Short answer: the Monoprice SW-15. It ranks #14 of 212 subwoofers by sound quality, rated 4.1/5, at $499.99; the MartinLogan Dynamo 12 ranks #149, rated 3.5/5, and costs $1,279.99, which makes this an easy call rather than a real tradeoff.
The Monoprice SW-15 is the better-sounding choice. A big 15 inch subwoofer with powerful, punchy bass at a budget price, great for movies in a large room. Watch for: Budget-tier design, ported room gain dependency, 66.1 lbs (30 kg) mid-size, and limited dynamic headroom.
Why pick the MartinLogan Dynamo 12: A sealed 12 inch subwoofer with app control and built in room correction that simplifies setup in a mid size room. Watch for: Nearly all controls, including low-pass frequency and phase, are app-only, with no physical switches for systems that lack separate bass management.
Buy the Monoprice SW-15. It is rated higher for sound quality than the MartinLogan Dynamo 12 and costs less, so only choose the other one for a particular feature it does better.
Looking for alternatives? See the complete Subwoofers rankings.
A big 15 inch subwoofer with powerful, punchy bass at a budget price, great for movies in a large room.
A sealed 12 inch subwoofer with app control and built in room correction that simplifies setup in a mid size room.
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Specifications Side By Side
| Monoprice SW-15 | MartinLogan Dynamo 12 | |
|---|---|---|
| Price | $499.99 | $1,279.99 |
| Ranked | #14 of 212 in Medium Home Subwoofers (30-75 lbs) | #149 of 212 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 | 91.7 dB |
| Output SPL at 25 Hz | 106.3 dB | 97.6 dB |
| Output SPL at 31.5 Hz | 111.2 dB | 102.5 dB |
| Output SPL at 40 Hz | 116.0 dB | 107.7 dB |
| Output SPL at 50 Hz | 120.2 dB | 110.6 dB |
| Output SPL at 63 Hz | 120.5 dB | 111.9 dB |
| Output SPL at 80 Hz | 119.5 dB | 112.2 dB |
| CEA-2010-A Average (40-80Hz) | 119.0 dB | 110.6 dB |
| Dimensions | 18.1”H x 21”W x 22.7”D (459.7 x 533.4 x 576.6 mm) | 16.8”H x 15.8”W x 15.8”D (425.5 x 400.1 x 400.1 mm) |
| Weight | 66.1 lbs (30.0 kg) | 61.5 lbs (27.9 kg) |
| Warranty | 1 | 3 |
| Cabinet Color | black | - |
| Country | United States | United States |
| Measurement Source | Audioholics | Audioholics |
| Frequency Response | 30-150Hz (-10dB) | 23-200Hz, ±3dB |
| Amplifier Power | 600W RMS / 800W peak | 800W RMS / 1600W peak |
| Crossover Frequency | 40-150Hz, 18dB/octave | - |
| Phase Control | 0° or 180° | - |
| Inputs | Stereo line level and speaker level | XLR (L/R/LFE), speaker-level |
| Drivers | 15” (381mm) driver | 12” (305mm) driver |
| Output SPL at 12.5 Hz | - | 81.1 dB |
| Output SPL at 16 Hz | - | 85.7 dB |
| Output SPL at 100 Hz | - | 110.1 dB |
| Output SPL at 125 Hz | - | 108.7 dB |
| XLR Input | - | Yes |
| RCA Input | - | No |
| TRS Input | - | No |
| Optical Input | - | No |
| Coaxial Input | - | No |
| USB Input | - | No |
| HDMI Input | - | No |
| AES Input | - | No |
| Aux Input | - | No |
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