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Electronics Subwoofers

Best Powered Subwoofers

Updated November 2022
Bottom line
Pros
Cons
Best of the Best
Klipsch Reference Powered Subwoofer
Klipsch
Reference Powered Subwoofer
Tight & Powerful

Tight and powerful sound with impressive compatibility and flexibility.

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Tight & Powerful
Bottom Line

Tight and powerful sound with impressive compatibility and flexibility.

Pros

Powerful, 10-inch, copper-spun, and front-firing woofer for wall-rattling vibrations. Delivers 300 watts of power from an all-digital amplifier. Offers low pass and gain controls and L/LFE + R inputs for compatibility. Can be placed anywhere in a room without detrimental results.

Cons

Some feel it doesn't kick in with movies or games.

Best Bang for the Buck
Polk Audio 10-Inch Powered Subwoofer
Polk Audio
10-Inch Powered Subwoofer
Excellent Value

A high-quality subwoofer with excellent performance for its wattage and price.

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Excellent Value
Bottom Line

A high-quality subwoofer with excellent performance for its wattage and price.

Pros

A 10-inch, front-firing polymer woofer with long-excursion foam surround. Delivers 100 watts of power doubled from a 50-watt amp. Tuned port adds extra punch. Boasts 3-way power toggle for off, on, and automatic. Gold-plated RCA inputs plus wire input/output ports.

Cons

Doesn't have LFE input. Best performance is somewhat dependent on placement.

Yamaha 100-Watt Powered Subwoofer
Yamaha
100-Watt Powered Subwoofer
Advanced Design

Advanced technologies and design deliver solid performance from this subwoofer.

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Advanced Design
Bottom Line

Advanced technologies and design deliver solid performance from this subwoofer.

Pros

Built around a 10-inch cone woofer with discrete amp circuitry and a specially-designed side-firing port for more accurate, noise-reduced sound reproduction. Delivers 100 watts of power. Offers manual on/off switch.

Cons

Can only connect via specific subwoofer cable input. Cable not included.

Klipsch R-12SW Subwoofer
Klipsch
R-12SW Subwoofer
Big & Deep

A bigger, deeper, higher-watt subwoofer that brings movie sound effects to life.

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Big & Deep
Bottom Line

A bigger, deeper, higher-watt subwoofer that brings movie sound effects to life.

Pros

Large, 12-inch-diameter, front-firing, and copper-spun woofer with a frequency response as low as 29 Hz. Delivers 400 watts of power from an all-digital amplifier. Offers controls for low pass crossover and gain. L/LFE + R inputs for compatibility. Designed for flexible placement.

Cons

A little pricey. Some notice an intrusive hum with certain kinds of cabling.

Monoprice 60-Watt Powered Subwoofer
Monoprice
60-Watt Powered Subwoofer
Compact & Solid

For an enhanced low end at an attainable price, try this compact 8-inch model.

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Compact & Solid
Bottom Line

For an enhanced low end at an attainable price, try this compact 8-inch model.

Pros

Compact 8-inch woofer capable of a frequency range from 50 to 250 Hz. Includes low-pass crossover filter for 150 Hz on down. Dedicated on/off switch and volume control. Has both wire and RCA line-level inputs. Simple and attractive black wood cabinet with detachable grille.

Cons

Frequency response is a little high for a subwoofer.

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BestReviews spends thousands of hours researching, analyzing, and testing products to recommend the best picks for most consumers. We only make money if you purchase a product through our links, and all opinions about the products are our own. About BestReviews  
BestReviews spends thousands of hours researching, analyzing, and testing products to recommend the best picks for most consumers. We buy all products with our own funds, and we never accept free products from manufacturers.About BestReviews 
How We Tested

We recommend these products based on an intensive research process that's designed to cut through the noise and find the top products in this space. Guided by experts, we spend hours looking into the factors that matter, to bring you these selections.

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First Reviewed
September 25, 2021
30
Models
considered
16
Hours
researched
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Ade Hennis
Written by Ade Hennis

Updated November 2022

Powered subwoofers deliver an excellent level of sound quality for your home theater system. These devices produce the low frequency bass sound that helps you “feel” the music. Powered subwoofers are available in many different sizes. A subwoofer with a larger surface size should deliver a deeper bass sound. However, buying a powered subwoofer isn’t as simple as just picking the biggest one you can afford. Make sure it complements the other speakers in your home audio system. Powered subwoofers of 10” or smaller work well for bookshelf-style speaker systems. Or look for a subwoofer of 12” or larger when you have floorstanding speakers in your system. You should match the size of the subwoofer to the size of the room too. Larger rooms can handle larger powered subwoofers.

Our Top Picks
Klipsch
Best of the Best
Klipsch
Reference Powered Subwoofer
Bottom Line
Tight and powerful sound with impressive compatibility and flexibility.
Shop Now
Polk Audio
Best Bang for the Buck
Polk Audio
10-Inch Powered Subwoofer
Bottom Line
A high-quality subwoofer with excellent performance for its wattage and price.
Shop Now
Yamaha
Top Pick
Yamaha
100-Watt Powered Subwoofer
Bottom Line
Advanced technologies and design deliver solid performance from this subwoofer.
Shop Now
Klipsch
Top Pick
Klipsch
R-12SW Subwoofer
Bottom Line
A bigger, deeper, higher-watt subwoofer that brings movie sound effects to life.
Shop Now
Monoprice
Top Pick
Monoprice
60-Watt Powered Subwoofer
Bottom Line
For an enhanced low end at an attainable price, try this compact 8-inch model.
Shop Now
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