Buying the best subwoofer for home theater could be a bit complex because of too many subs available today. As you have to buy a 12-inch sub for your home audio, we have compiled a big list of all the best subwoofers. The more you read about these subs, the more it will be easy for you to make a choice.
A good subwoofer is essential for home audio so that it would cover low frequencies and give you powerful audio. And a 12″ size is perfect for subwoofers.
Top Picks of Best 12″ Subwoofers For Home Theater
- Klipsch R-120SW 12″ Home Theater Subwoofer
- BIC America F12 12-Inch Powered Subwoofer
- Polk Audio PSW505 12″ Powered Subwoofer
- Klipsch 12″ Wireless Subwoofer
- Acoustic Audio PSW-12 12-Inch Powered Subwoofer
- Klipsch Reference R-112SW Subwoofer
- Polk Audio HTS 12 Powered Subwoofer 12-inch
- MartinLogan Dynamo 1100 X 12-inch Powered Subwoofer
- Klipsch R-12SW Subwoofer Home Theater
- Acoustic Audio PSW500-12 Home Theater Powered 12″ LFE Subwoofer
- KEF KUBE 12b Premium 12″ Home Theater Subwoofer
- MTX TSW12 12-Inch Vented Powered Subwoofer
Review of 12″ Home Theater Subwoofers
Our brief review of all these subwoofers will help you a lot in making a better decision. You will get one easily that fulfills your needs and meets the budget you have. All these subs from different and same brands have different powers, features and price ranges.
Klipsch R-120SW 12″ Home Theater Subwoofer
To convert your home audio system into a cinema, this subwoofer can help you do this easily. Our top #1 pick and love of bass lovers is Klipsch R-120SW Subwoofer. The bass produced by this sub will shake your entire room. You will enjoy movies and music as you are watching at cinema. The capacity of this sub to produce very low-frequency sound creates a cinema-like feeling.
Both the look and build quality of this sub are really great. As you can see in the picture the minimalist design of R-120SW Subwoofer. The cabinet is made up of reinforced MDF that will not swell up and will not end up soon. Most of the cabinets are built with low-quality particles that swell up if exposed to moisture and then end up. But there is no such problem.
There are four corner legs of the cabinet and fitted with low-profile magnetic grille. The cabinet is quite heavy due to the reinforced MDF used in construction.
Unlike some other cabinets that deteriorate the sound when the volume rises, this one does not.
The peak power of this sub is 400 watts and RMS is 200 watts. The frequency range is 29 to 120 Hz. The port on the back of cabinet helps in the fast transfer of air to give you a clear sound.
There is a built-in amplifier in this sub to deliver the power. Low-pass crossover and phase control balance the sound better. The led indicator tells you if the sub is on or off.
All these controls and line-in ports are located at the rear of the cabinet.
In this price range, you will hardly find a sub that could beat it. It produces a clear sound and punching bass to shake the ground and everything around you.
It handles all the low-frequencies creating cinema experience and there is no distortion at all.
BIC America F12 12-Inch Powered Subwoofer
If you want a quality subwoofer at a very affordable BIC America F12 may be designed only for you. Although there are other cheaper models available but not with this beautiful design and top-end performance. It comes with an amplifier that has peak power of 475 watts and RMS power of 150 watts.
This power is perfect for installing this sub in your home theater. With a large size and capacity to handle low and medium frequencies, this subwoofer delivers a great sound without distortion. You can connect it with a stereo or speaker. As many poor subs deteriorate the sound either at very low or at very high volume, this one does not. A clear sound at every volume level is promised.
Every lover of music first sees the bass and you will surely impress by its deep, tight, and powerful bass. It will make everything around you rattle. One problem with the grille is that it shakes at high volumes.
When we discuss the price, this sub charges you for the features it has. Not a penny of your will go waste if you buy this sub.
This subwoofer has a durable build quality, and top-end performance, and comes with a 5-year warranty. You will really be happy to have it.
