Cabinet type and stated extension, not the number on the amplifier
A subwoofer specification contains one honest number and one that is usually theatre. The honest one is the stated frequency extension, ideally with a tolerance — "28 Hz (−6 dB)" says something, "18 Hz" alone says nothing. The theatrical one is power: an RMS figure is a measurement, a "peak" or "PMPO" figure is a multiplication. Between them sits the choice that shapes the sound most: a sealed cabinet rolls off gently and starts and stops cleanly, while a ported one is louder and deeper for the same money and can sound slower on music. Then the practical part — line inputs, an LFE input, a phase switch and a crossover dial, which is what lets a subwoofer disappear into a room rather than announce itself. We compare driver size, cabinet type, stated extension with its tolerance, RMS power, inputs and crossover controls.
8-inch driver · 70 W · low-pass filter · down to 35 Hz stated · MDF cabinet · RCA · standby
The best-specified subwoofer in this catalogue: it publishes a frequency extension figure — 35 Hz — which nothing else here does.
Best for: A small to medium room, and anyone who wants to compare a published number rather than infer from a driver size.
≈ 129 €
Active · 60/120 W stated as a pair · sold singly
A German-made active subwoofer quoted conservatively — 60/120 W — in the two-figure form that makes a rating comparable rather than impressive.
Best for: A small or medium room, and a system built from components rather than bought as a package.
≈ 252 €
Active · 150 W · front-firing or downfiring · sealed or ported not stated
A subwoofer that can be oriented front-firing or downfiring — a placement flexibility that matters more in a real room than a specification does.
Best for: A room where the subwoofer has to go under or beside furniture, and orientation decides whether it works there.
≈ 320 €
8-inch driver · 80 W RMS · 40–250 Hz stated · adjustable crossover
The only subwoofer here that states power as RMS and gives a frequency range with both ends — 40 to 250 Hz — which makes it comparable in two ways at once.
Best for: A stereo system where the subwoofer has to blend with existing speakers, and where a published crossover range makes that possible.
≈ 130 €
30.5 cm (12 inch) driver · digital amplifier · 200 W / 400 W stated · active
The largest driver in this catalogue — 30.5 cm — with power stated in the two-figure form the trade uses: sustained and peak.
Best for: A large room, or a small one where the lowest octave is the point rather than an afterthought.
≈ $249
