Subwoofers can really add that extra depth, emotion and feeling (literally) to the music and cinema experience. These large bass/sub-bass-focused speakers are commonly included in audio systems of vehicles, public address systems, home stereos/theatres, theatres and studios.
With so many speaker brands/manufacturers that produce subwoofers, there are a few that stand out. So whatever your application is, there are a few brands I feel you should know about that will most likely offer a subwoofer that's right for you.
The top 11 best subwoofer brands for car, PA, home and studio use are:
In this article, we'll discuss each of these brands and explain why you should know of and use their subwoofers along with the applications in which their subwoofers excel. While doing so, I'll be sure to add in a notable subwoofer for each brand.
I had originally intended to list out the top 11 most popular professional subwoofer brands, but finding proper data was overly difficult or practically impossible (the exact quantities of items sold; current subwoofers in circulation, etc.).
If you’re looking for a full list of speaker manufacturers, click here!
Without further ado, let’s get into our top 11 subwoofer brands you should know about and use.
Click here to return to My New Microphone's articles on musical equipment brands/manufacturers.
Alpine
Apline Electronics is a subsidiary of the Japanese electronics company Alps Electronics.
Alpine specializes in car audio and navigation systems with most of its revenue coming from original equipment manufacturer sales from various motor vehicle brands such as Honda, BMW, Dodge and Jaguar.
In terms of subwoofers, then, Alpine excels at producing subs for car audio systems. They have plenty of speakers to choose from for a wide variety of vehicle makes and models.
Of the many Alpine subwoofer drivers and units, the SBT-S10V (link to check the price on Amazon) is notable. The SBT-S10V has a compact wedge-style design and shallow mount. It's a 2-ohm system engineered to fit and sound great in most truck applications without sacrificing quality and big output.
Alpine Electronics was established in 1967 as Alps-Motorola, a joint venture between Japan-based Alps Electric (founded 1948) and U.S.-based Motorola (founded 1928). The company became Alpine Electronics in 1978 when Alps bought out Motorola's share of the company. It is headquartered in Iwaki, Fukushima Prefecture, Japan.
Click here to visit the official website of Alpine.
Parent Company: Alps Electric
Alpine is also featured in the following My New Microphone articles:
• Top 9 Best Car Stereo Brands In The World
• Top 11 Best Car Audio Speaker Brands In The World
• Top 11 Best Car Audio Amplifier Brands In The World
MTX
MTX Audio is an American consumer audio company that is well-known for its subwoofers and subwoofer amplifiers. It is involved in manufacturing sound equipment for car audio, home audio, marine audio, power sports audio and live sound.
Many of the MTX subwoofers are standalone drivers to be incorporated in vehicles though the company does have some great enclosed subwoofer options.
MTX produces an over-the-top 24″ square subwoofer speaker known as the TS9924-22 JackHammer SuperWoofer (link to check the price on Amazon). This subwoofer features a 6.5″ high-temperature voice coil with 17 AWG aluminum wiring and a patented surround allowing the subwoofer to achieve 2.5″ of one-way excursion and the ability to handle 4000 watts RMS. The novelty unit weighs over 400 pounds and may very well require improvement to a vehicle's suspension!
Note that MTX also produces a wide variety of practical subwoofers as well such as the affordable 12″ 400 WRMS dual-4Ω subwoofer: 5512-44 (link to check the price at Crutchfield).
MTX Audio was founded in 1979 when Loyd Ivey (founder of American Acoustic Labs and Mitek) acquired the company Matrecs. The MTX brand is owned by Mitek Corporation. The company is headquartered in Winslow, Illinois, USA.
Click here to visit the official website of MTX Audio.
Parent company: Mitek Corporation
MTX is also featured in the following My New Microphone article:
• Top 11 Best Car Audio Amplifier Brands In The World
Kicker
Oklahoma-based Kicker has been in the business of manufacturing professional-speaker systems since 1973 with the introduction of the Original KICKER: the first full frequency-range speaker box designed specifically for cars and trucks.
Since then, Kicker has made a name for itself as a manufacturer of car audio equipment.
It's no surprise that Kicker would make this list as one of the best brands for car subwoofers.
Let's quickly discuss the 41L7102 (link to check the price at Crutchfield). This subwoofer is part of Kicker's awesome L7 Series. The 10″ version is capable of handling 750 watts RMS and its innovative square cone moves much more air than a conventional 10″ round cone. The two 2-ohm voice coils give you extra flexibility in incorporating this sub into your audio system.
Stillwater Designs, Inc. brand KICKER was founded in 1980 by Steve Irby in
Stillwater, Oklahoma, USA, where the company is still headquartered today.
Click here to visit the official KICKER website.
Kicker is also featured in the following My New Microphone articles:
• Top 11 Best Car Audio Speaker Brands In The World
• Top 11 Best Car Audio Amplifier Brands In The World
Pioneer
Pioneer has come a long way since its humble beginnings in 1938 Tokyo as a radio and speaker repair shop to become a major player in the realm of consumer electronics.
It makes sense that the corporation has become a go-to brand for speakers. That said, it is more specifically a go-to brand for subwoofers.
