11 Best Subwoofers Under $500 of 2023 You Should Buy

#1. Polk Audio HTS 10 Powered Subwoofer with Power Port Technology

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The Polk Audio HTS 10 Powered Subwoofer is a great addition to any home theater. 

It features a 10-inch woofer and Polk's Power Port technology, which provides greater bass response by minimizing port noise. 

The subwoofer also has a variable low-pass filter, so you can customize the sound to your liking. 

It's easy to set up and use, and it delivers excellent sound quality.

 

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#2. SVS PB-1000 300 Watt DSP Controlled 10" Powered Subwoofer

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The SVS PB-1000 is a 10" subwoofer that delivers 300 watts of power. 

It features a digital signal processor (DSP) that allows for precise control over the sound. 

The PB-1000 also features a built-in amplifier and a port design that reduces turbulence and noise. 

The result is a low, powerful, and accurate bass response that is perfect for music or movies.

 

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#3. JBL Professional LSR310S -Channel Studio Subwoofer

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The JBL Professional LSR310S is a channel studio subwoofer that offers many features and benefits for customers. 

Its compact design makes it ideal for tight spaces. 

The JBL Professional LSR310S's advantages are its affordable price, easy setup, and great sound quality. 

These benefits make the JBL Professional LSR310S an excellent choice for those looking for an affordable and high-quality subwoofer.

 

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#4. Bic Acoustech PL-200 II Subwoofer

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The Bic Acoustech PL-200 II subwoofer is a high-performance, powered subwoofer that delivers deep, powerful bass. 

The PL-200 II features an adjustable crossover, phase switch, and level control. It's designed to deliver accurate, powerful bass reproduction in both music and movies. 

The PL-200 II is a great choice for anyone looking for a high-performance subwoofer that will add depth and power to their home theater or music system.

 

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#5. Bose Bass Module 500

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The Bose Bass Module 500 is a subwoofer that brings your movies and music to life with deep, powerful bass. 

It's small enough to fit discreetly in your room, yet delivers a big sound. 

The wireless connection means you can place it anywhere, and the sleek design ensures it looks great. 

The module also features an advanced DSP algorithm for optimized performance, making it the perfect addition to your home theater system.

 

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If you like to listen to music and movies at full blast, you need a subwoofer. Most people simply buy whatever is available and end up with bad sound quality no matter how good their speakers are. There is so much information out there it can be hard to know what's best for your needs. This guide brings clarity to the subject so anyone can pick the right subwoofers under $500 easily:

1. Size Matters

If you are limited on space, go for a smaller subwoofer if possible. The larger the subwoofer is, the longer it takes to produce a sound which can result in a slower response time. This might not be very noticeable for most people but if you want clean bass lines, make sure your new purchase is compact and easy to fit anywhere you want it anyway.

2. Power Is Important

Subwoofers generate a lot of energy and power needs to be supplied from an amplifier or sound system that has enough juice for it otherwise you'll end up with a weak noise that gets drowned by other sounds or disappears altogether from no amplification. If you have the right amount of power your subwoofer under $500 will shake the whole room and the bass will be crisp and clear at the same time!

3. Cabinet Design Is Important, Too

Look for woofers with wooden cabinets instead of plastic ones. The wood used is usually high quality which means your subwoofer won't shrink when it's pushed too hard or vibrate in places where it shouldn't move. This could indicate weak parts inside that might fail sooner than you'd like to see. Another great choice would be a wood laminate finish since it looks richer and comes in more colors than solid timber does.

4. Check the Size And Weight, Too

If you plan on moving your purchase around a lot or installing it into tight spaces, make sure you get a subwoofer with a smaller footprint and weight to make moving easier on you. If your new subwoofer is too heavy for you, ask a friend if he'd be willing to help or hire somebody to do it for you – Don't hurt yourself doing something as dangerous as moving heavy electronics!

