales 340 and KUBE 8b, two Powered Subwoofer speakers from Triangle and KEF. 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 Triangle Tales 340 and KEF KUBE 8b 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 Triangle Tales 340and KEF KUBE 8b have a single woofer setup however the Triangle Tales 340's woofer is 10-inch whereas the KEF KUBE 8b features a 8-inch woofer.
Frequency Response
Tales 340 has a frequency range of 30-120 Hz whereas KUBE 8b has a frequency range of 34-140 Hz. With a minimum frequency of 30Hz, the Tales 340 can go slightly deeper then the KUBE 8b's min frequency of 34Hz.
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 Triangle Tales 340 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 KEF KUBE 8b 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 Triangle Tales 340's and KEF KUBE 8b's external dimensions. Triangle Tales 340 has external dimensions of 383.0 x 342.0 x 357.0mm (15-1/16 x 13-7/16 x 14-1/16inch) whereas KEF KUBE 8b has external dimensions of 294.0 x 296.0 x 339.0mm (11-9/16 x 11-5/8 x 13-5/16inch).
Triangle Tales 340 is clearly the larger of the two speakers. Its body is 46mm wider, 89mm taller and 18mm deeper than KEF KUBE 8b.
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.
Triangle Tales 340 needs about 22% more floor or shelf area. Triangle Tales 340 is 18mm deeper, so it stands that much further out from the wall. Triangle Tales 340 is 89mm 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 Triangle Tales 340 is approximately 1220.9cm2 / 189.2inch2 and base area of the KEF KUBE 8b is approximately 1003.4cm2 / 155.5inch2. The Tales 340 requires 22% more surface area than the KUBE 8b 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 Triangle Tales 340 weighs 8.90kg / 19.6lbs and the KEF KUBE 8b weighs 11.36kg / 25lbs. This makes the KUBE 8b 28% heavier than the Tales 340.
Here is a comparison of how Tales 340 and KUBE 8b's weights compare with the average, max and min weights in Powered Subwoofer class.
Weight
All Subwoofer Speakers
 Woofer Size |
10 inches
vs
8 inches
|
Larger woofer |
| Low Frequency Response |
30 Hz
vs
34 Hz
|
Generates deeper bass |
 Price per pair* |
459USD
vs
600USD
|
costs less (*prices may change depending on the seller, location and time) |
 High Frequency Response |
140 Hz
vs
120 Hz
|
Generates higher frequency |
 Height |
294mm
vs
383mm
|
Easier to fit in smaller spaces |
 Base Surface Area |
1003cm2
vs
1220cm2
|
Takes less floor space |
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.
Triangle Tales 340 needs about 22% more floor area. Triangle Tales 340 stands 18mm further into the room. Triangle Tales 340 is 89mm taller.
| General |
Triangle Tales 340 |
KEF KUBE 8b |
| Brand |
Triangle |
KEF |
| Speaker Type |
Powered Subwoofer |
Powered Subwoofer |
| Max Amplifier Output |
200 watts |
300 watts |
| Frequency Response |
30-120 Hz |
34-140 Hz |
Amplifier |
|
|
| Watts RMS (Continuous) |
200-watt RMS |
300-watt RMS |
| Watts Peak (Max) |
350-watt RMS |
n/a |
Drivers |
|
|
| Woofer Quantity |
1 |
1 |
| Woofer Size |
10" |
8" |
| Woofer Composition |
Paper composite |
|
| Tweeter Size |
- |
- |
| Aimable Tweeter |
No |
No |
| Midrange Driver |
No |
No |
| Crossover Frequency |
n/a |
40-140 Hz |
| Firing Direction |
n/a |
front |
Physical Specs |
|
|
| Height |
383.0mm (15.1") |
294.0mm (11.6") |
| Width |
342.0mm (13.5") |
296.0mm (11.7") |
| Depth |
357.0mm (14.1") |
339.0mm (13.3") |
| Weight |
8.90kg (19.6lbs) |
11.36kg (25lbs) |
| Enclosure |
Bass Reflex |
Acoustic Suspension |
| Grille |
Yes |
n/a |
| Moisture Resistancy |
No |
No |
Connections |
|
|
Other |
|
|
| Parts Warranty |
5 Years |
2 Years |
| Labor Warranty |
5 Years |
2 Years |
A ported 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 | A | Triangle Tales 340 goes deeper - 30Hz against 34Hz. A real difference, though most music has little content below 34Hz. |
| Amplifier power | B | KEF KUBE 8b has the bigger amplifier - 300W against 200W RMS, about 1.8dB more on tap. In a large room that is headroom before the DSP starts limiting. |
| Driver area | A | Triangle Tales 340 moves more air: 10" against 8" is 1.56x the cone area, not the 1.25x the diameters suggest. More area means the same output with less excursion, and less distortion with it. |
| Enclosure | depends | Triangle Tales 340 is ported - a ported box gives more output low down for its size, at the cost of a steeper roll-off below tuning; KEF KUBE 8b 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. |
| Speaker-level inputs | A | Triangle Tales 340 takes a speaker-level connection as well as line level. That is what lets it work with an integrated amplifier or a vintage receiver that has no subwoofer output at all. |
| Driver placement | depends | Triangle Tales 340 fires down and KEF KUBE 8b 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 | KEF KUBE 8b is about 37% 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 | Triangle Tales 340 carries 5 years on parts against 2 years. A subwoofer amplifier works harder than anything else in the system, so this is not a throwaway line. |
| Price | A | Triangle Tales 340 costs less - $459 against $600, about 24% less. |
A Triangle Tales 340 B KEF KUBE 8b
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?
Triangle Tales 340 is the easier recommendation: it leads on most of the measured areas and costs less. Take KEF KUBE 8b if one of the "depends" rows describes your room. Films or music? If this is mainly a home cinema, Triangle Tales 340 will hit harder for the money; if it is mainly for music in a normal-sized room, KEF KUBE 8b is usually the easier one to make sound right. Check your amplifier first: if it has no subwoofer or preamp output, Triangle Tales 340 is the only one of these two you can connect at all.
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.