Budget Friendly JBL SUB 550P 10” Subwoofer. How Does It Compare to the Competition?

[@ErinsAudioCorner]

Buy JBL 550P: amzn.to/3PZhF9W Buy ELAC SUB1010: amzn.to/3s18MVt Buy Monoprice 10 THX (v2): www.kqzyfj.com/click-7732025-11552490?url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.monoprice.com%2Fproduct%3Fp_id%3D42843

[@cyberstasz7328]

As always, no nonsense reviews. Definitely one the most rock solid, truthful audio reviewers on YT. You can take what Erin says to the bank!

[@ErinsAudioCorner]

If you take me to the bank, are we getting a withdrawal for me? 😃😃

[@cyberstasz7328]

@@ErinsAudioCorner just joined as a Patreon member!

[@peterphan227]

I got my 550P on sale for under $200 a few years back. I like it very much. It's always going on sale on JBL's site. It was on sale just last month. I was thinking of picking up a second one. Maybe next time. I'm glad you compared it to the Elac sub, the other budget king. I'm glad to see how much lower the JBL goes compared to the Elac.

[@commanderrussels2612]

Small subwoofers are great sometimes. Like it's one thing to have your dedicated room with giant subs, but in living rooms or apartments having a pair of 10s or even 8s to fill in the low end is lovely.

[@chriswindham9868]

Great review. I actually have two of these. One in bedroom system I’ve had awhile and just bought another for $189 in JBL sale recently I couldn’t pass up for the price.

[@ErinsAudioCorner]

Yeah, I've seen them posted at that price a few times. That's an outright steal at $189.

[@bigjay1970]

I bought two of these myself a couple of years back at the same price. They are sitting between my JBL 590's. I sit 9 feet away. I must have an extra special room because my system sounds phenomenal compared to systems that cost tens of thousands of dollars more. Of course these systems were in a different room!🤔🤫🙃

[@starker1971]

@@bigjay1970 With my 590's I have never felt the need to add a sub, but I am mostly listening to music now. What are you feeding your 590's with ?

[@andrewskaterrr]

@@starker1971100% there’s a need for subs even with the 590s. I have 7x 590 + 580 rear surrounds. I have 4x PB-1000 Pros in a square config. HUGE difference between no sub and even 1 sub.

[@starker1971]

@@andrewskaterrr I already have an over pressurization with 2 590's I find myself having to dial down bass to my preferences. I have them next to some RP-8000f II. I would concur with Erin's evaluation regarding their less bass. They do successfully dampen down the bass in comparison to the 590's. Take care of your ears, it can save you money in the long run. I have seen a youtube of someone doing that in home, is it you ? .... Yup it is you. I am subscribed. I own 6 subs. Maybe some day I will start placing one around and see if I like it. I have an old logitec 5.1 that I am feeding the pre-level to in order to use that sub. I have Klipsch R-120sw, RSL Speedwoofer 10 II, a polk 10, an old Kenwood 8, and a JBL 4645b.

[@shipsahoy1793]

👍Hey, great job putting this subject into perspective, Erin. I purchased a PSW-10 from Polk based on your shootout a couple years back for an hdmi soundbar and subwoofer application in a small TV room .. It worked out nicely, but I had no blinders on regarding what the sub was or wasn’t capable of; but for the size of the room, the volumes we listen, and simplicity due to space constraints, the Dolby bitstream with surround sound for movies, shows and concert footage, it worked out quite well enough; and the sub cost me $129 total on Amazon, so it was a good value. Great job explaining differences when stepping up and why you would or wouldn’t need to go that route. I can fully endorse your overall message through my experiences.😉

[@madcrabber1113]

I bought one of these for $189 direct from JBL about 2 years ago. So far so good.

[@kevonmanuel]

I came here for a subwoofer review, but I no longer care about that. I'm interested in why Erin has not showered in two days. No water?

[@KevinLaffey]

Another proper subwoofer review with data. Keep 'em coming Erin.

[@anmolsingh9025]

we can live within modest means and still be happy. quote for life not just audiophilia. Thanks Erin!

[@stingdragon17]

They had this sub on sale for $189 not too long ago. I think picking up two at that price would have been amazing. They definitely seem like fairly capable subs for the money.

[@Mr0Tubby]

i picked up mine at $140 with free shipping.

[@stingdragon17]

@@Mr0Tubby that's pretty awesome! I hope I can catch it at that kind of price. I missed out on the last sale. Definitely won't let it pass by a second time.

[@lvlfk]

@@Mr0Tubbyfrom where? Was that recently?

