Plenty of subwoofers are built to shake the windows first and ask questions later. Wharfedale is going the other way with its new Nova Series: the British brand says the four active subwoofers are about “balance, texture and precision”. The idea is bass that goes deep and has authority but supports the film or album rather than burying it.
There are four models, the Nova 8, Nova 10, Nova 12 and Nova 15. Each number gives the main driver’s diameter in inches, so there’s a size for anything from a compact music system to a full home cinema. Output and depth scale with the cabinet, but all four are built the same way: a new long-throw driver, a passive Auxiliary Bass Radiator (ABR) and Wharfedale’s established cabinet design.
Drivers and loading
The drivers use rigid, lightweight paper cones with a proprietary coating. Wharfedale says the coating adds stiffness and self-damping without adding mass. A large-diameter voice coil improves thermal efficiency and power handling, and an aluminium shorting ring in the motor improves linearity and transient response while lowering distortion. According to the company, the result is bass with “greater definition and natural rhythmic timing”.
None of the four uses a conventional reflex port. Each has a downward-firing, mass-loaded ABR with a dual-suspension design to extend low-frequency output. Wharfedale says this avoids port chuffing, compression and unwanted resonance.
Amplification and DSP
Power comes from a Class D amplifier platform. Nominal ratings run from 200W to 360W depending on the model, with up to 80V peak output. Wharfedale says it developed the amplifier, driver, cabinet loading and DSP as one integrated system. A DSP-controlled dynamic EQ keeps weight and extension at low volumes. At higher levels it limits driver excursion so the output stays clean. The Nova 15 product page also lists Music and Movie modes. For setup, every model has adjustable crossover (40Hz-160Hz), phase alignment and level calibration.
The line-up
- Nova 8: 8″ long-throw driver with a 10″ passive radiator, 33Hz extension (-6dB), 200W Nominal / 500W Peak, 16.3kg, £799 / $999
- Nova 10: 29Hz extension (-6dB), 230W nominal / 500W peak, 22.2kg, £899 / $1199
- Nova 12: 28Hz extension (-6dB), 280W nominal / 770W peak, 29.3kg, £1099 / $1499
- Nova 15: 15″ long-throw driver with a 15″ passive radiator, 28Hz extension (-6dB), 360W Nominal / 770W Peak, 47.8kg, £1299 / $1999
Connections on the Nova 8 and Nova 15 include stereo RCA line inputs, speaker-level binding posts, stereo RCA line outputs and a 12V trigger. The Nova 8 also has a USB port for updates. That makes the subs a straightforward fit for a stereo amplifier as well as an AV receiver.
At £799 / $999, the entry-level Nova 8 costs the same as Bowers & Wilkins’ ASW610, which puts it straight into one of the busiest price brackets in the category. All four models were announced on September 18, 2026. They are due to arrive in late September 2026 and come in one finish only: matte black.
