By James Chevrette
At the recent KnowledgeFest in Las Vegas, Alpine Electronics debuted a new lineup of pre-loaded subwoofer boxes to expand its Bass Series speakers, along with two new self-powered subwoofer boxes. The boxes include the new PWE-S8-MRN, Alpine’s first 8-inch marinized self-powered subwoofer with IPX6 certification.
The PWE-S8-MRN uses a combination of water-resistant connectors and covers to achieve the IPX6 rating. (See below for photos of the connectors).
An IPX6 rating means a device is protected against powerful water jets from any direction, making it suitable for heavy rain, splashes, and wet conditions, but not for continuous submersion in water.
The new Bass Series includes single 10-inch/12-inch and dual 10-inch/12-inch subwoofer enclosures in a charcoal carpet finish with a rectangular slot port for added bass extension. The single 10-inch/12-inch versions (W-SB10/12) start at $229 retail, while the dual subwoofer boxes (W-SDB10/12) start at $399.
“Bass Series vented enclosures [not pictured], also deemed the “Wedg-E” boxes (yes, a play on words for both Wedgie and ‘Wedge –Â Enclosure‘) are wrapped in a thick black carpet with a rectangular slotted port with a curved/drafted venting along the side walls of the port for smoother/optimized airflow and improved output (extended bass). Also included is a side mounting feature on both the single and dual boxes that allows for the Alpine KTX-EBKT universal “L” bracket for a more “permanent” install option (sold separately),” explained Juan Garcia, Alpine’s Product Engineering Supervisor.
The new 10-inch powered subwoofer in matching carpet, the PWE-SB10, will retail for $349.95. Features include:
- Auto Sensing Turn-on Lead
- Low Pass & Bass Boost
- Alpine Quick Connect Power Plug
- Dual 15-amp Fusing
“The new 10-inch powered subwoofer, the PWE-SB10 uses Alpine’s HAMR (High Amplitude Multi-Roll) Rubber Surround, used on many models of speakers and subwoofers. This allows for enhanced sound accuracy, improved mechanical linearity movement, and reduce distortion by allowing the speaker to move more air,” Garcia said.
Bass Series subwoofer boxes and the self-powered PWE-SB10 will be available in Spring 2026.
