In this review, we will be comparing WH S8E and ASW608, two Powered Subwoofer speakers from Wharfedale 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 Wharfedale WH-S8E 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.Wharfedale WH-S8Eand B&W ASW608 have the same driver set up: Both subwoofers have 1 x 8" drivers.
Frequency Response
WH S8E has a frequency range of 40-200 Hz whereas ASW608 has a frequency range of 32-140 Hz. With a minimum frequency of 32Hz, the ASW608 can go significantly deeper on the low side and provide stronger bass compared to the WH S8E's min frequency of 40Hz.
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 Wharfedale WH-S8E 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 Wharfedale WH-S8E's and B&W ASW608's external dimensions. Wharfedale WH-S8E has external dimensions of 330.0 x 268.0 x 327.0mm (13 x 10-9/16 x 12-7/8inch) 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 7mm narrower and 58mm shorter than Wharfedale WH-S8E but it is also 23mm 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 23mm deeper, so it stands that much further out from the wall. Wharfedale WH-S8E is 58mm 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 WH-S8E is approximately 876.4cm2 / 135.8inch2 and base area of the B&W ASW608 is approximately 913.5cm2 / 141.6inch2. The WH S8E requires 4% 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 Wharfedale WH-S8E weighs 8.20kg / 18lbs and the B&W ASW608 weighs 8.86kg / 19.5lbs. This makes the ASW608 8% heavier than the WH S8E.
Here is a comparison of how WH S8E and ASW608's weights compare with the average, max and min weights in Powered Subwoofer class.
Weight
All Subwoofer Speakers
 High Frequency Response |
200 Hz
vs
140 Hz
|
Generates higher frequency |
 Base Surface Area |
876cm2
vs
913cm2
|
Takes less floor space |
 Price per pair* |
399USD
vs
599USD
|
costs less (*prices may change depending on the seller, location and time) |
 Low Frequency Response |
32 Hz
vs
40 Hz
|
Generates deeper bass |
 Height |
272mm
vs
330mm
|
Easier to fit in smaller spaces |
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 23mm further into the room. Wharfedale WH-S8E is 58mm taller.
| General |
Wharfedale WH-S8E |
Bowers & Wilkins ASW608 |
| Brand |
Wharfedale |
Bowers Wilkins |
| Speaker Type |
Powered Subwoofer |
Powered Subwoofer |
| Max Amplifier Output |
70 watts |
200 watts |
| Frequency Response |
40-200 Hz |
32-140 Hz |
Amplifier |
|
|
| Watts RMS (Continuous) |
70-watt RMS |
200-watt RMS |
| Watts Peak (Max) |
150-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 |
330.0mm (13") |
272.0mm (10.7") |
| Width |
268.0mm (10.6") |
261.0mm (10.3") |
| Depth |
327.0mm (12.9") |
350.0mm (13.8") |
| Weight |
8.20kg (18lbs) |
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 | B | B&W ASW608 goes deeper - 32Hz against 40Hz. A real difference, though most music has little content below 40Hz. |
| Amplifier power | B | B&W ASW608 has the bigger amplifier - 200W against 70W RMS, about 4.6dB 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 | Wharfedale WH-S8E 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. |
| Warranty | A | Wharfedale WH-S8E 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 | Wharfedale WH-S8E costs less - $399 against $599, about 33% less. |
A Wharfedale WH-S8E 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?
B&W ASW608 is ahead, but on only 1 of the measured areas, and it costs about 50% more. Wharfedale WH-S8E is the sensible buy unless your room is large enough to need the extra. Films or music? If this is mainly a home cinema, Wharfedale WH-S8E 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.