Integrating a subwoofer into your sound system may improve your listening experience even if your room is small. This is especially so when you are watching movies or listening to bass-heavy music. The speakers you are using are probably compact bookshelf or satellite models and will certainly benefit from having a subwoofer to supplement their bass. The subwoofer should add more punch into the midbass and produce deeper low frequencies which small loudspeakers are unable to deliver.
The good thing about having a small listening room will be that you don’t really need a large subwoofer. The disadvantage of a small-sized room will be the limited floor space. We suggest if possible, you should remove some stuff from your room so to clear up some space. The more floor space that is available the higher chance you will find the optimal position for your powered sub by doing subwoofer crawling. You can do the subwoofer crawling process after the new sub has broken in. If you are using an AV receiver with room correction technology, you might want to recalibrate after breaking in the new subwoofer.
As mentioned earlier, you don’t really need a large-sized subwoofer for a small room, a compact subwoofer with decent performance will usually be enough to fill the space with bass energy. We will be sharing with you a list of subwoofers suitable for small rooms and for various situations. You might want to work out a comfortable budget in which you are willing to invest in a powered subwoofer. The available space you have currently and what’s the optimal dimension of the sub you will need. Do note that small subwoofers are typically unable to dig too deep into the bass extension, and those which could are rather expensive.
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Best Subwoofers for a Small Room
The Monoprice SSW-8 is a very slim and low-profile subwoofer suitable for a small room with limited space. The way the ported cabinet is designed and the use of a downward-firing 8″ woofer enable us to slot it under a sofa. You can also easily place it below your table if you are using a desktop sound system setup. Monoprice SSW-8 has a 100 Watt amplifier powering it and a frequency response of 30Hz-150Hz (-10dB) which is quite impressive considering how compact and affordably priced the ported subwoofer is. The bass performance is decent for the price and size but we don’t suggest pushing it hard.
More Details of Monoprice SSW-8 at Amazon
If you want bass quality in a compact package then the Genelec 7040A is an exceptional choice to go for and will fit right into any small room, thanks to its slim design. The Genelec 7040A is a studio subwoofer made for professionals and only has a 165mm bass driver but is still able to deliver a frequency response of 30Hz-90Hz (-6dB). It uses a Class D amplifier that outputs 50 Watts of power. The precision of the 7040A bass performance is amazing, the delivery is tight and clean. It will pair well with most speakers without overwhelming them and is certainly agile enough to keep pace with the music.
Polk Audio PSW10 is an ideal choice for listeners who are looking for an affordable subwoofer with a 10″ bass driver which could fit inside their small rooms. The PSW10 is one of the top budget subwoofers out on the market and has garnered tons of rave reviews given by its satisfied users. It uses a ported cabinet design (Power Port Technology) and has an in-built amplifier driving up to 100 Watts of dynamic power. The Polk Audio PSW10 has a surprisingly tight and clean bass delivery for a ported cabinet design with such a low price point.
More Info on Polk Audio PSW10 Ported Sub at Amazon
The Klipsch R-100SW is another highly rated ported subwoofer with a 10″ bass driver and would be a great sub for a small room. Klipsch R-100SW may cost more than Polk Audio PSW10 but it could reach deeper into the bass extension and has higher amplifier power. This 10″ Klipsch subwoofer has a frequency response of 32Hz-120Hz (-3dB) and a peak power of up to 300 Watts. These 2 specs alone should justify the higher price point. The R-100SW is capable of delivering deep bass cleanly and its taut bass response will be good for music playbacks too.
More Info on Klipsch R-100SW Ported Sub at Amazon
Listeners who are still in search of a compact studio subwoofer might want to take a look at the PreSonus Eris Sub 8. Like the Genelec 7040A, the Eris Sub 8 is also made for professionals and at a lower cost. It is a ported cabinet subwoofer with an 8″ front-firing paper-composite transducer and uses a slot port, making it compact in size and well-suited to be used inside a small room. The PreSonus Eris Sub 8 uses a Class AB amplifier to deliver up to 100 Watts of peak power. It is loud enough at a nearfield listening distance and the Eris Sub 8 has high bass accuracy as well. The ability to deliver sub-bass down to 30Hz does belie its size.
More Details of PreSonus Eris Sub 8 at Amazon
The JL Audio Dominion d108 is a compact sealed cabinet subwoofer and has an 8″ driver, it is powered by an advanced Class D amplifier with up to 500 Watts RMS (short-term). This JL Audio’s entry-level sealed subwoofer will fit nicely into your small room and deliver subsonic bass of down to 21Hz (-10dB) which is impressive for its size. JL Audio Dominion d108 low-end delivery is precise and agile, producing accurate bass only when needed. It can be punchy too and the articulate bass performance of the sub plays well with music playbacks.
If you have the budget and prefer bass quality over quantity then you should really check out Ken Kreisel DXD 808. This is a very powerful sealed cabinet subwoofer with dual 8″ deep bass drivers and has an incredible frequency response of 15Hz-200Hz. More importantly, the cabinet has a slim design which makes it ideal for use in small rooms. The bass performance is amazingly agile and articulate, able to keep pace with bookshelf and satellite speakers, making them sound like full-range floor-standers. Other than dishing out subterranean low frequencies with tautness, the bass delivery is accurate, detailed, and well-textured too.
Auditioning Subwoofers inside a Small Room
When you have chosen the potential subwoofers based on your requirements and preferences, you should arrange an audition with them first before making a decision. If you are auditioning the shortlisted subwoofers at your dealer’s shop, you should test them inside a small room. It will be better if the small room at your HiFi dealership has similar dimensions as your own.
Of course, the best way to audition these potential subwoofers will be inside your own room together with your own speakers and other HiFi audio components. Some dealers may provide this service and so you might want to check with them first. Do use bass-heavy soundtracks and/or movies during the audition so you could hear the difference in bass quantity and quality.
