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The subwoofer is the most important part of the home theater that is designed for action-packed movies. The sub gives a nice touch to romantic comedies and musicals, but action movies are the main target. But you also need a complete speaker set, that’s why budget management is a concern. So, how much should you spend on a subwoofer?
At A Glance: For essential good bass, you need $300 and for fuller bass double that budget to $600 and for more robust bass the budget will be $1200.
Keep reading. I will be explaining each budget with its pros and cons. And will also answer critical related questions to this matter. So, you can know what is best for you. Don’t forget to read the poll results at the bottom of the article. I have conducted this poll in a FB group. You will know what real people are choosing when it comes to the subwoofer budget.
Why Do I Recommend These Budget Categories?
| Budget | Subwoofers | Bass Nature |
|---|---|---|
| $300 | Single Subwoofer | Essential |
| $600 | Dual Subwoofers | Fuller |
| $1200 | 4 Subwoofers | More Robust |
Why This $300 Budget?
You can take this budget to $200 or even $150. But I chose $300 because I wanted to recommend the best possible sub.
The best well-built sub will cost $300. This type of sub is best suitable for newbies that have just started their home theater journey.
When you are keen to install a single sub in the home theater, then that sub should be the best. Because the best single sub can fill the room as long as it is pleasing to the ears. However, there might be some blank bass spots because a single sub will always miss some spots in the room.
But newbies’ ears are not prone to blank spots in the room. That’s why the single $300 sub is the best for you.
Read this review guide, best subwoofer under $300. I have reviewed the top 7.
Pros
- Newbies friendly
- All essentials of home theater are checked with this budget
- You get a good bass
Cons
- There will always be blank bass spots
- So many empty areas to check for the best sub placement locations
Why This $600 Budget?
At some stage, you will start feeling the blank spots in your home theater. Your brain will feel like missing out on some level of bass.
At this stage, you are an intermediate home theater enthusiast. Here in this stage of life, every home theater owner wants to remove those blank spots from their room.
That’s why you buy another same level of sub. But try to buy the same brand and same series subwoofer to go with the first sub.
After selecting a sub. Now you will need the best possible placements to remove blank spots. You can follow the crawl method. Where you crawl around the room to hunt blank bass spots and install the sub there.
Another placement option for the starters is to install the two subs diagonally opposite each other at the corners. This placement will ensure the best possible experience without that crawl method.
Read this guide to know, single vs dual subwoofer. Which is better? Don’t forget to read the poll stats that I have conducted in a Fb group.
Pros
- The blank spots are removed
- The bass sounds fuller
- Less sub placement confusion
Cons
- Higher budget for bass
- Bass optimization hustle. I am talking about the crawl method and finding the placements for the two subs
Why This $1200 Budget?
At some point in the journey, you will feel like having the best possible bass in the home theater to fill all possible spots for the sub, then you can go with 4 subs in the room. This is not necessary, but it can give the fullest and more robust bass in the room possible.
This type of setup is recommended only for pros and for those intermediates who are in the intermediate phase for at least 2 years. After 2 years, they are looking for more bass from their theater room.
Many pro-level home theater enthusiasts are having many more subs than just 4, but that type of setup is not necessary.
Read this guide, do the size of the subwoofer matter? I have provided recommended sizes for each room size.
Pros
- Robust bass that takes action scenes to the next level
- Satisfaction for Marvel fans
- No confusion about the best subwoofer placement options. Because all fours corners are taken
Cons
- This budget is very high
- Require more dB setting tweaks. It should not hurt your ears, that’s why dB tweaks are required.
Which Budget Is Right For You? (Final Verdict)
This decision is up to you, but let me explain it briefly to you. After reading this, it will be easier for you to make a decision.
- When you are just starting your home theater journey and want to have basic bass and want to feel the realistic touch of the movie, then go with a $300 single subwoofer.
- If you want to have a fuller and flawless bass, then $600 is the best budget for you to install dual subs.
- But if you want over-the-top bass with the movies, then $1200 is budget. But this is over the top for ported subwoofers, but if you want to use sealed subwoofers then this $1200 budget comes at number two. To know more about these types of subs. Read this guide: sealed home theater sub vs ported. I have compared them with ratings.
- There is another factor that contributes to better bass and enhances the functionality of the subwoofer. The bass needs to be trapped in the corners of the theater room. That’s why you have to install the bass traps in each corner. This will enhance the overall bass in the home theater. The bass traps are needed along with the best sub or subs.
Which Subwoofer Setup Are You Having? (Fb Poll)
| Poll Options | Stats |
|---|---|
| Single Subwoofer | 8.76% |
| Dual Subwoofers | 62.95% |
| 3 Subwoofers | 4.38% |
| 4 Subwoofers | 23.9% |
I conducted this poll in a Facebook group.
Here, one participant added another option to the poll. The newly added option was 3 subwoofers in the room. I reached out to the guy who added this option.
According to him, he has two subwoofers in the front and one sub behind the seating area. He was having satisfying results with it. After that, 4.38% of participants voted for this option.
The 4.38% votes indicate that few people are confident about the 3 subs setup. You can play with the 3rd subwoofer placement. You can place it behind the couch or in the middle of the two corners at the back.
Check where the 3rd sounds the best. This will also lower the budget that will be needed for 4 subs.
Read this guide, where should the home theater be placed? I have analyzed the 6 most common placement options.
FAQs
How much difference does a good subwoofer make?
When you replace a bed subwoofer with a good subwoofer you feel tighter and more accurate bass and the lifespan of the subwoofer also increases because a better sub has better control over the driver movement.
The good sub opens a new world of deeper frequencies. These deeper frequencies contribute to accurate and tight bass.
How long does a subwoofer last?
A subwoofer can last from 5 to 10 years, depending on the usage. When enough power and the right sound signals are delivered with suitable crossover settings, the subwoofer can even last for 15 years too.
The subwoofer should not be set higher than 120Hz crossover and should be fed with a power for which it is rated so that it can last longer. Another not necessary approach is to deliver signals to it after refining it with preamp and amp. This will further increase its lifespan.
Is getting a subwoofer worth it?
When there is no subwoofer in the home theater, the realistic touch of many sound effects will be lost. The lower frequencies contribute to realistic sound effects like helicopter sounds, gun fires, punching, door slamming, or missile flying.
These lower frequencies are produced by the subwoofer. That’s why the subwoofer is worth it in a home theater.
Helpful Resources For The FAQs To Read More
- This was my opinion, read more about it on Klipsch Blog. (Resource for the first answer)
- This was my opinion, read more about it on AVsforum. (Resource for the second answer)
- This was my opinion, read more about it on Cnet Blog. (Resource for the third answer)