Polk Audio PSW505 12″ Powered Subwoofer
One of the most popular models of Polk Audio is the PSW505 which comes at a reasonable price and is the favorite sub of home enthusiasts. With its high power, it produces a very loud sound. Its features, price, high power, and loud sound make it a good home theater subwoofer for everyone who loves watching movies and listening to music with great joy at home or a club.
The cabinet is built with MDF that is perfect and long-lasting__will never swell even if exposed to moisture for any reason. The front grill is not very durable and may cause a bit problem.
When you listen to music at high volumes, it may cause a bit of distortion with low frequencies that is noticeable when playing music but not watching movies. It is a bit problem but not deal-breaking.
The bass of this sub is amazing. Bass lovers will surely love the ground-shaking bass of this sub. It adds a lot to the joy, especially when watching movies.
Frequency response is 28 Hz to 125 Hz and comes with a 5-year warranty. At this price, it offers good features.
Klipsch 12″ Wireless Subwoofer
When it comes to buying the best subwoofers for home, the most popular and most loved brand is Klipsch. This brand has many subwoofers that offer great features at different prices.
We have included 3 12″ subwoofers of Klipsch in this review. The reason is top-end performance and durable quality that makes this brand as the best ever subwoofer brand. They do not cut an arm and a leg of you and provide you with more than expected sound and bass quality.
You will enjoy very clear, crisp sound and deep bass with complete handling of low frequencies. Even if you have a large room, this and other subs of Klipsch create a feeling as if you are watching a movie or listening to music in the cinema.
It has a good-quality removable grille and the sub looks beautiful even without the grille. You can clean it easily if gets dirty.
This is a wireless subwoofer and you can place it in any corner of your room. You will not need to run cords all around and you will connect it easily by 2.4 GHz wireless transmitter included.
The cabinet is made of MDF and has LED indicator. Klipsch R-12SWi subwoofer has built-in All-Digital amplifier that delivers power with high efficiency and true-to-source accuracy for sound reproduction.
The price is not high and it is one of the best subs of Klipsch that has premium sound quality.
Acoustic Audio PSW-12 12-Inch Powered Subwoofer
The cheapest yet quality subwoofer is Acoustic Audio PSW-12. Many people want to have a good sound system in home theater but they lack the budget.
Here is the sub to solve their problem and with a peak power of 500 watts, it produces awesome sound and bass in this price range. There is no other sub available at this cheap price with good performance. If you can afford the budget, you must buy an expensive subwoofer that is doubtlessly better than it. But at this price, it is perfect for you. It has good features and no deal-breaking cons.
By using an RCA cable you can connect it to your home stereo. Dual 6-foot RCA cable and a “Y-Adapter” are included in the box.
The cabinet is built with MDF and has an auto on/off feature. Frequency response is 24-250 Hz and 40 – 140 Hz Crossover control knobs.
The only demerit of this sub is that it does not perform well if you have a very big room. However, in small rooms, it does a great job of producing loud, clear sound and punchy bass. Sometimes we have to compromise on little things at low price.
Also Read: Connecting Multiple Amplifiers To One Source
Klipsch Reference R-112SW Subwoofer
If you have a good budget to buy a home theater subwoofer, this model offers great performance at a normal budget. It is always listed when compiling a list of the best 12″ home audio subwoofers.
Just like other models of Klipsch, this one has beautiful look and top-end performance. The audio performance is such well-managed that you do not have to adjust the settings when you change the music which is almost different from the previous one.
No matter whether you are watching movies or listening to music, the sound will be clear and smooth bass without any distortion even at low-frequency sounds.
The cabinet is made of MDF and brushed with black veneer polymer. It comes with an All-Digital Amplifier that delivers 600 watts of power to produce a powerful sound.
If you want to make a wireless connection with this subwoofer Klipsch WA-2 Wireless Subwoofer Kit will let you do this.
In short, if you have a good budget you can go for this sub that offers many features and your money will not go waste. Heart-thumping bass will let everyone know around you that you have a powerful audio system at home. It produces ground-shaking bass that every sound enthusiast loves.
