Wireless speakers are getting more popular these days since they are compact in size which helps you to save space, and being wireless means is tidier without any loose speaker cables hanging all over the place. The sound quality is improving as well, providing tons of value to its users and at a modest price. One such wireless speaker will be none other than the Ruark MR1 MK2. The predecessor was an award-winning wireless speaker and the latest iteration, MR1 MK2 is no slouch either.
Ever since its debut, the Ruark Audio MR1 MK2 has garnered plenty of praises and accolades, immediately showing to the world it is a worthy successor and with even better sonic performance. Still, like most wireless desktop speakers, they do lack bass performance especially when it comes to very deep bass reproduction. The 3″ (75mm) long-throw woofer unit is not big enough to really dish out powerful and impactful low ends. Furthermore, these speaker drivers are powered by only 20 Watts of Class A-B amplification.
More Details at Amazon – Ruark Audio MR1 MKII Bluetooth Active Speakers
Fortunately, the Ruark MR1 MK2 has a dedicated output for us to connect to an active subwoofer. By connecting to a powered subwoofer, it will significantly improve the overall bass performance and enabling your stereo sound system to deliver deep bass frequencies with ease. Now the question is, which subwoofer is the best to pair up with the MR1 MK2 wireless speakers. In order to get the right subwoofer for the job, we will need to find out what are your main requirements. Once we have done that, we will start listing out the best subwoofers to match with the Ruark MR1 MK2 wireless desktop speakers.
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Subwoofer Main Requirements
The bass performance of the Ruark MR1 MK2 is surprisingly good for its size and the delivery is tight, with nice agility to provide a well-balanced music presentation. But when it comes to the deep bass region, the MR1 MK2 starts to lack behind as there is not enough prominence and weight to really land that impact. This is why it is recommended to add an active sub into the mix so as to open up the speakers, supplementing the bass, and improve the overall sound quality.
You might want to start with allocating a budget that you are comfortable with. If your budget is tight, we should just go for budget subwoofers but if your budget is high enough, we can get a better and more powerful active subwoofer. Still, we shouldn’t go too far, and going for subwoofers with their prices quite closely match with Ruark MR1 MK2 will be a wiser option.
The types of music you listen to will also determine the type of subwoofers to go for. For instance, if your music consists of mainly bass-heavy soundtracks, you might want to go for a large sealed subwoofer with high amplifier power. With enough power, the active subwoofer will be able to reproduce the low frequencies without any issue and have enough headroom to handle sudden huge bass demands. Sealed subwoofers are also more capable when it comes to music performance as they are more agile, accurate, and have a taut delivery. If your music plays a lot of very deep bass frequencies such as a church organ which can really go deep into the bass extension then you will need subwoofers that can deliver very deep bass. To not go over budget, getting an active subwoofer that could deliver low ends of down to 20Hz will be good enough.
Will you be using the Ruark MR1 MK2 wireless speakers to watch movies, if you answer yes, then you might want to go for ported cabinet subwoofers. This type of powered subwoofer is more capable in a home theater environment as it has higher bass output efficiency and max SPL. If you are a bass fanatic, you should go for the ported subwoofer as well. Sealed cabinet subwoofers are great for movies too but do not have the same level of bass output and SPL as a ported sub can muster (in the same price range).
How big is your listening room and how far you are sitting away from your sound system will determine how big and how powerful of a subwoofer you will need. The larger the listening room, the bigger the subwoofer you’ll require so to sufficiently cover the area of the room. If is nearfield music listening and the subwoofer is been placed near you then you don’t really need a large sub. There are also other factors that you might want to consider such as if there’s enough spare space for the subwoofer, your spouse’s approval, etc. These are some of the main requirements that you should check with yourself and you might want to add in a few more of your own into the checklist. Once you went through the checklist and you know what type of subwoofer you will need then please continue to read below as we will be listing out the best subwoofers to pair with the Ruark Audio MR1 MK2 wireless desktop speakers.
