Listeners with tight budgets and who are planning to set up their home theater system might want to give the Onkyo TX-SR373 a chance. This is a 5.1 channel AV receiver with a very modest price tag and comes with a plethora of features. As an entry-level AV receiver at this price point, the Onkyo TX-SR373 would no doubt have limited power, and integrating an active subwoofer into the mix will be a wise choice.
Not only does the active subwoofer helps to offload some of the strain by taking over the bass reproduction role from the AVR, but it could also provide an even more exciting home cinematic experience. We will need to find a matching subwoofer to partner with the Onkyo TX-SR373 AVR and learn more about your requirements. We will be preparing a list of the best matching subwoofers and this will be shared with you later on.
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Sonic Characteristics of Onkyo TX-SR373 and Your Subwoofer Requirements
The Onkyo TX-SR373 is a 5.1 AV receiver that supports 4K/60p and 3D pass-through. As mentioned earlier, the TX-SR373 has limited power but it is still considered good for an entry-level AV receiver. With 2 channels driven, the power output is at 80 Watts into 8 Ohms, and with just a single channel being driven, it can go up to 135 Watts into 6 Ohms. The frequency response in Direct Mode is really impressive and it is at 5Hz to 100kHz. It has AccuEQ Room Acoustic Calibration which will come in handy when optimizing your speakers to perform better inside your HT room.
There are other notable features such as a built-in DAC, Bluetooth connectivity, etc. More importantly, there are dedicated subwoofer outputs for us to connect up to 2 powered subs. So far the Onkyo TX-SR373 has proved to be a worthy investment just by looking at these features. The TX-SR373 lacks musicality and dynamics when it comes to music playbacks though. Its midrange reproduction is not as expressive and clear where you can easily miss out on some subtle nuances which make the music intimate and involving.
More Details at Amazon – Onkyo TX-SR373 5.2 AV Receiver
Still, this is as expected, since the Onkyo TX-SR373 is made for home theater use and you can try using its Direct Mode feature for a bit more clarity and music details. When it comes to home theater performances, this is where this Onkyo AV receiver truly shines. It is surprisingly more immersive than expected and is really good for a 5.1 channel AVR. The bass performance is clean and has ample weight especially when it comes to subterranean low ends. We did feel the Onkyo TX-SR373 would be better if it have a bit more energy in its presentations though.
As the Onkyo TX-SR373 is more ideal for movie playbacks, we highly suggest going with ported subwoofers as they are more suited for home theater use. Ported subwoofers have higher Max SPL and bass outputs, providing us with a more powerful overall bass performance. Unless you are trying to improve the quality of music playbacks then a sealed subwoofer will be a better option but can only improve the performance by a little. The choice of subwoofers you can aim for will highly depend on your budget and you should only invest an amount you are comfortable with.
The size of your room will play a part in choosing the size of an active subwoofer. If you have a larger home theater room, you will need a bigger subwoofer to fill up the space with sonic energy. The subwoofer cabinet design and dimensions can be a requirement, especially for HT enthusiasts who are facing space constraints. You might want to go with subwoofers made by the same company as your speakers, it might give you a more seamless overall sonic performance. Seeking opinions from friends who own a subwoofer will be a great idea and you should hear how their subs perform too.
Best Subwoofers to pair with Onkyo TX-SR373
Klipsch R-12SW is one of the best budget subwoofers to pair up with the Onkyo TX-SR373 AV receiver. It may have an affordable price but the R-12SW is still capable of providing us with a clean and punchy deep bass performance. This is a very highly rated 12″ front-firing ported subwoofer and has 400 Watts of dynamic power which is rather high for a budget subwoofer. The bass delivery of the Klipsch R-12SW subwoofer is pretty tight and precise too. We wouldn’t suggest pushing the R-12SW too much though.
More Information at Amazon – Klipsch R-12SW
If you want a more powerful entry-level ported subwoofer with better sonic performance than the Klipsch R-12SW, then you might want to take a look at the SVS PB-1000 Pro. It is more expensive than the R-12SW but it has higher amplifier power of up to 820+ Watts (Peak) and can dig below 20Hz bass extension. The small price difference of the SVS PB-1000 Pro is well worth the trade for higher bass performance and will match well with the Onkyo TX-SR373 AV receiver. You can switch the PB-1000 Pro to “Sealed” mode for a tighter low-end delivery.
More Information at Amazon – SVS PB-1000 Pro (Black Ash)
For listeners who do not want to spend much on an active subwoofer or have a tight budget then the Elac Sub1010 will be a fine choice for you and your Onkyo TX-SR373 AVR. This is one of the most affordable ported subwoofers with plenty of positive ratings. The Elac Sub1010 is a compact 10″ powered sub with a rear-firing bass port and uses a Class AB amplifier. It has an RMS power of 60 Watts and can go up to 120 Watts Peak. The frequency response is 38Hz-200Hz and for a budget subwoofer at this price point, we got nothing to really nitpick on.
More Information at Amazon – Elac SUB1010 10″ Subwoofer Black
The SVS PC-2000 Pro is for HT enthusiasts who are having limited space issues and require a subwoofer that has a small footprint but yet it could still deliver room-shaking bass outputs. The ingenious cylinder cabinet design of the PC-2000 Pro uses height to help reduce its footprint and enables us to fit them nicely into tight spaces. This is a powerful ported cylinder subwoofer (up to 1500W Peak) and will be an ideal partner for Onkyo TX-SR373. It could deliver impactful subterranean bass frequencies of below 20Hz too.
More Information at Amazon – SVS PC-2000 Pro (Piano Black)
When it comes to bass accuracy there is no doubt about how well the JBL Professional LSR310S can perform and it is an excellent studio subwoofer partner for the Onkyo TX-SR373. The JBL Professional LSR310S is for listeners who want cleaner and more accurate bass performance without exaggerations. Due to the precision and agility of the LSR310S bass delivery, it is also ideal for music playbacks. The JBL Professional LSR310S will be great for small home theater rooms and we suggest placing the sub not too far from you or your listening position.
More Information at Amazon – JBL LSR310S 10″ Studio Subwoofer
HSU Research ULS-15 MK2 is one of the finest sealed subwoofers to match with the Onkyo TX-SR373 AV receiver. This is a very powerful sealed sub with a 15″ driver and is driven by an amplifier with up to 2000 Watts of power (Short-Term). The frequency response is 20Hz-200Hz (+/-1dB) which is enough for most movie playbacks. It can deliver taut and prominent deep bass performances with articulation. For HT enthusiasts who prefer more midbass punch, you can switch the HSU Research ULS-15 MK2 into MBM operating mode.
To Sum It Up
You should hear them out first before making your decision. You might want to start with the subwoofer that has the lowest price point and move up from there. During the auditioning of the subwoofers, you will be able to find out how good are their bass performance and quality. Doing a side-by-side comparison will be a cool idea as you can differentiate the sound quality easily. If you want to check out more sealed subwoofer models, we recommend taking a further look into SVS subs.
