The 10 Best Studio Monitor Subwoofers 2025

When setting up your studio, once you buy studio monitors, you then need to find one of the best studio subwoofers for your setup, which, in 2025, is not too hard to find. Many studio monitors also have matching subwoofers, so we are providing you with some reviews of the best studio monitor subwoofers out there.

Here are the best studio subwoofers 2025:

1. Yamaha HS8S
2. ADAM Audio Sub8
3. Mackie CR8S-XBT
4. Behringer Nekkst K10S
5. Focal Sub6
6. JBL LSR310S
7. Kali Audio WS-12
8. Dynaudio 18S
9. Genelec 7350A
10. KRK 10s

1. Yamaha HS8S – Various Low Sound Control Subwoofer

One of the best studio subwoofers under $500

The Yamaha HS8S is an 8-inch powered subwoofer that matches the Yamaha HS8 studio monitors. The HS8S is a ported subwoofer; the port is on the front middle of the enclosure. Even though it is very small, it definitely delivers.

It has a frequency range of 22 Hz to 150 Hz, which is plenty for a subwoofer. Around 20 Hz is the very bottom end of the range of human hearing, so you will not be missing much with that 2 Hz loss. The HS8S has been engineered with a 150 W amplifier and should have enough power to provide a good amount of sub frequencies for a small studio or a bedroom studio.

Like I mentioned, the HS8S should be ideally paired with the Yamaha HS series, but more specifically the HS8 studio monitors if you are wanting to stay around the 8-inch size. For being as small as they are, it is reasonably priced. It is also very easy to travel with, as it only weighs 27.6 lbs, so if you need to take it on the road with you, you can do it easily without having to struggle to transport it like you may with other subwoofers.

The sub has a few helpful features like a low-cut switch and low-cut control for 80 Hz to 120 Hz, and a high-cut control for the same frequency range. A phase switch allows you to set up the subwoofer with simple connections; you don’t need any additional equipment to do so, and it’s a very pain-free process for even a beginner.

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Lightweight and easy to travel with, weighing only 27.6 lbs. Reasonably priced given its features and the brand. Handy features like a low- and high-cut control and a phase switch for easy setup. A bit weak in terms of volume.

The Yamaha HS8S is a good, fairly affordable studio monitor subwoofer. It is small and lightweight, making it good for bedroom studios or small home or professional studios. I would recommend it for those producers who have no previous experience using a subwoofer, as it has enough easy to use controls to tailor it to your needs and get it set up correctly, and it is not overly complicated to use or very expensive.

2. ADAM Audio Sub8 – Studio Monitor With Wireless Remote Control

Great for smaller studios

The ADAM Audio Sub8 is an 8.5-inch powered studio subwoofer ideal for smaller studios up to 20 square meters in size. It is a very compact yet powerful subwoofer. The Sub8 is a sealed subwoofer which means it does not have a port like you usually see on normal studio monitors.

The Sub8 extends the frequency range of your near-field studio monitors down to 28 to 30 Hz and has a frequency range itself of 28 Hz to 150 Hz. Along with the 8.5-inch woofer, the Sub8 has a 1.5-inch voice coil and is powered by a 160 W ICE power amplifier. The ICE power amplifier combines low heat generation with a high performance level, making it great for long studio sessions at high playback volumes.

In terms of design, the front panel of the Sub8 has two knobs that allow you to change the input level of the subwoofer and the crossover frequency settings. A wireless remote is also included with the subwoofer, and the input level and crossover frequency settings can be changed with the remote as well if you need to set the sub up and hear everything from a distance rather than close up.

ADAM Audio uses top-quality materials for their high-end monitors and subwoofers, ensuring that you get their award-winning sound at a consistent rate when using their top-rated products. The Sub8 subwoofer is no exception here, and packs a punch in its compact form without getting boomy in a negative way.

Because of the high-quality components of the subwoofer like the paper diaphragm, the Sub8 is minimally fatiguing on the ears and has low distortion at both low and high volume levels. At high volume levels it is very powerful and does not start to sound compressed. For the satellite outputs of the sub, a connectable high pass filter is available for blocking signals below 85 Hz should you need to do that.

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Compact enough for bedroom and small studios yet still is very powerful. Low distortion even at high volumes. Comes with a remote control for setting up the crossover frequency and input level. Not a ported subwoofer. Pretty expensive for being as small as it is.

The ADAM Audio Sub8 powered, sealed subwoofer is a really great high-quality subwoofer for studio monitors. It provides you with a lot of power with little distortion and overall just sounds great for what it’s supposed to be used for, easily making it one of the best studio subwoofers under $1000.