5. Low-frequency driver size matters

The size of your driver should be at least 8 inches so the sound waves are deeper and richer than they would be otherwise. If you go for anything less than this, expect a reduced bass response even if it's just about 10% less than what an 8-inch woofer would provide.

6. Amplifiers Matter Too

You need your amplifier to keep up with how much power your subwoofer is generating and the load it places on the amp. If they don't match, you might end up with a weak noise that's barely noticeable or simply not loud enough no matter how much you turn up the sound system. Make sure you check out specs before buying to avoid this problem.

7. Getting The Best Power Output Is Important

The best power output for most people is going to be between 200 – 500 watts at 4 ohms since anything less won't have as strong an impact as a small amplifier would have if powered by a 2000 watt generator instead! This isn't always true but more often than not, it is so unless you plan on pushing your purchase to its maximum all the time, this power range makes for the best results.

8. Check What The Subwoofer Is Made Of

Anything that goes deep can be damaged easily by heat and vibration especially if it's made of cheap materials like plastic or thin metal which heats up with use very quickly, creating cracks inside or creating vibrations outside that could affect your sound quality. Some subwoofers are cooled to make sure this doesn't happen but most aren't so check out what you're buying before making a decision.

9. Make Sure It's Easy To Connect

If your subwoofer under $500 is hard to connect, chances are you won't want to put in the effort necessary to do so right? You'll just leave it where it is until you have a good reason to move it and will go with a purchase that's easier on you. Make sure your new subwoofer has a line-level input, speaker wire outputs, and RCA connectors for convenience!

Cheap vs. Expensive Subwoofers Review

 

1. What is a subwoofer?

A woofer converts the electronic signal from an amplifier to sound by moving a cone in and out to create pressure waves of different frequencies which our ears interpret as sound. Most people refer to the whole speaker system consisting of a receiver, multiple speakers, and a woofer as a "sound system," though some people insist that only the woofer is called a subwoofer. The term "subwoofer" has become popular among audio enthusiasts, however.

2. Why do we need Sub-woofers?

The biggest advantage of owning such expensive audio equipment like this is basically you can hear every single detail (the subtle sounds) very clearly without any interruption... I'm sure you want to hear every single detail of the action scenes in any movie or drama. (I'm pretty sure most people can't afford expensive audio equipment... But there are others, who may seem like don't care much about sound but they do... Who knows?)

3. Is it better to have 1 or 2 subwoofers?

Having one subwoofer connected to your receiver will be fine for most people... But two subwoofers are better than one. Although I would say that there's not much difference between having one or two if you have the budget then go ahead and buy another subwoofer for a more satisfying listening experience.

4. What size subwoofer hits the hardest?

The size of the subwoofer doesn't matter when it comes to hard-hitting. A 15" subwoofer can hit harder than an 18". Having said that, hitting lower frequencies is easier with bigger woofers because there's more cone surface area in the woofer. But having two 10" subs actually produce louder and deeper bass than one 15" subwoofer, so you might want to take your room space into account as well.

5. What size subwoofer is best for bass?

Subwoofers in general are measured in diameter, but that's not very helpful when you're trying to figure out the best size for your setup. Instead, focus on the recommended power handling of the subwoofer you want to buy. That way, you'll know exactly what amplifier or receiver to connect it up with. You should also get a feel for how much bass is good enough for your listening environment through some trial and error based on your preference.

6. Can I add multiple sub-woofers?

Yes! Just make sure they all go through an amplifier or receiver that can handle them all, otherwise, you might end up blowing something important along the way!

We’ve spent hours researching the best subwoofers under $500 and have compiled a list of our top 11  favorites. If you are in need of a new subwoofer for your home theater, car audio system, or any other application where clean bass is desired, check out these models before making a purchase decision. Let us know what you think about this list!

Even if we didn't include one that made it onto your shortlist as well as ours, let's hear from you anyway because we're always looking for feedback from consumers like yourself who want only the very best products available at reasonable prices. What do you think? Are there any features missing from our list that should be included?