The 10 Best New Subwoofers Of 2024, Tested By Our Experts

Piers Anthony By, Piers Anthony
Updated
Best New Subwoofers
Best New Subwoofers

The Rundown

1. Best Of The Best: Polk Audio 10" Subwoofer

The Polk Audio 10" Powered Subwoofer is perfect for those who want big bass in a compact design. This subwoofer is equipped with Polk Audio's patented Power Port Technology, which reduces air turbulence and distortion. Read Review

2. Best Bang For The Buck: Yamaha 10" Subwoofer

The Yamaha 10" Subwoofer is the perfect addition to any sound system. Featuring a 10" cone woofer, 100W of power, and Yamaha's advanced Yamaha Active Servo Technology II; this subwoofer delivers deep, rich bass. Read Review

3. Best Quality: Rockville RBG12S 12 inch Subwoofer

The Rockville is an active-powered PA subwoofer with superior sound quality and bass response. With a powerful 1400-watt amplifier and a 12-inch woofer, this subwoofer is perfect for any DJ or professional audio setup. Read Review

4. Best Compact: Rockford Fosgate R2D2-10 10” Subwoofer - 250

The Rockford Fosgate 10” 2-Ohm DVC Subwoofer is perfect for audio car fanatics wanting big bass. This subwoofer can produce 250 Watts RMS / 500 Watts Peak power and features an anodized aluminum voice coil former and a high-temp voice coil. Read Review

5. Best Powerful: Rockford Fosgate R2D210 10" Subwoofers

The Rockford Fosgate 10" 2-Ohm Car Audio Subwoofers Subs R2D210 will take your car audio system to the next level! This pair features two 10" 2-ohm DVC (dual voice coil) subwoofers powered by a 1000-watt amplifier. Read Review

If you are looking for the best new subwoofers to complete your home theater system, you have come to the right place. A subwoofer is essential to any home theater system, as it adds the extra low-end bass needed to create a more realistic sound experience. With the right subwoofer, you can achieve the booming sound that will make your movies, concerts, and games come alive. The subwoofer market has grown exponentially in recent years, with more and more manufacturers introducing their models. This can make it challenging to decide which is best for your needs.

But don't worry; we have researched for you and compiled a list of the best new subwoofers on the market. We have looked at the features, performance, and overall design to ensure you get the best value for your money. Whether you're looking for a budget-friendly subwoofer or one with the latest features, we have you covered. We have also included reviews from real customers to help you make an informed decision and get the perfect subwoofer for your home theater system. So read on to learn more about the best new subwoofers and how they can enhance your home theater experience.

After extensive study and analysis over a 20 hours, We think the best new subwoofers is Polk Audio 10" Subwoofer. With Power Port Technology, you'll get up to 100 Watts of power for deep, impactful bass, no matter the size of your room. The compact design allows for easy setup while still delivering big bass. You can consider Yamaha 10" Subwoofer as an alternative if you're still undecided. Other suggestions on this list are worth considering, and we've put up a helpful shopping guide to help you decide!

Our Top Picks

TOP Choice #1 Polk Audio 10" Subwoofer
Our Score:
9.8
Polk Audio

This Polk Audio subwoofer has a maximum power output of 100 watts, and its compact size makes it an excellent choice for integration into a home cinema system. It has the company's proprietary Power Port Technology, which minimizes the occurrence of air turbulence as well as distortion. This 10-inch Dynamic Balance woofer and a directed port with a unique configuration deliver realistic bass with additional depth, bringing the music and movies you listen to and watch to life. 

This subwoofer has a stylish grille that can be removed from the front, speaker- and line-level inputs, speaker-level outputs on the back, and a Phase Toggle Switch that allows it to work with numerous subwoofers. You can connect this sub to the receiver to immediately notice an improvement in the quality of your music. It has a frequency response of 40-160 Hz (-3 dB) and a crossover that can be constantly varied between 80 and 160 Hz. However, sometimes it may take time to tune into the system.

TOP Choice #2 Yamaha 10" Subwoofer
Our Score:
9.7
Yamaha Audio

The Yamaha 10" Subwoofer is an excellent added component to your existing audio setup. It delivers a bass sound that is both clean and compact due to its power output of 100W and its innovative YST II active servo technology. This subwoofer is equipped with a new twisted flare port and a 10" cone woofer, ensuring that it produces high-quality sound. You can hear precise, tight, and accurate bass anywhere it is played, from the sound effects in movies to the ambiance of a live event.

This product is an excellent option if you are searching for a powerful bass for your home theater system or want to add something more to the music you are listening to. This product leads to a reduction of noise that is not present in the signal that was initially entered, and it also gives replication of low frequencies that is clear and accurate. Unfortunately, it does not have an auto standby mode. 

