Best Home Theater Subwoofers from $150 to $5000 (Jan 2024)

[@gtoutdoors1197]

After many months of research and going back and forth on the SVS SB1000 Pro, Definitive Technology DN10, Klipsch R-120SW, Elac 12", Emotiva Airmotiv XS12 (Best for $549- Amplifier is high end and Box weighs 90 Pounds for a 12" Sub) I decided to pay $299 or $285 with the 5% Promo Code for the OSD Trevoce 12" it's Triple 12's in a Sealed Box (2 Passive Glass Carbon woofers & 1 Active 12" Paper type woofer) Hits 18 HZ low. Outdoor Speaker Depot was Free shipping 2 days via UPS paid $307 after Tax. Has all 3 inputs= High Level Speaker wire, LFE and Dual RCA pair.

[@craigforeman903]

This was a well done video and I agree that below 300-400 dollars the sub is really only good for desktop gaming systems or very small rooms like and office. I started my home theater with a $300 sub that was not very good. I soon replaced it with a Hsu Research VTF-2 (I met Dr. Hsu at a Hi-fi show in San Francisco). When the that one died, I bought the VTF-2 Mk 5. I was astonished by how much better it was. Great for movies and also very musical. I listen to Hi-Res audio and the Hsu is great. The SVS is also a great sub, but for double the money of the VTF-2 Mk 5, I would probably get a REL.

[@mrsmokalotapotamus6530]

I just bought an HSU ULS-15 MK2. In a word it is awesome. I mostly listen to music.

[@treenugs117]

I just recently purchased the Jamo c910 renewed for $130. Couldn't be happier honestly, I've heard good audio but have never truly owned good audio. Coming from a logitech z623 and soundbar/subs I'm quite happy with this sub added to a mini amp and two old bookshelves.

[@tumbacoco45]

Please consider making a video about av reciever and speakers from budget to high end.

[@Steelersinfinity]

I have one Monolith M-215 I got for $1899 and it’s amazing for movies. Everything I wanted out of a sub. My previous sub was an Outlaw LFM-1, which was okay, just not on the same level as the Monolith.

[@thepirateswirled]

Subwoofers like these didn't exist back then, they got so much bigger and cheaper, they offer way more than they did in the past. I think DIY subwoofers are still the best though.

[@ShaneM007]

It's crazy how much JTR was raised there prices so much. That same sub use to cost $2995! 😱 Now it's $4799 that's almost two thousand dollars increase. Sure I know prices go up but not that much people. That has turned me away from JTR is the price gouging.

[@mccglastron1972]

I think you're missing a few well known great options? The Momolith 16" THX Ultra normally $2500... The Monolith M-215 Dual 15" THX Ultra for $2500... and the Rymthic FV18 paper cone for $2220. The Monolith 16" has a bit more above 20Hz then the FV18, but the FV18 has much better below 20Hz... and I really want to see what's that's all about and for $300 less that was my pick for endgame sub, and was about to pull the trigger... Then Monolith 16" just went on sale for $2000, which happens often, so I'm like... I cannot decide... Then I discover and see some output numbers for the discontinued Rythmic FV25HP (Dual 15") and I'm like this is the one(!), but they don't make it anymore! But it leads me to the Monolith M-215 (Dual 15"), which the numbers close to the discontinued FV25HP. The Monolith M-215 is better down below 20Hz then the FV18 and beats the Monolith 16" above by a little and is on sale for $1800... Just bought one... Unbeatable... The only issue is quality control... many reports have said people get defective stuff in the Monolith line... to be expected sometimes when companies push the affordability mass production envelope... Figured I'd roll the dice... Monoprice ain't fooling around so will see if they got their issues worked out. If that works out this thing has a little better numbers then the JTR 2400ULF for $1800... we shall see!

[@gtoutdoors1197]

Starke Sound SW15 or Sealed 15" was $499 then Sold Out now $549 Pre-Order for June delivery. Emotiva Airmotiv XS12 is $549 for a 90 Pounds box 12" slot port rear bottom. Emotiva is high end amplifiers so the Sub Amp should be nice has XLR balanced inputs and Furniture Grade HDF (not mdf)

[@samuelreynolds6937]

Great detailed content!

