Yamaha is one of the most well-known AVR brands in the world and their receivers are mostly highly rated, due to their excellent sound quality and home theater performances. Throughout the years, Yamaha AV receivers have also gained prestige and countless accolades. There is also a wide range of AVR models to suit different individual budgets and requirements. If you are a proud owner of a Yamaha AV receiver and are currently looking for a subwoofer to pair up with your AVR then please continue to read on.
Subwoofers are an essential part of a home theater system, if it doesn’t perform well enough, you will lose that exhilarating home cinematic experience. Subwoofers themselves have their own sonic characteristics but it is not as complicated when compared to speakers since active subs are usually taking charge of reproducing bass below 80Hz. Of course, there are times the crossover frequencies are higher such as 120Hz and this will take tax the powered sub even more since it needs to produce more bass. Producing a deep subterranean level (for e.g. between 15Hz-25Hz range) of bass with prominence and weight will also take up a lot of power.
By learning more about the Yamaha receivers’ overall sonic characteristics, it will help us determine which active subwoofers will be the best match for them. With such information in your hands, you can also get certain types of subs to fine-tune the low-end performance of your HT’s overall sound reproduction to suit your liking. Furthermore, you can find the best subwoofer to fit your budget and match your Yamaha AV receivers at the same time.
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Sonic Characteristics and Performance of Yamaha Receivers
The Yamaha AV receivers have a powerful presence when it comes to home theater performances, this is why there are many who prefer Yamaha AVRs over other brands. There are plenty of details and they are produced with clarity, not to mention, very balanced until you hit the low-end frequencies. The bass performance is bold and impactful, there is a strong deep bass kick to it. We find that this is what makes the Yamaha receivers so exciting to listen to even though it can be bright-sounding at times. We also find it a pity that they do not use Audyssey’s room correction technology which we find is better than YPAO.
To handle the bass performance demands of Yamaha AV receivers will require subwoofers that have ample power and reserves to handle the sudden outburst of peaks. The low-end reproductions of their mid to high-end AV receivers are rich with details as well so you will need more than just power. You will need a high-quality subwoofer that is agile and has accuracy when rendering the bass. The midbass punch of the Yamaha AV receivers of some lower-end models is a bit lacking, not as body pounding as we like it to be.
More Details at Amazon – YAMAHA RX-A2A AVENTAGE 7.2-Channel AV Receiver
The size of your home theater room will also affect the size and power of the active subwoofer you’ll need. Sometimes, going for dual subwoofers will do the trick as well but you will need to make sure that your Yamaha AV receiver allows connection of up to 2 active subs. Typically, the larger the size of a subwoofer driver will be able to cover a bigger area and fill a listening room easier than a smaller-sized subwoofer. The amplifier power is important as well, a under-powered subwoofer driving at high volumes, may encounter clipping during movie peaks or when there is a demand in high bass output.
We now have more understanding and details about Yamaha AV receivers, and also how demanding they can get due to the powerful bass performance they can muster. With this information, we can now share with you the best subwoofers to pair with your Yamaha AV receivers. The pricing of these active subwoofers will also be considered. Whether you go for dual active subs will be up to your home theater room situation/requirements and is optional but we do recommend going for 2 subwoofers if possible.
Best Subwoofers to pair with Yamaha AV Receivers
Let’s start off with an entry-level subwoofer choice, one of the best on the market which can handle the bass reproduction demands of a Yamaha AV receiver will be the SVS PB-1000. It is a powerful entry-level subwoofer with 300 Watts RMS power and up to 720 Watts Peak power. This ported 10″ active subwoofer will be more than enough for most small-sized listening rooms. For an entry-level subwoofer, the SVS PB-1000 can produce very deep bass, down to 19Hz, which is really impressive for an active subwoofer at this price point and driver size. SVS is famous for their powered subwoofers and are well-received by many home theater enthusiasts all over the world.