TOP Choice #3 Rockville RBG12S 12 inch Subwoofer
Our Score:
9.6
Rockville

The Rockville 12 Inch subwoofer is a robust and dependable subwoofer ideal for any professional or amateur DJ to use in their setup. This product has a woofer that is 12 inches in diameter and a power output of 1400 watts; as a result, it produces powerful and deep bass. Your sound will remain undistorted and pure thanks to the built-in protective circuitry of the integrated amplifier, which also enables you to control the volume of the sound to suit your preferences.

This subwoofer is ideal for indoor or outdoor use due to its robust design and housing. This subwoofer is an excellent choice for any audio system since it produces a strong bass response and exceptional construction quality. Its Built-in Limiter Circuit can identify automatically when a signal is being overdriven, preventing it from clipping and distorting. It has LED indicators for both the power supply and the signal input. However, its cooling fan turns on as the sub is turned on, thus causing a bit of noise from the fan.

4 Rockford Fosgate R2D2-10 10” Subwoofer - 250
Our Score:
9.4
Rockford Fosgate

This subwoofer has an excellent RMS power rating of 250 Watts and a peak power rating of 500 Watts, which enables it to create the deep, pounding bass that will make the music in your vehicle seem just incredible. Its D al Voice Coil design offers improved versatility, allowing the subwoofer to be wired for a 1-Ohm or 4-Ohm load. Its aluminum alloy heat sink finned basket keeps the subwoofer cool even when the music turns to a fever pitch.

This product will let you personalize the car audio arrangement to your preferences. Its mica-injected polypropylene cone and stamp-cast baskets with spider ventilation are features that are generally reserved for more expensive models, which keep the motor running cool while hammering out the bass. If you are an audiophile or you want some accurate bass in your ride, this subwoofer is an excellent option for you to consider. Unfortunately, it doesn't produce lower frequencies so well.

5 Rockford Fosgate R2D210 10" Subwoofers
Our Score:
9.3
Rockford Fosgate

The Rockford Fosgate 10" 2-Ohm audio subwoofers bring your automobile audio system up to the next level. This pair of subwoofers are powered by an amplifier with a capacity of 1000 watts and features two 10-inch dual voice coil (DVC) subwoofers, each of which has a resistance of 2 ohms. These subwoofers from the Prime Series have a polypropylene cone that is highly rigid and a Santoprene surround that provides increased sound quality.

These subwoofers can give you the necessary bass, as they have a power handling capacity of 500 watts RMS and 1000 watts peak output, respectively. Its installation is effortless thanks to the included mounting hardware and grilles. With this Car Audio subwoofer, you'll be ready to bring the house down quickly! This product features a mica-infused polypropylene cone, a stamp-cast basket with spider venting, and 12-gauge compression connections. The only downside is that it may be maxed out with little wattage.

6 Skar Audio 12" Subwoofer
Our Score:
9.1
Skar Audio

The Skar Audio 12" dual 2 Ohm competition car subwoofer is ideal for competition-level car audio systems. This subwoofer has a peak power output of 3,000 watts and an RMS power output of 1,500, designed to create powerful and profound bass. This dual 2-ohm SQ/SPL vehicle subwoofer design can take your sound system to the next level. With its robust construction and durable materials, this subwoofer is built to last and provides a beneficial experience.

This subwoofer's crystal-clear and robust sound will be delivered to you regardless of the environment in which it is used due to the superior craftsmanship and cutting-edge technology that it incorporates. Its ferrite motor weighs 300 ounces and has a frequency of 32.1 hertz. It has a cone constructed of competition-grade paper surrounded with roll foam sewed to a high level. While it works excellently but it is a bit heavy.

7 Definitive Technology DN12 12" Subwoofer
Our Score:
9.0
Definitive Technology

The Descend subwoofer produces loud, impacting, and transparent bass, performing as a 15" sub due to its dual 12" radiators. Its revolutionary 3XR Design gives triple the surface area dedicated to producing bass compared to a conventional port sub. It boasts Intelligent Phase Control, which provides 360 degrees of customizable phase adjustment. This product lets you tune the DN12 sub to smoothly merge with your system, offering a musical experience on par with a reference level.

This subwoofer allows quick and straightforward connection to your home audio system through the LFE input, dual line level RCA inputs, USB A input, or left/proper 5-way binding posts. Its ultra-efficient 1500W Peak Class H Digital Amplifier produces accurate audio with clean, sustained bass even at 25Hz. At the same time, the innovative 56-bit DSP minimizes distortion and prevents woofer damage at extremely high volumes. Unfortunately, it is not very movable. Overall it works well.

