Collection: Studio Subwoofers 26 26 products

When a subwoofer helps

Most nearfield monitors roll off somewhere above the lowest notes of a kick drum or sub-bass. A subwoofer fills in that range, so you can hear what is happening below about 50 Hz. It is especially useful for electronic music, hip-hop, film and game audio, where much of the energy sits in the sub-bass. A sub does not fix a bad room; it can make bass problems more obvious.

Bass management and crossover

A studio subwoofer usually sits between your interface and your monitors. Its crossover sends the lowest frequencies to the sub and the rest to the monitors, often with a high-pass filter so the monitors no longer have to work as hard. Check whether the crossover point is adjustable and whether there is a bypass footswitch so you can compare with and without the sub.

What to compare

• Driver size and how low the response extends
• Adjustable crossover, phase or delay controls
• Inputs and outputs: XLR, TRS and sometimes an LFE input for surround
• Whether it is designed to match a particular monitor range
• Bypass switch or remote control

Placement and level

A subwoofer is very sensitive to position. Try it on the floor near your desk, between or slightly off-centre from the monitors, and listen from your chair. Set its level so the bass blends smoothly with the monitors; a sub that is noticeable is usually too loud.