Welcome to our great active subwoofer test 2022. Here we present all the active subwoofers we have tested in detail. We have compiled detailed background information for you and also added a summary of customer reviews on the net.
With this, we would like to make your buying decision easier and help you find the best active subwoofer for you.
You can also find answers to frequently asked questions in our guidebook. If available, we also offer you interesting test videos. Furthermore, on this page you will also find some important information that you should pay attention to if you want to buy an active subwoofer.
The most important in short
- Active subwoofers adequately reproduce and amplify the low end of music, making them indispensable for some newer music genres and home theater setups
- Generally, a distinction is made between active and passive subwoofers, whereby newer subwoofers largely belong to the first class. Here you can personalize the sound and the sound reproduction directly on the subwoofer with a variety of controls and equalizers.
- In home theater systems, a frontfire or downfire subwoofer should be used, depending on your needs. The former are compatible with bright environments.
Active subwoofer test: editors’ favorites
The best all-rounder among active subwoofers
259,99 EUR
249,00 EUR
249,00 EUR
Last price updates: amazon.De (30.01.22, 22:11 h), other stores (23.11.21, 13:15)
This subwoofer weighs 9.5 kg with a size of 26.5 x 34×5 x 36.5 cm. In addition, this subwoofer has a compact bass reflex resonance cabinet (265 x 365 x 345 mm). The volume and crossover frequencies are manually adjustable.
Buyers of this subwoofer are consistently satisfied with the sound quality delivered by this subwoofer. In addition, this subwoofer can also be used to provide sound to larger rooms without problems.
The active subwoofer with the best price-performance ratio
this subwoofer has the following dimensions: 35 x 35 x 40,5 cm. The product weight is 19 kg. This is an active subwoofer with 120W sine wave and flow-optimized bass reflex. In addition, this subwoofer has a 25 cm long excursion chassis with powerful magnetic drive.
Customers praise the high quality at a very fair price, as well as the extra functions of active bass equalization and the reproduction of ultra-low bass. Overall, buyers emphasize that this subwoofer can also compete with high-quality and – priced brand subwoofers.
The best active subwoofer for home theater
This subwoofer has a size of 32 x 32 x 43.9 cm and a weight of 9.07 kg. This is a 25 cm active subwoofer with 120 WATT R.M.S. The crossover frequency is continuously adjustable from 40 to 180 hz. The transmission range is 20 to 180 hz.
Buyers of this subwoofer are enthusiastic about the compatibility it has with home theaters. In addition, it is emphasized that it is easy to connect and expands the listening and enjoyment experience of the home theater. In particular, buyers praise the quality of workmanship and the power of the reproduced bass.
Also interesting
Guide: questions you should ask before buying an active subwoofer
This guide will help you decide which active subwoofer to buy. In the guidebook you will find a lot of information, recommendations and tips about active subwoofers. In addition, basic questions are clarified such as:
- What exactly is an active subwoofer?
- How much do subwoofers cost?
- What connections are needed?
- Which types of subwoofers are there and which one is suitable for me??
What are active subwoofers and how do they differ from passive speakers??
If you already have a loudspeaker system, then you may have similar problems, because they are also designed to reproduce the mid and low frequencies of the sound spectrum.
Here a subwoofer can help you, which is explicitly optimized for the presentation of low-frequency sound vibrations from 30 to 160 Hz. A subwoofer is therefore a low frequency loudspeaker. The so-called woofer here represents the low-frequency chassis of the broadband loudspeaker box.
This is also the function of the subwoofer – it amplifies low frequencies, which usually include bass and deep bass.
More generally, an active subwoofer amplifies the frequencies that are in the lower range of the broadband speakers.
The main difference between active and passive speakers is that the former have a built-in amplifier, while passive speakers work on the one-way principle. This means that all sound-related settings are made on the amplifier of the system.
the following table shows basic differences and functionality between active and passive subwoofers.
