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It’s always a nice experience to have a very deep bass with the movie sound in my home theatre.
I will never choose a home theatre that is not providing me with a good bass because then the whole movie experience will be dull.
I always love to feel deep bass with the sound of bullet casings and glass hitting the floor and the booming sound of firing guns. After that, I can truly feel the action happening around me, which I don’t want in real life LOL but to imagine it.
Our Top Tested & Reviewed Products At A Glance
For a nice bass in your home theater, you need the best subwoofer. But finding one under 300 is a hard job to fulfill. But don’t worry, I have installed a lot of subwoofers in my clients’ home theatres, tested them in my friends’ homes, and also bought a few for myself.
So without wasting any time we should deep dive into the reviews.
ALL Products At A Glance – Review Of Each Product Is Below This Table
| Subwoofer | Power | Frequency | Driver Size | Ratings |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Polk Audio PSW10 | 100 Watts | 40-160Hz | 10-inch | 5/4.9 |
| Klipsch R-120SW | 400 Watts | 29-120Hz | 12-inch | 5/4.8 |
| BIC America F12 | 475 Watts | 25-200Hz | 12-inch | 5/4.7 |
| Klipsch R-12SWi | 400 Watts | 29-120Hz | 12-inch | 5/4.6 |
| Klipsch Reference R-10SW | 300 Watts | 32-120Hz | 10-inch | 5/4.5 |
| Yamaha NS-SW050BL | 100 Watts | 28-200Hz | 8-inch | 5/4.3 |
| Monoprice 60-Watt | 60 Watts | 50-250Hz | 8-inch | 5/3.8 |
Some subwoofers can throw very low frequencies when I tested them out. The results are infused into the reviews.
1. Polk Audio PSW10 – Best Budget One
Specifications
Power: 100 Watt | Drivers: 10-inch
Today’s Best Deal
Reasons To Buy
- Thundering bass
- Integrated well with my speakers
- Build quality is really good
- 10-inch woofer at this price
Reasons To Avoid
Don’t provide LFE input
Is It For You?
For those who want floor shaking and windows rattling bass on a budget.
Build Quality
The subwoofer is huge and looks amazing in black. The front grill can be detached.
The stands are super cool and can give stability to the subwoofer on very high bass.
Sound Quality
It really enhanced the overall sound quality of my theater system after I compared it with a 6-inch subwoofer.
There was a lot of bass missing in the 6-inch subwoofer that I had not noticed before.
I noticed the difference when I used this PSW10 for the same movie tone and music. The same music felt incredible on this subwoofer.
Unique Features
The best technology and build quality on a budget.
Detail Review Of Polk Audio PSW10
This subwoofer has a 10-inch woofer and one port. The 10-inch size is enough for the bone-rattling bass.
I always recommend installing two budget-friendly subwoofers in your medium to large home theatre and then installing one expensive subwoofer. Because in this way two subwoofers will cover the whole theatre room area.
I followed this method for the Polk Audio subwoofer and the results were astonishing.
I felt many more basses in the movie Quantum Of Solace. There was more fun to the sound of punches, guns firing, and even the engine of a racing car. I haven’t felt this level of bass from other 6-inch subwoofers.
By placing it in the right place against the wall. I felt like the action was really happening around me and I was in the middle of it.
At above 50 volumes, it was even shaking the floor and rattling the windows.
The Skyfall song sung by Adele, Felt more incredible than other 6-inch subwoofers.
2. Klipsch R-120SW – Best For Its Seamless Integration With The System
Specifications
Power: 400 Watt | Drivers: 12-inch
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Reasons To Buy
- The seamless integration with the system
- The realistic touch to the movies
- 12-inch woofer
- Gold plated RCA/LFE inputs
Reasons To Avoid
Can’t go below 30 Hz
Is it for you?
For those who want to have a subwoofer that delivers nice bass and looks great without the grill.
Build Quality
The build quality is good and the front copper woofer is looking amazing without a grill.
It is seamlessly integrated with the theater system.