So, all that being said, I would say that it would be a good subwoofer for intermediate to advanced producers who have smaller studios. It’s pretty expensive for being as small as it is, so honestly unless you have the money for it and don’t care about its size, I would just get an even bigger subwoofer from ADAM Audio.

3. Mackie CR8S-XBT – Best Studio Monitor Subwoofer For The Money

The subwoofer with the best value

The Mackie CR8S-XBT is an 8-inch powered subwoofer ideal for studio use and other multimedia purposes and it is also Bluetooth compatible. The Mackie CR8S-XBT is great for things like designing a desktop monitoring system for gaming, doing multimedia production projects, casual listening, and of course use in the studio.

This subwoofer has a rich tone and definitely can fill in the missing frequencies in your studio monitoring setup and add power and punch without any issues. It has a frequency range of 40 Hz to 180 Hz, and it has 200 W of power and an 8-inch driver.

It features input and output level controls, a crossover frequency control, and also a polarity switch. The CR8S-XBT also comes with a remote for adjusting the input and output volume levels and the crossover frequency, and since it’s also Bluetooth compatible, you can connect all your Bluetooth devices to it which automatically makes any studio monitors you have connected to the subwoofer also Bluetooth compatible.

The CR8S-XBT is not a ported subwoofer, it’s sealed, so it is a little less efficient than a ported sub and has ample power for only a small studio or a bedroom. The CR8S-XBT is the matching subwoofer for the CR-X series of Mackie monitors, so ideally you should use it with the CR-X line of monitors, but if you have different Mackie studio monitors you should be able to pair it easily and get a good sound from the combo.

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Extremely reasonably priced and affordable. Comes with Pro Tools First and a plugin collection. Comes with a remote. Bluetooth compatible. The frequency range bottoms out at 40 Hz which may leave you wanting a bit lower of a range. Is not a ported subwoofer, making it less powerful.

The Mackie CR8S-XBT is a great little subwoofer for a home studio. It is compact and the Bluetooth capability makes it great for casual listening. It is easily one of the best (and few) studio subwoofers under $200 out there.

I would recommend the CR8S-XBT for beginners or people who want to use the subwoofer for more than just in the studio, such as video production or gaming. The CR8S-XBT from Mackie is an ideal budget studio subwoofer for those of you just starting out in production and packs a lot of punch for the money.

4. Behringer Nekkst K10S – Powerful Studio Monitor Subwoofer

Punchy, powerful bass

The Behringer Nekkst K10S is a 10-inch powered subwoofer designed by Behringer and the founder of KRK, Keith R. Klawitter, who is a master speaker designer. The brainchild of Behringer and Klawitter, with the Nekkst K10S subwoofer you get extremely punchy, powerful bass.

The K10S has a glass fiber 10-inch speaker and has 180 W of power, which is plenty for a small or mid-sized studio. The Nekkst K10S features a variable low-pass filter and a phase switch to help you dial in the response to fit your room and monitoring setup.

Focusing on the design, the glass fiber speaker cone is known for having a lot of punch and a really fast transient response, so you can expect punchy lows and a nice transient response from the Nekkst K10S subwoofer. The amazing bass response is also thanks to the innovative cabinet design done by Keith Klawitter.

The curved baffle and dimensions of the front port were designed for extended frequency response in the low end with minimal amounts of distortion. Because of this, you’ll be able to make cleaner-sounding mixes and better decisions when mixing the low end of your mixes.

As I mentioned, there is a low-pass filter and a crossover frequency control. The crossover frequency control is labeled for precision when the K10S is paired with Behringer’s Nekkst K5, K6, or K8 studio monitors. Otherwise, you can use your ears to find the right balance between your studio monitors and the K10S if you’re using monitors from a different brand.

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Deformation resistant glass fiber speaker cone provides a lot of punch and great transient response. Designed by Keith R. Klawitter, the founder of KRK. 10-inch driver means that it can be used in a small or mid-sized studio quite easily. The crossover frequency control is only precisely labeled for use with Behringer monitors, so it may be more difficult to set it with other monitors.

Overall, the Behringer Nekkst K10S is one of the best studio subwoofers under $300. It is powerful and easily fills in the low-end frequencies that studio monitors lack at high volumes.

I strongly suggest that you use it with Behringer studio monitors; if you’re a beginner you may have a hard time setting the crossover frequency if you are using monitors from another company. I would recommend this sub to anyone who has a small to mid-sized studio.

