A subwoofer is only as good as its enclosure, amplifier and tune. Start by deciding the kind of bass you want — tight and musical, or loud and aggressive. Sealed boxes are smaller and produce more accurate bass; ported boxes are louder and hit harder on rap and EDM. Match your sub's RMS rating to your amp, never the peak. And don't skimp on wire gauge — undersized power wire will choke the system. Finally, get it tuned: a $1,000 sub on a flat-EQ system will lose to a $300 sub that's been properly tuned.
Back to resources
Car Audio
How to Pick the Right Subwoofer for Your Car
Cone size matters less than enclosure design. Here's how to choose a sub that thumps without rattling your teeth out.
May 12, 20266 min read