[@Mike.Macmyazka]

@@Mr0Tubbywas that new from somewhere or refurbished on Woot? I got two at $190 each from JBL and a 3rd from Woot for $130 plus tax which wound up being less than $140.

[@TheaterAtReference]

Thank you Erin you are my only source of straight forward scientific based reviews

[@audfrknaveen2256]

Not a problem .... We can't smell you though our mobiles 😅😅😅. Jokes apart such a nice review !!! Thanks Erin!! ❤

[@parinpmehta]

Big Fan Erin! I’ve watched so many of your videos and this is my first comment. THIS IS MY FAVORITE VIDEO; LOVE the comparison format personally. Can’t wait to see where this goes! Keep it up man! Gonna be watching for any of these on sale, since I’m sure they’re all great, but especially interested in the Wharfdale Aura 2 if it ever goes on sale.

[@JeffMudrick]

I have 4 of the 550Ps for two of my systems... Silly good in pairs for the under $200 Harman puts them on sale for.

[@TylerStout]

Good review! Definitely worth it's price. One addition to your reviews that I think you could add is ideal room size based on room gain. Specifically only for sealed subwoofers.

[@FOH3663]

Perhaps suggesting an ideal room size would unnecessarily exclude some potential rooms that otherwise would have users that were quite happy. Besides, although purposely seperated from Klippel and ground plane measurements, it's somewhat of a baked in given consideration.

[@bbfoto7248]

@TylerStout The problem with that is there are many other factors that weigh into the room acoustics and performance of the sub that go beyond just Room SIZE. Is the listening room also open to adjacent living areas (living room in an open floor plan), or open to a large hallway or main entry hall on one side, are there high and/or vaulted ceilings and/or is the room potentially open to a 2nd level loft space or staircase landing, or is it a "sealed" room with just one entry/exit door, such as a home office, den, or bedroom??? All of these factors and variables can play a huge role in the low-end response and performance of the subwoofer in ANY given size room, so it's difficult to give that type of recommendation and have it be reliable or relate-able.

[@TheProspectVideo]

I got two of these when they were on sale for $198 each -2 of course help out with even dispersion and coupling/ increased out put and beefed up bottom end. I am a little surprised no musicality points were discussed here but maybe that is subjective. I just think these 550’s are very musical delivering more bass details, sounds and clarity than either 10” or 12” Polk subs I have had.

[@Audio_Simon]

Amp clipping can sometimes look like DSP limiting on the frequency response. For this reason, I think your CES2010 data that sets a distortion limit has good value.

[@ksb916]

Amp clipping will not occur at the lowest frequencies. At the point, subwoofers are typically excursion limited, not power limited.

[@Audio_Simon]

@ksb916 You are correct that the driver will be excursion limited rather than power limited, but we don't know if the amp has enough voltage rail. Many amps are specified at 4 ohms. e.g. 300 Watts in 4 ohms. A driver in a sealed box will have a high impedance at resonance and upwards due to induction. So I would not assume the amp will not clip at max output, especially on a budget subwoofer.

[@dnlhrrng]

Knocking it out of the park again with great info and data! Thanks Erin.

[@ErinsAudioCorner]

Glad it was helpful!

[@pkdude5334]

I have this sub, I like it. Good for the money.

[@prplhaz123]

Another great review, thanks. I have been waiting to hear your thoughts on this sub as we have been using one for six years in our family room. I have been very impressed with its performance vs price, but there are not many (if any) professional reviews on it. As others have pointed out, this sub goes on sale routinely for under $200. At $350 it's a good deal, but at $190, I don't think there is a better value out there. If you are in the market for a sub and on a limited budget, be patient and wait for it to go on sale. I would love to see how the RSL Speedwoofer 10s compares, especially to the Monolith.

[@Darkcruzer23]

another amazing review. such a great representation and reassurance of how much a difference of spending more usually nets more

[@ErinsAudioCorner]

Glad it was helpful!

[@jeffsloane8628]

Great review. Very well articulated Erin. Thanks much.

[@ErinsAudioCorner]

Thanks for watching!

[@tpc3416]

Have you heard the older Mirage Omni S10 or S12 subwoofers? They are extremely hard to find now but I managed to pick up dual 10s for my living room and a single 12 for the family room in the last few years. I don't think I've been tickled as much since buying my first SVS sub. Just an all around great sub for everything that will play down to 20Hz. If you can find one reasonably priced, grab it. And report back. Great review here. The JBL seems to be a very good mid grade sub, as are the Monolith subs.

[@Bradimus1]

That monoprice or the RSL 12 are my short list for new subs. The Monoprice is probably enough, but extra is good. It also reads RSL is better to work with should anything be wrong/warranty issue.

