Many drivers love bass-rich music. Alas, ordinary acoustics installed in vehicles are extremely rarely capable of providing such a high-quality sound. And in order to enjoy the pronounced "lows" car owners need to choose the right active or passive subwoofer for the car.
But here, too, everything is not so simple, because the market is full of expensive models that are unable to provide a new perception of music. Do I need to talk about the quality of most budget models? Our rating of the best subwoofers for a car 2018 - 2020 will help you make the right purchase and not waste your money. When choosing to our top, we tried to take into account all the most important criteria: cost, functionality, reliability and ease of use.
Content
The best manufacturers of subwoofers
To get a quality device, you need to decide on many parameters. First of all, you need to find out which subwoofer company to choose. The market for car acoustics, as well as in the ordinary consumer segment, has its own undisputed leaders. One of the most famous among them is the trade mark Alpine... Its products are distinguished by the best value for money, and also delight with excellent sound. Worthy competition for the specified brand is a Japanese company KENWOOD, which is in great demand in the CIS countries. Of course, industry mastodons such as Pioneer and Sony... Like KENWOOD, these are two large manufacturers from Japan, which already speaks of the excellent quality of their products.
Pioneer TS-WX254
Audio equipment from the Japanese giant Pioneer has been considered one of the highest quality on the market for many years. The excellent sound of the famous brand acoustics is combined with well-reasoned cost, which also attracts buyers. There were no surprises with the 10-inch subwoofer TW-WX254: we have a perfectly configured device with a pleasant appearance and amazing sound. The nominal power in this model from Pioneer is 250 watts, and the maximum is 1100 watts. The frequency range reproduced by this passive subwoofer is in the range of 20-220 Hz, which is an excellent indicator. The TS-WX254 has an impedance of 4 ohms and a sensitivity of 93 dB. Since we have a relatively inexpensive subwoofer in a car, you should not look for flaws in it, because it fully justifies its price. However, one minus still cannot be passed by: plastic clamps for wires are too cheap and unreliable, as for a world-famous manufacturer.
Advantages:
- excellent build
- good wire size
- rich bass
- balanced sizes
- good sensitivity
- excellent power
Disadvantages:
- quality of plastic terminals
- polypropylene diffuser
Sony XS-NW1202E
The second line in the rating of car subwoofers is rightfully occupied by a powerful passive subwoofer from Sony. Stylish design, small dimensions, sensitivity from minimum 32 to maximum 1000 Hz, as well as impedance of 4 ohms and sensitivity of 86 dB - these are excellent parameters for acoustics with such a price. In addition, one of the best performance subwoofers from the Japanese giant is capable of boasting rated and maximum powers of 300 and 1800 watts, respectively.The assembled model XS-NW1202E is just perfect, and the spring terminals guarantee reliable fixation and a long service life. Of the insignificant drawbacks of the Sony car subwoofer, only the unstable inscriptions on the diffuser can be noted, which are erased over time.
Advantages:
- amazing power
- excellent workmanship
- perfect price / quality ratio
- nice appearance
- quality spring terminals
Disadvantages:
- quality of inscriptions on polypropylene
- sensitive to low temperatures
Alpine SWR-12D4
Another "Japanese" deserves special attention - the Alpine company. Its model SWR-12D4 is the most powerful subwoofer in the rating (nominal and maximum values are 1 and 3 kW, respectively). Acoustics can reproduce frequencies in the range of 24-200 Hz and has an impedance of 4 ohms. The manufacturer chose cellulose as the material for the diffuser, reinforced with Kevlar fabric. The basket in the reviewed Alpine model is made of die-cast aluminum, and the suspension is made of santoprene. Despite its high price-performance ratio, the SWR-12D4 car subwoofer is one of the best models on the market. Motorists are attracted to it by its excellent assembly, high power and great sound, which is difficult to find equal for such a price.
Advantages:
- reliability and quality of construction
- durable spring terminals
- incredible power
- frequency range
- great sound
- long service life
Disadvantages:
- not found
Mystery MO 12S
In the low-end segment, we paid attention to the Mystery brand. For a reasonable cost, this manufacturer always offers functional products that can please with good quality. In particular, the famous company offers the best budget passive subwoofer on the market, the MO 12S. This model costs only 4000-5000 rubles, which will be affordable for any driver. With such a price tag, the subwoofer of the Chinese company Mystery is capable of boasting a maximum and nominal power of 1100 and 600 W, a sensitivity of 90 dB and an excellent reproducible frequency range from 28 Hz to 1 kHz. The MO 12S has an impedance of 4 ohms, and the manufacturer chose cellulose for the cone. The installation depth of the Mystery free air subwoofer is 157 mm.
