Short answer: the Monoprice SW-15. It ranks #13 of 145 subwoofers by sound quality at $374.99; the Emotiva Ultra 12 ranks #121 and costs $849, so there is little reason to consider the other one.
What the Monoprice SW-15 offers: 15-inch ported with 600W RMS (800W peak) delivers Large-room Bassaholic rating. Unrivaled mid-bass punch for $375. Strong output with clean control. Dual speaker-level inputs and 40-150Hz crossover for flexible hookup. Watch for: Budget-tier design, ported room gain dependency, 30 kg mid-size, and limited dynamic headroom.
What the Emotiva Ultra 12 offers: 12-inch long-throw woofer with triple-woven synthetic driver (bulletproof-grade). 300W Class-D (500W peak) sealed enclosure tuned to 25Hz. Reproduces tight musical bass in almost any room. Includes low pass filter defeat switch (rare at price), 50-150Hz crossover, volume, and 0-180° phase control. Heavy-duty butyl rubber surround designed for durability. Rubber and aluminum feet for carpet/hardwood. Watch for: No detailed measurement caveats are currently recorded.
Buy the Monoprice SW-15. It ranks higher for sound quality than the Emotiva Ultra 12 and costs less, which settles it without a real tradeoff to make.
Skip the Emotiva Ultra 12 if sound quality matters to you. It ranks near the bottom of the 145 subwoofers.
Looking for alternatives? See the complete Subwoofers rankings.
Specifications Side By Side
| Monoprice SW-15 | Emotiva Ultra 12 | |
|---|---|---|
| Price | $374.99 | $849 |
| Ranked | #13 of 145 in Medium Home Subwoofers (30-75 lbs) | #121 of 145 in Medium Home Subwoofers (30-75 lbs) |
| Enclosure | ported, bottom | sealed |
| Output SPL at 15 Hz | 90.0 dB | - |
| Output SPL at 20 Hz | 101.2 dB | 88.0 dB |
| Output SPL at 25 Hz | 106.3 dB | 95.0 dB |
| Output SPL at 31.5 Hz | 111.2 dB | 100.0 dB |
| Output SPL at 40 Hz | 116.0 dB | 105.0 dB |
| Output SPL at 50 Hz | 120.2 dB | 109.0 dB |
| Output SPL at 63 Hz | 120.5 dB | 111.0 dB |
| Output SPL at 80 Hz | 119.5 dB | 108.0 dB |
| CEA-2010-A Average (40-80Hz) | 119.0 dB | 108.2 dB |
| Dimensions | 18.1"H x 21"W x 22.7"D (459.7 x 533.4 x 576.6 mm) | 14.5"H x 14.5"W x 15.2"D (368.3 x 368.3 x 387.3 mm) |
| Weight | 66.1 lbs (30.0 kg) | 37.9 lbs (17.2 kg) |
| Warranty | 1 | 5 |
| Cabinet Color | black | - |
| Country | United States | United States |
| Measurement Source | Audioholics | Audioholics |
| Frequency Response | 30-150Hz (-10dB) | 22-200Hz |
| Amplifier Power | 600W RMS / 800W peak | 300W RMS |
| Crossover Frequency | 40-150Hz, 18dB/octave | - |
| Phase Control | 0° or 180° | - |
| Inputs | Stereo line level and speaker level | - |
| Drivers | 15" (381mm) driver | 12" (305mm) driver |
| Output SPL at 100 Hz | - | 107.0 dB |
Related Speaker Comparisons
How Monoprice SW-15 compares with other leading options:
- JTR Speakers Captivator 212PRO vs Monoprice SW-15
- MartinLogan Dynamo 1600X vs Monoprice SW-15
- HSU Research ULS-15 MK2 vs Monoprice SW-15
- Monoprice SW-15 vs PSB Speakers SubSeries 450
- Monoprice SW-12 vs Monoprice SW-15
Prices on this page were last checked September 16, 2026 at 12:41 AM UTC. Product prices and availability are accurate as of that date/time and are subject to change; the price and availability shown on Amazon at the time of purchase will apply to the purchase of this product.
