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Subwoofers Add More than Bass. This Is Why Every Hi-Fi Setup Needs One

There’s a myth that subwoofers actually make speakers sound worse. It couldn’t be further from the truth.

Photo by Tucker Bowe for Gear Patrol

By Tucker Bowe

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A subwoofer is a speaker that specializes in bass. It delivers low-end frequencies (typically 20 to 200 Hz) to your system that can’t be reproduced by most bookshelf speakers or traditional soundbars. If you love listening to music or watching movies where you can hear and feel the floor shake, you want a subwoofer.

Why every sound system needs a subwoofer

There are a couple myths about subwoofers, such as that they’ll overpower your other speakers so you can’t hear them or that they’re just for home theater buffs. Both things couldn’t be further from the truth. In fact, adding a subwoofer will actually make your other speakers — in a home-theater setup or not — sound better.

A subwoofer will shoulder the burden of producing bass for your other speakers so they can focus more on high- and mid-range frequencies.

That’s because a subwoofer will shoulder the burden of producing bass for your other speakers. Instead of them producing bass, your other speakers can focus more on the high- and mid-range frequencies, thus elevating the sound of your entire system. In other words, even if don’t binge watch Tom Cruise movies or host EDM dance parties, you can still greatly benefit from adding a subwoofer.

What to look for when buying a subwoofer

wireless sub
The Sub Mini is Sonos’s smaller wireless subwoofer, designed to pair with its Beam or Ray soundbars or a pair of Era 100s.
Photo by Tucker Bowe

When buying a subwoofer, the most important thing to know is not every soundbar will work with every system. If you have a traditional setup with a stereo or AV receiver, you can connect a wired subwoofer using its subwoofer output (via speaker wires and the receiver’s speaker terminals).

Most soundbars can’t support a standalone subwoofer.

Soundbars are a different story. In fact, most soundbars can’t support a standalone subwoofer; if you don’t buy a soundbar-and-subwoofer combo (which are pretty popular today), there’s a good chance you won’t be able to simply add a subwoofer after the fact.

The exception is wireless subwoofers, which connect to your existing speaker system over Wi-Fi. They work exactly like today’s smart speakers, but for bass.

The advantage of these wireless subwoofers is that you can place them anywhere in your house (as they don’t need to be tethered to your system). You can also easily add them afterwards to a compatible soundbar. The caveat is that most wireless subwoofers only work in their parent ecosystem; for example, you can’t mix-and-match a Samsung soundbar with a Sonos wireless subwoofer.

The Best Wireless Subwoofers You Can Buy in 2024

We’ve been writing about and reviewing audio products — including speakers, headphones, earbuds and other audio components that run the gamut from consumer to hi-fi — for over a decade. We also work with major brands and talk to experts within the audio industry.

Here are our selections for the best wireless subwoofers after thorough testing and research of the offering from the most trusted brands in audio.

Learn more about our testing methodology and how we evaluate products.

Best Sonos Subwoofer

The Sub (Gen 3) is the perfect upgrade for anybody with one of Sonos’s higher-end speakers (like a Five or Era 300) or Arc soundbar. The wireless subwoofer delivers powerful base with no distortion thanks to its unique design, with two inward-facing force-canceling drivers. And it can be placed anywhere in your home.

Setup is easy through the Sonos app, which also allows you to adjust the bass (in case you find it too powerful). It’s available in either black or white. The only real downside is price — it ain’t cheap.

Best Bose Wireless Subwoofer

The Bass Module 700 is Bose’s direct rival to the Sonos Sub. It’s basically the same size (36 pounds), same price and works much the same way (connecting via Bose’s companion app) — but exclusively inside Bose’s speaker and soundbar ecosystem.

It uses similar room calibration technology (which Bose calls “Adaptiq”) so that it sounds best for the space it’s in. It’s available in white or black. If it’s too pricey or large for you, Bose has a more affordable alternative: its Bass Module 500 ($499).

Best Klipsch Wireless Subwoofer

The Klipsch R-10SWi is a compact yet powerful wireless subwoofer. It’s designed to match the company’s other home theater speakers and uses a pre-paired transmitter (which can be connected via Line/LFE inputs to your old or new receiver) so it can be used with a variety of audio and home theater systems — not just Klipsch’s own.

It packs a 10-inch front firing woofer and digital amplifier and has a max output of 300 watts, making it perfect for small-to-medium sized rooms. If you’re looking for something a little beefier (and pricier), check out Klipsch’s R-12SWi.

Best Affordable Sonos Subwoofer

Released in 2022, the Sub Mini is a more affordable version of the Sub (Gen 3). It’s roughly half the size, but works it much the same way: with dual force-cancelling woofers. There are a few other differences, however, as it has a cylindrical shape and needs to be stood vertically (you can’t rest it on its side like the Sub). It has a sealed rather than ported design.

wireless sub
Testing the Sonos Sub Mini.
Photo by Tucker Bowe

Maybe most significantly, you can only pair one Sub Mini with a soundbar. Sonos recommends pairing the Sub Mini with its Ray or Beam (Gen 2) soundbars, or with a pair of Ones.

Best Bowers & Wilkins Wireless Subwoofer

The Formation Bass is a high-end wireless subwoofer that’s designed to look and work exclusively with Bowers & Wilkins’s Formation line of wireless speakers and soundbars. It packs two opposing 6.5-inch woofers and outputs up to 250 watts of power.

It connects over Wi-Fi and uses B&W’s proprietary wireless mesh network technology, called Formation Wireless Technology, enabling the system to stream high-resolution audio (up to 96kHz/24-bit).

Best Sony Wireless Subwoofer

The Sony SA-SW5 is the company’s biggest and best subwoofer that’s designed to wirelessly pair with many of the company’s top-end soundbars (like its flagship A7000) and wireless home theater systems (like the HT-A9). The SA-SW5 packs a 7-inch driver and passive radiator, and has a max power output of 300 watts, making it one of the beefier wireless subwoofers out there.

(Note: Sony sells a smaller wireless subwoofer, the Sony SA-SW3 ($398), for those looking for a more affordable option. It can be paired with Sony’s flagship and mid-range soundbars.)

Best Audioengine Wireless Subwoofer

The Audioengine S8 isn’t a wireless subwoofer on its own — but you can make it one if you add the company’s W3 Wireless Adapter ($149). You can also buy the Audioengine S8 and the W3 adapter as a package deal.

The compact subwoofer packs an 8-inch downward-firing woofer and outputs up to 250 watts of power. It packs a number of analog connections (LFE, RCA, 3.5mm), so it also works with a wide variety of desktop and home theater setups.

Best Amazon Echo Wireless Sub

The Echo Sub is Amazon’s wireless subwoofer that works exclusively with the company’s wide-variety of Echo smart speakers and smart displays.

It packs a 6-inch downward-firing woofer and is the perfect solution for people who own one or more Echo speakers and want to add a little bit of bump.

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