Advantages:
- balance of quality and cost
- output power
- reliable assembly
- presence of double winding
- frequency range
Disadvantages:
- requires a powerful amplifier to drive
ACV BTA-12
The active subwoofer with a 30 cm cone from the ACV brand leaves almost no chance for competitors. The BTA-12 model is able to interest potential motorists with several features at once. Firstly, this is one of the most affordable solutions with a built-in amplifier among those presented in our rating. Secondly, the device can deliver 150 watts of nominal and 500 watts of maximum power. Thirdly, we have a subwoofer with a bass reflex, which allows you to reduce the lower frequency threshold, increasing the threshold of its sound pressure. By the way, the range of reproducible frequencies in the BTA-12 is from 35 to 122 Hz.
Advantages:
- great sound
- power balance
- built-in amplifier
- compact size
- the presence of a phase inverter
Disadvantages:
- not identified
SUPRA SRD-T25A
Of course, our rating could not do without a device from SUPRA. Any experienced motorist will say that this manufacturer has always been famous for the excellent appearance of products with excellent sound quality. The low price for all models of the Japanese brand is just an additional argument in favor of purchasing them. In particular, the best active subwoofer in the budget segment SRD-T25A costs only 4500-5500 rubles. At this price, the manufacturer offers a bass reflex enclosure type, phase control, the ability to remotely control the bass saturation, and a high-voltage input. The rated power of the budget active subwoofer is 150 W, and the frequency range reproduced by the monitored model is in the range of 30-250 Hz (crossover 40-250 Hz).
Advantages:
- bass level control
- good frequency range
- compact size
- the presence of a phase inverter
- affordable cost
- wiring quality
- excellent equipment
Disadvantages:
- automatic shutdown problems
KENWOOD KSC-SW11
Any modern user knows KENWOOD very well thanks to the technique it reproduces. This brand is also well known to motorists as the best manufacturer of car subwoofers. The Japanese company managed to achieve this title after the merger of its sales division with JVC, which hardly anyone might need additional representation. This approach to work allowed Kenwood to create an excellent model of the KSC-SW11 enclosed subwoofer. The maximum power is not too high here, only 150 watts. However, the dimensions of the device are also quite compact. In addition, this active subwoofer comes with a remote control and a high-voltage input. Other advantages of this acoustics include a stamped steel basket, rubber suspension and a ferrite magnet.
Advantages:
- small size
- excellent build
- possibility of connection from high-voltage output
- stylish design
- great sound
Disadvantages:
- not everyone is comfortable with the fact that the remote control is wired
- high price
Pioneer TS-WX120A
We also decided to close the rating with a Pioneer auto subwoofer. Perfect build quality, stylish design and amazing sound have helped to bring the TS-WX120A to the top. However, taking into account the characteristics proposed by the manufacturer, the average price of 9,000 rubles is definitely high. The nominal power of the Pioneer TS-WX120A auto subwoofer in a closed case is 50 W, and the maximum device is capable of delivering 150 W. The frequency range here is also lower than that of the older model - from 30 to 160 Hz. The situation is somewhat improved by the fact that we have a sensitive active subwoofer with an aluminum cone. The use of metal in the manufacture of a membrane is not always a winning solution. However, in the case of playing records from digital sources, which is most important today, aluminum diffusers significantly improve the sound. And in general we have a good compact active subwoofer in a compact case, which means that when purchasing it you do not need to buy a separate amplifier and allocate a lot of space for installing acoustics.
Advantages:
- high-quality assembly
- small size
- good sensitivity
- long wires with good cross-section
- stylish appearance
- compact size
Disadvantages:
- high cost
- wired remote control
Which subwoofer is better to buy
When compiling our list of the best subwoofers of 2017, we took into account many parameters that are important for the average motorist. Among them are the following key characteristics:
- maximum power;
- dimensions;
- user complaints about problems;
- price and quality;
- sensitivity and frequency.
And these are just some of the criteria taken into account. Thanks to a detailed but concise description of each of the 8 models selected for the rating, you can quickly and easily decide which subwoofer to buy for your "iron horse".
