Top Picks

Subwoofers

Top Pick of the Year:

SVS SB-1000 Pro/PB-1000 Pro
(June/July) Read Review

The new SB-1000 Pro ($600) and PB-1000 Pro ($800) models from subwoofer specialist SVS bring the company's best-in-class app control to an entry level series. Which one to choose? The sealed SB-1000 Pro is the more compact design of the two with higher SAF, while the ported PB-1000 Pro will deliver a bit extra extension. Wrapping up his review of the pair, David Vaughn concluded that he "would easily recommend either model to anyone looking to get good bass on a budget." svsound.com

Finalists:

Bluesound Pulse Sub+
(April/May) Read Review

Designed to work with or without Bluesound's Pulse soundbar, the company's new Pulse Sub+ is a bigger and better take on the company's original Pulse subwoofer. The trapezoid- shaped cabinet is slim enough to slide under a sofa or end table, and all its functions are controlled and configured via the BluOS Controller app. Digging deep into her playlists, reviewer LS found that the Bluesound's 8-inch driver provided substantial amounts of bass, while its DSP kept the sound precise and controlled. $749, bluesound.com

KEF KC62
(April/May) Read Review

Using a new design called Uni-Core, KEF's compact KC62 subwoofer cleverly employs a "force- cancelling" (back-to-back) double-woofer arrangement that backs two drivers onto a common magnet structure. "There may be other mini subs on the market, but none I know of go quite as low in quite as small and elegant a package as what KEF has managed with the KC62," said reviewer DK. $1,499, kef.com

SVS 3000 Micro
(August/September) Read Review

2021 could be called the year of micro-subs, with both SVS and KEF producing elegant designs that elicited deep bass from a highly compact form factor. The SVS 3000 Micro impressed us with not only its good looks, but notable extension and output for its size and, of course, the company's excellent control app. $800, svs.com

OSD Black Trevoce 12 EQ DSP
(February/March) Read Review

This example from OSD Audio's first DSP- controlled subwoofer line packs a 12-inch woofer with a pair of same- size passive radiators in a compact 15-inch cube. The control app used to tweak the Trevoce 12 takes getting used to, but its 25-band EQ and storage for multiple presets give you powerful tools to fine-tune bass in your room. $600, osdaudio.com