The KEF Q100 is a fantastic pair of bookshelf speakers with a neutral sonic characteristic and bright highs. It is a brilliant all-rounder where it will fit in nicely as part of a home theater system or you can use them as stereo speakers. The compact size of the Q100 stand-mounters makes them ideal as desktop speakers too and the front-firing bass port allows them to be placed nearer to the rear walls. They may be talented but they do have a limitation.
When it comes to bass performance, the KEF Q100 bookshelf speakers are lacking especially in low-frequency accuracy and agility. The bass reproduction seems to be a bit overemphasized as if it was trying to compensate for its small speaker size which instead of doing more good, actually makes it slower and overbearing. So trying to use the walls to reinforce the bass response of the KEF Q100 speakers will be out of the question as it will make the low ends sound boomy. The deep bass reproduction is lacking weight and prominence. Subterranean bass reproduction is almost non-existent.
Is not that the KEF Q100 speakers are bad, in fact when it comes to the higher frequencies, there is a high level of clarity, giving us a clean and clear sound quality. The stereo imaging is precise, the highs and mids are accurately delivered. For bookshelf speakers at this price point, it is considered really good. It is just that the KEF Q100s are compact-sized bookshelf speakers and we can’t expect much bass performance from them. Even when driven by high-quality and powerful amplifiers, the KEF Q100 speakers are still limited by their size and driver quality.
More Info at Amazon – KEF Q100 Bookshelf Speakers American Walnut
If we were to add a subwoofer into the mix, this will significantly improve the overall bass performance of your sound system. You can set crossover frequency to either 80Hz or 100Hz which will work nicely with your KEF Q100 stand-mounters. You can set this crossover frequency either at your subwoofer level or AV receiver/integrated amplifier with analog bass management. Depends on your setting, this might open up the Q100 sound quality, providing you a clearer and more detailed sound reproduction without the bass delivery muddling the rest of the higher frequencies.
Integrating a subwoofer into your sound system will help improve the deep bass reproduction which is particularly important when watching movies. High-performance subwoofers are capable of delivering subterranean bass frequencies where it will help to deliver an exhilarating home movie experience. For music playbacks, high-quality subs are able to deliver the low frequencies that the stereo speakers are unable to reproduce which in this case, will be the KEF Q100. It also opens up your choices of music, enabling you to enjoy bass-heavy soundtracks and music with full-range sound quality.
As you can see, the KEF Q100 does benefit a lot by pairing them with a subwoofer but now the question is which powered sub is the one to match with these stand-mounters. In order to find the right subwoofer for you and your KEF Q100 speakers, we should start finding out more about your subwoofer requirements. We are also planning to share with you a list of the best subwoofers to pair with the KEF Q100 bookshelf speakers so please continue to read on.
Table of Contents
Your Subwoofer Requirements
You might want to first work out a budget, a comfortable amount which you are willing to invest on a subwoofer. If you currently have a tight budget, you can always go for a very affordable subwoofer but the bass quality might not be up to par though. We suggest you save up a bit more so to go for a better subwoofer. Getting a higher quality subwoofer will be quite crucial for your music listening experience and this is also why we suggest getting a sealed subwoofer. If watching movies will be your main entertainment, you can just get a ported subwoofer and focus on bass output.
Higher quality subwoofers usually can produce deeper bass frequencies such as down to 20Hz or lower, with such a subwoofer working together with your KEF Q100 speakers, your audio system will be able to provide you with full-range sound reproduction. This is very important if you watch movies and/or listen to music that is very bass-heavy. How big is your listening room will also determine how big and powerful of a subwoofer you might need. The larger your listening room is, the bigger and more powerful subwoofer you will need. If you are using an AV receiver that has 2 sub-outs then you can go for dual subwoofers to cover a large room.
A small listening room with limited space will also determine how big of a subwoofer you can get. Do make sure you have enough space for one but if you are really facing serious space constraints, you probably shouldn’t get a subwoofer though. Since it is usually bulky in size and will take up a permanent spot in your room, you might want to check with the other people living in the same space as you. See if they are fine and approve of the subwoofer you are getting. These are just some of the main requirements you might want to look through. We suggest adding a few more things to the checklist on your own. Once you are ready, you can start running through the list of the best subwoofers which you can go for and pair up with the KEF Q100 bookshelf speakers.
