Home subwoofers: types, operating principle, best manufacturers

• 2 Review of buffers 1000 W and higher

  2.1 Sony XS-GSW121

  2.1.1 Technical data

Subwoofer 1000 watt

A 1000 watt subwoofer is a very powerful speaker, capable of delivering the long-awaited “lows” in full. Installing a subwoofer in a 1000-watt car means increasing the capabilities of the speaker system several times, modernizing the sound, making it much better.

How to choose the right speaker

1000 watt subwoofer

First, let's figure out how to choose the right subwoofer. To find out, you need to familiarize yourself with the types of speakers. As a rule, first of all you need to know that subs are:

• Open type. These are powerful low-frequency speakers that are mounted in the car panel without providing them with a confined space.

Note. In buffers of this type, the desired frequency is adjusted using crossovers. This setting will not produce deep bass below 100 Hz. Experts consider the open type of buffers to be the initial stage of sound improvement.

• Closed type. They are speakers already closed, that is, placed in a box. Such speakers are sold ready-made with housings or made independently or to order by a professional.

B 52 lx 18 subwoofer, 1000 W

Cabinet speakers are a professional look at upgrading your audio system. In turn, there are such buffers:

• Closed type or closed type. The open-type speaker is placed in a sealed box of a certain volume. It is noteworthy that in such a speaker the sound wave from behind is damped in the box. This prevents the speaker from various mechanical damage. The ZYA is made according to a scheme that involves calculating the structure by volume. Such a buffer is less susceptible to overloads and reproduces bass frequencies perfectly. On the other hand, such a sub has low efficiency and is rarely used in professional systems;
• FI or bass reflex. This is a closed housing with a tunnel of certain dimensions, again. The closed space of the FI helps to increase the pressure on the emitter, and this, in turn, reduces the likelihood of sound distortion and mechanical damage to the speaker. FI is able to correct the rise in frequency response and relieve the speaker from excess pressure. Thus, the FI is considered a high efficiency device. Designed for cars with any characteristics;

Subwoofer at 1000

• Bandpass is a complex subwoofer design. It requires additional space, since it combines, as it were, two structures - ZY and FI. A box with FI and a speaker as a partition into two compartments - this is a bandpass. Distinctive features of the bandpass are also: volumetric space in the front and a rigid diffuser.

Note. Calculating the bandpass housing is very difficult. But a speaker in such a housing means high efficiency, a significant increase in sound, organization of sound at any point in the car due to holes, and much more.

Car subwoofer, Hertz Energy, 1000 W

The differences between subwoofers don't end there. Buffers can also have the following properties:

• Active. Speakers that have a built-in amplifier. Such buffers will not require the use of external control and sound settings. As they say, everything is with them. But still, the main advantage of an active buffer is not the presence of an amplifier, but a balanced set of all components.

Note. Active buffers also have a disadvantage. It lies in the fact that the design of this subwoofer is already assembled. Such a speaker is a little problematic to install in a car. At the same time, not so much attention is paid to the production of such speakers, since they are very popular and in demand among buyers. For this reason, manufacturers often resort to deception by using cheap and low-quality materials in the construction of active subwoofers.

• A passive subwoofer does not already have a built-in amplifier. It will definitely require the use of an additional power regulator and high-quality wires to integrate the systems in accordance.

1000 W passive subwoofer

Note. The passive version of the speaker compares favorably with its counterpart in the loyalty of its design. If you meet the necessary conditions and are able to ensure the correct settings, then the passive buffer looks even more organic in the car. So, sound control is carried out on the GU, and this greatly simplifies the matter.

Selecting a buffer is not so easy. First of all, it is important to be able to choose a speaker so that it harmonizes with the interior of the car. Of no small importance, of course, is how the speaker will produce high-quality sound. And the power characteristics of the buffer play an important role in this matter.

Note. It is believed that the power characteristics of the buffer should be adjusted in accordance with the output power of the low-frequency amplifier. In this case, the power of the subwoofer must be equal to the power of all outputs of the amplifier. Let's say if the amplifier has 4 channels of 100 W each, then the power of the sub should be equal to 400 W.

