In addition, make sure you find out the return policy of your dealer, just in case the subwoofer doesn't perform well in your listening environment. Place the subwoofer in various parts of the room, using the owner's manual as a guide, to find out what sounds pleasing to you.
The subwoofer should not sound "boomy", but deep and tight. This is especially important if you intend to use your subwoofer for music listening. Many subwoofers are great for DVD movies, but may not perform well with the subtle deep bass in music performances. When installing your subwoofer, experiment with the crossover settings. In addition, most AV receivers have internal crossover settings for your subwoofer which depends on whether your other speakers are large or small. In this way your subwoofer can either take the entire bass load or split the bass load with large main speakers, with the subwoofer only producing the very lowest bass frequencies.
Also, if you live in an upstairs apartment, a down-firing subwoofer may disturb your downstairs neighbors more easily that a front-firing design. Lastly, in some cases, integrating two subwoofers into your system may provide a better option, especially in very large room.
To get you started in finding a subwoofer that may be right for your system, check out my list of some of my current subwoofer favorites.
For more detailed information on subwoofers and related topics, be sure to check the link box on the upper right of this page.