Sound Quality
The bass is good and it was able to deliver a realistic touch to the movie’s sound. Although it was lagging in music where I was not getting a crisp bass.
You must soundproof the home theater for perfect flawless sound.
Unique Features
The front design looks amazing without the grill.
Detail Review Of Klipsch R-120SW
This is a 12-inch subwoofer with a port at the backside. At the back, you also get a control panel and gold-plated RCA and LFE input.
it integrated with the theatre system very well and I faced no problems during the syncing. Yes, it required the crossover and volume adjustment that I did for optimal results.
when I set up it for my client with the 5.2.2 Surround System. I always prefer two subwoofers in a medium to large size theatre room.
When I played the Tom Cruise scene in which he jumps out from the Burj Khalifa, my client told me, “I am not there but my feet are shivering in fear”.
I also played The Avengers, he told me, “I was missing the half movie before without this subwoofer and the surround sound’.
And he was right. I notice the difference too due to the subwoofer.
In the box, you get a grill, manual, and power cord.
But the vibrant copper-colored woofer looks amazing without the grill. It gave a professional feel to the home theatre of my client.
If you are a bass freak like me then you must ensure that it hit your right in your seating area. For that calibrate the sub by SPL meter.
3. BIC America F12 – Best Budget Subwoofer
Specifications
Power: 475 Watt | Drivers: 12-inch
Today’s Best Deals
Reasons To Buy
- The woofer is powerful and loud
- The bass is tight and deep
- It can go up to 25 Hz and beyond up to 16 Hz but depends on the receiver
- It is designed well
- It is a 12-inch subwoofer
- Nice customer support
Reasons To Avoid
Heats up quickly
Is It For You?
For those who want Powerful, loud, and deep bass.
Build Quality
The build quality is good and the front woofer is made of plastic and it is just painted metallic. But still, it looks stunning like real metal.
It integrated well with the whole theater system.
Sound Quality
The bass is powerful and can shake frames on the wall and can annoy the neighbors.
You must install acoustic panels to kill sound reverberation in the room. Read my that guide.
Check each SOUND section for tips like this
Unique Features
The powerful bass of this subwoofer is keeping it apart.
Detail Review Of BIC America F12
This is a 12-inch subwoofer and nearly port noise-free.
My friend has this in his theatre system and complained to me about its sound without clarity.
He told me, “I can feel the rumbles 25 feet away from my house and even my neighbors knock on the door every time I up the volume and they complain about the boomy bass. This subwoofer is very powerful but still, I don’t have any clarity in my sound. Can you help me, Daniel?”.
I went to his theatre room and tweaked the position and angle of the subwoofer. After changing the angle and position of the subwoofer several times I found the sweet spot. At the 6 feet right side of center channel speakers. The sound clarity was there with the powerful bass.
There was a little port noise on the high frequencies but it disappeared on the lowest frequencies. For those who don’t know about the port noise, I will explain that. It is like the sound of air pumping that comes with the overall sound of the theatre system.
This was able to come down to 25 hertz and even furthermore to 16 Hz. It will also depend on your AV receiver and how much you can get.
The bass of this subwoofer was more than enough for a home theatre.
The movies and music felt amazing but it was getting hot very quickly after a few hours of usage.
You will find the control panel at the back of it.
For the most realistic bass possible, you must introduce a preamp to the chain. Learn more about the best preamps for home theater. I have revealed many more things about it in this guide.
4. Klipsch R-12SWi – Best For Wireless Connectivity
Specifications
Power: 400 Watt | Drivers: 12-inch
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Reasons To Buy
- It is wireless
- The bass is deep and clear
- The design is stunning
- The setup is easy and can be completed within minutes
Reasons To Avoid
- A thumping sound upon a volume change each time
- Can’t go down than 29 Hz
Is It For You?
For those who want good bass with wireless connectivity
Build Quality
The build quality is good and the front woofer looks stunning without the grill.
The wireless transmitter syncs with the AV Receiver instantly.
The integration with the whole system is seamless.
