The Best Home Subwoofers of 2024

Size, room placement, and amp power combined with drivers are key elements in getting the best sound

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The best home subwoofer will enhance your home theater's sound performance because it specifically targets a lower frequency range, resulting in a trademark rumble you can feel.

Our experts think most people should buy the BIC Acoustech PL-200 II Subwoofer.

Best Overall

BIC Acoustech PL-200 II Subwoofer

BIC-acoustec-pl-200-ii-subwoofer

Amazon

Pros
  • 1000W

  • Gold-plated terminals

  • Solid construction

Cons
  • Not great for small spaces

  • No magnetic shielding

The BIC Acoustech PL-200 II Subwoofer boasts high-quality construction, a state-of-the-art amplifier, and dual front-facing flared ports. It has enough power to shake all but the most spacious living rooms. It has a rich, deep sound, balanced, energetic bass, and an excellent low-frequency response.

With its simplistic black and copper color scheme, the PL-200 II is an attractive addition to a home theater system, and at around $400, it’s still sort of budget-friendly.

Wattage: 250 RMS, 1,000 Peak | Driver Size: 12-inch | Direction: Front-firing

BIC Acoustec PL-200 II Subwoofer

Lifewire / Benjamin Zeman

Best Design

ELAC S10 Debut Series 200 Watt Powered Subwoofer

ELAC-s10-debut-series-200-watt-powered-subwoofer

Amazon

Pros
  • 200 Watts

  • Large frequency response

  • Automatic equalization

Cons
  • Not wireless

The ELAC Debut 2.0 Series 200 Watt Powered Subwoofer with a 10-inch bass driver will give your movies and music a "stunning sense of realism," according to our reviewer. There are dials on the back for adjusting the volume and low pass so it'll fit into your system.

Our reviewer was impressed with the design, as the MDF cabinet has a black-ash finish that makes it look like solid wood, but she felt it lacked the punchiness that some other woofers provided.

Wattage: 100 RMS, 200 Peak | Driver Size: 10-inch | Direction: Down-firing

Pros
  • Deep low-end range

  • Modern design

  • Force-canceling drivers

Cons
  • Cannot connect another subwoofer

  • Heavy

Much like a subwoofer in a standard wired system, the Sonos Sub gives you a complete, deep low end. Sonos has used the same logic of simplicity with this system as the rest of their speaker offerings, giving you a super simple one-button setup that won't require overthinking to get it going.

Regarding wireless sound systems, Sonos has secured its place in the market. You can hardly even talk about Bluetooth speakers without using the company's multi-room speaker handoff systems. But when looking at the Play:1s or Play:3s, you can easily forget that these smaller speakers, even if paired in stereo doubles, don't offer much in the way of low end. That's where the latest generation of Sonos's SUB system comes into play. 

The slim, stylish subwoofer can be displayed on the floor outside the system or in a cabinet. Force-canceling drivers inside the cabinet face-to-face allow for a complete, unfettered bass response, so you don't have to worry about cabinet-buzzing, rattling, or any other artifacts to the sound. And just like the rest of the Sonos family, it can be wirelessly connected to the entire system and controlled with the Sonos app.

Wattage: Unpublished (50-100 estimated) | Driver Size: Dual 6-inch | Direction: Down-firing

Smallest

Polk Audio PSW10

Polk-audio-psw10

Amazon

Pros
  • Minimal distortion

  • Appealing design

  • Smaller than many other subwoofers

Cons
  • Lacks the full spectrum of more expensive models

The Polk Audio PSW 10-inch Woofer model offers a robust bass response in a compact woofer, which is excellent for smaller spaces like apartments.

It's got some hi-tech tricks to minimize distortion, but you can't place it somewhere hidden away. The frequency response range is wide enough to cover all the low ends but doesn't offer the full spectrum of depth that some of the more expensive models give you.