[@khurram88]

I have the Monoprice and it makes Godzilla feels like he’s real.

[@tee-jaythestereo-bargainph2120]

Thanks for the video ' Even though I am a die hard 2ch enthuist only ' sub can add Lots of fun ' Me Dynaudio towers blow me away with bass owned many towers and The Dynes are 🏆 So far @ price for me Love to hear a review of a Dynaudio powered sub! Dynaudio makes crazy good bass woofers thanks Aaron you one of the few reviewers I'd gladly hang out with ' 😆

[@edwardsanchez3708]

I have 4 supercube reference subwoofers each with a 13 inch sub and 1800 watt peak. For movies, the bass is very deep, the type of bass you can't hear but feel that shakes the house when it goes low but for music I feel they are too slow and don't catch all the bass notes. I got a cheap 12 inch bic sub that did way better for music than the big subs, but for deep movie bass that same bic sub was cringe trying to create the low bass that the big subs created. I decided to buy the monolith 10V2 thinking it would only be faster than the 12. That little 10 creates bass almost as deep as my big subs and is faster than my 12. I love the monolith 10 it's very well rounded. I will be getting another one soon.

[@m4nc1n1]

I have that ported Monoprice THX (V1) as a 3rd sub in the rear running off a miniDSP HD2x4 (dual SVS PB1000 Pro in the front) and it is impressive for a 10". But for my desk I have JBL 305 MKII paired with the "Monoprice 10in Powered Studio Multimedia Subwoofer with 200W Class AB Amp and Composite Cone" that I got for $189 on sale. I hope you get to test it. It is very powerful for the money (I can't get past 1 without it overpowering the 305s, lol)

[@austinbeachy3873]

Purchased this sub when it was on sale under 200, and I don't know if the one I got was defective but I couldn't get ANY amount of output out of it.. I sent it back and picked up a used svs 20-39pc + which is miles better.

[@Bradimus1]

When I played Rogue One on my older version of this I thought it was going to die. 😂 I am ready to replace it if only it would. *I didn't realize this is sealed! My older JBL is ported. Hence near death below tuning frequency.

[@JamesWilliams-gf8gm]

Nice review. I think for people pairing this with the JBL 580s when they are all on blow out sale prices on JBL they are probably fine. The 580s are ok. The tweeter sounds a bit stressed (compressed/distortion) to me at high output but other wise a nice speaker when on sale. I assume these subs are similar quality. Good for the money but not great.

[@fieldcar]

Your amp is probably giving up if you hear the compression driver being stressed. You'll notice this more and more as your amp gets hot. Maybe look at adding an AC Infinity cooler for your amp. It solved these issues with my 590's powered by my Denon X3700H. Just a quick note. The 2414H's in our speakers are good for ~127dB, and are used in the JBL EON 315 and JBL 928 line array.

[@ravington666]

I had to replace my KEF KC62 due to the compression at higher volumes which was annoying. I now have a pair of REL HT/1003's which solved this issue for less money than one KC62 but now the problem is at the other end ! Where as the DSP of the KEF boosted low frequencies at low to moderate volumes and sounded amazing & satisfying at these listening levels, the REL's are barely audible at low volumes. I think the answer is the bigger KEF KF92 but this is more than twice the price of the REL's. BTW loving these small subwoofer reviews......but please could you review the new REL HT/1003 mk 2

[@danielcarlsson615]

Ty. Im in a search for a sub. But no I can’t seem to get money for a buy. Anyway I’m interested of this great video for a future buy.

[@59seank]

Thanks Erin.

[@ErinsAudioCorner]

You’re welcome!

[@Mike.Macmyazka]

I’m in the middle of watching the video so it’s not over yet. I will add info if needed. Just wanted to say that I bought three of these. I bought two directly from JBL for $190 each. They didn’t charge tax or shipping. Then I bought a refurbished unit for $130 plus tax somewhere else with free shipping. That refurb came looking brand new. The retail according to JBL is $600 in 2023 but it was on sale for multiple months this year so really it is a $200-250 sub. I follow another channel who picked one up and was in the process of upgrading the driver and hopefully amp. I followed their plan and I have a CSS SDX10 XBL^2 to put in the refurbished unit. I want to see what it does. The total cost is more than some of the other budget subs that will go a little lower but I like tinkering and trying things so that’s what I’m doing. Also the enclosure for $130 plus tax (less than $140) is pretty damn good. I’ll be using the factory amp for now but plan on putting at least 500 watts to the CSS later. I might close up the back panel and use an external amp.

[@michaelgochez7768]

Hey Erin, do you know if any of these were standouts in the group delay department? Or even the opposite, bad performers?

