What, neighbor, can't sleep? Choosing the best subwoofer for the home: independent investigation and subjective rating

I love listening to music. And I love blasting my favorite songs to the whole neighborhood. But really good musical equipment is quite difficult to find. Professional equipment - yes, please: go to a specialized salon, and they will select expensive stage equipment for you. But we only organize rock concerts at home, which means we also need a subwoofer for everyday use. I've probably been looking for a worthwhile device for a month and now I'm ready to tell you what I found out. By the way, now I have an excellent audio system in my apartment, thanks in part to the subwoofer.

Which subwoofer is best for home

There are a huge number of varieties of subwoofers and not all are suitable for a particular apartment or house. In some places, the propagation of sound and frequencies is hampered by space, in others by incorrectly arranged furniture. A specific model can be selected only by taking into account all these factors. The only thing I can do is give some advice on choosing a reliable device for your home.

Choose only high-quality devices. Avoid plastic, especially if you are going to set up a home theater, otherwise the entire system will vibrate. The best solution in this case is to choose a more durable MDF case. But problems can also arise with it in the form of distortion: a closed-type system with powerful sound will cause the walls to rattle. It is best to buy a model that has a heavy wooden body with durable legs.

Pay attention to the price of the subwoofer. Closed-type systems are characterized by an increased cost per watt of power. Such devices have a rich and pleasant sound. Bass reflex models, where the speaker is not protected by anything, do not have proper dynamics. Yes, such a device may have acceptable sound and low cost, but it will not have that sharp volume “bang” that a closed subwoofer can boast of.

Before purchasing, you should decide on the power. If the room is small, then there is no point in purchasing a subwoofer that is too powerful: you will not achieve a positive effect. Sufficient indicator: from 5 to 8 watts per square meter.

An important role when choosing a subwoofer is played by the range of reproduced frequencies. Deep bass is a frequency of 20-40 Hz, mid-bass is 40-80 Hz, high bass is from 80 to 160 Hz. Most subwoofers, despite the statements of the developers, operate in the range from 40 to 200 Hz, that is, they produce mid and high bass. The optimal frequency range for a home subwoofer is 30-60 Hz.

Finally, when buying a subwoofer you should pay attention to:

• realism and depth of sound;
• ease of control;
• available settings;
• and only last but not least – other features and options.

Let's look at some of the most interesting subwoofers on specific models.

The main mistakes made by car enthusiasts when choosing a subwoofer

In order to make the sound better and more powerful, you need to choose the right subwoofer for your car. Many drivers, having bought an expensive acoustic system, end up not being satisfied with the sound quality. The problem is that music lovers initially approach the choice of a subwoofer incorrectly.

• The more expensive the setup is to buy, the more powerful the bass will be. Every seller wants to sell a product at a higher price, but this does not mean at all that the most expensive subwoofer will sound superior to its budget counterparts. The more advertised a product is, the more money from its price you will have to pay for the brand, despite the fact that the technical characteristics may be at an average level.
• The larger the subwoofer, the more noise. A large subwoofer can drown out sounds and simply “rock” the car. The optimal subwoofer size for a car is 10–12 inches. This installation will provide high-quality sound and will not cause problems with placement.
• Even with simple speakers, the sub will produce powerful bass. If the car is initially equipped with weak speakers and an amplifier, there is no need to spend money on a powerful subwoofer. You won't be able to get good bass with this setup; the speakers must produce good sound on their own. The subwoofer is responsible for the lower bass, and the opinion that it can “pump” the upper bass is also wrong.

Best Budget Home Subwoofers

Ultimate TR100WA Walnut

Bass reflex design. Automatically turns on along with the speaker system. It's easy to achieve the optimal volume balance. There is a built-in amplifier that creates active bass: you can safely use the subwoofer with other sound sources of any power. Supports manual adjustment of the high frequency cut level. A protective screen made of high-strength MDF prevents the appearance of interference on the body elements. Frequency range - from 45 to 180 Hz. The set includes legs and spikes as an additional option. Unfortunately, an uncovered speaker can be easily damaged.

Price: RUB 8,395

Ultimate SYM5

Active type bass reflex with built-in amplifier. The laconic design will fit perfectly into any interior. Made from MDF and vinyl. Built-in amplifier and active subwoofer type. Frequency - 36-150 Hz. Smooth adjustment of phase and HF cutoff frequency. Turns on automatically. Good sound quality for your money. Bass is soft and clear. Unfortunately, the device is quite bulky and can sometimes rattle.

Price: ₽ 7,590

What is the difference between these speakers

Which is better, active or passive subwoofer?

Subwoofers tend to produce bass. But active and passive speakers are known. Let's find out why they are called that?

Passive sub

This:

• The extreme simplicity of the design distinguishes the passive subwoofer.
• Such speakers consist of a housing and one or more low-frequency heads connected to an external amplifier (see How to connect an amplifier and subwoofer to a car radio: a master of your own).

Note. Passive subs can have two types of connection. The first method involves transmitting a stereo amplifier signal not only to the sub, but also to other speakers. The second method involves connecting using a crossover filter that qualitatively separates the bass and the signal.

Active sub

So:

• The active subwoofer includes a crossover filter and a power amplifier. It is a highly mobile combination of several devices found separately.

What is better: passive subwoofer or active?

• The active sub has linear inputs and outputs, as well as a special function for adjusting the signal level and crossover frequency.
• A high-quality active subwoofer can significantly expand the dynamic range of the speaker system, which naturally has a beneficial effect on the quality of music.

Which subwoofer is better, active or passive?