5. Focal Sub6 – Strong and Small Studio Subwoofer

More power than size

The Focal Sub6 is a really solid, high-quality powered subwoofer. Being a top-end subwoofer, it is more expensive, but it is definitely worth it if you want a great sound quality.

The Focal Sub6 has an 11-inch driver and extends your monitoring down to 30 Hz in a linear fashion at any SPL (sound pressure level) with 350 W of power, making it powerful enough to be used in a large studio. With the Sub6, you have a lot of setup flexibility with 2.1, 2.2, or surround LFE configurations.

The Focal Sub6 also features a high-pass crossover, an adjustable phase control, and level control to help you achieve the most seamless integration with your studio monitors. The Sub6 also has a footswitch input to let you A/B your audio with and without the subwoofer to give you a better idea of your sonic perspective.

The Focal Sub6 gives you enough capability as a giant studio monitor that you might find in a world class studio with the frequency range of 30 Hz to 250 Hz. Focal’s Solo6 Be and Twin6 Be are ideal monitors for pairing the Sub6 with.

Getting into the design details, Focal uses a composite sandwich cone technology where the cone is made of a layer of glass, then a layer of foam, and another layer of glass. This technology helps to fine tune mass, rigidity, and damping, which is the basis for sonic neutrality when all are balanced.

The 11-inch woofer is fitted with a high excursion system that provides an accurate and extended reproduction of bass. The voice coil design helps to maintain complete control of the driver, even at a high SPL. The magnetic construction offers a symmetrical magnetic field that ensures stable dynamics at the lowest of frequencies.

For the amplifier, Focal uses BASH technology to combine the sonic qualities of a Class AB amp circuit with a Class D amp’s yield characteristics. This ensures that you have an ultra reliable subwoofer with superior performance.

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Good for any size studio. Composite sandwich cone creates a balanced sound with high accuracy. Very reliable in terms of performance. Footswitch compatible for A/B-ing. Pretty expensive. Sealed rather than ported.

The Focal Sub6 is a best-selling studio subwoofer that would be great in any sized studio. I wouldn’t necessarily recommend it for beginners as it has a lot of different controls, but it would be good for an advanced to professional producer.

6. JBL LSR310S – Best Small Monitor for Experienced Producers

A truly balanced and focused sound

The JBL LSR310S is a powered studio subwoofer designed to be used with JBL’s LSR active studio monitors. The LSR310S takes the load off of your near-field monitors, producing tight and focused bass to help you get a balanced 3-way sound.

The JBL LSR310S sports a 10-inch down-firing driver that bottoms out at 27 Hz. The frequency response range is from 27 Hz to 130 Hz. The LSR310S features a selectable crossover that includes JBL’s XLF (Extended Low Frequency) setting which gives you plenty of flexibility when setting up your subwoofer and tailoring it to your mixing environment.

The LSR310S is a ported subwoofer and uses JBL’s Slip Stream port for a tight and focused bass response at any volume. The Slip Stream port is a double-flared port shape that reduces turbulence and enables you to have an accurate bass response at any volume.

The LSR310S is powered by a 200 W Class D amp. When the XLF setting is activated, you get a club-like response that helps to tailor the bass volume and frequencies. A level control is also featured to adjust the subwoofer output volume.

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Slip Stream port for an accurate bass response no matter what. XLF setting provides flexibility in setting the crossover point. Not very good in extra large studios.

The JBL LSR310S is the perfect recording studio subwoofer for a mid-sized studio and has all the latest technology from JBL. I would recommend it for producers of any skill level.

7. Kali Audio WS-12 – Small Studio Subwoofer for Big Studios

A crazy powerful sub

The WS-12 from Kali Audio is a new, ridiculously powerful subwoofer. The WS-12 is a 12-inch sub powered by 1000 W. It has a frequency response of 23 Hz to 160 Hz. It can easily reproduce low-frequency audio while being plenty loud, even though it is small enough to fit into a small studio.

It is a ported subwoofer for recording studios and yields a clean and punchy bass with low noise and distortion. The WS-12 handles bass heavy genres like EDM and hip-hop with ease and can reproduce low-end content in movie soundtracks as well. It’s even loud enough for light use with a PA, and has a built in limiter circuit to protect against power surges.

The WS-12 is made from ultra durable plywood and has side handles for easy transport, making it a good candidate for taking on the road. It’s small enough to fit into most passenger cars as well.

