In this review, we will be comparing Nova 15 and Nova 12, two Powered Subwoofer speakers by Wharfedale. 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 Wharfedale Nova 15 and Wharfedale Nova 12 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 Wharfedale Nova 15and Wharfedale Nova 12 have a single woofer setup however the Wharfedale Nova 15's woofer is 15-inch whereas the Wharfedale Nova 12 features a 12-inch woofer.
Frequency Response
Nova 15 and Nova 12 has exactly the same frequency range of 28 Hz (-6dB).
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 Wharfedale Nova 15 and Wharfedale Nova 12 have Passive Radiator type cabinets. 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 Wharfedale Nova 15's and Wharfedale Nova 12's external dimensions. Wharfedale Nova 15 has external dimensions of 549.0 x 540.0 x 607.0mm (21.61inch x 21.26inch x 23.9inch) whereas Wharfedale Nova 12 has external dimensions of 443.0 x 435.0 x 487.0mm (17.44inch x 17.13inch x 19.17inch).
Wharfedale Nova 15 is clearly the larger of the two speakers. Its body is 105mm wider, 106mm taller and 120mm deeper than Wharfedale Nova 12.
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.
Wharfedale Nova 15 needs about 55% more floor or shelf area. Wharfedale Nova 15 is 120mm deeper, so it stands that much further out from the wall. Wharfedale Nova 15 is 106mm 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 Wharfedale Nova 15 is approximately 3277.8cm2 / 508.1inch2 and base area of the Wharfedale Nova 12 is approximately 2118.5cm2 / 328.4inch2. The Nova 15 requires 55% more surface area than the Nova 12 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 Wharfedale Nova 15 weighs 47.80kg / 105.2lbs and the Wharfedale Nova 12 weighs 29.30kg / 64.5lbs. This makes the Nova 15 63% heavier than the Nova 12.
Here is a comparison of how Nova 15 and Nova 12's weights compare with the average, max and min weights in Powered Subwoofer class.
Weight
All Subwoofer Speakers
What's in the Box of Wharfedale Nova 15?
Here are the items that are included inside the box of Nova 15:
- Subwoofer
- Power cord
- Manual
- Rubber feet pads
What's in the Box of Wharfedale Nova 12?
Here are the items that come with the Nova 12:
- Subwoofer
- Power cord
- Manual
- Rubber feet pads
 Woofer Size |
15 inches
vs
12 inches
|
Larger woofer |
 Height |
443mm
vs
549mm
|
Easier to fit in smaller spaces |
 Base Surface Area |
2118cm2
vs
3277cm2
|
Takes less floor space |
 Price per pair* |
1599USD
vs
1999USD
|
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.
Wharfedale Nova 15 needs about 55% more floor area. Wharfedale Nova 15 stands 120mm further into the room. Wharfedale Nova 15 is 106mm taller.
| General |
Wharfedale Nova 15 |
Wharfedale Nova 12 |
| Brand |
Wharfedale |
Wharfedale |
| Speaker Type |
Powered Subwoofer |
Powered Subwoofer |
| Max Amplifier Output |
360 watts |
280 watts |
| Frequency Response |
28 Hz (-6dB) |
28 Hz (-6dB) |
Amplifier |
|
|
| Watts RMS (Continuous) |
360-watt RMS |
280-watt RMS |
| Watts Peak (Max) |
770-watt RMS |
770-watt RMS |
Drivers |
|
|
| Woofer Quantity |
1 |
1 |
| Woofer Size |
15" |
12" |
| Woofer Composition |
Paper |
Paper |
| Tweeter Size |
- |
- |
| Aimable Tweeter |
No |
No |
| Midrange Driver |
No |
No |
Physical Specs |
|
|
| Height |
549.0mm (21.6") |
443.0mm (17.4") |
| Width |
540.0mm (21.3") |
435.0mm (17.1") |
| Depth |
607.0mm (23.9") |
487.0mm (19.2") |
| Weight |
47.80kg (105.2lbs) |
29.30kg (64.5lbs) |
| Enclosure |
Passive Radiator |
Passive Radiator |
| Finish |
Matte Black |
Matte Black |
| Available Colors |
Black |
Black |
| Grille |
Yes |
Yes |
| Moisture Resistancy |
No |
No |
Connections |
|
|
| USB Port |
USB port for firmware updates |
USB port for firmware updates |
Other |
|
|
| Parts Warranty |
|
|
| Labor Warranty |
|
|
Siblings in Wharfedale's Nova range - same design thinking, different size. It comes down to your room and your budget.
| Area | Better | Why |
|---|
| Bass depth | evenly matched | Effectively the same reach (28Hz vs 28Hz). |
| Amplifier power | A | Wharfedale Nova 15 has the bigger amplifier - 360W against 280W RMS, about 1.1dB more on tap. In a large room that is headroom before the DSP starts limiting. |
| Driver area | A | Wharfedale Nova 15 moves more air: 15" against 12" 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 | evenly matched | Both are passive radiator designs, so they roll off in much the same way. |
| Setup and tuning | evenly matched | The same tuning tools on both (onboard DSP). |
| Cabinet size | depends | Wharfedale Nova 12 is about 48% 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 | Wharfedale Nova 12 costs less - $1,599 against $1,999, about 20% less. |
A Wharfedale Nova 15 B Wharfedale Nova 12
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: Wharfedale Nova 15 measures better, Wharfedale Nova 12 costs about 20% 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 - Wharfedale Nova 12 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.