In this review, we will be comparing Thetis 300 and ASW608, two Powered Subwoofer speakers from Triangle 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 Triangle Thetis 300 and B&W ASW608 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.Triangle Thetis 300and B&W ASW608 have the same driver set up: Both subwoofers have 1 x 8" drivers.
Frequency Response
Thetis 300 has a frequency range of 32-120 Hz whereas ASW608 has a frequency range of 32-140 Hz.
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 Thetis 300 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 B&W ASW608 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 Thetis 300's and B&W ASW608's external dimensions. Triangle Thetis 300 has external dimensions of 340.0 x 300.0 x 300.0mm (13-3/8 x 11-13/16 x 11-13/16inch) whereas B&W ASW608 has external dimensions of 272.0 x 261.0 x 350.0mm (10-11/16 x 10-1/4 x 13-3/4inch).
B&W ASW608 is 39mm narrower and 68mm shorter than Triangle Thetis 300 but it is also 50mm 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.
Near-identical footprints. B&W ASW608 is 50mm deeper, so it stands that much further out from the wall. Triangle Thetis 300 is 68mm 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 Thetis 300 is approximately 900.0cm2 / 139.5inch2 and base area of the B&W ASW608 is approximately 913.5cm2 / 141.6inch2. The Thetis 300 requires 1% less surface area than the ASW608 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 Triangle Thetis 300 weighs 10.60kg / 23.3lbs and the B&W ASW608 weighs 8.86kg / 19.5lbs. This makes the Thetis 300 20% heavier than the ASW608.
Here is a comparison of how Thetis 300 and ASW608's weights compare with the average, max and min weights in Powered Subwoofer class.
Weight
All Subwoofer Speakers
 Base Surface Area |
900cm2
vs
913cm2
|
Takes less floor space |
 High Frequency Response |
140 Hz
vs
120 Hz
|
Generates higher frequency |
 Height |
272mm
vs
340mm
|
Easier to fit in smaller spaces |
 Price per pair* |
599USD
vs
650USD
|
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.
Near-identical footprints. B&W ASW608 stands 50mm further into the room. Triangle Thetis 300 is 68mm taller.
| General |
Triangle Thetis 300 |
Bowers & Wilkins ASW608 |
| Brand |
Triangle |
Bowers Wilkins |
| Speaker Type |
Powered Subwoofer |
Powered Subwoofer |
| Max Amplifier Output |
150 watts |
200 watts |
| Frequency Response |
32-120 Hz |
32-140 Hz |
Amplifier |
|
|
| Watts RMS (Continuous) |
150-watt RMS |
200-watt RMS |
| Watts Peak (Max) |
250-watt RMS |
n/a |
Drivers |
|
|
| Woofer Quantity |
1 |
1 |
| Woofer Size |
8" |
8" |
| Woofer Composition |
Paper composite |
Paper/Aramid Fiber |
| Woofer Surround Material |
n/a |
Rubber |
| Tweeter Size |
- |
- |
| Aimable Tweeter |
No |
No |
| Midrange Driver |
No |
No |
| Firing Direction |
n/a |
front |
Physical Specs |
|
|
| Height |
340.0mm (13.4") |
272.0mm (10.7") |
| Width |
300.0mm (11.8") |
261.0mm (10.3") |
| Depth |
300.0mm (11.8") |
350.0mm (13.8") |
| Weight |
10.60kg (23.3lbs) |
8.86kg (19.5lbs) |
| Enclosure |
Bass Reflex |
Acoustic Suspension |
| Grille |
Yes |
Yes |
| 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 | evenly matched | Effectively the same reach (32Hz vs 32Hz). |
| Amplifier power | B | B&W ASW608 has the bigger amplifier - 200W against 150W RMS, about 1.2dB more on tap. In a large room that is headroom before the DSP starts limiting. |
| Driver area | evenly matched | Near-identical radiating area (8" against 8"). |
| Enclosure | depends | Triangle Thetis 300 is ported - a ported box gives more output low down for its size, at the cost of a steeper roll-off below tuning; B&W ASW608 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 | Triangle Thetis 300 fires down and B&W ASW608 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 ASW608 is about 19% 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 Thetis 300 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 | B | B&W ASW608 costs less - $599 against $650, about 8% less. |
A Triangle Thetis 300 B B&W ASW608
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?
Neither runs away with it - they trade advantages. Let your room size and where the box can actually stand settle it. Films or music? If this is mainly a home cinema, Triangle Thetis 300 will hit harder for the money; if it is mainly for music in a normal-sized room, B&W ASW608 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.