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The Two Speakers In Full
Monoprice SW-15: $374.99 Amazon eBay
Pros: 15-inch ported with 600W RMS (800W peak) delivers Large-room Bassaholic rating. Unrivaled mid-bass punch for $375. Strong output with clean control. Dual speaker-level inputs and 40-150Hz crossover for flexible hookup.
Cons: Budget-tier design, ported room gain dependency, 30 kg mid-size, and limited dynamic headroom.
Notes: Product # 41499
Full Monoprice SW-15 review and specifications →
| Amplifier Power | 600W RMS / 800W peak |
|---|---|
| CEA-2010-A Average (40-80Hz) | 119.0 dB |
| Cabinet Color | black |
| Country | United States |
| Crossover Frequency | 40-150Hz, 18dB/octave |
| Dimensions | 18.1"H x 21"W x 22.7"D (459.7 x 533.4 x 576.6 mm) |
| Drivers | 15" (381mm) driver |
| Enclosure | ported, bottom |
| Frequency Response | 30-150Hz (-10dB) |
| Inputs | Stereo line level and speaker level |
| Measurement Source | Audioholics |
| Output SPL at 15 Hz | 90.0 dB |
| Output SPL at 20 Hz | 101.2 dB |
| Output SPL at 25 Hz | 106.3 dB |
| Output SPL at 31.5 Hz | 111.2 dB |
| Output SPL at 40 Hz | 116.0 dB |
| Output SPL at 50 Hz | 120.2 dB |
| Output SPL at 63 Hz | 120.5 dB |
| Output SPL at 80 Hz | 119.5 dB |
| Phase Control | 0° or 180° |
| Warranty | 1 |
| Weight | 66.1 lbs (30.0 kg) |
- Links
- Reviews, Comparisons and Sound Samples
- Independently measured by Audioholics; the published figures above come from this ASR subwoofer measurement thread.
- Head-to-Head Comparisons
- Monoprice SW-15 vs Power Sound Audio (PSA) XV15SEICE-BASE
- Monoprice SW-15 vs SVS SB-3000
- Monoprice SW-15 vs Power Sound Audio (PSA) XS15
- Monoprice SW-15 vs Power Sound Audio (PSA) XV15-BASE
- Monoprice SW-15 vs Paradigm Defiance X12
- Monoprice SW-15 vs Power Sound Audio (PSA) XS15-BASE
- Monoprice SW-15 vs Power Sound Audio (PSA) XV15
- Monoprice SW-15 vs Klipsch SPL-120
- See all 109 comparisons
Emotiva Ultra 12: $849 eBay
Pros: 12-inch long-throw woofer with triple-woven synthetic driver (bulletproof-grade). 300W Class-D (500W peak) sealed enclosure tuned to 25Hz. Reproduces tight musical bass in almost any room. Includes low pass filter defeat switch (rare at price), 50-150Hz crossover, volume, and 0-180° phase control. Heavy-duty butyl rubber surround designed for durability. Rubber and aluminum feet for carpet/hardwood.
Full Emotiva Ultra 12 review and specifications →
| Amplifier Power | 300W RMS |
|---|---|
| CEA-2010-A Average (40-80Hz) | 108.2 dB |
| Country | United States |
| Dimensions | 14.5"H x 14.5"W x 15.2"D (368.3 x 368.3 x 387.3 mm) |
| Drivers | 12" (305mm) driver |
| Enclosure | sealed |
| Frequency Response | 22-200Hz |
| Measurement Source | Audioholics |
| Output SPL at 20 Hz | 88.0 dB |
| Output SPL at 25 Hz | 95.0 dB |
| Output SPL at 31.5 Hz | 100.0 dB |
| Output SPL at 40 Hz | 105.0 dB |
| Output SPL at 50 Hz | 109.0 dB |
| Output SPL at 63 Hz | 111.0 dB |
| Output SPL at 80 Hz | 108.0 dB |
| Output SPL at 100 Hz | 107.0 dB |
| Warranty | 5 |
| Weight | 37.9 lbs (17.2 kg) |
- Reviews, Comparisons and Sound Samples
- Independently measured by Audioholics; the published figures above come from this ASR subwoofer measurement thread.