Round this all out with a white speaker cone in front of the black enclosure, and it also gives you a pretty eye-catching look.

Wattage: 50 RMS, 100 Peak | Driver Size: 10-inch | Direction: Front-firing

Best for Small Spaces

Yamaha NS-SW050BL

Yamaha-ns-sw050bl

Amazon

Pros
  • Ideal for small spaces

  • Very affordable

  • Simple design goes with most setups

Cons
  • Few configuration options

The Yamaha NS-SW050 is one of the more compact options on this list, making it a good choice for an apartment or small room. It weighs less than 20 pounds and measures only 11.5 x 11.5 x 14 inches so that you can tuck it away in a corner, and it won’t take up too much space. Plus, the all-black design helps it blend well with other speakers and A/V receivers.

This is a solid budget pick for anyone looking to add a compact subwoofer to their home theater without spending too much cash.

Wattage: 50 to 100 | Driver Size: 8-inch | Direction: Front-firing

Wide Frequency Range

Klipsch R-110SW 10" 200 Watt Subwoofer

Klipsch R-110SW 10” 200 Watt Subwoofer
Courtesy of Amazon.com
Pros
  • All-digital amp

  • Wireless adapter support

  • Clear high and low ranges

Cons
  • No built-in wireless connectivity

With a frequency response of between 28 and 200 Hz, you’ll get a wide range of low and mid tones. The NS-SW050 also boasts Yamaha Active Servo Technology II for tighter bass and more accurate tones. At a price of only around $120, this is a solid budget pick for anyone looking to add a compact subwoofer to their home theater without spending too much cash.

Wattage: 50 to 100 | Driver Size: 8-inch | Direction: Front-firing

Wattage: 450 | Driver Size: 10-inch | Direction: Front-firing

BIC Acoustec PL-200 II Subwoofer

Lifewire / Benjamin Zeman

What to Look For in a Home Subwoofer

Size

In general, subwoofers with larger surface areas play deeper sound. But you’ll also want to consider the size of your other speakers to ensure that the overall sound profile is balanced. An 8-inch or 10-inch subwoofer is suitable for bookshelf speakers, but if you have tower speakers, look for a 12-inch (or more).

Placement

You’ll need to choose between a front-firing and down-firing subwoofer—and which one is best for your space depends on where you’ll put it. We recommend a front-firing subwoofer if it’ll sit near your other speakers. But if it is positioned in a corner or on a side wall, go for a down-firing subwoofer.

Power

Subwoofers have built-in amplifiers that are optimized to collaborate with the drivers. This yields maximum performance, so you don’t need much power to deliver booming bass. Still, the larger the room, the more powerful the subwoofer should be.

BIC Acoustec PL-200 II

Lifewire / Benjamin Zeman

FAQ
  • Do you need a subwoofer?

    Your home audio setup doesn't require a subwoofer to sound good, but having one will add a surprising amount of depth to your audio experience. Plenty of soundbars and speakers can sound amazing without a subwoofer, but a subwoofer will make your home theater sound better.

  • Can't you just crank up the bass on your regular speakers?

    Sure, you could, but subwoofers operate within different frequencies. By just turning up your bass, you will likely do more harm than good to your equipment and your eardrums by completely drowning out every other audible frequency. Subwoofers make the bass in your audio playback more noticeable by broadcasting in a lower frequency band, which is where that rumble comes from each time there's an explosion, or you're listening to a song with heavy bass. A broader range of frequencies gives you the best overall listening experience, with low, mid, and high tones without too much distortion and without putting unnecessary strain on your equipment.

  • Where is the best place to put your subwoofer?

    Surround sound speakers have placement criteria that make them sound better, but subwoofers differ slightly. People often place subwoofers in corners so the cord can reach the receiver, and they’re out of the way. Corner placement can also result in louder sound, but room acoustics can affect how a subwoofer sounds in different areas. Testing your subwoofer in other placement areas is best to see where it sounds best.

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