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Subwoofer Setup & Optimization Tips

7 Best Home Theater Subwoofers Under $500 (Reviewed)

Ayaan Khan

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A best-quality subwoofer is necessary for every home theatre to give that banging sound to the audio.

The right sub can give a realistic touch to the theatre experience.

This is why it is very important to pick the right one for your system.

I remember the comment of my client when I installed a subwoofer in his theatre room.  I played the Tom Cruise scene in which he jumps off from Burj Khalifa. My client turned around and told me, “ I’m not even there but my legs are shaking”.  A right sub is very important for any theatre system.

Our Top Tested & Reviewed Products At A Glance

Subwoofer	Power	Frequency Adjustments	Driver Size	Editor's Ratings	Today's Best Deal
Polk Audio HTS 12	400 Watts	40-160Hz	12 inch	5/4.9 4.5/5	Check Price On Amazon
Polk Audio HTS 10	200 Watts	40-160Hz	10 inch	5/4.8 4.5/5	Check Price On Amazon
Sound Town METIS-18SDPW	2400 Watts	40-160Hz	18 inch	5/4.6 4.5/5	Check Price On Amazon

I have installed many subwoofers in my clients’ and friends’ houses and have also analyzed and bought many of them. That’s why I have a lot of experience with subwoofers and this review is the product of my experience.

Without taking much time let’s discuss the functionalities of each one.

All Products At A Glance – Review Of Each Product Is Below This Table

1. Polk Audio HTS 12 – Best Powered Subwoofer

Polk Audio HTS 12 Powered Subwoofer with Power Port Technology | 12” Woofer, up to 400W Amp | For the Ultimate Home Theater Experience | Modern Sub that Fits in any Setting | Washed Black Walnut

Detail Review Of Polk Audio HTS 12

This is the best because it has deep, tight, and punchy bass. The dialogues were clear even while this Boombastic bass was firing. 

My client is a veteran and he wanted a sub that can shake the floor of the home theatre also it should be under his budget.

I picked this one sub to install in his theatre room. 

I calibrated the sound of this sub by audio collaboration mic that was provided by the receiver.  This mic calibrates the sound according to the acoustics of the room.  The sound was good and it was ready to give us a nice movie experience.  This audio calibration mic comes with almost all new AV receivers. Don’t worry about that.

Otherwise, you can manually adjust the volume and low pass filter according to your taste.

I watched the movie ‘The Bad, the Good and the Ugly”. The blasts from cannon shooting were shaking the sofa. It was only 50% volume of the sub.

I played many more movies and it was giving a realistic touch to helicopter flying, doors slamming, blasts, gun shooting, and too many more sound tests. 

I love the realistic side of movies and this subwoofer was good to deliver.

I played music on it and the bass was good with the music too. I was feeling the bass right in my chest.

With this sub, you should also pair the best affordable receivers. Read my best AVR under $500 review.

The volume levels can be controlled from the backside of it. It provides RCA connection and LFE input.

2. Polk Audio HTS 10 – Best For Small To Medium Size Rooms

Polk Audio HTS 10 Powered Subwoofer with Power Port Technology | 10” Woofer, up to 200W Amp | For the Ultimate Home Theater Experience | Modern Sub that Fits in any Setting | Washed Black Walnut

Detail Review Of Polk Audio HTS 10

This is the best 10-inch sub.  I have tested the Polk audio 12-inch sub but now I wanted to try this one.

My friend has it in his theatre room. That’s why I went to his home. I told him to disconnect the subwoofer from the receiver before my arrival. So I can test its setup difficulty.

The setup was easy and quick. I connected it with the receiver through LFE input.

The sound was crystal clear and the bass was tight and deep.

I played guitar music and the guitar felt like the guitarist himself is playing guitar in front of me in the theatre room.

The arrows in 300 movies felt like they were landing around me.

It gives a nice realistic touch to the music and movie experience.

However, there was a distortion in the sound because of the build quality of the base (feet/stands) of it. The vibrations were easily traveling from the subwoofer to the feet and then to the hard floor. That’s why it was creating distortion.

I suggested placing it on isolation pads. After a couple of days, my friend called me and told me that he is very happy that I suggested the isolation pads now there is no distortion in the sound.

3. Sound Town METIS-18SDPW – Best For Large Home Cinema Rooms

Sound Town METIS Series 2400 Watts 18” Powered Subwoofer with Class-D Amplifier, 4-inch Voice Coil (METIS-18SDPW)

Detail Review Of Sound Town METIS-18SDPW

It is an 18 inches driver subwoofer and has a 4-inch voice coil. Massive right? Yes, it is.

My friend is a music freak and loves to play DJ when he gets the time to do it. He loves to arrange big parties and entertain guests with his DJ skills. He also loves to enjoy movies in his theatre room with his family. That’s why he is having this 18 inches sumo in his room.

I wanted to try it out for movies and music. I landed in his theatre room.

The volume and cross-over adjustment of this subwoofer seems to be a bit hustle for a newbie because I tune it by myself.  But when I use the auto-calibration mic for it.  Everything was calibrated right and it was quick.

I played the Texas Chainsaw movie And the scary sound frightened me more than before. 

It was good in the mid-lows but was missing a little on very low frequencies.

The movie experience was better but the music experience was the best.