[@goovitoo]

Rsl 12 speed woofer good for dj use?

[@regiezero]

check out Starke SW15 for $499. nothing can beat it at this price.

[@jorgem50]

I have two monoprice sw15s. Crazy good subs for the money.

[@zounds13]

RSL has a new sub for $300, the Speedwoofer 10E. I haven't heard it, or the Monoprice SW-15 for that matter, but I'm confident that it would be a LOT better. (I have a Speedwoofer 10SMkII, BTW.) I'm pretty sure the Speedwoofer 10E would bring your "everything cheaper than this is junk" price point down to $300.

[@gregdepot]

I was able to have family pick up a few cities over a RSL 10S MK1 for $260, if not id still be waiting for the $450 MK2. I think MK1 is fine for me its a fairly small space. My last sub sub before a week ago with this one was a Polk 10” 15 years ago for around $120 it lasted maybe a year and didn’t get very low but I didn’t own a house etc then so didn’t want a ton of base anyhow.

[@techmosaic7489]

The RSL 10S MK1 is a great sub, especially at the price you got it at.

[@kevinvizcainno]

Thoughts on the new RSL 10e????

[@knotthead17]

I found this video looking for hsu and rsl. I have a large basement and I’m looking for best bang for the buck. Where does the diminishing return start for a non audiophile that enjoys nice speakers?

[@ryanr6240]

What options would you recommend for a 2,600 cubic foot room? Best performance to value subs. I currently have a Polk PSW10 that has a minimum frequency of 35hz. I'm using a Yamaha RX-A670 as my receiver. Lastly, my room is just a living room, not a dedicated home theater but I just got an 83" Oled and want to jazz up the tv watching experience.

[@kman9387]

I would definitely get the RSL speedwoofer 12s. I have mine in an open concept living room and it slays!

[@LarryPutski]

What's the best subwoofer for low volume listening

[@AeroPR]

Great video!

[@SamHutton-mw9il]

What about Yamaha ? The NS SW300 goes down to 20Hz, not just noise, they are made by a company that KNOWS music (make Bass guitars, Pianos, etc..) costs $400. Incorporate a 10” drive, generally 12”+ subs are too flappy and boomy for accurate music playing. I love my overachieving Yammy !

[@gtoutdoors1197]

Monoprice 15" subwoofer people have to open the box fix the insulation foams as rattles or resonates. Also the Amplifiers have been going bad within 6 months to 1 year- Red blinking light of death. I was very close to getting the Klipsch R-120SW for $249 on Amazon- Glad i did Not, it's a good Sub for House Parties, Rap or Rock music Not Movies and quality music. Almost bought my friend's Polk PSW505 12" for $300 he has it like new condition barely used it.

[@lehsu]

Fantastic, can tell you cared a lot about subs. How about for us DYIs? What is your recommendation for a kit if we want to build our own and have some basic handyman tools and skills? Are there quality kits out there worth building, but with a better value than these you mentioned in this video? My budget is $400 for such kit.

[@techmosaic7489]

If you're asking for $400 for everything (driver, cabinet, and amplifier), that can be a bit tough to pull off. If you have access to a table saw and can cut your own cabinets out of MDF, that is a huge money saver and you can easily do everything for under $400. Otherwise, you are relying on pre-cut flatpack subwoofers. With the cost of the flatpack, driver, and amp, you're looking at $500 on the low-end. If you can cut down a sheet of MDF into a cabinet yourself, I would recommend checking out the "Hammer" subwoofer build from Home Theater Gurus: kzbin.info/www/bejne/pX2lhI2BmdSEa8U If you are interested in pre-cut flat packs, I would check out GSG Audio and DIY Sound Group: shop.gsgad.com/ www.diysoundgroup.com/flat-pack-cabinets.html If I were to overgeneralize, I don't think flatpacks are worth it unless you are planning to build subwoofers with a 15" driver or larger. Usually the cost-to-preformance benefit doesn't really start kicking in until you get to that point. At 12", you are usually saving less than $100 compared to buying one of the brands I recommended in the video. The exception being cutting your own "Hammer" subwoofer.

