The Rotel A14 is quite a powerful integrated amplifier and comes with a plethora of features, not to mention, it has a modest price as well which makes it even more attractive of an amp to get your hands on. Still, the power output of 80 Watts per channel into 8 Ohms may be enough to drive some floor-standing speakers but these floor-standers may not have enough bass output to satisfy your needs.
Full-range floor-standing speakers including those with built-in active subwoofers are quite expensive and will need more than 80W of power output to sound their absolute best. You can choose to go for additional power amplifiers but this will also add to your cost and not to forget, you will need extra space for these power amps. This is why sometimes, adding an active subwoofer into the mix is actually helping you to save money and space while improving your overall bass performance.
Now the question is which subwoofer will best suit your needs and is compatible to match with your Rotel A14 integrated amplifier. To find the right subwoofer, we will need to learn more about the A14 integrated amplifier as well as your main requirements. After we have this important information, we will then prepare a list of the best subwoofers which you can go for.
Table of Contents
Sonic Characteristics and Important Specifications of Rotel A14
We know that the Rotel A14 is capable of outputting 80W per channel into 8 Ohms. The frequency response is even more impressive if you use line-level inputs which is 10Hz-100kHz (+/-0.5dB). For both line-level and digital inputs (+/-3dB), 10Hz seems to be the lowest frequency the A14 could reach effectively, and for Phono input, the lowest is at 20Hz (+/-0.5dB). This also means we should get a subwoofer that can at least reach down to 20Hz or lower.
The music presentation of the Rotel A14 is powerful and authoritative which provides us with an engaging sonic delivery, but the overall sound reproduction does lack transparency and a bit of musical refinement. The bold music presentation also lacks agility and we probably think integrating a sealed subwoofer will be a better choice than a ported sub. As a sealed subwoofer can provide more low-end control than a ported subwoofer, the tighter bass delivery will help improve the overall bass performance rather than making it overbearing for music playbacks.
The sonic characteristics and limitations of the Rotel A14 are just part of the equation, your main requirements of getting a powered subwoofer will influence the potential choices as well. So let us now start with finding out more about your main requirements.
Subwoofer Main Requirements
The first thing to do is to allocate your budget as this will determine how many subwoofer choices you can go for. The type of music you are listening to will determine whether you should go for ported or sealed cabinet subwoofer. As mentioned earlier, a high-quality sealed subwoofer will be a better match with your Rotel A14 but if you are a bass fanatic and your music are mainly bass-heavy, you might want to go with ported subwoofer instead.
You should also pick ported subwoofer if your main entertainment is watching movies using your current sound system. Ported subwoofers have higher bass output and SPL which provides a more exciting movie experience. A sealed subwoofer can be ideal as well but it won’t have the same level of bass output as a ported cabinet. If both home theater performance and music listening experience are equally important to you, then we will suggest going with a sealed cabinet subwoofer.
The size of your listening room and whether if you have enough space for a subwoofer will determine the size and power rating of a subwoofer you will need. The bigger the listening room, the larger and more powerful the subwoofer you will require. If you are having space constraints, then a sealed cabinet subwoofer will be preferred since they are usually more compact. There are other factors that will influence your decision such as spouse approval, etc., you should do up your own checklist as well.
Once you have gone through the checklist and understand what kind of subwoofer you’ll need, then please take a look below, as we have listed the best subwoofers which you can get and match with your Rotel A14 integrated amplifier.
Best Subwoofers to pair with Rotel A14
For listeners who want to improve their music listening experience, the Rythmik Audio F12 will be one of the best subwoofers to go for. It is an award-winning 12″ sealed audiophile subwoofer that has the articulation and power to deliver beautiful sounding bass with impeccable accuracy. While most subwoofers use Class D amplifiers, the Rythmik Audio F12 uses a Class A/B patented servo-controlled amplifier and has 370 Watts RMS power. The frequency response is equally impressive which is 14Hz-200Hz (-2dB). The F12 is definitely a magnificent subwoofer to match with your Rotel A14 integrated amplifier.
Another amazing sealed subwoofer that you can match with your Rotel A14 amplifier will be the JL Audio Fathom f110. It is a powerful high-end 10″ subwoofer with a peak power of up to 1100 Watts. The exceptional bass performance of the Fathom f110 also enables it to excel in a home theater environment. You can use the exclusive D.A.R.O. technology to automatically optimize the f110 in-room response, further improving the already amazing bass quality. It is certainly more than a worthy subwoofer partner for your Rotel A14 integrated amplifier.
More Details at Amazon – JL Audio F110 Fathom Subwoofer
When it comes to an exhilarating home theater experience, the SVS PB-2000 Pro is one of the best subwoofers to go for as it is a very powerful ported sub with up to 1500+ Watts of peak power. This 12″ driver subwoofer is also capable enough to fill a medium-sized listening room with earth rumbling bass of down to 16Hz (+/-3dB). Furthermore, it is a modestly priced subwoofer. SVS subwoofers are well-received by audiophiles all over the world so you can be assured of their sonic performance and they are definitely worth your time to check them out, not to mention, they are also ideal subwoofer choices to pair with your Rotel A14.
More Details at Amazon – SVS PB-2000 Pro Subwoofer (Black Ash)
The SVS SB-4000 will be one of the best sealed subwoofers to go for and pair with your Rotel A14 especially if you have a large listening room. It is an extremely powerful 13.5″ subwoofer with 1200 Watts of RMS power and up to 4000+ Watts of peak power. The SB-4000 can handle any sort of bass demand whether is from music sources or from action-packed movies. As a sealed subwoofer, it has the agility and musicality to deliver high-quality bass which complements the Rotel A14 integrated amplifier really well. The SVS SB-4000 alone is more than enough to fill a room with incredible sonic energy.
More Details at Amazon – SVS SB-4000 13.5″ Subwoofer (Premium Black Ash)
For listeners who want more flexibility without breaking the bank, then you probably want to take a look at HSU Research VTF-15H MK2, which is their flagship hybrid subwoofer. An incredibly powerful 15″ subwoofer with up to 2000 Watts of short-term power (600W RMS). You can tune the VTF-15H MK2 sub to either 1 port open or 2 ports open or sealed, giving you the flexibility to change your subwoofer’s performance to suit various music or audio sources. This HSU Research flagship subwoofer will be an excellent match for your Rotel A14 and it is sanely priced to boot.
For listeners who have a tight budget, the Klipsch R-12SW will probably be the best budget subwoofer to match with your Rotel A14. It is a very highly rated and well-received 12″ front-firing subwoofer with 400 Watts of dynamic power. For a more compact subwoofer, you can check out the Klipsch Reference R-10SW instead. It is another highly praised budget subwoofer with a 10″ driver and can deliver 300 Watts of dynamic power. Both the Klipsch powered subwoofers are very affordable and should easily fit most budgets. If you could spare a bit more, we would suggest going with SVS entry-level subwoofers instead though.
More Information at Amazon – Klipsch R-12SW
More Information at Amazon – Klipsch Reference R-10SW Powered Subwoofer
To Conclude
These are some of the best subwoofers you can choose to pair with your Rotel A14 integrated amplifier. We will suggest that you arrange an audition to hear them out first and see if you like how they sound before making any decision. You will also need to feel if the bass output and presence are satisfactory enough for you. Doing a side-by-side subwoofer comparison will be easier for you to determine which sub is the better performer.