I played music on this subwoofer and I feel like the concert is happening in my friend’s theatre room.

It did not heat up after hours of testing.

The input volume adjustment knobs and crossover knobs can be found at the back of it.

4. Yamaha NS-SW300PN – Best For User Convenience

Yamaha Audio 10″ 100W Powered Subwoofer – Black (NS-SW100BL)

Detail Review Of Yamaha NS-SW300PN

This is a 10-inch driver sub with a twisted port. The port is twisted because its twist can reduce the port noise.

The volume adjustment knob and power on and off button are at the front of it.  This is very convenient for users to change the volume without going to the back of it. 

It comes with a cable that can be plugged into an AV receiver. With this plug, the receiver will have control to turn on and turn off the subwoofer.  When there is a need for a subwoofer the receiver will turn it on, and vice versa.  This will limit electricity consumption. 

Another thing that I like about this subwoofer is the plastic mesh protection at the back of the grill.  This is very convenient to keep the driver safe from kids and pets.

The frequency adjustment knob is at the back with inputs and speaker connectivity.

My friend has this sub in his theatre room. I wanted to test its quality. That’s why I watched the San Andreas movie. The earthquake scene felt like the earthquakes were happening in the theatre room. 

The bass with the music is good too. The drum playing felt really deep.

5. Onkyo SKW204 – Worth Each Penny Of The Price

Onkyo SKW204 Bass Reflex Powered Subwoofer (Black)

Detail Review Of Onkyo SKW204

My client wanted a nice front-firing subwoofer on a budget and he has an Onkyo receiver. That’s why I picked this one sub to impress him with his beloved brand name.

The setup was pretty easy. I plugged in the cable to the receiver and the connection was done.

I like the cute indication light on the front of it.  It is turned on red on standby and as soon as it receives signals from the receiver it turns on green.

The movie experience was amazing, the dialogues were clear and the bass was tight and deep.

I really enjoyed the running of Dinosaurs in the Jurassic Park movie. I was feeling like the dinosaurs were running in my client’s theatre room.

I played music on it and the subwoofer was capable of going really low in frequencies.

One annoying thing that I noticed in it is that it was turning off and on frequently during the music and it was little present during the movie too.

But I adjust the subwoofer volume to low and the subwoofer level on the receiver to high and due to this trick it always stays on. So remember to apply this trick if you face this problem.

There are many more problems that happen in the theater system, we almost miss those every time. That’s why read my this guide to solve common home theater problems. I have listed 17. Don’t forget to talk about yours too in the comment section.

The volume and output level can be adjusted from the back of the sub and there you will also find the Line input.

6. Definitive Technology Descend DN8 – Best For Small Cinema Rooms

Definitive Technology Descend DN8 8 Inch Optimized for Movies & Music (Black)

Detail Review Of Definitive Technology Descend DN8

This is the best fit for small theatre rooms and for the medium you will need two of them.  I always recommend using 2 subs in the theatre room but in this case, I say it is a must to use two in a medium-size room.

It consists of an 8-inch driver and two bass radiators. Instead of ports, bass radiators are used, that’s why there is no port noise in it.

A client of mine is living in a small apartment and he wanted a subwoofer that can fulfill his home theatre audio needs.  His room is very small, that’s why I chose this 8-inch driver sub.

It satisfied his audio taste and also his neighbors will not be annoyed by the bass.

I installed this DN8 in his theatre room. The setup was easy because this is a modern-age subwoofer. I played The Dark Knight Rises. The bass was firm and felt really nice in the opening scene. The fire of the gun felt almost like a real gun.

I played music on it and instantly the theatre room was turned into a party room.   The drum playing felt right in my chest.

Another thing that I like about it is that it can be connected to almost all of the new AV receivers.  Because it has quite a good range of connectivity options. 

The volume and low pass adjustment knobs can be found at the back of it.

7. DT SuperCube – Best For Its Tiny Size

Definitive Technology Descend DN8 500 Watts Peak 8 Inch Subwoofer (Black) & CS9040 High-Performance Center Channel Speaker

Detail Review Of DT SuperCube

This is a 7.5-inch driver subwoofer by Definitive Technology. This is called a super cube because it is very small in size. But don’t underestimate it by its size because the bass is deep and tight. Here in this case the size undoubtedly doesn’t matter, LOL!

It has a 7.5-inch one-driver and two 7.5-inch bass radiators.

My client wanted to have a tiny subwoofer with good bass in his theatre room.

I installed this super cube in his theatre room. It is tiny and doesn’t take up a lot of space and the bass is deep. It looks classy in his room with that shiny finish and tiny size.

I played an X-Men movie and the action came to life after the bass provided by this sub. The dialogues were very clear and the sound was crisp along with the thumping bass.

The music felt good on it and without any port noise. However, I will still recommend it only for movies. For movies, it is better, for music it is good.

It is good only for small rooms and for the medium you will need two of them.

At the back, you will get only a volume knob and no knob for crossover adjustments.

This subwoofer deserves a better position on this list but I put it here on the last because it is discontinued by the manufacturer.

FAQs

Helpful Resources For The FAQs To Read More

1. Know more from actual users here on Quora. (Resource for the first answer)
2. Read more here from Klipsch. (Resource for the second answer)
3. Learn more from this video on youtube. (Resource for the third answer)