It is clear that a power of 1000 W is not a weak value. Below we will look at well-known subwoofers with this value from global manufacturers.

Design of the speaker cabinet

Everything is on a budget. Traditionally, chipboard is 18 mm. Rolled and glued. There are some supports inside because it is 18″. The hole for the speaker is made on a milling machine, the corners are also milled in a semicircle to make it look better.

Useful: Amplifier with filter for subwoofer - simple circuit

Minimal attenuation, 4 cm sponge, directly behind the speaker.

The loudspeaker, which is almost 15 kg 18″, is attached using M6 screws and nuts.

Review of buffers 1000 W and higher

Let's start with Sony, a very popular equipment manufacturer in Russia. The company has been successfully producing and selling its speakers for several years in a row not only all over the world, but also in our country.

Sony XS-GSW121

Subwoofers from 1000W

Popular and branded open type buffer. Differs in the following features:

• High output power only speaks in favor of choosing this speaker. 2000 W, according to manufacturers, is the peak power of this sub, and 380 W is the minimum;
• In terms of design, the XS features a honeycomb design that produces clear bass without any distortion;
• The speaker is capable of emitting frequencies in the range of 20-600 Hz, which is considered a normal value for a subwoofer;
• To reduce the proportion of distortion, a rubber shell with a stabilizer was invented.

Technical data

Sony XS-GSW121D

Subwoofers from 1000 W

A speaker with the following features:

• Buffer power is 400-2000 W;
• The design is the same as the subwoofer above;
• Metal 2-layer mesh provides long amplitudes. This ensures deep bass reproduction.

Technical data

Sony XS-GTX121 LC

A car subwoofer, but of a closed type. This is a passive version of the 1000 W speaker. The body is made of MDF. The features of this buffer are as follows:

• Great value;
• Compact size;
• Attractive design.

The disadvantages include:

• A bit rough, hard bass;
• The rubber suspension is also harsh;
• Short suspension stroke;
• A weak coil that can easily fail if operating instructions are not followed.

Philips CSP1000

Subwoofer 1000 watt

Our review continues with a buffer from the equally famous company Philips. A powerful car buffer, it will make you feel the power of the speaker at full power. The features of this speaker are as follows:

• Excellent ferrite magnet is designed to function and work at high power. Ferrite is considered a lightweight material, but at the same time very durable. Thanks to this component, the speaker, voice coil and diaphragm are driven;

Philips speaker included

• The suspension is made of butyl rubber – a highly sensitive material. It connects the woofer diaphragm to the basket, thereby forming a suspension system. Thanks to the butyl rubber suspension, the conical emitter is held in place while a powerful and very strong signal appears;
• High density composite cone;
• Rubber cover, very durable and perfectly protects from mechanical damage;
• Stable and reliable operation in various conditions, even extreme ones.

How the subwoofer works

There is no need to delve into the principle of operation; it is enough to understand that a subwoofer is a low-frequency speaker. It is responsible for converting the frequency of the incoming signal into sound. Bass reproduction occurs using a coil, which, under the influence of a signal from an amplifier and a magnet, affects the emitter diffuser. As a result, the speaker creates low frequencies (LF) of sound.

Important! Subwoofers always include large drivers. Their diffuser diameter is always larger than that of speakers. There is a pattern: the more impressive the size of the speaker, the cleaner the low frequencies are. Models with a small diffuser reproduce high and mid frequencies better.

Types of subwoofers

The biggest difference between low-frequency devices is the amplifier. By type of construction they differ in:

• Active. They have a pre-installed amplifier located directly in the subwoofer housing. The design also includes an active crossover, which allows filtering high frequencies and improves the interaction of the subwoofer with the rest of the speaker system. Good models have additional functionality for setting up playback: changing the frequency response, rotating the phase, etc.;
• Passive. There is no amplifier, therefore, the device can be connected in parallel with conventional speakers. It also supports a separate connection. A pass-through device is rarely used, because the system creates unnecessary load on the channel output amplifiers. In practice, the technology leads to a drop in sound volume and dynamics. The connection also negatively affects the sound quality, due to the passive crossover.