Active subwoofer passive subwoofer
| have built-in amplifier power amplifier |
similar construction as passive speakers |
| Bass frequencies are presented as an LF signal (low-frequency preamplifier signal from the LFE channel of the AV receiver) |
works with one-way principle |
| have various adjustment parameters, which can be adjusted directly on the subwoofer or on the receiver |
all sound adjustments are made at the amplifier of the system |
The subwoofer output can be recognized by the characteristic cinch socket, which is usually marked in yellow, and by the designations "LFE", "sub" and/or "sub preout".
What does an active subwoofer cost??
The demand has risen sharply in recent years and this has also lowered the price. In addition, more efficiently produced models have been released, which have also become more affordable as a result.
A price overview is shown in the table below:
type price range
| entry level models |
200€ to 500€ |
| mid-range models |
500€ to 1500€ |
| high performance models |
from 1500€ |
Why should I choose an active subwoofer??
the lower the frequency, the longer the sound waves that propagate through the room. For example, the wavelength at 50 Hz is about 6.7 m.
Therefore, for the reproduction of bass tones in the low frequency range, a much larger volume of air must be made to vibrate. works much better with a larger diaphragm area than with a small diaphragm area. this is why subwoofers are usually much larger than midrange and tweeter speakers.
What characteristics should an active subwoofer have??
You should pay attention to the following criteria:
criterion description
| room size |
with larger room volumes, the subwoofer needs more power to fill the entire area with sound. Therefore, the driver size, the efficiency and the enclosure principle are the most important factors. |
| Location |
the subwoofer amplifies low frequencies. These unfold in particular by the fact that the sound waves are reflected at the associated walls. Depending on this, the sound can be distorted, so the subwoofer should always be placed centrally with enough distance to all walls. For this purpose, a sound technician can also be called in. |
| volume |
depending on the intended use, the maximum volume should also be selected. |
| Usage (film vs music) |
for action-packed movies, the low bass (20 to 40 hz) is extremely relevant. If, for example, you want to reproduce an authentic "earthquake feeling" or explosion sounds like in the cinema, then you should make sure that the active subwoofer adequately reproduces very low frequencies. Furthermore, you should know that frequencies below 25 Hz are not heard but rather felt and felt. |
| Equipment |
here you should pay attention to whether the subwoofer can be personalized by settings and parameters such as phase adjustment, low and high pass filters, EQ functions or calibration systems. |
| Design and size |
here you should decide which designs and sizes you prefer according to your preferences. |
| Budget |
the price range is huge, as already shown above. Especially for high quality subwoofers, which should sound large rooms, you should be prepared to pay a higher budget. |
Who offers active subwoofers?
If you already know exactly which subwoofer you want to buy, you can easily order the screen online and have it delivered to you. Common online stores are available here:
- Amazon.De
- Ebay.De
- Mediamarkt.De
- Saturn.De
- Cyberport.De
- Alternate.De
- Comtech.De
- Thomann.De
- Recordcase.De
Furthermore, there are a number of specific technical dealers and companies that offer active subwoofers. These also offer personal advice and information. Here to belong:
- Media market
- Saturn
- Samsung
- Bose
- JBL
- Yamaha
The features are quite similar for most of the products offered. Therefore, personal references and previous experience also fall into the weight in the purchase decision.
The important thing is that the active subwoofer needs all the features you have intended for it.
What are the alternatives to an active subwoofer??
Typical stereo systems often do not have a stand-alone subwoofer, as this is often not necessary for rock, jazz or classical music, and many listeners are not bothered if the low frequencies are not reproduced in detail.
Here, many multi-way speakers can already reproduce the required bass, of course not as intense as a subwoofer.
However, the music genres hip hop and pop, which are statistically the most consumed, are significantly more bass-heavy than other music genres, and this trend has increased again in recent years.
Decision: what types of active subwoofers are there and which is the right one for you?
In the field of enclosure subwoofers, v.A. Two designs developed: downfire subwoofer and frontfire subwoofer. We will now present the advantages and disadvantages of each type to you.
What distinguishes a frontfire subwoofer and what are its advantages and disadvantages??
this type of subwoofer is also called a direct radiating subwoofer. They emit the sound directly into the room air and thus function like ordinary speakers. Thus, the energy transfer to the building structure is low.
