Subwoofers

SVS has a settled strategy when it comes to its subwoofer stable: it sells both ported and sealed variants, to give consumers a choice. The smaller sealed models are for those wanting to install a sub in a typical living environment (or, as SVS puts it, 'mixed media' entertainment systems), while the larger ported offerings are for dedicated movie rooms.

The DB3D is the smallest in B&W's premium DB series of subwoofers. It's neat, compact and – with its near-£2,000 price tag – not in any way entry-level. And despite its dimensions, of a roughly 12in cube sitting atop a 2in aluminium-trimmed plinth, it weighs a monstrous 25kg, courtesy of the enormous magnets for its two 8in drivers and a super-heavyweight MDF cabinet. In mass density alone, the DB3D ought to have its own gravitational field.