[@MFFOG]

What about the JBL vs RSL Speedwoofer 10s?? Have you ever tested that one?

[@ErinsAudioCorner]

Not yet. But I should be testing RSL in the future.

[@MFFOG]

@ErinsAudioCorner They seem to be well received. The 10s Mk II is just $450. The newer 12s is a beast, and seems pretty competitive in price at $800.

[@Audiomainia2310]

Bought mine on JBL site for $189.00 / always goes on sale. Where else can you get a sealed 300 watt RMS / 550 watt peak for this price? I've had ported subs - never again. Tight taught bass

[@aceofspades6667]

RSL speedwoofer 10 mk2 is my choice for a budget 10 incher. This is still pretty interesting

[@psyphonyxaudio]

hahahah.. the hat intro got me laughing =) .. Awesome stuff ..solid advice in the intro.

[@SimpleMailWork]

THANK U!

[@Feliciano12v]

I'm waiting for the day that you review a Rythmik subwoofer like the LV12M.

[@Blacklighting]

Wish you got the sealed Mission sub. It's the cheapest sealed sub I could see.

[@jaker8107]

I just got one of those. Pretty solid. $250 ish. Fits under my desk.

[@joentell]

Good stuff

[@BatteryAz1z]

Erin, could you review the Dali M 10 D? It's their high end compact downfiring sub. Been on the market for 10 years.

[@Masterslessons]

Erin your asleep? I'm about to buy a subwoofer for a spare room tonight if you can give your quick pick RSL12s or Monolith THX12 Joe and others too slow to even reply maybe won't. Just trying to buy something before Black Friday is done. RSL in white for a kitchen sounds delicious. I need your opinion maybe I already made up my mind. That mono is no way fitting in the kitchen. Thanks Erin.

[@ErinsAudioCorner]

Sounds like you already made up your mind. 😉

[@hubertogoezacevedo9872]

monoprice sw 12 review

[@ryanlawson5768]

I'm not sure if there is data to show this, but can you personally tell a difference between a true sealed design like this vs the monolith sealed "mode". I'm not really into home theatre and would like the quickest bass with the best integration to mains so I was thinking that a sealed design could be a great option.

[@andrewking501]

Hey Erin, I was having trouble accessing the Dropbox link in your subwoofer sheet for the full data - saying the folder doesn’t exist. Is that no longer active, or just an issue I’m having?

[@davidhoover2446]

I think the driver/cabinet combo should be dialed in for the low end you need. DSP to push super low bass in smaller cabinets that don’t do it naturally can really kill the output. My guess is that companies generally know the general public want small subs so they use DSP to push the lows.

[@RenatoAkira18]

When we see graphs like the one at 5:45, why can't DSP simply raises the volume of lower frequencies at low volumes? Is it because of distortion?

[@ErinsAudioCorner]

Many do. It’s known as a “linkwitz transform”.

[@Clobercow1]

The difference between 30hz and 20hz in terms of power and volume (space) requirements is incredible.

[@Clobercow1]

DSP limiting to protect the driver is good on any subwoofer and doesn't affect it's output. It just stops damage. The end result is the same if you tune it yourself, except you don't need to do the work. So I don't see what the problem is. In the event DSP is heavy handed and it's artificially limiting the driver in some arbitrary way, then I can see the argument. When I design a sub, I DSP limit the bottom end at full power to protect the driver at the limit. Why would you not have that built in? You're losing nothing.

[@ErinsAudioCorner]

You’re confusing the term DSP with limiting. Frequency limiting with volume is the subject. The LF doesn’t scale the same. So by definition you have compression.

[@crazyprayingmantis5596]

Subs don't have to go super low, id rather they're tight fast and not one note.

[@demwillams8898]

Lol that intro

[@bumkrilla5339]

I see those jbl subs get down to $150 once a year every year since they've came out

[@gaurd3]

Plenty happy if you don’t know. I mean this as politely as possible , ignorance is bliss when it comes to Home theater subs! If you have limits that’s one thing. Thats not always the case. Sometimes it’s just skimping.

[@ErinsAudioCorner]

Ignorance is bliss in all of audio. Sometimes I long for the days when I had two Rockford go state subs and a single amp and was content. Fast forward nearly twenty years later and I’m enjoying the hobby but I’d have a lot more money if I had just stayed with that setup. 😂😂😂

[@sampsalol]

Is it possible for you to review the new KRK studio subs at 10" or 12"?

[@ErinsAudioCorner]

Honestly, probably not. Mainly because it’s about to get cold here and I need the weather to be at least mild, if not warmer to do subwoofer tests since I do them outdoors and the suspension of woofers can change when it is very cold.

