How To Select A Subwoofer in 2022

Are you available in the market for a subwoofer? Perhaps it’s your first time searching for one or it is advisable substitute your present machine. 

Selecting one of the best subwoofer is crucial whether or not you might be watching films, gaming or listening to music. While you purchase the correct product, it may possibly improve your listening expertise.

If you wish to add extra bass to your own home theater system or improve the depth of the lows whereas listening to music, we’ve recognized crucial elements you must consider as you select a subwoofer.

What to Take into account When Shopping for a Subwoofer

As you store for one of the best subwoofer, it’s important to do your analysis to be able to select the correct product in your residence. However what specs must you analyze? 

In alphabetical order, these are a few of the most necessary elements you must take into accout as you analysis subwoofers.

Associated Publish: 10 Greatest Subwoofers For A House Theater

1. EQ and Room Calibration

The subwoofer’s EQ (or equalizer) helps you enhance the sound high quality of your subwoofer. With the EQ, you may regulate bass ranges and the general sound to your liking. This could create a custom-made sound profile tailored to your distinctive preferences.

Nevertheless, adjusting the EQ is only one a part of the method. You’ll additionally must calibrate your subwoofer for the room it’s sitting in. Whereas calibrating a subwoofer can take time, it’s well worth the course of.

If you end up selecting a subwoofer, analysis the know-how in place for EQ and room calibration. 

Get solutions to questions like:

• Is there a built-in EQ?
• Is the EQ managed by way of an app? 
• Does the subwoofer present self-calibration?

Ideally, you’ll need to perceive tips on how to make the changes earlier than you buy your subwoofer. Ask questions at your native digital retailer so that you simply gained’t be flying blind when you get residence.

By taking the time to calibrate your system correctly and adjusting your EQ, you’ll be capable of take pleasure in music and films the best way they have been meant to be heard. 

You’ll need to be sure the subwoofer has EQ and calibration controls. Greater-end fashions normally embrace this know-how. Although you’ll pay extra, you’ll have higher general sound.

2. Frequency Vary

If you end up listening to audio, together with music and dialogue, a subwoofer provides an additional dimension to what you hear. It reproduces low-frequency bass tones to spherical out a sonic profile.

For a typical subwoofer, you may count on a variety of 20Hz to 200Hz. Your ears can detect frequencies all the way down to 20Hz.

The decrease the frequency, the deeper the sound. If distinctive bass is your purpose, go for the decrease frequency choices, starting from 20Hz to 35Hz.

Nevertheless, if you wish to hear your entire register of low frequencies and never simply bass, goal for a subwoofer vary of 40Hz to 60Hz.

3. Entrance-Firing or Down-Firing

Entrance-firing subwoofers ship sound straight forward to the partitions from one aspect of the speaker. Down-firing fashions shoot sound to the underside of the speaker towards the ground. 

Whereas every has its professionals and cons, they each ship correct bass that may take your listening expertise to the subsequent stage.

Entrance-firing subwoofers:

• Have a smaller type issue that’s supreme for compact areas
• Are sometimes inexpensive than down-firing fashions
• Provide an airborne bass expertise
• Might be troublesome to put in a room for one of the best bass response

Down-firing subwoofers:

• Are inclined to have a bigger footprint and are perfect for large rooms
• Might be the identical value or dearer than front-firing subs
• Ship deep vibrations you may really feel from the bottom up
• Are sometimes simpler to put in a room for one of the best bass response

In the end, the correct alternative for you’ll rely in your particular wants and preferences. Visiting an electronics retailer to request an indication may also help making a decision.

4. Hello-Fi or House Theater

How will you utilize your new subwoofer? Whether or not stationary or cellular, the guiding issue is how you’ll use it.

Do you need to hearken to music? If that’s the case, select a subwoofer designed for Hello-Fi methods.

Hello-Fi subwoofers are smaller and create much less bass. However, they provide glorious sound high quality designed for musical enjoyment. 

Do you need to really feel such as you’re in a cinema? Buying a subwoofer designed for residence theater methods could be the best choice for you. 

These subwoofers are typically bigger than Hello-Fi subwoofers and produce thundering bass. This makes a distinction if you end up watching motion films. They’re additionally supreme for motion and journey video games. 

The fitting subwoofer provides a fragile stability between energy and accuracy. For those who can, discover an electronics retailer that permits you to hearken to each to be able to hear the sonic nuances between them.

5. Ported or Sealed

Subwoofers have two essential varieties, together with ported and sealed. Opinions differ about which design is finest. 

The ported design is freer with its bass response. It’s open and highly effective, which is right should you actually need to really feel the bass in music, video games or high-action films.

Nevertheless, they’re massive and are arduous to cover in a room should you desire a minimalist look.

Sealed subwoofers are smaller. Additionally they require much less energy.

If highly effective bass is your purpose, go along with a ported mannequin. In any other case, should you worth the general sound with good however not overpowering lows, keep on with a sealed sub.

Ported subwoofers are good for residence theater methods, whereas sealed subs stream properly with Hello-Fi methods.

6. Energy

Your subwoofer is a component of a bigger sound system that’s made up of a number of audio system and an amplifier. When configuring your sound system, you may select a passive or lively setup.

Energetic subs have built-in amplifiers and plug immediately into an influence outlet. They’re extra highly effective in bass response and infrequently require extra energy utilization.

Passive subs plug into an exterior amplifier to feed it energy.

Subwoofer energy utilization ranges between 150 watts to 1000 watts. A subwoofer with the next energy output reproduces low frequencies extra precisely than a lower-powered subwoofer.