- Independent of the building type
- Pleasant listening pleasure
- Suitable for neighborhoods
- Sound is processed only by acoustic modality
- Less brute sound and movie experience
- More susceptible to sog. "bass holes
Here the sound is primarily perceived through the ears. Sound effects such as rumbling or pounding are also perceived psychoacoustically. This type of bass is often perceived as less intrusive and more enjoyable in general.
What is a downfire subwoofer and what are its advantages and disadvantages??
The sound source of the downfire subwoofer points towards the floor, squeezing out the bass between the floor and the subwoofer. The sound pressure is distributed here in the 360 ° range and is thus transferred to the building substance. This means that the bass is not only noticeable but also audible. the launch of a rocket or the impact of a meteorite can also be perceived physically in addition to the acoustic-visual form.
- No bass holes
- Multimodal listening and viewing experience
- Hard to beat in terms of weight and brute force
- Depending on the building substance
- Very strong noise is generated, therefore unsuitable for a harmonious coexistence with neighbors
- Very good systems are needed so that the bass remains audible in addition to the absorbed sound
the decision for frontwire or downfire subwoofer is not always an individual one. It is much more important to consider whether you live in a new or an old building, whether the rooms or the. ceilings are soundproof.
Attention! Especially buildings and apartments that date back to the 50s are often very noisy. Therefore, a downfire subwoofer is not suitable here in any case, because the neighbors will complain here pretty sure.
A downfire subwoofer is therefore suitable when:
- you live in a newly built apartment with solid construction.
- You have unproblematic neighbors and you have agreed on times for the use of the system.
- You want to experience brute, powerful and mighty action firsthand.
Since a large part of the bass is emitted into the building, very powerful power amplifiers should be available so that the bass remains audible.
Buying criteria: you can compare and evaluate active subwoofers based on these factors
In the following, we would like to show you which factors you can use to compare and evaluate active subwoofers. This will make it easier for you to decide whether a particular leggings is suitable for you or not.
In summary, these are:
Required connection
There are a number of connection options, depending on the type of amplifier, its connections and the subwoofer used.
Here only the possibilities for the connection of active subwoofers, since hardly compatible passive subwoofers are still used.
In addition to the signal cable, the active subwoofer always requires a power cable and a source for the mains power supply.
Connection to an AVR
This type of connection is generally the simplest and produces the best sound results with little effort. This is due to the fact that only very few stereo amplifiers have an adequate bass management, which can separate frequencies cleanly and correct run times.
Connection to a stereo amplifier with subwoofer output
in addition, there are stereo amplifiers that have their own subwoofer output. Here the connection can be made analog as with the AVR. However, one must pay attention to the settings, since these must be made manually on the subwoofer, due to the lack of bass management of the stereo amplifier.
Connection to a stereo amplifier with stereo pre-outs
The connection can also be made via the stereo pre-out channel if the stereo amplifier does not have a subwoofer output. Here, the right and left sevenths can be connected to the subwoofer’s cinch speakers via a stereo RCA cable.
Attention: not all cinch outputs are usable for this purpose. For example, cinch outputs such as "tape-tec", "rec out", "DAT rec" or similar cannot be used for subwoofer connection, as they are not included in the volume control of the amplifier.
Connection to a stereo amplifier without pre-outs
The subwoofer can also be integrated via the high level outputs. These are actually intended for passive speakers, but can help if the stereo amplifier does not have a pre-out or subwoofer connection.
Connection to a PC
The connection to a PC depends on the sound card. regular stereo sound cards require an external crossover, which is also the cleanest solution. Alternatively, the signal can be separated and sent to the subwoofer as well as the stereo amplifier or. Active satellites are distributed.
In addition, many sound cards offer an additional output for subwoofers.
Distortion factor
The distortion factor indicates the extent to which the signal from the loudspeakers is distorted or how much the input signal is changed.
By default, it is expressed as a percentage and thus provides information about the proportion of noise in the overall signal reproduced.