Best Subwoofers to match with Ruark MR1 MK2
If you are not sure which type of subwoofer to use then perhaps the HSU Research VTF-2 MK5 is an ideal choice for you to partner up with the Ruark MR1 MK2 wireless speakers. It has a Hybrid Tuning feature where you can switch to either ported or sealed cabinet. The HSU Research VTF-2 MK5 may be an entry-level subwoofer but it is still a powerful active sub with up to 1400 Watts of power (short-term) and can reach down to 16Hz (1 port open). For an entry-level subwoofer at this price point, it is really impressive and is a worthy match to your Ruark MR1 MK2 speakers.
For home theater performance, the SVS PB-1000 Pro will be one of the best subwoofers to match with your Ruark MR1 MK2. The PB-1000 Pro is a modestly priced 12″ ported subwoofer with a 325W RMS power and has a frequency response of 17-260Hz (+/-3dB). With this level of power, it can handle most movie bass demands and is more than suitable for a small listening room. Furthermore, the PB-1000 Pro is highly rated by its users and SVS is a reputable brand that specializes in making high-quality subwoofers.
More Details at Amazon – SVS PB-1000 Pro (Black Ash)
For music performance, the Rythmik Audio L12 will be one of the best subwoofers to go for and to pair with the Ruark MR1 MK2 speakers. Rythmik Audio is one of the most recognizable subwoofer brands that are well-received by audiophiles all over the world, thanks to their Direct Servo Technology which the L12 uses. This sealed subwoofer offers its listeners articulate bass performance with clarity and reaches down to about 18Hz. The Rythmik Audio L12 has 300 Watts of RMS power and along with its agile bass delivery, pairing this sub with the Ruark MR1 MK2 will improve your music listening experience.
If you have a higher budget and music listening experience is important for you then you should check out the award-winning Rythmik Audio F12 sealed subwoofer. It is a 12″ sealed audiophile subwoofer that will provide you with exceptional bass performance and the high-quality 370 Watts RMS Class A/B patented servo controlled amplifier will enable the F12 to handle music bass demands with articulation and accuracy. It is also suitable to pair with the Ruark MR1 MK2 wireless speakers in medium to large size listening rooms. The Rythmik Audio F12 audiophile bass performance will do well in a home theater environment too.
The SVS PB-2000 Pro will be an amazing ported subwoofer to match with your Ruark Audio MR1 MK2 wireless speakers. It is an extremely powerful active subwoofer with a peak power of up to 1500 Watts and can handle any demands that the audio sources dish out. SVS PB-2000 Pro will be an outstanding all-rounded subwoofer to handle your movies, gaming, and music. This high-performance 12″ ported subwoofer can easily fill a medium-sized home theater room and will be suitable for large listening rooms too. It can also dig deep into the bass extension, down to 16Hz (+/-3dB) which is really impressive.
More Details at Amazon – SVS PB-2000 Pro (Black Ash)
Listeners who have tight budgets, you can check out Klipsch R-12SW, it is an affordably priced 12″ active ported subwoofer with very high ratings and is well-received by its owners. At this price point and the number of positive ratings it has garnered, it is definitely worth your time to check the Klipsch R-12SW subwoofer out. Another amazing budget subwoofer that you might be interested in will be the Sony SACS9. It is very affordable and has received tons of praise from its users. The price point of this 10″ Sony subwoofer can easily fit most listeners’ budgets but it has pretty low amplifier power though.
More Information at Amazon – Klipsch R-12SW
More Information at Amazon – Sony SACS9 Active Subwoofer
To Sum It Up
We suggest you stick with the subwoofers made by SVS, Rythmik Audio, and HSU Research as these are brands that specialize in making high-performance powered subs for years and with great success. You can go through the list of subwoofers mentioned here and see which one best suits your needs. Once you have shortlisted the potential subwoofers, it is highly recommended to audition them first before seriously considering getting them. Feel free to use the mentioned subs as a reference when exploring other subwoofer brands and models.
