People who are fond of good music and sound quality often look for the best kind of speakers that could really get their hearing senses. Whether it be your home theater system or your car stereo, a music lover would want the best sound enhancement and delivery as possible. Subwoofer could be such an attachment to amplify the sound quality.
A subwoofer may often be confused with a woofer but it is just really a part of it. Your home theater would really not be a home theater if it cannot deliver that rich sound quality every time you want. The use of a subwoofer, however, makes sure that all the sound level are equally intensified so as they add up to that brilliant sound quality that everyone strives for.
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What is a Subwoofer?
A subwoofer is a kind of speaker or a woofer that does the primary work of reproducing low audio frequency in a sound. All the low-pitched sound areas in a wave, often known as the bass, are enhanced by a subwoofer. Many might think of it as simply intensifying the bass of a speaker, but it does more than that. It simply enhances all the low frequencies present.
Subwoofers are available in many the sizes and may be paired with a home theater system or a car stereo system for an enhanced sound experience. A single subwoofer can be associated with each of the present speakers or individual subwoofers could be associated with the different speakers. How good subwoofer works will also depend on the positioning of it, due to sound reflection properties.
Top five reasons why you must buy a Subwoofer
While buying, a subwoofer might require looking for a number of things, it does prove to be an important electronic item that must be associated with a speaker. Sound levels in an audio format may not lie under the same frequency range and thus may need intensifying at points. A subwoofer does that brilliantly by delivering excellent sound frequency enhancements.
So, the top five reasons as to why you need to buy a subwoofer for your home theater/car stereo are mentioned as follows.
- Fuller sound experience: When the music contains certain areas of low frequency, you will end up listening to just the upper registers of the music and not really feel it. But with the help of a subwoofer, it will not only provide you with a richer bass, but will also enhance the low frequencies producing a fuller and a richer noise, irrespective of the volume level.
- No distortion: Everyone likes to play their music loud, once in a while. However, if that is done with a normal speaker, after a certain point when it is pushed beyond its capability. Distortion and crackling of sound starts to sweep in. This problem is brilliantly taken care of by the subwoofers as it is prevented, even after reaching the highest level.
- Protection for the speakers: When a normal speaker suffers distortion of sound because of pushing it beyond its edge, it doesn’t just result in a distorted noise production but also tends to destroy the speaker because of the production of that distortion. In such a case, a subwoofer does the job of protecting the speaker by taking care of all low frequencies.
- No interior space: When we talk about a subwoofer that is to be used for a car stereo system, some might wonder it would take up the interior space inside the car. However, a subwoofer does not take up any of the interior space in the car. It can simply be stored in the trunk of the car and still give out excellent bass as you needed it.
- Excellent effects in an acoustic room: The placing of the subwoofer and the surroundings also have to do much with the quality that is delivered by a subwoofer. In an acoustic room, with features that promote good sound reflection and absorption, you are sure to get the most out of your subwoofer setting.
Factors to consider before buying a Subwoofer
Before buying a subwoofer, there will be certain pointers that you will need to consider in order to land on the best kind of subwoofer.
Some of the important factors to be considered while buying a subwoofer are mentioned as follows.
- Correct size: While subwoofers are available in a number of size options, you need to choose which is suitable for you. For example, if you are buying a subwoofer for small bookshelf speakers, then you can buy a smaller sized subwoofer for them. For the large home theatre sets, you might need a relatively bigger subwoofer size.
- Front wiring or down wiring: The front wiring or the down wiring mostly depends on the way you are going to place your subwoofers. If you are placing them along with the speakers, then front wiring is good. If you are placing them on the corners or sideways on the wall, then the one with the down wiring will be the best choice.
- Sealed or ported enclosures: When looking for a subwoofer, you will find the two kinds that are the sealed and the ported enclosures. The sealed enclosures are known to provide a better and a tighter bass because no air is allowed to pass. But they may be less efficient at times as they take up extra power to provide the same amount of bass anyway.
- Remote control: While buying a subwoofer, you must look for the one that has a remote control for controlling the volume knob and settings for the subwoofer. It will save you from the botheration of getting up time and again to adjust the subwoofer settings. Instead, it will be easier if you own a remote and can do it from a distance.
- Wired or wireless: Subwoofers come in both categories: wired and the wireless. In the wired system, you will need a separate cable to connect your subwoofer to your speaker. Also, there are many wireless subwoofers that come with other accessories that are able to connect wirelessly to your speakers. Any one of the two can be chosen subjectively.
Top 4 Subwoofer Reviews of 2019
1. Dual BP1204 12-Inch 1100-Watt Illumination Bandpass Subwoofer
It is a subwoofer by Dual Electronics which is an easy add-on to your existing system and is very durable and has a dual-chambered enclosure packs two 12-inch subwoofers. The key features of this subwoofer are mentioned as follows.
- It has a computer-tuned acoustic chamber to increase output efficiency.
- It comes with the blue illumination with plexiglass windows for creative, color-coordinated installations.
- It also has the dual-chambered enclosure with two 12-inch Dual DS Series subwoofers.
