In a decade of conducting brand-concealed listening exams at Wirecutter, we’ve realized that folks don’t love the sound of their music or films if it’s missing bass. Happily, including bass to most audio programs is simple: Simply get a subwoofer. However that subwoofer could be something from a shoebox-sized, under-$100 mannequin to a $50,000, 458-pound monster—and you’ve got a whole bunch of choices in between. How do you select?
Our subwoofer information has a variety of suggestions priced between roughly $200 and $900, however we thought it will be useful to go somewhat deeper (so to talk) and clarify what you possibly can count on as you progress up in value.
Listed below are 5 issues that add to the price of a subwoofer.
Larger output
You probably have a big listening house otherwise you get pleasure from listening at very excessive quantity ranges, you must select a subwoofer—or a number of—with excessive output. The extra output a subwoofer delivers, the fuller and clearer the bass sounds at loud volumes. The extra output it has on the lowest bass frequencies, the extra it’ll shake your sofa whenever you’re listening to bass-heavy music or motion films.
Getting excessive output from a subwoofer requires bigger or beefier speaker drivers, extra highly effective amplifiers, and, most often, a bigger enclosure—all of which enhance the fee.
Sadly, most producers specify solely a subwoofer’s bass extension, which means the deepest frequency the sub can play. Nevertheless, many subwoofers can play deep notes solely at low volumes, which can go away your system sounding skinny whenever you flip it up. We take our measurements a step additional, utilizing the CTA-2010 technique to supply standardized output outcomes throughout a number of frequencies.
However extra output isn’t higher for all conditions. Nearly any subwoofer has sufficient output for lighter music reminiscent of classical, jazz, or simple listening. And in case you dwell in an house or rental, an excessively highly effective subwoofer is prone to annoy your neighbors; once I owned a co-op in Brooklyn, even my little 8-inch subwoofer was sufficient to have them pounding on my door if I set the sub’s quantity degree any increased than two.
Smaller dimension
Some folks want their bass to be heard however not seen. If that’s you, know that subwoofer designers have a saying: “Small dimension, low price, and bass extension—decide two.” In different phrases, you possibly can get pleasure from deep bass from a comparatively low cost subwoofer, but it surely must be huge. Getting excessive output from a small subwoofer requires a beefed-up speaker driver, a extra highly effective amplifier, and a extra strong enclosure, all of which add to the fee.
If you would like a small, comparatively high-output subwoofer that doesn’t detract from a room’s decor—one thing just like the SVS SB-1000 Professional, a mannequin that we advocate in our information—you’re prone to pay a a lot increased value than you’d for a bigger subwoofer with related output.
A extra balanced sound
Subwoofers can have a unique sonic character relying on their bodily design and the best way their inner audio-processing circuitry is tuned. Some fashions produce tight, well-defined bass notes that are perfect for most sorts of music, whereas others have a fuller however considerably looser and less-defined sound that works nicely for action-movie explosions. Much less-expensive fashions normally lean towards unfastened (many individuals would name them “boomy”), though our finances decide, the Monoprice SW-12, has a tighter sound than many comparably priced subs we’ve examined.
Spending extra for a subwoofer can purchase you extra balanced efficiency, specifically bass notes which are full, satisfying, and couch-shaking, but nonetheless exact and nicely outlined. Because of this we want our prime decide, the Rogersound Speedwoofer 10S MKII, to the less-expensive Monoprice SW-12. Though the SW-12 has increased measured output, the Speedwoofer 10S MKII’s extra balanced sound makes it appear extra highly effective and provides it a extra tuneful, musical sound.
The dimensions and form of your room additionally have an effect on the subwoofer’s sound, as do the positions of the subwoofer and your listening seat. And that brings us to the following consideration.
Further options to fine-tune the sound
Some costlier subwoofers supply options that allow you to fine-tune the sound to higher swimsuit the acoustics of your room or your style in bass. These options are much less vital in case you take the time to correctly place your subwoofer, however your room structure could forestall you from placing your sub within the excellent place.
When you’re connecting your subwoofer to an AV receiver that has room correction inbuilt, you could not want any additional tuning options within the subwoofer itself. Room correction works by sending take a look at tones out of your audio system and subwoofers, measuring their response with a microphone, after which making computerized changes. But when your audio system doesn’t embrace room correction, having a subwoofer with built-in computerized room correction or guide equalization (the power to fine-tune particular ranges of sound) is probably going to enhance the sub’s efficiency.
These options are normally constructed right into a smartphone app, which makes them simple so that you can alter out of your listening chair. Nevertheless, getting good outcomes through guide equalization requires the usage of an audio spectrum analyzer (accessible in apps reminiscent of AudioTool for Android or Spectrum Analyzer RTA for iOS) and a point of audio experience.
Some subwoofers supply easier bodily changes, such because the tuning switches and port plugs equipped with our improve decide, the Hsu Analysis VTF-2 MK5. These subwoofers are nice for audio lovers who’ve the endurance to experiment with completely different settings and configurations, and so they can typically supply a wider vary of sound choices than subwoofers that you just alter by way of an app.
Extra engaging styling
Most subwoofers priced beneath $1,000 take the type of massive, matte-black packing containers with black material grilles, which in lots of residing rooms are not any extra welcome than an Iron Maiden poster.
Happily, subwoofers that supply tasteful design and engaging finishes can be found too, however they virtually at all times price extra. For instance, Definitive Expertise’s Descendo DN10 appears to be like nice and performs nicely, however we examined equally priced fashions with extra pedestrian appears to be like that supplied increased output.
Many SVS subwoofers can be found in a gloss black end that appears sleeker than the inventory black-ash end, however the gloss end prices $100 additional. Fanatic-speaker firms reminiscent of Bowers & Wilkins, KEF, and Revel supply some particularly trendy subwoofer designs, however they often price nicely over $1,000.
Shopping for a subwoofer is, arguably, much more sophisticated than shopping for a speaker, but it surely’s definitely worth the effort to search out the best match for you and your room. There’s most likely no different improve that may produce a extra clearly audible impact in your sound system. Simply ask my previous neighbors from Brooklyn.
This text was edited by Adrienne Maxwell and Grant Clauser.
