Wharfedale has a new subwoofer range, and it’s now listed on the company’s US store. The Nova series comes in four sizes, from 8 to 15 inches, and skips the usual bass port in favour of a downward-firing passive radiator. Prices run from $1,099 to $1,999, which puts them up against some very strong competition. Here’s how the range breaks down.
- Four models: Nova 8, Nova 10, Nova 12 and Nova 15, announced in late September 2026.
- Each pairs a long-throw driver with a downward-firing passive radiator instead of a port.
- Class D amplifier with DSP and dynamic EQ, plus Music and Movie modes.
- Crossover of 40–160 Hz, phase and level controls, line/LFE and speaker-level inputs, and a 12 V trigger.
- US prices: $1,099, $1,299, $1,599 and $1,999, in matte black only. No app or room correction.
The four models
| Model | Driver + radiator | Amp (nominal / peak) | Low end (−6 dB) | Weight | US price |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Nova 8 | 8″ + 10″ | 200 W / 500 W | 33 Hz | 35.9 lb | $1,099 |
| Nova 10 | 10″ + 10″ | 230 W / 500 W | 29 Hz | 48.9 lb | $1,299 |
| Nova 12 | 12″ + 12″ | 280 W / 770 W | 28 Hz | 64.6 lb | $1,599 |
| Nova 15 | 15″ + 15″ | 360 W / 770 W | 28 Hz | 105.4 lb | $1,999 |
Low-end figures are Wharfedale’s −6 dB numbers. Most brands quote −3 dB, which looks less impressive, so don’t compare these directly with rival spec sheets.
Why a passive radiator?
A passive radiator is a driver with no motor, a weighted cone that the air pressure inside the box moves. It does the same job as a port, reinforcing the deep bass, but without a tube of moving air. That means no port noise or “chuffing” when you push the volume, and the cabinet can be smaller than a ported box tuned to the same depth. Wharfedale calls its version an Auxiliary Bass Radiator and fires it into the floor, so the front of the sub stays clean. Our ported vs sealed guide explains the trade-offs, and down-firing vs front-firing covers what a floor-facing radiator means for placement.
All four use a coated paper cone in a die-cast chassis, with an aluminium shorting ring to cut distortion. DSP-controlled dynamic EQ adds bass at low volume and reins in the driver at high volume, which helps smaller rooms where the sub is often played quietly.
Connections and controls
The Nova range covers the basics well: stereo RCA inputs (the right channel doubles as the LFE input from an AV receiver), speaker-level binding posts for amplifiers without a sub output, stereo RCA outputs, a 12 V trigger and a USB port for firmware updates. Crossover is adjustable from 40 to 160 Hz, with phase and level controls. If you’re not sure which input to use, see LFE vs line-in.
What’s missing at this price is an app and automatic room correction. Rivals at $1,000 to $2,000 often include app control, parametric EQ or room calibration, so you’ll need your receiver’s room correction or careful placement to get the best from a Nova.
Which size?
As a rough guide, the Nova 8 suits small rooms and desktop or bookshelf systems, the Nova 10 and 12 suit typical living rooms, and the Nova 15 is for large rooms or dedicated home cinemas. Our subwoofer size quiz gives a recommendation for your room in under a minute.
Our take
On paper, the Nova range is a well-thought-out family: passive radiators avoid port noise, and the inputs cover both stereo and home theater setups. The pricing is the challenge. At $1,599 for a 12-inch with no app or room correction, it needs to sound special to stand out from established rivals. We’d wait for independent measurements before choosing one over the options in our best 12-inch subwoofers guide.