[@sampsalol]

@@ErinsAudioCorner Fair enough. Better luck in the spring then? ;)

[@wswsn7396]

The THD will go up exponentially when a 10 inch woofer is trying to play 30hz or lower tones no matter how much more expensive is the subwoofer.

[@ErinsAudioCorner]

That’s like saying a dog will eat when it’s hungry. We know that. 😀 The point is in qualifying just what the distortion levels are and where they are reached. That’s how you make a proper comparison.

[@wswsn7396]

@@ErinsAudioCorner, your audio reviews provide solid material among all youtube speaker reviewers. I just wish your to review more of 12 inch subwoofers. I can turn volume down if I have too much bass with a 12 inch woofer. With 10 inch woofer, I can not get clean 30Hz tones even if I turn the volume to the maximum.

[@murraywebster1228]

Highlight today is the t-shirt! Just a shame you’ll have to give it a hard wash now……

[@ErinsAudioCorner]

I was just gonna spray it with Febreze and set it outside for a couple hours. 🤷‍♂️

[@plompudu2529]

What Subwoofer(s) are you using for your own Setup?

[@ErinsAudioCorner]

In my rental home I’m just using whatever I’m testing at the time. In my previous home I was using (2) Stereo Integrity 18” subs in custom built 4 cuft cabinets tuned to 18Hz.

[@joelopez7459]

Always curious about these, on sale with the Jbl Studio series you can have a killer 5.1 for like $1500

[@jamesmccaffrey1892]

Hair? What hair?

[@Azzy_Mazzy]

No erin I NEED 24” subwoofers to annoy my neighbors

[@AA-ws3vd]

You may stink but these reviews don't! Thanks E! Did you get the RSL SPEEDWOOFER yet??

[@WWeiss-nv5vz]

I don't listen to pipe organ. For a music only sub, I read kick drum and bass guitar is between 40-60Hz. Why is it necessary for a sub to perform under 30Hz?

[@ErinsAudioCorner]

If you listen to music that has synthesizers, for example, rap music, then there is often content below that. Movies have content below this as well. It’s just up to what you need.

[@WWeiss-nv5vz]

I have the SVS 3000 Micro . Your chart shows 20Hz output at 75dB. Is that 75dB with the mains also playing or the sub in isolation? @@ErinsAudioCorner

[@ErinsAudioCorner]

@@WWeiss-nv5vz all of my measurements are with the sub only, measured anechoic.

[@WWeiss-nv5vz]

So if its 20 Hz output at 75db with sub only, how loud would it be, producing 20hz with two main speakers at normal listening distance, say 3 meters? @@ErinsAudioCorner

[@ErinsAudioCorner]

@@WWeiss-nv5vzwell, you should have a crossover on your mains if you’re using a subwoofer so they wouldn’t be playing those frequencies. Besides, I doubt your mains would extend to 20Hz with any authority at all unless they’re huge.

[@nil8urbudz708]

These were $149 from Harmon and JBL sites last month. I've seen it as low as $129 from Woot. No reason to pay over $200 as they are on sale monthly, which locks this as a budget subwoofer.

[@Audiomainia2310]

No way! I get updates from JBL all the time - normally $599.00, but goes on sale frequently for $189.00 which is what I paid almost a year ago.

[@dominicfeira8037]

If you understand what this is good for and you get this thing on sale ($189) then you've got yourself a HUGE bargain. I have one in my living room paired with a passive sound bar and one in my office. They have been fantastic for these use cases. Just don't put this in a real home theater.

[@TonicofSonic]

If you live in an apartment do the world a favor and do not use a sub. Save your cash for a better life.

[@bbfoto7248]

@ErinsAudioCorner Hey Erin, yeah you might stink, mate! But luckily, some 'bama chicks dig it! 😛

[@Eron55555]

Just get 2 RSL 12s and be done with it.

[@OlafStaron]

It’s so 80’s and so ugly. 😅

[@ErinsAudioCorner]

Haha. I assume you were talking about the Driver? If so, I agree. Though I do think the subwoofer itself is fine. Simple, flat black look that won’t draw any attention to itself.

[@E4S65]

Maybe the sub looks better in person but online the sub itself does look kinda dated. Depends on your preferences and space of course.

[@hiresaudiocosta873]

I’m glad you showered before you got in my van 🚐. I appreciated it😂

[@ErinsAudioCorner]

Who says I did?

[@hiresaudiocosta873]

@@ErinsAudioCorner I would have smelled you coming from a Mile away. 🦨

[@ErinsAudioCorner]

@@hiresaudiocosta873not with all those skittles covering my scent.