8 Q-POWER 12" Subwoofer
Our Score:
8.9
Q Power

Aluminum Former

(2) Brand New Q-POWER **QPF12** 12" 1700W Deluxe Series Car Audio Subwoofers

Die Cast Frame

Large Foam Surround

Dual Voice Coil

9 Rockville SBG1128 12" Subwoofer
Our Score:
8.7
Rockville

70 oz magnet woofer. Ported Enclosure for Improved Bass Response. Construction: High-Density, High-Quality Non Resonant Particleboard, Stapled, Bonded & Braced. Ergonomic Recessed Handles

All input/output connections are internally connected in parallel. Nominal Impedance: 8 Ohm. Sensitivity: 92dB @ 1w/1m. Frequency Response: 40hz - 700hz. Dimensions (W x D x H): 15.6 x 14.6 x 18.4

Weight: 44 lbs

Molded Steel Grill. Aviation Grade Black Carpet. Pole Mount. Rubber Isolating Feet. Binding Post / Banana Plug Terminals (Negative/Positive). 1/4 Jack (In/Out). SpeakON (In/Out)

Rockville SBG1128 12" 600 Watt Passive Pro DJ Subwoofer w/ MDF Cabinet and Pole Mount. 12 Pro audio woofer. 300 Watts RMS / 400 Watts Program / 600 Watts Peak. 2 high temperature aluminum voice coil

10 SUNDOWN AUDIO SA-12 V.2 D4 12" SUBWOOFER
Our Score:
8.6
Sundown Audio

High Temperature copper voice coil wire

RMS Power: 1000-watts

Optimized for small ported, sealed, & band-pass enclosures

High strength cast aluminum frame

Spring Loaded Terminals

Product Images, Product Titles, Product Highlights from Amazon Product Advertising API

What to Look For in a best new subwoofers?

Some of you may be reluctant to select one of the best new subwoofers, to be honest. The main reason is that you didn’t study that before. There are pretty lots of factors that must be considered when investing in best new subwoofers. You are expected to count on our expertise in best new subwoofers to make the right choice. 

So now we move on to the significant factors related to best new subwoofers you must keep in mind:

Wired Or Wireless

A rising number of subwoofers powered by Bluetooth are capable of wireless connectivity. Wireless connectivity eliminates the requirement for long cables between subwoofers and receivers.

A wireless subwoofer is usually equipped with a transmitter that plugs into any receiver's subwoofer outputs.
Low-frequency audio signals are transmitted by the transmitter to the wireless subwoofer from the receiver connected to home theater. The wireless receiver integrated into the subwoofer powers the amplifier, which produces the low-frequency sound.

Maximum SPL

A subwoofer's quality cannot be determined by a single parameter. What makes a subwoofer so capable of producing a sufficient sound pressure level to be considered excellent? Let's first examine the hearing curve of the human ear.
The curve shown in the figure illustrates that different frequencies and sensitivity levels are found within the human ear. Human hearing is identical to this up-and-down curve, which indicates a variable sound pressure level.
The sound of 80dB at 1000Hz is almost identical to 120dB when you listen at 20Hz. This difference amounts to 40dB. The threshold for hearing is 80dB at 20Hz. However, the sound itself is extremely faint and barely audible.
This is why subwoofer parameters must include the maximum sound pressure level. The human ear cannot sense low frequencies and needs to hear a higher sound pressure to feel slight differences. Mix it up if the voice of your subwoofer is too low.

Diaphragm Material

Material refers to what is used in the manufacture of the diaphragm. The tweeter's diaphragm materials are plastic, metal, and silk. There are many diaphragm materials for the woofer, including paper, polyethylene, wool, and aluminum-magnesium alloy cones.
They have different prices and properties. It is difficult to determine who is better or worse. Choose paper or wool pots if you enjoy orchestral music. Polyethylene cones are best for metal music. Paper cones and wool cones shouldn't be used in humid environments. They absorb moisture easily and can change the sound quality.

Frequency Response

This is the "dive" index for the subwoofer's low frequency. This parameter indicates how low the subwoofer's output can reach. Subwoofers capable of reaching this frequency can typically be heard by humans at 20 Hz. However, subwoofers with the ability to achieve such low frequencies are more costly.
Don't worry too much about the frequency limit. It is generally acceptable to use a subwoofer at 160-200Hz. Why? Why? Because the frequency above 120Hz is where most of the midrange woofers are. This indicator can't be altered and is established when the subwoofer has been designed, manufactured and shipped to the factory.
If you are able to find a subwoofer that has a dive of around 20Hz for a reasonable price, it is difficult for consumers.
Some entry-level subwoofers with low-end features have a dive of 40Hz or less. The frequency that is too low can cause serious distortion. It is a sign that there are not enough dives. The foundation may not be reliable and all parameters will become meaningless.

Subwoofer Size & Number

If manufacturers don't want to disclose the maximum sound pressure, most can refer to the third parameter.
The Frequency Response element explains that subwoofers must have sufficient power to produce high frequencies and push air around enough to be heard by the ear. The maximum sound pressure that a subwoofer can achieve is directly related to its size and quantity. The unit's configuration is the best way to determine the subwoofer's strength.