Search for a mannequin that has a ranking of not less than 300 watts. The extra bass you need to really feel, the extra wattage you want.

7. Worth

A top quality subwoofer will improve your listening expertise, however it may be pricey.

There are lots of situations in which you’d profit from a subwoofer. Every will command a special value level. For instance, a subwoofer for a automobile will likely be cheaper than one for a high-end residence audio or theater system. 

That stated, subwoofers vary in value from round $100 to $1,000 or extra. As with most merchandise, do not forget that you get what you pay for.

Subwoofers which are $100 or much less is not going to produce the wealthy, all-encompassing bass you need. To get an honest bass response, count on to spend not less than $150 to begin.

As a rule of thumb, massive feature-rich subwoofers will value extra. In consequence, it’s necessary to consider what you want and have a price range in thoughts earlier than you store.

8. Measurement 

As with many purchases you make, dimension does matter in the case of shopping for a subwoofer.

The scale of the subwoofer you want is dictated by a number of elements, together with:

• The scale of your room
• What you’ll be listening to (films, music or video games)
• Your most well-liked listening quantity
• Energy ranking
• Your price range

A smaller room could be overpowered by a big subwoofer. Equally, a small sub will get misplaced in a big room.

Do you want delicate bass, or do you need to really feel it in your bones because it rattles the listening area? Occupied with how and the place you’ll use your subwoofer may also help you hone in on what’s vital. 

Subwoofers are measured by the dimensions of their inside driver. A driver creates the sound that comes from the subwoofer. The commonest subwoofer drivers vary between eight and 12 inches, though there are smaller and bigger choices. 

A 12-inch subwoofer is an effective middle-ground first alternative for an audio setup at residence should you aren’t certain the place to begin. It can cowl quite a lot of floor in a room. 

If you’re putting in a subwoofer in a automobile, discuss to your electronics retailer professional to find out which dimension will match finest.

Ideally, yow will discover the right dimension subwoofer by testing out completely different fashions. Sadly, that isn’t at all times possible. For those who purchase your subwoofer on-line, you’ll must rely closely on product evaluations and video demonstrations. 

9. Sound High quality

Earlier than testing the sound high quality of a subwoofer, there are some things to bear in mind. 

You’ll need the sub within the candy spot of your room. This will likely take some trial and error since it’ll rely by yourself preferences. There is no such thing as a common good spot. 

Moreover, if in case you have a big household or prefer to host get-togethers, contemplate throwing a listening get together to be able to guarantee a very good sound irrespective of the place folks sit.

As you might be testing the sound high quality, make sure to play a mixture of audio content material like films, music and video video games. 

Be aware of how the sub handles completely different frequencies. Is the sound wealthy and full or skinny? Does it get distorted at sure ranges?

The endgame is in your listening expertise to be snug and immersive. You need it to mix with the remainder of your speaker setup, and a high quality subwoofer can obtain this.

Admittedly, sound high quality is tough to gauge when you may’t hearken to a subwoofer’s efficiency earlier than shopping for one. You’ll must analysis one of the best speaker manufacturers and skim buyer evaluations to get a really feel for high-quality choices within the market.

In the end, one of the best sound high quality is no matter sounds and feels proper to you. 

10. Wired or Wi-fi

In terms of wired or wi-fi subwoofers, which possibility is best? The fact is that there are benefits and downsides on either side. 

If price range is your essential concern, wired subwoofers are sometimes extra reasonably priced than wi-fi choices. If the sound is your focus, wired subwoofers win because the threat of sign interference is low.

Nevertheless, in case you are searching for comfort and freedom of placement, a wi-fi subwoofer is hard to beat.

In the end, your best option will rely in your price range and set up wants. Right here’s a extra thorough breakdown of the positives and negatives of every possibility that can assist you resolve which is finest for you.

Wired Subwoofer Professionals

• Extra reasonably priced
• Much less sign interference points
• Not depending on Wi-Fi community

Wired Subwoofer Cons

• Takes extra time to arrange
• Restricted placement choices
• Have to cover wires for a clear look

Wi-fi Subwoofer Professionals

• Extra placement choices
• Sooner setup
• No wires to cover

Wi-fi Subwoofer Cons

• Costly
• Extra advanced setup
• Depending on wi-fi community connectivity

11. Quantity

The decibel (dB) stage can also be necessary to contemplate. On common, individuals are snug listening to an output of roughly 70 dB, however preferences differ. 

For those who don’t have a sound stage meter, you may strive an app like NIOSH Sound Stage Meter on iOS gadgets or the Sound Meter on Android.

When adjusting the dB stage for a house theater, you may usually use the DVD that comes with the system. It can play completely different sounds and tones that can assist you make changes.

So far as quantity goes, it’s higher if the sub has built-in energy controls or choices to regulate it in a companion app. It’ll help you fine-tune your listening expertise. 

For one of the best outcomes, sit the place you propose to benefit from the sound and regulate the quantity till it has a pleasant mix with the opposite audio system.

Abstract

Selecting a subwoofer may be an thrilling however overwhelming expertise. If it’s your first time searching for one, hold it easy. Even with ample analysis, you’ll must get it residence and mess around with it. 

Ensure you perceive the return, refund or trade insurance policies for whichever machine you purchase in case it’s not the correct match.

The fitting subwoofer provides depth and realism to audio. Have a price range in thoughts, use this information as a reference as you discover the options and ask questions earlier than you make a purchase order.