As a rule of thumb: from 5% the clanking becomes audible even for untrained ears. For professional listeners it is about 1%.
Chassis
The chassis is a single loudspeaker without a cabinet, which consists of a speaker basket, voice coil, magnet, diaphragm and surround. The chassis with the membrane stroke is responsible for the generation of sound pressure and dynamic capability of the subwoofer.
The woofer chassis should have a diameter of at least 12 inches.
The following applies: larger diameters (up to 18 inches) produce more sound pressure, but also a more sluggish stroke behavior.
Crossover
The crossover divides the sound frequencies of multi-way loudspeaker systems into different ranges. In practice, all loudspeaker drivers are allocated in such a way that they are assigned the frequency ranges (low, mid and high) at which they can work most optimally.
Here, too, a distinction is made between passive and active crossovers. Passive crossovers are connected between the amplifier output and the loudspeaker. they work with coils, capacitors and resistors.
impedance
The impedance is given in the unit ohm (measure for the current resistance). The ohm value can be used to find out how much the loudspeaker loads the amplifier in relation to its output impedance (internal resistance).
amplifier power
The ability to produce maximum power within a short period of time is called peak power. However, this has little significance for the actual power.
More important here is the nominal or. Sinus power. This is a signal that always remains the same, reproduced at a certain power level. For the normal or. Music power this is the average value of the sinusoidal and peak power.
In overviews and manufacturer specifications these values are often given in the following scheme: sine power/pulse power z.B. 200/400 watt.
Transition frequency and level controls
The level indicates the loudness of the subwoofer. Here you can regulate the weightiness of the bass or reduce too dominant bass and unpleasant vibrations.
The crossover frequency indicates the frequency range for which the subwoofer is responsible. A harmonious sound image is achieved by tuning the front speakers and controllers.
By level and controls you can adjust your sound to the room conditions.
Transmission range
Frequency response indicates the frequency range reproduced by the subwoofer.
Mid-range models have a crossover range of 30 to 150 Hz. High-class models also manage to reproduce 20 hz.
speaker diameter
Depending on the internal processing and special design features (multiple active chassis, passive radiator, etc.), the sound intensity of the subwoofer may vary.) the diameter of the speakers is. Models that do not have passive radiators or anything else should have a diameter of 25 centimeters, so that they can reproduce the bass punchy and true to reality.
bass reflex
for enthusiasts: the physical principle behind it is called helmholtz-resonator.
bass reflex is a specific type of enclosure construction. This is also called "closed". In bass reflex speakers, an additional opening is installed, which amplifies the bass in certain frequency ranges.
Trivia: interesting facts about active subwoofers
How do I set up the subwoofer correctly??
When placing subwoofers, keep in mind that the sound intensity increases by about 3 db if the subwoofer is placed too close to a wall.
Place sound increase
| wall |
3 db |
| edge |
6 db |
| corner |
9 db |
| center of room |
bass hole |
This allows weak subwoofers to be amplified depending on where they are placed.
What are free air subwoofers?
Free-air subwoofers are mainly used in the car hi-fi sector. They are suitable for saving space, as they can be used, for example, to store parts of the vehicle (e.g., the.B. Use the trunk or the reserve recess) as a resonance enclosure.
These subwoofers are usually passive subwoofers and will therefore not be discussed further in this guide.
How to build an active subwoofer yourself?
active subwoofers can also be made on the premises. For this you should consider a few important steps. If you have any questions or uncertainties, don’t take any risks, but contact a competent electrician instead.
How a subwoofer, which also serves as a seat, can be built by yourself, you can see in the following video:
What to do if the active subwoofer hums?
A problem that can occur more often is that the subwoofer starts to hum and therefore does not reproduce the optimal sound. The internet can already provide the first clues for repairing the damage.
in addition, in case of problems or defects with purchased subwoofers, you should always contact the specified user or the responsible customer center.
How do i install an active subwoofer in my home theater??
In a multimodal home cinema, which satisfies a variety of needs and senses, an appropriate subwoofer must of course not be missing.
Therefore, the following will show you how to best place your subwoofer:
