Subwoofer Reviews and Buying Guide:

Whether you are buying a subwoofer for your home entertainment system or for your car, you will need to consider several features when buying one. Let's start with your home theater system, a subwoofer is an essential part of any surround sound system since it will give you the low level of deep bass that most speakers just can't deliver on their own. A subwoofer will play low-frequencies only, ensuring that any soundtrack associated with a movie or tv show will become fuller and lifelike. DTS and Dolby Digital soundtracks "provide a dedicated channel of deep bass" so having a quality subwoofer will make all those explosions and special effects seem much more real in your home. The two main types of subwoofers are powered subwoofers and passive subwoofers. Powered subwoofers are the preferred choice since they are the more efficient of the 2. Your amplifier will be able to supply all the power your speakers need because the powered subwoofer will not be taking anything from the amp. With passive subwoofers, the external amplifier will be giving the subwoofer its power. Therefore, your speakers will be drawing on the same power source as the subwoofer meaning get an amp with plenty of power.

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How much power does your subwoofer need? For larger rooms, consider buying a subwoofer with a 12" or 15" woofer cone to get a great deep bass sound. The larger the driver, the deeper the bass. Placement of the subwoofer will totally effect how the sound is felt throughout the room. A front-firing subwoofer position will give the entire room a feel of the subwoofers sound while a down-firing subwoofer (closer to the floor level) can actually produce a "shake" so you can feel the bass from the movie or music sounds. Experts say you should place the sub in a corner or near a wall so the bass impact is increased. When you are in a stereo showroom, it's ok to bring your favorite movie or music CD to play on their system - that way you can experience the sound you can expect in your home with a new subwoofer sound system. As for car subwoofers, they are truly a necessity if you want quality music coming from your small car speakers. Any great sounding music system in a car has a subwoofer hiding somewhere. There are lots of ways to go about adding a subwoofer to your car stereo system. Many car enthusiasts prefer to build a sound system on their own by mixing and matching components. If you go with the a component sub (only the speaker), you will need to mount the subwoofer in an enclosure or box. An external amplifier will then power the sub which should be between 8 to 15 inches. Enclosed subwoofers are the easiest to install since they are sold pre-mounted. Much like the home subwoofer that has a built in amp, the powered subs for cars are the same. They save space, which is crucial in cars, by offering the amplifier and subwoofer in one enclosure. Car powered subwoofers are definitely compact and can produce effective bass sounds but their smaller drivers mean less sound power. Characteristics of subwoofers that are crucial to performance are power (check for RMS power ratings), sensitivity (higher rating is better), frequency range (versatility), sealed boxes are the best enclosure subwoofers for quality sound, dual voice coil subwoofers give you the most flexibility in terms of setup, size doesn't always mean better sound with subwoofers as lots of factors go into producing top quality bass, and look for an amplifier that matches your subwoofers in power ratings and impedance (4 ohms is the average rating). The top brands for subwoofers are Infinity, Klipsch, JBL, Polk Audio, Digital Design, Kicker, Sony, HSU, Yamaha, Velodyne, SVS, Pioneer, and MTX. Home sound system subwoofers range from about $450-$900 for a good one and the car stereo subwoofers are anywhere from $100 to $350. We read reviews online in home theater forums and saw consumer feedback on Amazon, CNET and Epinions to come with up our short list of the best subwoofers on the market (see below). If you are ready to buy online, we recommend shopping with Amazon -- they are the most trusted online retailer, with great selection, service, and prices -- we've been doing business with them for more than 10 years. You can view their list of best-selling sub-woofers here.

Best Powered Subwoofer:

The Aperion Intimus S-10 ($500) is a top selling midsize 10-inch subwoofer. The quality construction and 200-watt amplifier make this subwoofer a "weapon of sound" in your home. It's definitely big weighing almost 52 pounds and standing about 18 inches tall and 19 inches deep. If you are looking for a subwoofer that is easy to hide, then pass on the Aperion S-10, but we feel that the "sound shaking" performance of this model will make you want it out in the open for others to see. Owners say the Aperion direct sales and customer service on their website is top notch and the sound quality from the powered subwoofer is superb. You can order your own at Aperionaudio.com. Klipsch powered subwoofers are top rated and ranked very high in terms of customer satisfaction levels. Their Klipsch Synergy Sub-12 ($500) is a full-size subwoofer with a 300-watt amplifier. The down-firing 12-inch woofer was room-shaking at times and owners also commented that the subwoofer provided "impressive clarity with power to spare". The low bass performance with music CDs or movie soundtracks along with lots of connectivity options set this powered sub apart from the others.

High End Powered Subwoofer:

When someone mentions car stereo and home stereo speakers and subwoofers, I instantly think of the name Infinity. Their Infinity SW-12 CH ($800) is an expensive model but has a maximum power output of 500 watts RMS. The 12" woofer has the CMMD Technology giving you the deepest bass possible while still producing lifelike sounds. The front-firing powered subwoofer will rattle your theater room with the latest sound technology. If you really want to go high end, look into the Velodyne SPL1200R ($1500). Velodyne Acoustics has been producing subwoofers for over 20 years and this model will produce 1000 watt RMS and 2000 watt dynamic power. The top features include a 3" dual-layer coil, 12" forward firing woofer, a kevlar reinforced resin cone, and enough power to move furniture. Seriously, this monster has been called a "thundering powerhouse" with massive drivers and low distortion. Reviews on the Velodyne are positive, but don't get this unit if you have a small room, recommended for larger rooms. More car subwoofers here.

Value Powered Subwoofer:

The Polk Audio PSW12 Black is a great value at $350 and certainly will deliver quality bass sound with it's 12" woofer. Don't let the price fool you on this one as it's top rated on Crutchfield.com making it a best seller. Owners say the Polk Audio powered subwoofer is best for smaller to mid-size rooms and that it performs admirably. If you have high ceilings or a large room with your tv and audio equipment, consider a more powerful unit. For the average homeowner or apartment dweller, this Polk will liven up your movies and music to new levels. Other quality home subwoofers are sold by HSU Research. Although we could find no actual owner reviews online for their products, they were mentioned almost as often as the big brand names in this field in several articles. You can see their products online at Hsuresearch.com with plenty of industry reviews on the site.

Best Car Enclosed Subwoofer:

We went to the #1 source for car audio equipment at Crutchfield.com. Their product listings and user reviews are 2nd to none online and we found several top sellers that will make your car "boom". The Visonik V123BP ($150) and the Visonik V103BP ($130) are two very popular enclosed subwoofers. They respectively have 10" and 12" spruce pulp woofers along with bandpass enclosure. The smaller of the 2 handles 500 watt RMS while the 12" model does 600 watt RMS. Often referred to as a "kicker subwoofer", car subwoofers have always been a great way to customize your car audio system and pump up the volume.

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