More Details at Amazon – SVS PB-1000 10″ Ported Subwoofer (Black Ash)
Another amazing ported subwoofer from SVS that you should check out especially if you have a mid-to-large sized home theater room, will be the SVS PB-3000. It uses a 13″ High-Excursion SVS driver and a Sledge STA-800D2 amplifier. The powerful amplifier is able to maintain 800 Watts RMS power and can go up to a whopping 2,500 Watts of Peak power. The SVS PB-3000 has the capacity and power to handle whatever your Yamaha AV receiver can throw at it. The SVS subwoofer’s frequency response is equally impressive which is 16Hz-260Hz (+/-3dB). The amount of bass output and max SPL that the SVS PB-3000 can reproduce is one of the very best in its price range.
More Information at Amazon – SVS PB-3000 (Black Ash)
There are subwoofers that are designed and made for music use, these are usually sealed cabinet types. The Rythmik Audio F12SE is one of the best in this category and is sanely priced which makes it even more attractive. The F12SE uses Direct Servo technology, allowing the subwoofer to be more efficient, have higher accuracy, and is richer in bass details. This exceptional sealed 12″ subwoofer can go as deep as 14Hz and reproduce the bass out with prominence, thanks to its 370 Watts RMS class A/B patented servo-controlled amp. The Rythmik Audio F12SE is very well-received by audiophiles all over the world and if your music listening experience is important, you should definitely hear this subwoofer out.
The Ken Kreisel DXD-12012 will be a high-end model and the largest professional subwoofer they’ve got. It is a very unique 12″ sealed subwoofer, the DXD-12012 has two High-Velocity Deep Bass drivers which equates to a cone area of a single 18″ driver. It has a total RMS power output of 750 Watts and a Peak power of between 1500-2200 Watts, digging deep into the bass extension and capable of producing 10Hz bass frequencies. The most notable feature will be that you can stack the Ken Kreisel DXD-12012 on top of another (stack up to 4) which allows the subs to produce an incredible 3D sound pressure wavefront. Ken Kreisel subwoofers are been used in studios and home theater rooms, very well-received by audiophiles, professionals, and home theater enthusiasts.
JL Audio is another excellent high-end subwoofer brand that is well-accepted by audiophiles. The JL Audio Fathom f113 is an extremely powerful sealed subwoofer that is more than a worthy match for your Yamaha AV receiver. It has a short-term RMS power output of 2,500 Watts, giving it the capability of handling all bass reproduction demands made by your Yamaha receiver. The Fathom f113 is able to provide you accurate, richly detailed, and powerful low-ends which is suitable for music. The earth-shaking deep bass reproduction of this 13.5″ subwoofer will provide you with an exhilarating home cinematic experience as well. One of the best features will be the Digital Automatic Room Optimization (D.A.R.O.) system, enabling you to calibrate and optimize the bass performance of the JL Audio Fathom f113 in your listening room.
More Details at Amazon – JL Audio F113 13.5″ Fathom Series Powered Subwoofer
If you prefer matching subwoofers with the same sound signature as your Yamaha AV receiver then you might want to go with Yamaha subwoofers instead. You can check out the Yamaha NS-SW300 which is a highly rated 10″ active subwoofer with a stable power output of 250 Watts. We will suggest going for the earlier mentioned subwoofer brands though as they provide better performance and are more powerful. Furthermore, brands like SVS, Rythmik Audio, and Ken Kreisel are specialists when it comes to making subwoofers. Other similar brands will be HSU Research and Power Sound Audio.
More Details at Amazon – Yamaha NS-SW300PN 250W Powered Subwoofer
To Sum It Up
These are some of the best subwoofers to match with your Yamaha AV receiver and definitely worth your time to check them out. You should arrange an audition to listen to these subwoofers along with your home theater system right at your own listening room (if possible). See if you like the bass output, pressure, details, accuracy, etc., of the subwoofers you are auditioning. You might also want to listen to them in stereo and surround sound mode during the auditions.