Active Vs Passive Subwoofer

There are two types of subwoofers: passive and active. The active subwoofer is currently the most common in home theatres. Subwoofers require a lot power. Many receivers don't have sufficient driving power. Independent passive subwoofers can be found in professional audio more frequently. This is a rare feature in consumer audio. An active subwoofer has a built in power amplifier module. The active subwoofer is currently the most popular home theatre component.

Sealed Vs Ported Subwoofer

When searching for the best subwoofer guide, this is one of the most crucial questions. There are two types of subwoofers depending on whether or not the interior of the cabinet connects with the exterior. The sealed subwoofer is, like its name, a closed cabinet. Low-frequency output occurs because of the compression within the box. This subwoofer has a simple structure and a better transient response. It also provides clear, crisp hearing. Low-frequency speakers have a lower cutoff frequency than others. You will need to use a bigger cabinet, and a higher-calibre speaker if you wish to achieve a lower frequency of low-frequency diving. The speakers are also more sensitive and efficient than any other type of speaker.
The hole is accessed by the ported subwoofer, which leads the radiation wave through it. The port is generally circular in shape and has one. Some subwoofers can have multiple ports, which allows users to adjust their output energy and enhance the listening experience. A subwoofer port may even have a bar design to allow for greater integration and aesthetics.

Subwoofer Box Material

Subwoofer boxes are currently made from plastic or wood. Some high-end models will also use metal. Wood speakers used to be considered superior to plastic speakers at first, though this is not the case anymore. Some well-made speakers are better than those made from rough wood. When choosing speakers, it is important to weigh the components. A large wooden speaker will perform poorly if it is too light.

FAQs

Can I Use Two Subwoofers At Once?

Although it's not common for home installations, you can. Make sure your receiver is capable of handling two subwoofer connections. To get multi-directional bass, some people like to use two smaller woofers.

Are Wireless Subwoofers Worth It?

It's not ideal to connect a sub to an AV receiver. You may need to conceal a part of the cable, or find a shorter one to place in the right spot. Let's be honest, it's not fun to crawl on your knees and lay cables. !
There are many subwoofers that work wirelessly. However, they must still be connected to an electrical socket. This is how it works: instead of plugging in a cable to your AV receiver you attach a transmitter.
Without the need for an audio cable, the transmitter box sends the signal directly to the sub. Some manufacturers include the accessory with their subs, others make it available as an option.
You don't have to worry about it not being wireless, as you can purchase a universal wireless kits that will transform most subs into wireless units.

Does My Speaker System Need A Subwoofer?

This is a great idea. A subwoofer is a key component of home theater systems. The latest standards in movie audio are also applicable.

What Is A Crossover?

A crossover is an electronic circuit which routes frequencies to the subwoofer at a particular point. The crossover routes all frequencies higher than that point to the subwoofer, main and center speakers, as well as surround.
Most subwoofers, as well as AV receivers, have variable crossover frequencies that allow you to adjust the sweet spot. Others are set at around 100 Hz.

Are Bigger Subwoofers Better?

You can. They can be. Larger woofers produce more precise, space-filling bass and a greater "shake factor" than smaller models. This is just one aspect. For example, a large, poorly built subwoofer can rattle excessively, while smaller, more powerful models may still be able to do an excellent job.

Is There A Difference Between A Woofer And A Subwoofer?

These terms are often interchangeable. A "woofer" is a term that refers to a driver with a greater frequency response than a Subwoofer. It's less focused on pure bass and will be more common to be part of speakers than an individual unit.

Where Is The Ideal Subwoofer Placement?

You have greater freedom than normal speakers which can be very directional. Your subwoofer will also fit more easily. My guide to placing home cinema speakers in the right place is a great starting point.
Subwoofers can be difficult to place in rooms. They must be near a power outlet, as powered speakers. They will also have to be connected to an AV receiver, which distributes the signal to the other speakers in the setup.
These are just some of the factors you should keep in mind when placing your subwoofer. You'll need to experiment with subwoofer positions, and listen to the sound each produces from different locations in your home.

How Much Bass Is Enough?

Your viewing habits will determine the power you require from your subwoofer. A larger subwoofer with greater power will be needed if you watch a lot of action films and listen to music. In this case, a 12-inch sub is ideal.
If you watch sports or comedy, however, the subwoofers can be used in a smaller room. A smaller subwoofer is sufficient for a large room.


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About Piers Anthony

Piers Anthony

Piers Anthony is a freelance writer and computer expert who enjoys helping others get the most out of their technology. He has written extensively about laptops, soundbars, and other computer-related topics, and he currently serves as the editor of The Audio Insights website. When he's not writing or tinkering with his gadgets, Piers can be found spending time with his wife and family.