Getting into the design a bit more, the WS-12 has a low-noise port tube. A lot of port tubes emit turbulence which can produce a sound called chuffing. Chuffing can hide low-end details in your mix. With the WS-12’s port tube, all of the air exits at the same velocity, resulting in a clean bass sound with no added noise.

On the rear panel you will find a control for selectable crossovers at every 20 Hz between 40 and 140 Hz, as well as presets for use with the Kali Audio LP-6, LP-8, and IN-8 studio monitors. You’ll also find LFE and external crossover settings. You can also choose between 4 preset gain settings, change the polarity, enable and disable the RCA inputs, and enable and disable standby mode (which can also be done with a footswitch).

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Extremely powerful in a small package. Easy to transport as well as set up. Many settings for use in many applications and situations. Innovative technology with the port for ultra low noise and optimal balance. Does not come with a remote control for easier setup.

The Kali Audio WS-12 is the newest project from Kali Audio and is definitely one to look out for. It has so much power but is compact and is being sold at a pretty good price considering its many features and innovative design.

This one is bound to be a big favorite among producers as it will fit in a large studio quite well. I definitely recommend you take a look at this one. There are not many subwoofers this powerful being sold at a price this good.

8. Dynaudio 18S – Versatile Studio Monitor Subwoofer

Packed with features and a punch

Being the most expensive subwoofer on the list, the Dynaudio 18S subwoofer is packed with features that are bound to blow your mind and provide you with an awesome response to ensure your mixes are sounding great on any listening system.

The Dynaudio 18S is a 9.5-inch powered subwoofer. The 18S is a professional-grade subwoofer that gets you down to a ridiculous 16 Hz. You’re sure to hear the thumping sub frequencies of a kick drum and feel the vibration in your chest from a bass guitar. Low-frequency mud will stick out like a sore thumb for you to easily identify and fix.

The 18S allows you to record, mix, and master with the highest level of accuracy and deliver audio that translates perfectly across multiple speakers outside of your studio. The 18S employs dual opposing 9.5-inch driver units that sit at either side of the cabinet. For convenience in terms of placement, the cabinet is wider than it is deep. This won’t have a negative effect on your audio.

Dynaudio incorporates their MSP+ Hybrid Drive drivers that are powered by a 500 W Class D amplifier. You will have more than enough power to fill a large studio with audio from this subwoofer. The 18S features intelligent DSP that tailors its performance to many of Dynaudio’s popular high-end studio monitors to help you get the fullest range of monitoring possible.

The DSP modeling technology helps to pair the 18S with any of the professional monitors, for example, from the BM and LYD series and above, turning a two-way monitor into a whole three-way audio monitoring system (or a four way system if combined with an LYD 48 stereo or surround setup).

The 18S has a display menu that can be used to select and create customized performance maps for the Dynaudio studio monitors you are using for applying rolloff and other settings. Dynaudio assessed the acoustic characteristics of all their high-end monitors, so you don’t have to do any guesswork when pairing the sub with monitors. When Dynaudio adds any new monitors to their range, the 18S’s firmware will update to include them, so this subwoofer will never become obsolete.

Another great feature of the 18S is integration assistance. When using the RCA or XLR connections, the integration assistance features help you to get set up with more advanced systems.

Included is the ability to set a time delay to make sure that the subwoofer and studio monitors are playing at the exact same time. The 18S automatically adjusts itself using time and phase delays. Also featured is an onboard three way parametric EQ to resolve room modes that could affect the accuracy of your audio recordings.

Touching on the accuracy of the subwoofer, the 18S uses the MSP+ Hybrid Drive driver. It’s made from aluminum which is a change from Dynaudio’s usual magnesium silicate polymer. It’s essentially a sandwich, with paper backing and an MSP dust cap on the front. Sandwich construction for drivers has proven to be especially worthwhile for subwoofers over the past few years because they require a more critical balance between stiffness, lightness, and damping than traditional monitor drivers do.

Aside from all the fancy technology that has gone into the construction and design of the 18S, I can tell you that its performance is incredible. It integrates seamlessly with the Dynaudio monitors and lets you work with freedom because it’s so easy to catch even the smallest details with this subwoofer.

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Has an onboard display screen to control setup parameters for seamless integration with multiple systems over different applications. High accuracy thanks to the special sandwich designed MSP+ Hybrid Drive driver. Presets for integration with Dynaudio monitors and automatic adjustments make for an easy, pain free setup. Extremely expensive and likely not in a less experienced or hobbyist producer’s budget. Not as easy to integrate with monitors not made by Dynaudio.