- It has nailed and glued MDF construction with added bracing and carpet covering.
- The RMS Power of this subwoofer is 250-Watt x 1-Channel @ 4-Ohm, MOSFET Power and it is 2-Ohm Stable and belongs to the Class A/B.
- It comes with one-year limited warranty.
- It operates at 1100 Watts peak power and consumes up to 600 Watts RMS.
- It comes with two 12″ Low-Q optimized drivers’ w/a 45 oz. magnet on each.
- It features the brushed aluminum injection-molded woofer cones.
- It has the dual acrylic viewing windows and the computer-tuned acoustic chamber.
- It also comes with the curved plexiglass viewing window.
- It comes with the low-Q optimized subwoofers that have 45 ounce magnets for excellent control and excellent volume capability.
- Other specifications of this subwoofer are Watts RMS: 600 watts, Watts Peak: 1,100 watts, Sensitivity: 89 dB, Frequency Response: 25 to 200 Hz, Impedance: 4 ohms, Height: 14.2 inches, Width: 29.5 inches, Depth: 14.2 inches.
- The total weight of this subwoofer is 59 pounds.
- The overall dimensions of this subwoofer are 30 x 14.4 x 14.4 inches.
2. Polk Audio PSW505 12-Inch Powered Subwoofer (Single, Black)
This is a subwoofer by Polk Audio which is a high quality powered subwoofer which offers a thrilling low-end sound for audio and home theater systems alike and is very versatile. The key features of this subwoofer are mentioned as follows.
- It comes with a real wood veneer finish.
- It has a slot Load Venting that greatly improves bass response.
- It also has the wide, long Slot Load Vent that dramatically lessens turbulence, noise, and distortion, pouring out a tidal wave of precise, thunderous bass.
- It has been built with the Rock-solid MDF construction (including a 1-inch thick front baffle) suppresses enclosure panel resonance for the distortion-free and accurate response.
- It also has a big 12-inch long throw driver for longer excursion and better linearity.
- Its huge Hi-Roll Surrounds support their longer excursion.
- It operates with a High current 300 Watt Continuous (460 Watt Dynamic) power amplifier.
- It has an adjustable low-pass crossover and a phase switch and volume control allow perfect blending with any main speaker.
- It also has an auto on/off the circuit that automatically turns your subwoofer on when it senses a program signal.
- In the case when no signal is present, the amplifier turns off within 15 minutes.
- It features the unfiltered LFE input for use with low-pass filtered subwoofer output jacks.
- It comes in a black color.
- It has been magnetically shielded for safe, flexible placement next to a TV or video monitor.
- It also has the pro-grade 5-way binding posts speaker inputs and outputs.
- The total weight of this subwoofer is 43 pounds.
- The overall dimensions of this subwoofer are 18.2 x 15.1 x 16.1 inches.
3. Yamaha YST-SW012 8-Inch Front-Firing Active Subwoofer
It is a subwoofer by Yamaha which comes with a linear Port and front-firing design that gives this subwoofer an outstanding combination of power, depth, and clarity. The key features of this subwoofer are mentioned as follows.
- It comes with 8-inch multi-range driver with magnetic shielding.
- It operates at a High 100 W dynamic power.
- It has a low (28-200Hz) frequency response.
- It also comes with a linear port for minimizing extraneous noise.
- It also features a front-firing active subwoofer.
- It comes in a silver color.
- The display height of this subwoofer is 5 inches.
- It comes with a 1-year parts and 1-year labor warranty.
- The total weight of this subwoofer is 35 pounds.
- The overall dimensions of this subwoofer are 12.2 x 11.4 x 14.2 inches.
4. Polk Audio PSW10 10-Inch Powered Subwoofer (Single, Black)
It is a subwoofer by Polk Audio that will bring your movie watching experience to the next level. This woofer features a floor coupled downward firing port and its configuration brings you maximum bass impact while keeping the front of the cabinet as low profile as possible. The key features of this subwoofer are mentioned as follows.
- It has a single 10-inch subwoofer in black with the built-in high-current amplifier for big bass.
- It is equipped with one 10-inch polymer-composite dynamic-balance cone driver.
- It comes with a laser-based Klippel measurement technology for improved linearity and deep, precise sound.
- It also has a non-resonant all-MDF enclosure construction with 0.75-inch-thick baffles and internal bracing.
- The overall dimensions of this subwoofer are 14 x 14.38 x 16.12 inches (W x H x D).
- These Polk Audio loudspeakers and subwoofers are capable of playing at extremely high volume levels.
- It comes with a 10- inch Dynamic Balance woofer that delivers both the deep pounding bass demanded by action movies and the speed and finesse required to bring music to life.
- It features an intelligent amplifier that is designed to deliver gobs of power when your music or movie needs it, and consume very little power at low volumes or standby mode.
- It also has a compact non-resonant cabinet that easily tucks out of the way with its forward firing design producing maximum impact at all volume levels.
Subwoofers are a great way to add that extra oomph to your music experience. Low-frequency levels need to be adjusted which is greatly done by the subwoofers. From the various configuration available, the ideal one can be chosen according to the speakers and need.
