Best Budget Subwoofers

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How We Decided

We purchase every product we review with our own funds — we never accept anything from product manufacturers.

A good subwoofer can be difficult to find. The best ones are typically very expensive, so you might have to spend a lot to get the sound you are looking for.

For a subwoofer that does not break the bank, there are a few things you may need to give up, but it isn’t always the case when you’re on a budget.

Lucky for you, we’ve done most of the hard work already. The following is a list of the best budget subwoofers we could find to fit all your needs, including, under your car seat.

A Detailed List of The Best Budget Subwoofers 2021

Read our subwoofer buying guide if this is your first time purchasing a sub.

1. Best Budget Overall: Monoprice 9723 Subwoofer Review

Powered by 150 watts, Monoprice’s 12-inch subwoofer provides amazing sound. It brings an incredible bass experience to your home theater and sound system.

A low-pass crossover filter can also be adjusted in the full range of the subwoofer’s frequency response range, which is 50 Hz to 250 Hz.

You can also connect it to your home theater system with multiple input options, giving you a flexible and audibly appealing experience no matter what you use it for.

On the control panel you will find knobs for adjusting frequency and gain for the crossover filter, and you can also adjust the output power and balance of bass output for your stereo or surround speakers.

The Monoprice subwoofer has made it on our list of best budget subwoofers because it is easy to set up, comes in a variety of sizes, and has an incredible operating range of approximately 30 feet/ 10 meters all at an affordable price.

Pros

• There are several input options available for your subwoofer so it can be used with any stereo or amplifier system up to 5.1 (or higher).
• Two Bluetooth receivers can receive audio at the same time.
• This device features a battery that lasts nearly nine hours, so you can listen to great music for the entire day.
• If necessary, you can turn off the device’s automatic-on function to control it manually.
• Because it is self-powered, it has its own impedance matching circuitry. This means that the power delivered to the front speakers is not affected.

Cons

• Customers have complained that the subwoofer makes a buzzing sound no matter what volume you set it at.
• The subwoofer needs to be turned up really loud to deliver an acceptable sound.
• There have been complaints that the subwoofer is not compatible with some modern receivers.
• Banana clips cannot be used to connect speaker wires to the amp, as the ends of the banana clips do not fit inside the amp’s speaker jacks.

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2. Best for Home Theater: Theater Solutions 250 Watt Subwoofer Review

Theater Solutions SUB8S 250 Watt Surround Sound HD Home Theater Slim Powered Active Subwoofer

• SLIM HOME THEATER POWERED SUBWOOFER – Standard RCA inputs easily connect to your home theater receivers dedicated Subwoofer Output. Save power with the added Signal Sensing Auto ON/OFF feature

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With a 250 Watt power output, an 8 inch down firing woofer, 24 dB per octave crossover, and a slim design, the Theater Solutions 250 Watt Subwoofer fits perfectly into your home theater system.

I particularly like that it has standard RCA inputs for connecting to pretty much any home theater receiver, since most of them use the same type of connection.

Action movies and this subwoofer were a match made in heaven thanks to the 250W of home theater audio. Do you want to hear bullets zip right by your ears? The sound of a tank crushing your car outside? Feel like your sitting inside a rain cloud producing thunder and lightning? Then you need the Theater Solution best budget subwoofer.

In the end, this Theater Solutions 250 Watt Subwoofer produces great audio, is extremely loud, the speakers are crystal clear, and is very small and barely noticeable. It produces deep, rich bass and is very budget friendly making it an obvious choice for our list of best budget subwoofers.

Pros

• 6-foot dual RCA cable
• Stand mounts
• Black ash finish will
• Standard US 110 volt grounded wall plug

Cons

• The wood cabinet isn’t very durable
• Some customers complained the bass wasn’t deep enough
• Some customers complained the subwoofer wasn’t loud enough

3. Best for Car: Boss Audio CXX8 Subwoofer Review

BOSS Audio Systems CXX8 8 Inch Car Subwoofer – 600 Watts Maximum Power, Single 4 Ohm Voice Coil

• Cone – Made from Polypropylene, The CXX8 8 Inch Car Subwoofer Provides a Resilient and Durable Material That Can Offer Great Sound with The Advantage of a Long-Lasting Subwoofer

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Whether you’re on a road trip ross country or in bumper-to-bumper traffic after work this subwoofer transports your car to the front row of your favorite concert.

Designed with a polypropylene cone that provides great sound and durability, the Boss Audio CXX8 Car Subwoofer can also withstand high temperatures and has a lightweight cone, which allows it to have a longer play time.

This subwoofer is highly durable and has a die-cast frame that absorbs the energy the speaker produces, giving it a very good sound. It does not show any signs of deterioration for a long period of time.

A 49 Hz resonant frequency, 9″ x 9″ x 4.3″ (DxWxH) dimensions and all it’s features have made the CXX8 the best car subwoofer on a budget since it offers great sound and comes at a competitive price.

Pros

• A polypropylene cone and rubber fittings ensure it is extremely durable.
• The die-cast frame is corrosion-resistant, even at high temperatures.
• The voice coils are also able to withstand extremely high temperatures without damage.
• This subwoofer is the perfect size. Enough room to pack a punch without compromising too much space in your car.
• Great sound can be heard coming from the 48Hz sub.