A popular subwoofer by Pioneer is the TS-A300B (link to check the price on Amazon). It's an affordable 12″ pre-loaded bass-reflex passive subwoofer that can be flexibly included in various systems.
Pioneer Corporation was founded by Nozomu Matsumoto in 1938 in Tokyo, Japan. The company headquarters remain in Tokyo.
Click here to visit the official Pioneer Corporation website.
Pioneer is also featured in the following My New Microphone articles:
• Top 11 Best AV Receiver Brands In The World
• Top 9 Best Car Stereo Brands In The World
QSC
Founded in 1968, the California-based QSC Audio Products has long been a manufacturer of loudspeakers. Today, it has solidified its reputation and is a top manufacturer of professional subwoofers.
The company focuses on many different audio products including power amplifiers, loudspeakers, digital mixers and digital signal processors. Whereas the aforementioned brands mostly focused on car audio subwoofers, QSC excels at producing PA-style subwoofers for live sound applications.
The KS118 (link to check the price on Amazon) is a noteworthy subwoofer from QSC. This direct-radiating 18-inch subwoofer has a 3600 Watt Class D amplifier module and is capable of very high output. It has an adjustable crossover and omnidirectional and cardioid radiation modes (cardioid setup requires a minimum of 2 units).
The Quilter Sound Company was founded in 1968 by Patrick Quilter, Barry Andrews and John Andrews in Costa Mesa, California, USA. The company is still headquartered in Costa Mesa today and officially changed its name to QSC, LLC in 2015.
Click here to visit the official website of QSC.
QSC is also featured in the following My New Microphone articles:
• Top 10 Best Loudspeaker Brands (Overall) On The Market Today
• Top 11 Best PA Loudspeaker Brands You Should Know And Use
Alto Professional
As a member of inMusic brands, Alto Professional is self-described as a live performance reinforcement branch.
They produce speakers, amplifiers and mixers for audio engineers and musicians alike. They also manufacture all-in-one PA systems for solo, duo and small group performance settings.
Alto utilizes modern manufacturing techniques, focuses on both audio professionals and musicians, and manufactures high-quality and intuitive subwoofers for live sound applications.
Alto's biggest subwoofer is its TS318S (link to check the price on Amazon) which is part of its Truesonic 3 series. This 18-inch subwoofer has a high-temperature 3-inch voice coil and a high-efficiency Class-D amplifier with a maximum power handling figure of 2000 watts of peak power
Alto Professional was founded in 2000 by a team of audio engineers. inMusic Brands (founded by Jack O'Donnell) acquired Alto Professional in 2010. Today, the company is headquartered in Cumberland, Rhode Island, USA.
Click here to visit the official website of Alto Professional.
Parent company: inMusic Brands
Alto Professional is also featured in the following My New Microphone articles:
• Top 11 Best PA Loudspeaker Brands You Should Know And Use
• Top 11 Best Mixing Board/Console Brands For Home Studios
Electro-Voice
Electro-Voice is one of the oldest audio equipment manufacturers still running independently.
EV is an industry leader in the design, engineering, and manufacturing of professional audio equipment including loudspeakers and live sound systems. Their uncompromised passion for sound quality is realized in their superb subwoofer designs.
Electro-Voice is one of the few companies of their size to design all components in‑house and have numerous industry-leading loudspeakers.
The ETX-18SP (link to check the price at B&H Photo/Video) is one of many Electro-Voice subwoofers worth mentioning.
This model has an 18″ DVX subwoofer for extended low-end and an 1800 W Class-D amplifier with integrated FIR-Drive DSP that are capable of producing 135 dB peak SPL. The ETX-18SP also comes with a DSP preset for true cardioid performance across its entire range.
Electro-Voice was officially founded in 1930 by Lou Burroughs and Albert R. Kahn in South Bend, Indiana, USA. In 1998, the company was acquired by Telex Communications Inc. under the parent company Robert Bosch GmbH. Electro-Voice is headquartered in Burnsville, Minnesota, USA.
Electro-Voice (U.S.A) official website.
Parent company: Robert Bosch GmbH (Germany).
Electro-Voice is also featured in the following My New Microphone articles:
• Top 11 Best Microphone Brands You Should Know And Use
• Top 11 Best PA Loudspeaker Brands You Should Know And Use
JBL
JBL has been producing loudspeakers since its inception in 1946. The company has two divisions: JBL Consumer (which focuses on consumer home audio equipment) and JBL Professional (which focuses on audio equipment for professional settings).
Each division produces subwoofers and so JBL fans can get their hands on a JBL speaker for practically all applications including home audio, live sound and car audio.
The variety of JBL’s subwoofer speakers combined with its popularity makes it a go-to company to get what you're looking for. For that reason, JBL has made this list!
The JBL GT-BassPro12 (link to check the price on Amazon) pictured below is an example of a car audio subwoofer from JBL. This 12″ model features a 150-watt amplifier with both line level and speaker level inputs (the amp automatically turns off when a speaker level signal is inputted).
For more info on car audio bass response, check out my article How To Increase Bass Response In Your Car's Audio System.