The Dynaudio 18S is an amazing subwoofer well worth checking out if you have the money for it. It will fit perfectly in a large studio. It could work in smaller and mid-size studios as well, but being as large as it is and as powerful as it is, it may be too bulky, and ideally it needs to be in a very well-treated studio, so it definitely will not work out in a bedroom studio unless the room is very large. Intermediate to advanced producers will love this subwoofer and get hours and hours of enjoyment and accurate mixing with it.

9. Genelec 7350A High Accuracy Studio Monitor

Accurate and flexible with a small footprint

You may not be very familiar with Genelec, an audio monitoring company based in Finland, but they have made a subwoofer that is accurate, flexible, and also has a small footprint. If you are looking for a subwoofer that will pair perfectly with Genelec’s active studio monitors, the Genelec 7350A active subwoofer is the ideal choice.

The 8-inch Genelec 7350A subwoofer is a compact powered subwoofer for 2.1 or 5.1 systems when paired with the Genelec 8320A or 8330A studio monitors for both stereo and surround sound applications in the studio or even at home.

The 7350A has a single 8-inch driver powered by a 150 W amplifier. It is quite powerful for being a more compact sub, and can put out pretty high SPL within a 1 meter distance. The total frequency response range of the Genelec 7350A is 22 Hz to 150 Hz, which is plenty low and you won’t be missing any sub frequencies.

The 7350A extends the low-frequency response range all the way down to 22 Hz, which is made possible by the Laminar Spiral Enclosure (LSE) patented by Genelec. The Laminar Spiral Enclosure drastically changes how high volume low frequency energy is delivered in a critical listening environment. Thanks to the LSE, any issues caused by turbulence from the bass port on the chassis is completely eliminated, resulting in a smooth energy response with clear bass that has no distortion or inaccuracies.

Another awesome design feature of the 7350A is the Smart Active Monitor (SAM) technology. The Smart Active Monitor technology takes into account that as a producer in this day and age, you may not always be able to mix and monitor in the ideal environment like a studio. The SAM technology automatically calibrates the level, timing, and equalization of the subwoofer to your room, making sure that you hear the fine details and nuances of your audio recordings without color or distortion, so that you can make critical decisions when mixing.

Although it’s not included with the 7350A subwoofer, Genelec pairs this Smart Active Monitor technology with a software called Genelec Loudspeaker Manager (GLM) that allows you to remotely control your whole setup of Genelec monitors and subwoofers right from your computer in an intuitive, flexible program.

Genelec incorporates another great technology called Intelligent Signal Sensing (ISS) which is a power management system that automatically shuts down the subwoofer. It constantly checks the input signal and if it doesn’t detect anything for a while, it turns it to a low-power sleep mode to protect it from power surges and help save you electricity, so you’re not wasting it.

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High accuracy and a balanced sound thanks to the SAM technology. Intelligent Signal Sensing technology helps to conserve electricity by automatically shutting the subwoofer down when not in use if you forget to turn it off. Has automatically adjusting calibration features that help tailor the sub to match your room even if it’s not an ideal mixing environment. If you don’t want your subwoofer to automatically turn off there is no way to bypass that feature. Pretty expensive for being only 8 inches. Not ported.

The Genelec 7350A 8-inch powered subwoofer is great for use in a small recording studio, post-production house, with a digital editing suite, for the radio, or even TV or casual listening. It sounds great, it’s intuitive and easy to set up, and there are definitely some very handy features that make it a joy to incorporate into your studio. It is only an 8-inch sub, so it would work best in a smaller room.

Although it is pretty expensive, I definitely would recommend it for producers of any skill level who want a feature packed subwoofer that is easy to use in any mixing and monitoring environment and also want to save energy while operating it.

10. KRK 10s – All Studio Size Monitor Subwoofer

Clean, reliable extended range

The KRK 10s is a ported, powered subwoofer great for any genre. The 10s has a 10-inch glass and aramid composite woofer with a 2-inch voice coil. It is housed in an MDF enclosure and is capable of reproducing frequencies down to 28 Hz.

It has a frequency range of 28 Hz to 156 Hz and a frequency response of 30 Hz to 110 Hz. With the extended range, it will give your work a more professional finish and help audio to translate well on any listening system. The KRK 10S is powered by a 160-watt Class D amplifier capable of producing up to 117 dB of defined bass frequencies.