Cons

• There have been some complaints about the durability of the subwoofer as well as issues with the soldering points behind the cone.
• The soldering points were not always up to standards and may need to be re-soldered.
• Customers complain about the voice coil not being as good as advertised.
• Several customers reported getting faulty voice coils.

4. Best for Music: Acoustic Audio 300 Watt Subwoofer Review

Acoustic Audio PSW-8 300 Watt 8-Inch Down Firing Powered Subwoofer (Black)

• Acoustic Audio PSW-8 Specialty Series powered subwoofer. This subwoofer has 300 watt peak power, a frequency response of 26Hz-250Hz, 97dB efficiency, and a 8 ohm impedance.
• The 8″ down firing long throw subwoofer features a PVA treated cone, an integrated digital drive high efficiency amplifier, and independent gain control.

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It features varying sizes, powerful sound quality, phase control, and an advanced reflex bass design. The Acoustic Audio 300 Watt Subwoofer is one of the best audio configurations available.

If you’re searching for the best budget subwoofer for listening to music, then look no further. The Acoustic Audio 300 Watt Subwoofer is a work of art that pumps out some incredible audio.

This piece of equipment works best with music players and comes in a range of sizes from 6.5 inch all the way up to 15 inches.

In my opinion there’s simply no better way to listen to your favorite music than with 300 W, allowing for loud music and great quality even it the highest of decibels.

Pros

• 300 watts peak power
• Sleek design with ash black cabinet

Cons

• Some customers complained of humming sounds when playing music at the highest volume
• Some customers complained about this subwoofer not delivering a low-frequency response range of 30 Hz

The Acoustic Audio 300 Watt Subwoofer will satisfy all your audio needs because of its powerful bass, its live sound, its multiple mounting options, its speaker level inputs, speaker level outputs, and line inputs, and much more. It wasn’t hard choosing this sub as our best budget subwoofers for music.

5. Best Powered: Polk Audio PSW505 Review

Polk Audio PSW505 12″ Powered Subwoofer – Deep Bass Impact & Distortion-Free Sound, Up to 460 Watts,…

• HEART-THUMPING MUSIC WITH DEEP, POWERFUL BASS – Polk’s 12-inch Dynamic Balance Woofer sounds better because it is built better. Make your movies, music & sports experience thrilling

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With a 460-watt power capacity and a 12-inch bass woofer, Polk Audio’s PSW505 powered 12-inch subwoofer provides high-performance sound. It features a dynamic balance for uncompromised bass response.

Whether you need deep sounding bass or the airiness of a string quartet the PSW505 will have no troubles reproducing that sound with the highest accuracy.

In addition to being extremely easy to integrate, it has a continuously variable 60 – 120 Hz crossover frequency and a 25-125 Hz frequency response. While easily integrated with most speakers, it works best in conjunction with Polk’s Signature Series speakers.

With a magnetically shielded LFE input at the back, this subwoofer can be integrated easily into existing systems and can be run in multiple sub configurations.

Besides offering a wide range of features and functions, the Polk Audio PSW505 is also not too costly and offers a reasonably priced option making it the best budget powered subwoofers on this list.

Pros

• This 12″ subwoofer’s better design makes it sound better than most in this size range
• Every component of a song, from bass to melody is reproduced perfectly
• It aesthetically appeasing look helps it blend in almost anywhere
• Phase toggle switch allows multiple subwoofers to be run alongside
• The LFE-input shield is magnetically loaded and avoids noisy signals.

Cons

• Some customers experienced buzzing noises when playing music at the highest volume
• Some customers complained that the subwoofer shorted out sooner than expected
• Auto-off feature wasn’t working as intended for some customers

Budget Subwoofer FAQs

What are the hardest hitting subs on the market?

The hardest hitting subs on the market currently is the Planet Audio AC10D ten inch automobile subwoofer. The specs are insane, with a max power output of 1500 W and 750 w RMS. The AC10D subwoofer offers the best chest thumping bass thanks to its foam surround and propylene coil.

Do 10 or 12 inch subs hit harder?

With the right amount of power the 10 inch sub will definitely sound more crisp and hit harder because the cone surface area produces more sound pressure. The 12 inch subwoofer however can sound deeper.

How much does a decent subwoofer cost?

Be prepared to spend around $200 if you want a high-quality subwoofer that is average sized. This price point will include the subwoofer speaker and amplifier. If you have a more compact car you can easily find smaller subwoofers for less that still sound good.

What hits harder 2ohm or 4ohm?

2ohm subwoofers are louder than 4ohm because subwoofers with lower electrical resistance produce a louder sound. Keep in mind though that the 2ohm may be louder but sound quality may be reduced because of the power consumption.

Are Dayton subwoofers any good?

The company, Dayton Audio is great and the four box subwoofers they make have some of the best specs and design which are backed up by their many positive reviews. If you’re on a budget but still want a powered subwoofer that is worth every penny then you can’t go wrong with a Dayton subwoofer.