Subwoofer Reviews

There’s no denying the allure of deep, powerful bass—how it conveys emotion and adds palpable dimension to music or the soundtrack of the latest Hollywood blockbuster (you can now officially cross The Interview off your list). As any audiophile will tell you, a good subwoofer is an essential ingredient of a serious sound system. But the sad truth is that for every decent subwoofer there are dozens of bad “subwoofers” that destroy musical passages and intense movie scenes with rude noises and boomy bass.

At Sound & Vision, we’re constantly looking for subwoofers that outperform the competition and rise to the top of their price class. Here’s our list of the best subwoofers you can buy with recommendations in three price categories: less than $1,000, $1,000 to $4,000, and $5,000 and up.

S&V’s TOP SUBWOOFER PICKS: LESS THAN $1,000

SVS SB-2000/PB-2000 Subwoofer: $700/$800

Performance
Features
Build Quality
Value

Summary: For rooms smaller than 3,000 cubic feet, you’ll be hard-pressed to find a better value than what either of these subwoofers offer. Movie fans will likely prefer the ported PB-2000 but if you listen to a lot of music, go with the sealed SB-2000.

Plus: Room-friendly form factor (SB-2000) • Outstanding build quality • 45-day in-home trial period
Minus: No built-in parametric equalizer • Best for moderate size rooms