Sound Quality
The bass was clear and deep. Movies, TV shows, and music felt really good.
The subwoofer was not able to go down to 29 Hz. For a normal home theater owner, this is more than enough but it is not the best fit for an audiophile person.
Unique Features
The swift wireless connectivity of this subwoofer keeps it apart.
Detail Review Of Klipsch R-12SWi
It is a 12-inch subwoofer and completely wireless. You just need one wire to power it up. The port is at the back with a control panel and also has LFE and RCA inputs.
My client approached me and said, “I need a subwoofer with a deep bass under 300 and that must be wireless because my wife doesn’t like wires”.
I picked up this subwoofer and went straight to his home theatre room. As it is wireless it gave me a lot of opportunities to play with the angles and positions of this subwoofer around the theater room. As long as it was near to power I was able to move it there.
The wireless transmitter that comes with this subwoofer was very easy to set up. I just plugged into the subwoofer and it was pre-paired that’s why the connection was instantly done.
The pre-paired transmitter saved me a lot of time because it didn’t require any syncing tweaks with the AV receiver. Read my best AVR review.
My client demanded we should hide this subwoofer. I don’t like to cover any Klipsch subwoofer or speakers with a grill or even hide it from the site. Because its copper front woofer always looks stunning.
But to look at his demand I hid it successfully and there was no difference felt in the sound.
5. Klipsch Reference R-10SW – Best For Non-audiophile People
Specifications
Power: 300 Watt | Drivers: 10-inch
Today’s Best Deals
Reasons To Buy
- The bass is tight and accurate
- Provides RCA/LFE inputs
- Integrated well with the system
- Movies, music, and tv shows were amazing
Reasons To Avoid
It can’t go below 32 Hz
Is It For You?
Those who want accurate bass with tightness and without boom. Also, it is for normal home theater owners and not for audiophiles.
Build Quality
The build quality is good but the edges of the subwoofer look like they are not well painted.
This subwoofer can integrate with the system very well.
Sound Quality
The bass is really good and can deliver movies, music, and TV shows sound as it is produced by the producers. Because its bass is accurate and without extra boom.
Unique Features
The accuracy of the bass is the feature to stands out from the rest.
This is a 10-inch subwoofer and consists of one port at the back. At the back, you also get a control panel and RCA and LFE inputs.
My friend wanted a good home theatre system on a budget and he is not an audiophile and always doesn’t like so much boom out of the subwoofer.
That’s why I picked this one to install in their home theatre.
Why can’t this subwoofer produce a boom? Because music is not produced like what you hear from a party of teenagers. They want a lot of boom bass in their music and that’s why they select those subwoofers that provide more Boom.
But in reality, music is produced with accurate and crisp bass with balanced mid-range and high range.
That’s why I installed this subwoofer for the accurate and crisp bass.
When I turn it on, my friend runs over to the subwoofer to lower the volume by 25%. Because it was able to wake up the neighbors and the floor and walls were shaking already.
In the end, I was very happy with the result because it delivered what I was expecting.
It integrated well with the whole theatre system and the movie, music, and TV show experience was top-notch.
But if you are an audiophile or you need a lot of boom from a subwoofer then this is not for you.
6. Yamaha NS-SW050BL – Best For Differently Designed Port
Specifications
Power: 100 Watt | Drivers: 8-inch
Today’s Best Deals
Reasons To Buy
- The bass is warm and detailed
- Bass can rumble my chairs
- It can throw frequencies lower than 30 Hz
- It can integrate very well with my theater system
Reasons To Avoid
- It doesn’t have any frequency crossover knob
- Not magnetically shielded
Is It For You?
Those who want detailed and warm bass at a cheap price.
Build Quality
The build quality is good and the innovation brought to the port is delivering well. The twisted port is good to reduce the port noise
Sound Quality
The sound is great and it can rumble my chairs on the Jurassic World sound.
Unique Features
The twisted port keeps it apart from its competitors.