JBL was originally founded in 1946 by James Bullough Lansing and his partner in Los Angeles, California, USA, where the company is still headquartered to this day. The brand is now owned by Samsung Electronics and managed by Harmon International Industries.
Lansing also founded the Lansing Manufacturing Company in 1927 which, in 1941, was acquired by Altec Service Corporation to become Altec Lansing.
Click here to visit the official website of JBL.
Parent company: Harman International – Samsung Electronics (South Korea).
JBL is also featured in the following My New Microphone articles:
• Top 10 Best Loudspeaker Brands (Overall) On The Market Today
• Top 11 Best Home Speaker Brands You Should Know And Use
• Top 11 Best PA Loudspeaker Brands You Should Know And Use
• Top 14 Best Earphone/Earbud Brands In The World
• Top 11 Best Car Audio Speaker Brands In The World
• Top 11 Best Soundbar Brands On The Market
• Top 8 Best Portable Bluetooth Speaker Brands On The Market
Polk Audio
The California-based audio product manufacturer Polk Audio is perhaps best known for its home and audio speakers (including its awesome subwoofers).
The company also produces amplifiers, radio receivers and many other types of general audio equipment.
Polk's wide variety of subwoofers are designed for plenty of applications including car, boat, home and studio audio systems.
The DSW PRO 660 (link to check the price at B&H Photo/Video) is Polk Audio's largest model in its professional line of subwoofers. It is Polk's most powerful subwoofer with a 400 Watt continuous intelligent digital amplifier moving its 12″ Dynamic Balance driver.
Polk Audio was founded in 1972 by George Klopfer, Sandy Gross and Matthew Polk in Baltimore, Maryland, USA. Polk Audio was acquired by DEI Holdings in 2006 and its headquarters was moved to the DEI headquarters in San Diego, California, USA in 2015.
Click here to visit Polk Audio's official website.
Parent company: DEI Holdings (USA)
Polk Audio is also featured in the following My New Microphone articles:
• Top 11 Best Home Speaker Brands You Should Know And Use
• Top 11 Best Car Audio Speaker Brands In The World
Klipsch
Klipsch has become synonymous with high-quality speaker manufacturing since its founding date in 1946.
The company has a large selection of new speakers and also a large number of legacy models that are highly sought-after in the new and vintage markets, respectively.
When it comes to subwoofers, Klipsch cuts no corners and the same standard should be expected. Their subwoofer applications include high fidelity; public address; personal computers; home cinema, and more.
The SPL-150SW (link to check the price on Amazon) is the largest model from Klipsch's high-end SPL series of subwoofers. This home audio subwoofer has a 15″ spun copper cerametallic woofer; a bass-reflex enclosure, and a high-efficiency Class-D amplifier with 400W RMS/ 800W peak.
Klipsch Audio Technologies was founded in 1946 by Paul W. Klipsch in Hope, Arkansas as ‘Klipsch and Associates'. In 2011, Audiovox (now Voxx International) acquired Klipsch. The company is headquartered in Indianapolis, Indiana, U.S.
Click here to visit the official website of Klipsch.
Parent company: Voxx International (USA)
Klipsch is also featured in the following My New Microphone articles:
• Top 10 Best Loudspeaker Brands (Overall) On The Market Today
• Top 11 Best Home Speaker Brands You Should Know And Use
• Top 11 Best Soundbar Brands On The Market
Yamaha
Yamaha has been around since 1887. The Japanese-based corporation has become a global conglomerate and is involved in sectors such as motorcycles, musical instruments, consumer electronics and, as the article would suggest speakers and subwoofers.
Yamaha offers are a nice variety of subwoofers for various applications and bridges the gap between performance and cost.
The NS-SW300PN (link to check the price on Amazon) is a 10″ square-coil home-audio subwoofer from Yamaha. It features Yamaha's Twisted Flare Port; advanced YST II (Yamaha Active Servo Technology II) with a PWM digital drive high-efficiency amplifier that packs 250 W of output power. The subwoofer is complete with a front control panel for easy control.
Yamaha Corporation was founded in 1887 as Nippon Gakki Co by Torakusu Yamaha. Today, Yamaha's headquarters is located in Nakazawacho, Naka-ku, Hamamatsu, Shizuoka, Japan.
Click here to visit the official website of Yamaha.
Yamaha is also featured in the following My New Microphone articles:
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• Top 11 Best AV Receiver Brands In The World
• Top 13 Best Bass Guitar Brands In The World
• Top 11 Best DAW Control Surface Brands In The World
• Top 10 Best Live Sound Mixing Board/Console Brands
• Top 11 Best Mixing Board/Console Brands For Home Studios
• Top 11 Best PA Loudspeaker Brands You Should Know And Use
• Top 11 Best Studio Monitor Brands You Should Know And Use
• Top 11 Best Synthesizer Brands In The World
• Top 9 Best Digital Piano Brands In The World
• Top 11 Best Acoustic Piano Brands In The World
• Top 11 Best Drum Brands In The World
• Top 11 Best Soundbar Brands On The Market