If you're looking for a high-end powered subwoofer for those deep bass frequencies with hard-hitting power, especially for those deep, rumbling effects on your home theater system which regular speakers won't reproduce, take a look at the ASW610 and the ASW610XP from Bowers & Wilkins.
In summary, these are not for the tiny budget, especially for those interested in the ASW610XP, which is well over the $1000 price range.
The ASW610 costs lesser though and is smaller & lighter. The trade-off is much lesser output power. Both produce immaculate sound quality signature to this premium brand.
- Do make sure to check out their side-by-side ASW610 vs ASW610XP price & spec comparison page here at Crutchfield.
Now let’s take a closer look.
Design
Front-firing ports, a minimal, sleek aesthetic, and a slick, no-nonsense black finish give these subwoofers a very stately, serious but ambivalent look that screams audiophile. It is very evident that this is a premium product at first glance. Something your home will be grateful for in addition to the streamlined, minimalistic vibe which makes them very easy to blend in. The only possible disadvantage to this is that they won’t really pop out visually, in case you were looking for a more ‘flashy’ look.
The included rubber and spike feet are another big plus. These ensure a firm grip on the ground. The spike feet are perfect for carpeted homes while the rubber feet make sure the speaker remains stable and shock-absorbent on laminate, hardwood, tile, or vinyl floors.
The small LED indicator remains lit when the 3-way power switch is activated. The three modes (On, Auto, and Standby) leave it glowing in green or red. A subtle little sign of high-end quality that can make the world of difference and add value to your investment.
While the speakers could pass off as almost identical from a distance, it’s the size and weight which truly set them apart optically.
Bowers & Wilkins ASW610
- Dimensions with Rubber Feet: 12.25 Inches wide x 12.625 inches high x 15.5 inches deep.
- Dimensions with Spike Feet: 12.25 inches wide x 13.5 inches tall x 15.5inches deep.
- Weight: 27.6 lbs
Bowers & Wilkins ASW610XP
- Dimensions with Rubber Feet: 12.875 inches wide x 13.25 inches tall x 16.125 inches deep.
- Dimensions with Spike Feet: 12.875 inches wide x 14.125 inches tall x 16.125 inches deep.
- Weight: 41.12 lbs
You may check out this comparison of Bowers & Wilkins 600 Series Subwoofers.
Features
Both the ASW610 and ASW610XP come with a generous array of controls to give the consumer a seamless audio experience.
Both the Bowers & Wilkins ASW610 (see image) and ASW610XP come with a generous array of controls to give the consumer a seamless audio experience.
Volume Level: Individual Volume Levels and inputs can be suitably adjusted to the rest of the speakers in the system according to taste.
Low Pass Crossover: This gives you a Low Pass Crossover and Low Pass Filter to adjust the variable Frequency settings at around 25-140Hz for a balanced and clean output from the overall system.
Bass Extension: The Bass Extension feature offers three settings giving you a very high degree of flexibility with respect to the degree of bass you actually want in the overall sound in the room. Keep in Position A for most rooms and try out other options for added power.
EQ (Equalization): This lets you choose an EQ position that best works for the environment you want to use this in. While the human ear actually has a very limited perception of both the volume and locations of low frequencies, this does give you the kind of added flexibility to add or roll off some frequencies for fine-tuning. Definitely premium stuff.
Phase Switch: Very handy when the subwoofer is placed far away from the rest of the speakers, in order to avoid frequency cancellations. If that’s too techie for you, what it means is that making adjustments here will help you create a more cohesive sound system together with the rest of the components on the whole system.
Do make sure to check out their side-by-side ASW610 vs ASW610XP price & spec comparison page here at Crutchfield.
Sound
Let me tell you something right off the bat.
Room acoustics, particularly room dimensions and speaker positioning, will have an immense effect on sound quality.
The impact of the combination of these two is actually so strong that in most cases, it doesn't even make sense to utter a single word on sound quality without speaking of them.
This is why I'd hiiiiiiighly recommend you to check out this simple, 2D, online speaker placement calculator.
It's GOOOOLLLDDDDD. I've had an Acoustics & Audio PhD build this tool specifically for this purpose:
Default values:
- Ceiling height: 106 inches or 8 feet 10 inches or 2.70 meters
- Most standard ceiling height
- Listener's height: 32 inches or 2 feet 8 inches or 0.80 meters
- Average height of a sitting person
Central heights of speakers (measured from the ground) and examples to them:
- Soundbars: 30 inches or 2 feet 6 inches or 0.75 meters
- 8", 10" or 12" Subwoofers: 8 inches or 0.20 meters
- 360 degree speakers: 32 inches or 2 feet 8 inches or 0.80 meters
- Horizontal speakers: 32 inches or 2 feet 8 inches or 0.80 meters
- Floor standing speakers: 20 inches or 1 feet 8 inches or 0.50 meters
- Bookshelf speakers: 32 inches or 2 feet 8 inches or 0.80 meters
- Center speakers: 32 inches or 2 feet 8 inches or 0.80 meters
Side note: This tool can and will return inaccurate results for small, portable Bluetooth speakers such as JBL's Go Series. It will, however, deliver just fine for more powerful, packed bluetooth speakers such as this one.
ASAP Science made a video on the loudest and quietest rooms in the world. A mind blowing example of the importance of acoustics (time adjusted video).
Other parameters such as the age/materials of the building, the furniture & carpets in place, etc can and will, of course, have an effect on room acoustics, too. But much less.
Also...
Did you know you could also virtually hear any speaker online?
Crutchfield had recently created a tool that virtually simulates the sounds of many different speakers; such as those of SVS, Klipsch, KEF and B&W. Nothing will, of course, beat hearing the speakers in reality. But I'd still recommend you to give it a shot.
While you're at it, blast my Hidden Electronic Gems list to test them:
Anyways...
Both the ASW610 and ASW610XP come with a long-throw woofer with a rubber surround inside the sealed cabinet that results in transparent, clear, and tight bass for extremely dynamic and clean bass response.
The only difference here is in power. The former gives you 200W while the latter gives you 500W. That’s a whopping difference of 300W. Does it make a difference? With respect to sheer volume and power, absolutely.
But the quality and transparency on both are absolutely head-to-head. So at the end of the day, it really boils down to the size of your room. For smaller cozier environments, the Bowers & Wilkins ASW610 is more than sufficient. The Bowers & Wilkins ASW610XP would be overkill.
- Do make sure to check out their side-by-side ASW610 vs ASW610XP price & spec comparison page here at Crutchfield.
Connectivity
Both come with line-level and speaker-level inputs. The former with stereo RCA jacks, and the speaker-level inputs consist of binding-post terminals.
Additionally, a 12V Trigger input for a 3.5mm minijack allows the powered sub to turn on from any external output from an AV receiver, integrated amplifier, or preamplifier.
Price
At the time of this article, the ASW610 is priced at around $899 and the ASW610XP at approximately $1,799. (Please check your local dealers for prices).
Verdict
In conclusion, this is how the Bowers Wilkins ASW610 and ASW610XP stack up against each other:
- Design: Tie. But the Bowers & Wilkins ASW610XP is bigger and heavier.
- Sound: Tie. But the Bowers & Wilkins ASW610XP is more powerful.
- Connectivity: A clear tie.
- Price: The Bowers & Wilkins ASW610XP is a lot more expensive.
If the enormous addition in the sheer power of the Bowers & Wilkins ASW610XP is something your room needs, go for it. If you’re looking for something more compact, you’re better off with the Bowers & Wilkins ASW610.
- Do make sure to check out their side-by-side ASW610 vs ASW610XP price & spec comparison page here at Crutchfield.