Top 5 – budget active subwoofers

Conclusion

If you play multi-channel music recordings almost more often than movies, and the area of ​​your listening room is no more than 20 square meters, then the Mission MS-200 is an excellent option, especially considering the very low price.
The only thing that can overshadow the purchase is the lack of choice of finishing options, but there’s nothing you can do about it: the budget segment. Price – 19,000 rubles.

This 15-kilogram device, measuring 42 x 34 x 38, is unique in many ways. Firstly, it looks cool without a grill (although it comes with one) thanks to the characteristic “classic” 10” speaker with a grooved diffuser. Secondly, the amplifier section of the device operates in class D, which made it possible to realize an output of 200 W in a budget subwoofer - and up to 400 W at peak! In our review, this is the most powerful device. And if someone starts arguing in your presence that class A/B amplification is better because it is more “musical,” then you can believe it and not believe it at the same time. Formally, this someone will be right. However, any kind of musicality, accuracy and speed of bass in a subwoofer can be seriously discussed with completely different budgets, and also strictly if there is a special listening room. The minimum task for an inexpensive cinema subwoofer is to be able to confidently reproduce frequencies from 35 to 80 Hz, and “in general” to sound without wheezing, extraneous overtones and obvious cabinet resonances at operating volume. The rest can be forgiven or corrected by choosing the installation location and in the settings of a good AV receiver. From this point of view, JBL Sub 250P is an excellent “sculpting clay”. The set of custom settings here is basic: smooth adjustment of the cutoff frequency (with a slope of 24 dB per octave) and phase 0°/180°. But the woofer sounds, compared to most competitors, simply with hurricane energy and unattainable sound pressure. The power is enough to cover a 25-meter room without a hint of overload. One drawback: the bass reflex port is located at the back, which forces you to choose the installation location more thoughtfully.

Pros:

very high output for a device of this class, attractive price, “professional” appearance without a grill, several finishing options.

Minuses:

The rear bass reflex port complicates the choice of installation location and configuration.

Conclusion

JBL Sub 250P is the same pill that is prescribed to those who want to get a lot (albeit brutal, but dense and deep) bass for a reasonable price.
In fact, the model has only one drawback - the rear location of the bass reflex port, which can spoil your nerves at the installation stage. Otherwise, this is almost a standard entry-level cinema bass speaker. Price – 24,000 rubles.

The model is by no means new, but it is still very respected. Even today, this is one of the standards for an inexpensive subwoofer. In a case 32 x 35 x 36 cm, covered with a polymer film, a 25 cm speaker is installed behind the removable grill. The bass reflex port is located down. The so-called dynamic (i.e. relatively “honest”) power of the built-in amplifier is 150 W. The body rests on cone-shaped legs, the total weight of the product is slightly more than 11 kg. Among the additional functions, we note the possibility of using the device as part of a musical triphonic: satellites are connected through a subwoofer, which “reserves” the low-frequency range, the crossover frequency is smoothly adjusted from 50 to 200 Hz with a fixed slope of 12 dB per octave. If you use Velodyne Impact 10 for its intended purpose, that is, in a home theater, then the listener has only discrete adjustment of phase (0°/180°), cutoff frequency and volume. Even with such common tools, integrating Velodyne Impact 10 into a cinema system is by no means difficult. This subwoofer produces solid and very thick bass without audible cabinet resonances, reliably filling a room up to 25 sq.m. However, for those who like to watch blockbusters at very high volumes, it makes sense to take note of the Impact 12 model, which produces even larger and more powerful bass. However, the price of this subwoofer is already 33,000 rubles, so it was not included in our rating.

Pros:

well-thought-out design, solid body, high-quality, well-articulated bass, possibility of use in triphonics with precise adjustment of the cutoff frequency.

Minuses:

There is no smooth phase adjustment, only one housing finish option.