[@lehsu]

@@techmosaic7489 Really appreciate your detailed suggestions. I just subscribed and will be following your videos.

[@roybatty-]

Do you have any experience with the SVS SB3000? In terms of performance alone, would it be comparable to anything on this list?

[@joekool5676]

I am assuming the likes of REL, SVS, JL Audio at their higher price points are not a good value compared to these recommendations. Also you dont recommend any sealed until you reach JTR and Sound Audio. Does Rythmik sealed offer good options

[@techmosaic7489]

I was particularly focused on home theater and maximizing bang for the buck at each price point. And what that means for me is having enough output to pressurize your room (ideally down to 20Hz) at as low a price as possible. I plan to make a follow-up video on how to select a subwoofer for your use case. Sealed subwoofers have some useful properties to them (lower distortion, no possibility of port chuffing, gentler roll-off). However, for a given room, you will need significantly more or larger sealed subs to acheive the same result as ported subs. And this translates to a higher cost. I also intend to do a breakdown on my thoughts on subwoofer brands. The brands featured in the video are all internet direct. They are able to offer lower price points because they do not need to account for retailer/dealer margin like SVS, REL, or JL Audio do. This does not mean these brands do not offer excellent products. And there are good reasons why you my want to go through a dealer to purchase subwoofers or speakers. But if you are comfortable with DIY work and want to maximize the preformance you are getting for the money, then Internet direct is the way to go. Fully honestly speaking, I think dealers do their clients a disservice when they put one or two 10" REL/JL Audio subs in a 4000 cubic foot room. They are great subwoofers, but the wrong tool for the job. It is kind of like using a silver spoon to fill up a bathtub. Finally, you mentioned Rythmik sealed subs. I love them. I actually use two in my living room set up. They are an excellent compromise between a home theater and hi-fi music experience. However, I cannot classify them as the best option for the price. I could have gotten the same amount of output for less than half the price if I used ported RSL or HSU subwoofers instead.

[@techmosaic7489]

I posted another video that elaborates on my thoughts on sealed subs as well as brands like SVS, JL Audio, and Rythmik: kzbin.info/www/bejne/rmOyZ4tqm9WIj7M

[@joekool5676]

Excellent reply, really helpful 👍

[@JesusSaviorking]

Good job

[@techmosaic7489]

Thanks

[@OxBlitzkriegxO]

It's a crime that you neglected to include the BIC Acoustic PL-300.

[@conduit242]

The problem with PSA is they simply don’t measure as claimed. There’s a reason he hasn’t posted measurements for years and left them as “Coming soon!”.

[@Shift4g]

Monolith had a good run. They've fallen off everyone's recommends post pandemic.

[@TokeBoisen]

Monolith, Starke, the newest Klipsch line, XTZ in Europe. There are plenty more good suggestions, but it's pretty clear this list wasn't meant to be exhaustive

[@techmosaic7489]

They still provide great value when they are on sale. But I personally cannot recommend them anymore after their widespread quality control issues. I saw two friends firsthand go through the painful process of packing up and shipping back 100+ lbs Monolith subs. After seeing them need to do that, I don't want someone else to have to do that based on my recommendation.

[@techmosaic7489]

Yes, my list was not exhaustive. My main goal was to try boiling it down to one recommendation at each price point. Though I can see that I may have missed some gaps. And this is definitely a US centric list. Europe would be entirely different. Most of the brands in the video are not easily available there. And brands like XTZ or Tonewinner aren't popular in the US, but are often the best option for the price in Europe or the rest of the world.

[@ccarzoo]

1. this sounds like an RSl infomercial... 2. That is not Tom in the video 3. Have you heard any JTR subwoofer???. That sub is literally tuned to 10 hz...... and I get single digits over 100db in a 5000 cubic foot room... , (edit changed to 5000, not 500_)

[@sammy10001]

That is not a big room. Did you mean 5000 cubic feet?

[@mikecato9312]

Speak up.

[@lehsu]

He sounds ok with me.

[@naaman1848]

your audio is too quiet

[@pranavtalwar07]

its not quiet somethings wrong with your system