On the back panel of the KRK 10s, there are controls for an adjustable crossover frequency point, a sensitivity switch, a polarity switch, and a ground switch. These tools allow you to easily fine-tune the setup of the subwoofer to ensure that you have an ideal setup for your mixing environment as well as a seamless integration with your studio monitors. The 10s is best used with KRK’s Rokit monitors and VXT monitors as a matching subwoofer.

In addition to these features, the 10s also comes with a footswitch input for bypassing the sub when monitoring for easy A/B-ing. The 10s is just a really great professional or home studio subwoofer. It provides clean, tight bass with little to no distortion even at high SPL, and you get better translation between listening systems in a way that makes your mixes sound full and immersive without being too muddy or overly pronounced.

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Footswitch compatible for A/B-ing. Quite reasonably priced for being so powerful. Ported subwoofer. Sensitivity control can be faulty.

The KRK 10s is a highest-rated sub at a reasonable price point. I would say it would be good in any size studio and that producers of any skill level will be pleased with its ease of use and reliability.

Guide to choosing subwoofers for your studio

There’s no easy way to go about choosing a subwoofer, but there are definitely a few rules of thumb when shopping around for one. This short guide will help you determine what you’ll need to look for in a subwoofer to ensure that it fits your studio.

In this guide, we’ll go over:

Subwoofer mechanics

Subwoofers essentially pressurize your studio. When a sub is playing music, the drivers shrink and expand, which in turn changes the air pressure of your studio. Usually it’s so much of a change that you can feel it in the air, but this also depends on the size of the subwoofer.

Subwoofer size and price

Honestly, the size and price of your subwoofer doesn’t really matter that much under most circumstances. The size does matter if you have a small 8-inch subwoofer for an extremely large studio, but this is something that seems to be common sense – don’t put a small subwoofer in a giant studio; make sure you purchase accordingly.

Really, as long as you can control the volume of the subwoofer, you can’t buy one that is too big. An 8-inch sub is considered on the smaller side up until around 12 inches.

As for the price, you should obviously pick something that is in your price range that also fits all the criteria for your needs and your studio dimensions. Usually one large subwoofer will be sufficient for a whole studio, so you won’t necessarily need to buy a pair. Subs aren’t really meant to be bought in pairs, but in some cases they are sold that way, usually in a whole studio monitor package that has the normal studio monitors as well.

Sealed vs. ported subwoofers

Now for the age old question: ‘Should I get a sealed or ported subwoofer?’ Well, to answer that, again it’s something that depends on your needs for the most part.

Let’s get into the pros and cons of sealed vs. ported subs.

Sealed subwoofers:

Ported subwoofers:

You should choose a sealed subwoofer if:

You should choose a ported subwoofer if:

In smaller studios, sealed subwoofers around 12 inches in size will be sufficient, and ported subwoofers around 10 inches in size will be sufficient. If you have a larger studio you can get two subwoofers if one smaller sub isn’t powerful enough.

Subwoofer electronics

In terms of power, the SPL is what matters. SPL stands for sound pressure level. The more powerful the subwoofer is, the higher the SPL will be. The subwoofer is powered by an amplifier, usually a Class D amp. Wattage doesn’t really matter, so just focus on SPL. Extra power isn’t a bad thing, especially with sealed subwoofers.

Most subs also have a filtering system. I would suggest finding one with built-in variable high-pass filters that also have the ability to send higher frequencies to your studio monitors, that way the subs will only be handling the low end necessary for its power.

Don’t forget that passive subwoofers exist. You should follow the same guidelines for passive subwoofers and pair them with an amplifier that will help it reach the SPL you need.

Matching subwoofers

If you already have studio monitors, your first choice for a subwoofer should be a subwoofer from the same manufacturer and more specifically from the same line of studio monitors. The sub will already be tuned to fill in what your studio monitors are lacking.

If the manufacturers don’t have a subwoofer for the line of studio monitors you have, at least try to get the closest thing from the same brand. If there is no obvious match or anything close to it, then you should use the guidelines here to find one that’s right for you.

Acoustic treatment

If you’re going to incorporate a sub into your studio monitoring setup, you need to have acoustic treatment in your studio, otherwise you will be getting an inaccurate representation of your mix.

Bass traps, thick acoustic wall panels, and floor rugs are definitely needed if you have studio monitors and plan to get a sub.

Bottom Line

To sum everything up and give you a straight answer if you’re looking for it:

Use these studio subwoofer reviews and guide to get you started on purchasing a subwoofer for your bedroom, home, or pro studio. Make sure to do extensive research and rely on multiple sources when choosing a subwoofer for your studio as well.