Wharfedale PowerCube 8+ DX: Compact subwoofer that packs a punch

Wharfedale was founded in 1932 by Gilbert Briggs. Since its foundation, the company has been growing steadily. And soon, together with his colleague Peter Walker, Gilbert became widely known as a talented engineer. Success came after the famous series of demonstration concerts called “Live Vs Recorded” – can be translated as “Recording or live performance: which is better?”

“Wharfe” Dale literally means “in the valley of the river Wharfe”. It was here, in a small village called Idle, 3 miles from one of the current production facilities, that the company was founded. Gilbert’s philosophy: – “The best way to do business is to charge a fair price for everything.” This slogan is the key to understanding the philosophy of the Wharfedale brand. Gilbert always believed that good audio equipment should be priced fairly: no more, but no less.

Among the test participants, this subwoofer is distinguished not only by its most modest dimensions – it is the only one with a downward-facing emitter diffuser. Frankly, the first impressions after opening the package were ambiguous. It was hard to believe that such a tiny thing could somehow surprise with its sound against the background of much more solid competitors. However, this little one also had its strengths.

Let me start with the finish and the overall level of workmanship. None of the competitors can boast such, dare I say it, luxurious appearance. The build quality is also extremely high – there is not a hint of any sloppily fitted units or parts. Here, the PowerCube 8+ DX simply has no equal.

The small outer cube is only slightly behind the others in overall weight, and you can immediately feel that the case has been muffled to glory. The technical equipment also corresponds to the dimensions. This model uses an 8-inch head, which is driven by a built-in amplifier with a nominal power of 100 W. All the necessary switching connectors are available: linear input and output, as well as high-level terminals. Crossover adjustment is available within 30 – 85 Hz with a declared lower limit of 40 Hz.

During tests on musical fragments, the subwoofer pleasantly surprised with the balance of all sound qualities. Without trying to knock you down with ultra-low bass, it nevertheless demonstrated a fair ability to “turn up the heat.” It is clear that concert volume levels are beyond its capabilities – dynamic limitations and audible signs of compression appear, but at comfortable levels and on phonograms with not very rich bass, it is able to provide quite adequate support from below. In this case, the reproduction is distinguished by exemplary correctness and information content. The drum kit is quite adequate, the rhythmic pattern of which is conveyed correctly. Only on complex classics is there not enough resolution and the first signs of overload appear.

Testing on cinematic material revealed some other features of the subwoofer. It slightly gravitates towards the upper bass, which is why low-frequency effects can lose in scale. But in the working band, the PowerCube 8+ DX is able to show the full variety of timbres and does not suffer from monotony of reproduction at all. The PowerCube8+ will show itself best as part of a satellite system in a small room. Just do not turn the volume knob to the limit.

Main parameters of the Wharfedale PowerCube 8+ DX

Number of bands 1
Maximum power 100 W
Sensitivity 107 dB
Frequency range 40-95 Hz
Crossover frequency 35-85
LF emitter 200 mm
Size 295x345x325