Detail Review Of Yamaha NS-SW050BL
This Is an 8-inch subwoofer with a twisted port. Manufacturers are claiming that this twisted port can erase port noise and can give clear bass. But let’s see how much it is true in the upcoming parts of this review.
My friend has this subwoofer in his theatre room and I was fascinated to check it due to its twisted port design and affordability.
I played Jurassic World on this subwoofer to test the bass and overall functionality. The horns of the dinosaurs felt right in my chest. The sound of the running of dinosaurs rumbled my chair.
The bass was deep and detailed, and it was clear.
My friend told me that he never increases the volume a hundred percent because after that it can disturb my neighbors with its powerful bass.
So I increased the volume 100% on my favorite music and yes it was loud that’s why I decreased it by 55% again to not annoy the neighbors.
This subwoofer is capable of throwing frequencies lower than 30 Hz.
The music and movies felt good on this subwoofer. It was capable of delivering lower frequencies that can’t be heard from normal speakers.
It doesn’t have a frequency crossover controller but it has a Volume Controller knob at the back.
7. Monoprice 60-Watt – Best for the cheap price
Specifications
Power: 60 Watt | Drivers: 8-inch woofer
Today’s Best Deals
Reasons To Buy
- Deep bass
- Have volume and frequency crossover controller knob
- Auto switch on function on this budget
Reasons To Avoid
The humming sound is present especially in small theater rooms with fewer pieces of equipment
Is It For You?
For those who want warm bass at a very cheap price
Build Quality
The build quality looks cheap but the volume and frequency crossover controller knob are there with an auto switch on. Finding an auto switch on at a lower price is a nice bargain to have.
Sound Quality
The bass is warm but there is a humming sound in the flow.
Unique Features
The cheap price of this subwoofer keeps it apart but when it comes to sound there are many better subwoofers than this one. You just have to pay $25-80 more for a better subwoofer.
Detail Review Of Monoprice 60-Watt
It is a 10-inch subwoofer with a front-facing port.
My friend has this subwoofer in his home theatre and I was curious about the cheap price of this subwoofer that’s why I wanted to test it out.
I played the American Horror Story season 9 TV series on this subwoofer. The track of this TV series felt really good on the subwoofers. It was able to Rumble a few things around and the bass was deep.
I played some more movies and music on this subwoofer to test it out.
All the movies and music felt good. It has a frequency crossover knob at the back and can’t go beyond 45 Hertz. But in reality, it was able to throw 30 Hertz of frequency.
I felt the distortion between 50 to 40-hertz frequencies.
It can’t match the quality of high-end subwoofers and can’t satisfy audiophile people but it is satisfying for normal home theatre owners.
It can give a nice experience to small and medium-size theatre rooms. But still, I will recommend a pair of these subwoofers in medium rooms because these are not hi-fi.
FAQs
What size subwoofer is best for bass?
The best size for the bass is above 8 inches to 12 inches but it depends on the size of your theater room too. The same-size subwoofer will sound different in different sizes of the room.
The same size subwoofer will sound boomy in a room where its power is bigger than the room size and that sub will sound tiny in a room that is larger than its power.
How much does a good subwoofer cost?
A budget-friendly sub that is tight and deep in the bass should cost not less than $100. Under $100 the brands will compromise on their quality for affordability and it won’t sound great.
The subwoofer budget is a very sensitive topic. There are pro-home theater owners then there are newbies and intermediate bass lovers. The price range will vary for each group because they want their bass differently.
How many watts is a good subwoofer?
If your neighbors are near your house then should choose a sub lower than 500 watts or soundproof the room. If they are away from your house then you can go for higher watts.
The sub not only rumbles the house but its effects can be felt in the neighbor’s house too. But I choose the 500 watts because you need room-filling and deep bass along with the neighbor’s satisfaction.
Helpful Resources For The FAQs To Read More
- This was my opinion, read more about it from this Quora discussion. (Resource for the first answer)
- This was my opinion, read more about it from Quora Discussion. (Resource for the second answer)
- This was my opinion, read more about it from the CNET blog. (Resource for the third answer)
