Subwoofer Reviews

Performance
Features
Build Quality
Value

AT A GLANCE
Plus
Exceptional Bass Performance
High-Quality Construction
Versatile and User-Friendly
Elevates Overall System Performance
Minus
No Built-in Room Correction
Price Point is high (but still a great value)

THE VERDICT
Look, I get that there's a ton of subwoofers out there. And some of them are probably pretty good. But the Perlisten R18s is in a league of its own. This thing is an absolute beast. But it's not just about raw power. The R18s is also incredibly musical. It blends seamlessly with your main speakers and transforms just about any speaker system into a full-range one.

I love deep bass and have spent exceptional amounts of time and money over three-plus decades pursuing its clean, accurate reproduction. I bought my first pair of subwoofers over thirty years ago. At AVS Forum, where the DIY section was a hotbed of bassaholics in the pre-Facebook group era, I discovered the joys of infrasonic bass reproduced at levels you can feel. It was a brave new world and no subwoofers available to consumers seemed able to perform the tricks that the DIY monsters delivered.

Performance
Features
Build Quality
Value

AT A GLANCE
Plus
Tight, clean, deep bass
Small size
Minus
Pricey
No app

THE VERDICT
The KEF KC92 is ideal in a situation where space is a serious consideration but deep, impactful bass is a must. While it will be best suited to modestly-sized home theater spaces, it can also offer impressive performance in larger rooms, even at challenging output levels.

Most audiophiles today are familiar with the KEF brand. It's one of the most widely recognized names in loudspeakers, offering products ranging from the relatively affordable to the high-end. Established in the U.K. in 1961 by Raymond Cook, the company's name was derived from its original location, the Kent Engineering and Foundry. The Hong Kong-based Gold Peak Group acquired KEF in 1992. All of its products are currently designed and engineered in the U.K., but today most of them (including the KC92 subwoofer), are manufactured in China. One major exception to this are the KEF Blades, the company's highest-end loudspeakers that are still built in Kent.

Performance
Features
Build Quality
Value

AT A GLANCE
Plus
Compact size
Deep, clean bass
Easy to set up and adjust
Available in three finishes

Minus
High price
One sub might not be powerful enough for large rooms

THE VERDICT
The Bowers & Wilkins DB3D is an excellent choice for those who want a compact subwoofer with powerful performance. Its high price may be a deterrent for some, but its features and performance make it worth the investment.

In the realm of high-fidelity audio, the Bowers & Wilkins DB3D subwoofer offers a fusion of compact design and powerful performance. Priced at a premium $3,499, this subwoofer is a statement piece that offers performance to match Bowers and Wilkins speakers like the 700 Series S3 models used in this review.

Performance
Features
Build Quality
Value

AT A GLANCE
Plus
5 year bumper-to-bumper warranty
Incredible amount of clean output
Excellent dynamics
Minus
No XLR inputs
No app control
Few adjustments

THE VERDICT
In the past Klipsch was known primarily for its speakers, but that might be changing. The Reference Premier line of subwoofers are very impressive, finally able to keep pace with their speakers. I went into this review not expecting much, I came away admiring what they had created. The Klipsch RP-1600SW is for real.

Say the name Klipsch and most people will instantly think about high-efficiency speakers, ones with horn tweeters and distinctive gold metallic midranges and woofers. If you're of a certain age your mind might take you to their groundbreaking Klipschorn, that marvelous horn-loaded behemoth of a loudspeaker. Over 75 years after its introduction, the Klipschorn is revered by audiophiles. I'm not sure anything like it exists even today. I'm not reviewing something from their speaker line though, what I have in my living room is a subwoofer from their Reference Premier series: the RP-1600SW.

Performance
Features
Build Quality
Value

AT A GLANCE
Plus
Foundation-shaking bass
Outstanding Build Quality
Servo-control is the real-deal
Minus
Very Heavy
Large footprint can make room placement challenging

THE VERDICT
Rythmik’s direct servo technology isn’t a marketing slogan—it provides the most precise bass these ears have ever heard.

Performance
Features
Build Quality
Value

AT A GLANCE
Plus
Compact Design
Plenty of output above 30 Hz
Wallet-friendly street price
Minus
Weak output below 30 Hz
A bit boomy

THE VERDICT
If you’re on a tight budget and aren’t looking for subterranean bass output, the XT10 will provide some oomph down to 30 Hz for a wallet-friendly price.

Polk Audio is an American manufacturer of high-performance audio products, founded in 1972 by Matthew Polk, George Klopfer, and Sandy Gross. The company quickly made a name for itself in the audio industry by introducing innovative technologies such as the first ever satellite speaker for home use...

Performance
Features
Build Quality
Value

AT A GLANCE
Plus
Most affordable Sonos subwoofer
Compact, attractive
Controlled, restrained bass response
Minus
No Trueplay for Android
Fixed crossover
Only useable in the Sonos ecosystem

THE VERDICT
The Sonos Sub Mini is a great way (albeit, one of only two ways) to add deep bass to a Sonos soundbar or speaker in a small listening room. Considering that Sonos is a closed system, the Sub Mini only works with Sonos products, and Sonos products will only work with Sonos subwoofers. While not exactly a budget item, it's the most affordable subwoofer in the Sonos ecosystem.

What is the number one complaint about almost every soundbar? Let’s say it together: lack of deep bass. Even soundbars as sonically competent as the Sonos Beam and Ray could benefit from more. So here comes the Sonos Sub Mini (MSRP $429), a compact subwoofer that perfectly bonds with all of the non-portable, amplified Sonos products. It should be noted that while the Sub Mini will work with the larger Arc soundbar, Sonos recommends using that configuration only in a smaller room and at low-to-moderate listening levels. Fair enough.