The Best Subwoofers For 2024 – Size Matters!
We don’t have identical rooms. If we did, there would be no need for different subwoofers. Some of us have tiny bedroom home theaters. Others, like me, sit close to their gear and have smaller rooms. And others have huge rooms that need lots of bass! Well, whatever your needs, we have a sub to meet the need. Today, we discuss the best subwoofers for 2024 – size matters! Let’s discuss.
And before I begin, I would like to thank Rob H of AV Rant Podcast. Rob H was gracious enough to lend me his insight to help me create and hone this list.
The Criteria
Subwoofers can be small, cheap, or play low/loud – pick two!
Tom Andry – Editor In Chief – AV Gadgets
The criteria for the best subwoofers in 2024 is simple. It has to be a subwoofer, and it has to be available in 2024! Joking aside, I am going to look at subwoofers that meet any budget but still get the job done. That does not mean I will add a subwoofer because it’s cheap. It needs to be value-priced, but
Best Subwoofer For Tight Spaces
Not all of us have the dedicated space for a large black box. In these cases so-called “micro-subs” are a viable option. These subwoofers are small, and lack the bass output of their larger cousins, but can be good enough to give you reasonably decent bass.
For this market segment, the SVS 3000 Micro ($899) is my pick. The 3000 Micro features dual 8″ woofers inside a 10.9”H x 11.7”W x 10.7” D sealed enclosure. Power is provided with an 800W RMS (2500W peak) amplifier that is capable of 23-240Hz (+/- 3dB).
Let’s be clear, this is not a bass monster, and it’s not cheap. But some rooms can not accommodate large subs, either through space of aesthetics, so the SVS 3000 Micro is an acceptable compromise.
Best Subwoofer for Small/Medium Rooms
I have a small room and I love it. I sit about 7′ from my screen and speakers, so I don’t need a lot of amplification. On top of that, because I sit so close, I can get away with a 65″ OLED and get the field of view that I like. It also means that I don’t need monstrously large subwoofers for even (and impactful) bass! This category is probably the most competitive, with lots of quality choices out there from HSU, Monolith by Monoprice, and SVS, just to name a few.
For me, the SVS PB-1000 Pro gets a nod and goes on my list of (one of) the best subwoofers for 2024. At least for a small room! At $799, it’s not the cheapest subwoofer in the category, but it has all the stuff we want. First off, it’s a dual ported 12″ driver that is backed by 325W RMS (820W peak) that can deliver bass from 17-260Hz in ported mode. If you want to convert it to a sealed sub, they include plugs and you get 19-26-Hz! It’s not tiny at 18.9”H X 15”W X 20”D and 42lbs. But it is by no means unmanageable. Add in EQ and DSP, a Bluetooth app, and you get a lot of value for $799.
Before you ask, yes, I do own a pair of SVS PB-1000 Pros. However, I also have owned a number of other subs, including the discontinued SVS PB-1000, and the Monolith M-10 V2 THX ($649) subwoofer, and I still choose the more expensive SVS PB-1000 Pro for its features. But I wouldn’t be mad if you saved yourself $150 and went with the Monolith.
Best Subwoofer for Large Rooms
Having a large room is tricky, especially if it’s open concept. For these situations, you need oodles of output and probably multiple subs. In these circumstances, I go back to something my daddy told me “There ain’t no replacement for displacement!” Ok, I lie, he never said that. But if you want loud bass, you need big boxes in your room that have big woofers and push air!
Luckily you have lots of choices here, but my choice has to go to the Monolith by Monoprice M-215 THX Certified Ultra ($1999). It boasts dual 15″ woofers powered by 2000W RMS (3600W peak) amp in a large 42.3″H x 27.6″L x 20″W box that is capable of 14-200Hz. Plus, you can run it in a variety of modes including THX, vented, and sealed. You truly can dial it in, whatever your need.
Let’s address the elephant in the room, these things are HUGE and heavy (it weighs 216lbs)! However, large spaces require oodles of output and drivers/amps that can push air. Can you get away with putting refrigerator-sized subwoofers in your room? Who knows? But I know they will be loud!
Take Away
I hate to sound like a broken record, but we live in a Golden Age of subwooferage. When I started this hobby in the ’90s there were very few choices for subwoofers. My first subwoofer was a down-firing 8″ Mirage that maybe hit 30Hz. Now we can get subs to fit any room, need, and output level! What a time to be alive!
