The 4 Best Subwoofers for Gaming
If you're serious about gaming, you'll want to enhance the experience as best as you can. Buying a good monitor, graphics card, and all the rest is an integral part of building a gaming rig. Often, our speaker setup is a mere afterthought, something we relegate to the distant future. And it's understandable. But if you're interested in hearing the full potential of your games' atmospheres, including action sounds, music, and ambient noise, a subwoofer will go a long way. Here, we've collected our four favorites, ranked from the budget-tier to the premium.
Monoprice Monolith 12″
She is beauty, she is grace
So here you are, looking at a subwoofer with a cost approaching four digits. We get it. You’re totally fine with drowning in debt just so you can show up all your gaming friends. Either that or you’re loaded, in which case, there are many meme-makers & trend-shapers out there on the internet calling for a taste of your flesh. Don’t worry — you’re safe here. Personally, we think that an investment in a heightened timbral experience is one of the most noble endeavors the human spirit can engage in. After all, we’re in accordance with the ancient Greeks here, who believed that sonic phenomena were the embodiment of universal truths. Poetic waxing aside, the Monoprice Monolith 12″ is perhaps capable of enriching your gaming experience better than any other subwoofer on the market, and we think anyone purchasing it for the right reasons is making a great choice.
Pros:
- Phenomenal build quality
- Virtually no distortion
- 5-year warranty
- Linear response
Cons:
- So powerful it may overpower some mid-range frequencies
- Extremely heavy
JBL LSR310S
Solid, smooth, and sleek
You’ve likely encountered JBL’s audio products someplace or another, and if you haven’t, know that they’re one of the most trusted names in the industry. Their down-firing LSR310S subwoofer has become quite popular, as it negotiates the balance between price and quality just right. Fully powered with an internal Class-D amp rated at 200W, this 10″ beauty is known for low-end precision above all. It can reach all the way down to 27Hz, and it does so with grace. It’s also acclaimed for its reliability, the evenness of its frequency response, and its neutral tonal reproduction. It’s quite popular in the music production community, too, so if you happen to double as a bedroom producer, this one’s an even smarter buy. While at its current price of $399, it’s not exactly cheap, you’re certainly getting your money’s worth.
Pros:
- Proprietary Slip Stream port design sharpens tonal clarity
- Extended low-frequency settings
- Impressive value for the cost
- Ideal for small rooms
Cons:
- Max volume can be lacking depending on room size
BIC America F12
Ideal for most gamers
At this price, finding a 475W amp with clean, punchy drive to it is nigh impossible. The BIC America F12 manages to do so, and for this reason it has solidified itself as the best value purchase around. It’s powerful, reliable, and packed with useful features, like its adjustable crossover. If you also plan on using it for movies, it can integrate with Dolby Pro Logic and Dolby Digital/DTS. It’s front-firing design means that it pushes sound out into the room, rather than sending it down towards the floor. This is great if you have people living below you who don’t want to hear that doom-filled battle rumble.
It’s true that with this much power at this cost, something’s gotta give. In this case, it’s precision. Occasionally, you might feel that the low-end is a bit muddy when listening to the F12. But most of the time, this isn’t an issue for gamers. It’s worth noting, too, that it’s backed by a 5-year parts and labor warranty, should you have any unexpected problems with it.
Pros:
- Adjustable crossover settings
- No port rattle
- High-quality build means it should last many years
Cons:
- Doesn’t handle music too well
- Tends to get very hot with extended use
Monoprice 9273
Don't bring this one home to your parents
If you plan on buying the Monoprice 9723, please don’t tell any of your audiophile friends. Seriously. Any self-respecting gear freak will tell you that you probably shouldn’t spend under $300 on a subwoofer, and that a sub that frequently prices between $90-$150 is probably a complete and utter waste of money. But we think this one’s an exception. Rated at 150w RMS, this fully-powered sucker is essentially just plug-and-play. Its specs aren’t spectacular, but compared to the competitors at this price-point, its performance excels.
Unfortunately, though, part of the reason you probably want a subwoofer for gaming in the first place is to here those atmospheric sounds of the world you’re immersed in: bassy rumbles, distant explosions, that kind of thing. The low end of frequency range on this one only extends down to 50Hz, so you’ll be missing out on a lot of the really deep, rumbly stuff that brings a world to life. Still, if you’re pressed for cash but want to add some punchy thump to your gaming experience, the Monoprice 9723 is a winner.
Pros:
- Also works great for an inexpensive home theater setup
- Easy installation
- Good build quality
Cons:
- Prone to annoying electrical hum
- Hard to justify its clunkiness
- Barely audible without a good amount of gain
Frequently Asked Questions
What does a subwoofer do, exactly?
The human hearing range is often divvied up into three subsections: bass, mid-range, and treble. A subwoofer is a speaker designed to reproduce frequencies in the bass range, particularly the sub-bass and mid-bass zones. Normal computer speakers typically employ standard woofer speakers, which do a pretty good job at producing higher-bass frequencies, the mids, and the bottom end of the treble range. Some speaker setups also employ tweeter speakers to produce those soaring, sparkling high frequencies.
Do I really need one?
Deciding whether or not you’ll need one requires you to analyze your gaming tendencies and how a subwoofer will fit in with them. Will they help give you a competitive advantage in a shoot-em-‘up? Perhaps not. In fact, they may even cast their dark shadow over the mid- and high-range, overpowering important sounds like enemy footsteps. If, however, you’re playing more world-based games, a subwoofer will help immerse you more deeply in the rumbling, humming, buzzing atmosphere.
How do I choose a subwoofer?
A few factors come into play here, primarily your budget, the size of the room you’ll be using it in, and what you’ll typically be using it for. As mentioned earlier, most in the know agree that you probably shouldn’t skimp on a subwoofer. Because the frequencies that a subwoofer produces are so low, there’s something of an art to it. And loud isn’t always better. Do you really want to hear loud-but-terribly-distorted booms from that frag explosion? Probably not.
The room you’re playing in is important, too. You might have the money to spend and the desire to splurge, but if you’re in a tiny gaming cubby, a high-powered unit may be overkill. With that said, if you’ll also be using the subwoofer for other purposes, like music and movies, your considerations may change. You’re music-listening and movie-watching experiences can really benefit from a fuller sub-bass and mid-bass.
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With the constantly shifting landscape in the world of technology, GameRevolution seeks to provide gamers and tech-enthusiasts with the information they need to select the right products for their needs. Since 1996, our experts have used their knowledge on all the latest gadgets – everything from headphones to standing desks – to help millions of people navigate specs and answer common questions.