Best Subwoofers to pair with KEF Q100
The SVS SB-1000 Pro is a modestly priced entry-level sealed subwoofer and will match well with your KEF Q100 bookshelf speakers. The SB-1000 Pro is an upgraded version of another highly rated subwoofer, able to dig deeper into the bass extension (down to 20Hz) and has more power than its predecessor (up to 820+ Watts peak). It can easily fill a small listening room with high-quality bass and is excellent for music playbacks. Providing tighter and more impactful overall bass performance thus enhancing your music listening experience. The performance you can get from the SVS SB-1000 Pro is really impressive.
More Info at Amazon – SVS SB-1000 Pro
The HSU Research ULS-15 MK2 is a powerful 15″ sealed subwoofer that delivers very deep bass frequencies of down to 20Hz (-1dB) with prominence. It is a very powerful sealed subwoofer with 600 Watts RMS power and up to 2000 Watts Peak. The HSU Research ULS-15 MK2 will be an excellent subwoofer partner for your KEF Q100 bookshelf speakers and will be amazing for medium to large-sized listening rooms. The max SPL of the ULS-15 MK2 also makes it a capable subwoofer for home theater use and will give you an exciting home movie experience without compromise.
If your music listening experience is really important to you, then the Rythmik Audio F12 signature edition sealed subwoofer will be an exceptional choice to pair with your KEF Q100 bookshelf speakers. It is an award-winning 12″ sealed subwoofer specially designed for audiophiles, delivering articulate and highly accurate bass that will keep pace with your Q100 speakers. The F12SE uses a Class A/B amplifier that has 370 Watts of RMS power and can deliver down to 14Hz subterranean level bass frequencies prominently. Furthermore, the Rythmik Audio F12SE is sanely priced and will match well with your KEF Q100 speakers.
For an exhilarating movie experience and/or for listeners with a medium to a large home theater room, the SVS PB-2000 Pro will be an ideal subwoofer to partner together with your KEF Q100 speakers. The powerful ported subwoofer uses a Class D Sledge STA-550D amplifier to power its 12″ driver with up to 1500 Watts of peak power. It is certainly capable of handling all sorts of low-frequency demands been thrown at it. You might want to go for dual PB-2000 Pro if your AVR allows it as this will provide plenty of headroom and coverage, especially for large HT rooms.
More Info at Amazon – SVS PB-2000 Pro
For listeners who are unable to make up their mind to whether to go for a sealed or ported subwoofer, you might want to consider getting the HSU Research VTF-2 MK5. It is a versatile hybrid subwoofer that you can switch to either ported or sealed operating mode. It is also pretty powerful for an entry-level subwoofer, it has 350 Watts of RMS power and can go up to 1400 Watts short-term. If you leave 1 port open, the VTF-2 MK5 is capable of delivering an ultra-deep bass frequency of 16Hz which is really impressive for a subwoofer at this price point. It will make a fine subwoofer partner for your KEF Q100 bookshelf speakers.
The Klipsch R-12SW is one of the best budget subwoofers to pair up with your KEF Q100 speakers. It is very affordably priced and will fit into almost everyone’s budget. The Klipsch R-12SW has a front-firing 12″ driver and has up to 400 Watts of dynamic power. For listeners who have really tight budget, you might want to check out Elac SUB1010 which is a 10″ subwoofer with up to 120 Watts of Peak power. As mentioned earlier, it will be wise to go for higher quality subwoofers but if you are unable to wait or just simply require a subwoofer to deliver more bass output then these budget subs will be worth your time to check them out.
More Info at Amazon – Klipsch R-12SW
More Info at Amazon – Elac SUB1010 10″ Powered Subwoofer
To Conclude
These subwoofers are definitely worth your while to take a look or better yet audition them to see if you like the bass improvement it does to your sound system. Excluding the budget subwoofers, these are some of the finest subwoofers in their price range and are solid performers, giving you extraordinary performance for the money. You should audition these subwoofers in your own music/HT room so they can give you a more accurate result where you can determine which subwoofer is the one you want.
