Wharfedale has introduced the Nova Series: four new active subwoofers offering a range of sizes to suit different system requirements. Comprising the Nova 8, Nova 10, Nova 12 and Nova 15 – the numbers indicating the main driver’s diameter in inches – the series is designed to serve everything from compact music systems to full-scale home cinema installations.
Although bass depth and maximum output scale with size, the design philosophy is consistent across all four models. The Nova Series is built around balance, texture and precision. The result is bass that feels natural and emotionally engaging rather than overwhelming, achieved through newly developed long-throw drivers, passive Auxiliary Bass Radiators (ABRs) and cabinet architecture refined through decades of Wharfedale acoustic engineering.
At the heart of every Nova subwoofer is a newly engineered long-throw driver, developed to deliver extension whilst maintaining transient accuracy and composure.
Rigid, lightweight paper cones feature a proprietary coating that increases stiffness and self-damping without adding unnecessary mass. When paired with a heavy-duty die-cast chassis, an oversized high-roll surround and a high-excursion motor system, they enable substantial linear movement while maintaining stability at high output levels.
A large-diameter voice coil enhances thermal efficiency and power handling, while an aluminium shorting ring in the motor structure improves linearity, transient response and distortion performance.
Every Nova model incorporates a downward-firing, mass-loaded ABR with a dual-suspension design. Working alongside the active driver, it extends low-frequency output without a conventional reflex port, avoiding issues such as turbulence, chuffing, compression and unwanted resonance.
Each model’s acoustic loading is individually optimised according to its cabinet volume, driver size, amplifier configuration and intended operating range. This delivers the speed of a sealed enclosure with the scale of a larger reflex design – a carefully balanced combination of depth and control.
The Nova subwoofers’ high-current Class D amplifier platform is engineered for efficiency, speed and sustained low-frequency control. It delivers a nominal power rating between 200W and 360W (depending on the model), up to 80V peak output and substantial dynamic headroom.
The amplifier, driver, cabinet loading and Digital Signal Processing (DSP) have been developed as an integrated system, ensuring that the available power translates into a controlled, responsive performance without strain or compression.
Nova’s DSP-controlled dynamic EQ delivers convincing bass performance across a wide range of listening levels. At lower volumes, it preserves perceived weight and extension. At higher levels, it manages driver excursion to maintain clean output and protect the system from overdrive.
Nova Series: pricing and availability
Nova 8
RRP: £799 Compact, agile and versatile, the Nova 8 is designed for smaller rooms, desktop systems, compact stereo installations and discreet home cinema.
Nova 10
RRP: £899 Offering greater sonic scale while retaining the agility and musicality of the series, the Nova 10 is ideally suited to bring impressive bass authority to music and movies in medium-sized rooms.
Nova 12
RRP: £1099 Delivering deeper extension and greater dynamic impact, the Nova 12 is designed for larger listening environments and immersive home cinema systems.
Nova 15
RRP: £1299 The flagship of the series, the Nova 15 is designed for demanding home cinema installations and larger spaces.
All four Wharfedale Nova subwoofers are available from late September in a stealthy matt black finish.