Comparison

So:

• An active sub, firstly, is better suited for dance and rhythmic music. This speaker with all its standard settings has more flexible options and adjustments.
• Secondly, active speakers, having their own amplifiers, are no match for passive ones. If they are of high quality, they are much better than passive ones, because they do not have their own amplifier.

Which subwoofer is better, passive or active?

Note. It is often possible to tune passive subs so that the speaker sounds even better than the active speaker, but this is considered to be a very delicate and painstaking process.

• Thirdly, an active sub is easier to install (see How to connect a subwoofer to a car radio: lessons for amateurs), because it is much faster and easier to set up.

Difference

To be more precise, the difference between these two speakers would be as follows:

• An active sub is better than a passive one, because it has a built-in amplifier. And to connect a passive sub, you will need to look for external sound amplifiers.
• It is much easier and faster to set up speakers with an active sub than with a passive one.

Which is better to choose an active or passive subwoofer?

• A speaker with a passive subwoofer, if tuned accurately and efficiently, without sparing time and effort, will give more spacious sound than a system with an active subwoofer.

Note. It can also be said that an active subwoofer is chosen by beginners and those for whom sound depth is not so important. On the contrary, those who are looking for more than just loud sound or ease of installation will be pleased with passive subwoofers.

The best subwoofers for home with power up to 200 W

Vector HX180

Active subwoofer. Decent power - 185 W and frequency range - from 25 to 180 Hz. Trained to automatically turn on and off. MDF cabinet with vinyl and fabric trim for grille. There is volume and phase adjustment. The bass reflex is directed to the floor, which creates a wide sound flow. The bass is deep and works fine. But you need to tune it solely at your own hearing, peril and risk. After some time, it may begin to make unnecessary sounds and interference. Plastic legs that don't inspire much confidence will most likely need to be strengthened. Quite a decent device in its segment.

Price: RUB 11,685

JBL Sub 250 PBK/230

It boasts a power of 200 W and a frequency range from 32 to 150 Hz. Phase adjustment is stepwise. You can adjust the volume. Automatic switching on. The device is assembled from durable black MDF, using veneer and fabric - the design is interesting and pleasant. Quite a massive device: it weighs 15 kg. Built-in stereo crossover. At medium volume it can wake up half the house. Perfect for an apartment with an approximate area of ​​40 sq.m. The bass is deep, powerful and clear. It is not for nothing that the manufacturing company is very popular among connoisseurs of high-quality sound. Only the cable included is not very good: sometimes it causes a strong hum when the receiver is turned off. Therefore, it is best to buy a new cord.

Price: RUB 14,390

Useful tips for choosing a speaker system

• When choosing a subwoofer, you need to rely on common sense, since some irresponsible manufacturers sin by inflating the existing characteristics of the equipment. So, a subwoofer with a power of 250 W can be designated as 400 W. It is worth understanding that the higher the power of the installation, the heavier and larger the unit itself should be. A sub power of 500 W should weigh at least 19 kg, and the magnet of such an installation is almost the size of a speaker.

To play high-quality music, it is enough to purchase a subwoofer with a power of 150–250 W. Such a sub will be both affordable and suitable in size.

• The subwoofer should be somewhat more powerful than the amplifier.
• If you need strong bass, it is better to take two weaker subwoofers than one powerful subwoofer. The sensitivity in this case will be higher, but the power will be the same.

The best subwoofers for home with power over 200 W

Samsung SWA-W700

A cute compact subwoofer without any unnecessary design details. Wireless connection. High power - 350 W and frequency range - from 27 to 120 Hz. Acoustic type closed. Turns on automatically. The body is varnished and made of durable black MDF with the addition of vinyl. The subwoofer provides high-quality bass and overall excellent sound. I didn’t notice any significant disadvantages. A really good and stylish device for its purposes. Works great with other speakers. There is a proprietary sound distortion compensation technology that finds potential interference in advance and gets rid of it. Legs included.

Price: RUB 26,990

Canton Sub 8.4 White

The German model is made in white color, already standard: from MDF, fabric and vinyl. Maximum power - 280 W, range - 25-200 Hz. Closed-type acoustic design with a lower passive reflector. The set includes legs. The device weighs about 12 kg. The phase and cutoff frequency, as well as volume, are adjustable. The LED indicator on the front panel indicates the operating mode. A removable network cable is available. To be honest, I didn’t notice any shortcomings. A worthy example of good sound.

Price: RUB 36,990

Comparison table of the best subwoofers

FAQ

How powerful should a subwoofer be for a home? Depends, of course, on the area of ​​the room and other factors, but in normal cases somewhere around 150-200 W of power is suitable. It is also necessary to take into account the case material, type of acoustics, etc. But it is best to focus on your taste. You need to turn on and try this or that subwoofer directly in the store.

What is the difference between a car subwoofer and a home subwoofer? As the names suggest: one is designed for a car, the other for home use. They differ in capacity, required volumes of premises, etc. In addition, a car subwoofer, unlike a household subwoofer, is powered by a car generator and battery.

Important information

So:

• It will be interesting to know that an active subwoofer is the same as a passive one, but it is equipped with an additional bass amplifier.
• Today, active subwoofers are more popular than passive ones, and this determines their cost. It is the popularity of the active subwoofer that makes many people think that it is a priori better than a passive one.

What is better, an active subwoofer or a passive one?

• If you have a separate amplifier, then there is nothing better than purchasing a passive subwoofer.
• Under no circumstances should you be fooled by flashy advertising. Today, every manufacturer can lie shamelessly in order to buy his products. It is recommended not to believe words, but to refer to the reputation of the company and judge, as they say, by its deeds. By adhering to this advice, you can find exactly the subwoofer that suits you.