5 of the best subwoofers
Have a sickness that can only be cured by bass? These lords of the low end will shake you to the core
Best for Sonos – Sonos SUB
£600, sonos.com
Add a dollop of low frequency cream to your Sonos scone with this wireless subwoofer, which seamless integrates with the music system and features a one-button setup, which will pair it with any of Sonos’ amplified components. It can be placed upright or laid flat and slid under a sofa or bed.
Best for micro hi-fi – Yamaha YST-FSW050
£150, uk.yamaha.com
It may measure a manageable 350mm x 350mm (small enough to be placed in a rack rather than on the floor) but this ultra-compact sub packs a gusset-busting weight of 8.5kg – all the better to produce a bunch of bassy punch with. Its size makes it ideal for smaller hi-fis and home cinema speaker systems, or as a companion for a soundbar.
Best for high end home cinema – B&W PV1D
£1,200, bowers-wilkins.com
Designed to accompany Bowers & Wilkins’ Mini-Theatre home cinema speaker system, the PV1D is a new digital version of the classic PV1 that, despite its relatively small size, belts out 400W of audio power. Its digital setup allows for a fine degree of precision when tuning it to your tastes, allowing you to go for big, ballsy bass or a slightly more restrained response that’ll work better in more resonant rooms.
Best for mobile – X-Mini II
£15, amazon.co.uk
OK, so it’s not a subwoofer per se – it’s really a miniature speaker – but the second generation X-Mini capsule speaker will give your phone, tablet or other portable device a big bass boost. Its battery (which charges via USB) lasts for around 11 hours, and a 3.5mm audio input means you can attach pretty much anything. It weighs just 60g.
Best for budget home cinema – Wharfedale Powercube SPC-10
£250, wharfedale.co.uk
If you’re looking for a wallet-friendly rumble-box that’ll give movies, games and TV shows plenty of added growl, look no further than the SPC-10 from Wharfedale, which delivers taut, hefty bass without any of the wooliness that can distort details. Comes in eight different finishes too, ranging from “Piano Black” to “Cool Maple”. Woody.
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