Best subwoofers
It's time to lower the boom. Subwoofers are the loudly beating heart of any speaker system, and their benefits go further than deep bass. A powered sub can relieve your receiver or amplifier of much of the workload, leaving it free to concentrate on higher frequencies. Remember to match your subwoofer to the size of the room; in general, you want an 8-inch sub for spaces 200 square feet or less and a 10-inch or larger sub for bigger rooms. For truly massive spaces, you might want more than one sub.
>> See all recent subwoofer reviews
Cambridge SoundWorks Newton Series P300HD Powered Subwoofer
8.8 Excellent (reviewed 10/19/06)
Cambridge's radical design in its Newton Series P300HD Powered Subwoofer delivers extraordinary performance.
Read review of the Cambridge SoundWorks Newton Series P300HD Powered Subwoofer
Aperion Intimus S-10
8.0 Excellent (reviewed 2/2/06)
The Aperion S-10 subwoofer is a winning combination of rock-solid construction, impeccable furniture-grade finish, and seismic, room-shaking performance.
Read review of the Aperion Intimus S-10
KEF HTB2
7.9 Very good (reviewed 1/26/07)
KEF's HTB2 subwoofer combines sleek style and high performance.
Read review of the KEF HTB2
Polk Audio PSW 111 subwoofer
7.8 Very good (reviewed 7/23/08)
The able Polk Audio PSW111 subwoofer delivers seamless bass despite its compact size.
Read review of the Polk Audio PSW 111 subwoofer
Definitive Technology ProSub 800 (black)
7.7 Very good (reviewed 7/22/08)
If you don't mind its uninspired aesthetics, the Definitive Technology ProSub 800 is a mighty little subwoofer and a fine match for its SSA soundbars and ProCinema satellite speakers.
Read review of the Definitive Technology ProSub 800 (black)
Polk Audio PSW10
7.4 Very good (reviewed 12/8/04)
Polk's baby subwoofer belts out tight home-theater bass and sounds sweet with music, too.
Read review of the Polk Audio PSW10
Fluance DB-150
7.0 Very good (reviewed 2/2/05)
This robustly built subwoofer's performance is far from state of the art, but the price alone makes it worth considering.
Read review of the Fluance DB-150
ButtKicker LFE
7.0 Very good (reviewed 6/22/04)
The ButtKicker LFE delivers palpable bass that adds an extra, furniture-shaking dimension to DVDs, games, and bass-intensive music.
Read review of the ButtKicker LFE