Polk Audio HTS 12 Powered Subwoofer 12-inch
There is another sub from Polk Audio that you can get if you want to make a very powerful audio system in your home theater. From the look and performance, it is a perfect one and the best 12″ sub of this brand.
If you have a small or medium size room, it will create punchy bass and clear, crisp sound. The built-in amplifier with 200 watts RMS power and 400 watts maximum power can take up your music and movie experience.
Some subs are such if they perform well with music, then show dull performance with movie. Here you can either watch movies or listen to music at any sound level and desired bass.
All the controls are located on the back and the frequency response is 22 Hz to 180 Hz. Low-Pass Filter works only with RCA input and can be adjusted from 40 to 160 Hz. Phase control allows you to adjust the bass from 0 to 180 degrees.
The auto on/off feature saves energy by switching off when there is no audio signal and turning on when audio signals are received.
It has DC input and many other features. It has a medium price tag and comes with features for the money. You can buy this either for a small or medium size room and you will enjoy having it in your home theater.
MartinLogan Dynamo 1100 X 12-inch Powered Subwoofer
If you are looking for the most expensive and most powerful subwoofer that will give a surprising look to your home theater, MartinLogan Dynamo 1100X is one of the top 12″ subwoofers for home audio. Only a few people buy such an expensive sub, but it is a very top sub.
The amazing sound quality will make your friends and relatives jealous. You can adjust different things with the help of the Android/IOS app which is a unique feature of this sub from all the 12″ subs included in the list.
This sub comes with a built-in amplifier that has 650 watts of RMS power and 1300 watts of peak power. This is the highest power-handling capacity of all the subs on our list.
Such great power can deliver the power you can think and produce sound more than your expectations.
The big reason for its popularity is the tight bass it produces and you can enjoy music or movies with a smooth heart-thumping bass.
From the three listening modes of music, movie, and night, you can select the one. This feature works only from the app.
It also has an auto on/off switch and frequency response of 22 to 200 Hz ±3dB.
The weight of MartinLogan Dynamo 1100X is 46 pounds and comes with a 3-year warranty.
There are many other features you will get from this subwoofer. Although the price is high, it worth the money. You must buy this sub for your home theater if you can afford the budget.
Klipsch R-12SW Subwoofer Home Theater
This model of Klipsch is more affordable than the others reviewed and no compromise is made on quality though the price is low. It has almost similar features as discussed in previous models. The built-in All-Digital Amplifier delivers 400 watts power. This is almost enough power for the sub and you may not need to have any external amplifier installed.
The cabinet is made of MDF and has a frequency response of 29 to 120 Hz.
12-inch copper-spun front-firing woofer combined with 400 watts amplifier delivers the most powerful sound and bass.
Both the look and durability are good to add value to the home theater decoration.
The cloth grille looks beautiful and can be removed. This sub looks even more beautiful when there is no grille because of the beautiful golden look of the sub.
There is a low pass crossover to control the lower frequencies while phase control lets you control the bass level to your desires.
You can connect this sub whether you have an old receiver or new because it has Line/LFE inputs.
The demerit of this sub are green light that is annoying at night and a little low performance at music as compared to other models of this brand discussed above. However, it is perfect for watching movies.
Also Read: How To Hook up An Amp Without RCA Jacks
Acoustic Audio PSW500-12 Home Theater Powered 12″ LFE Subwoofer
A good sub that performs well is a bit difficult to find at the lowest price. However, if we find there may be a lot of issues with it like poor sound or bass quality. Some do not work well while listening to music even at low volume. This 12-inch subwoofer is perfect with a single demerit of distortion at high volume.
If your first priority is to listen at full volume, this sub is not for you. People usually do not listen at full volumes and this one is perfect for those at a cheap price.
You can watch movies or listen to music, no matter if your room is large it works great. Both the sound and bass are amazing in this price range.
This sub has a 12-inch front Firing long-throw woofer with 500 watts peak power and a frequency response of 24 to 250 Hz.
The cabinet is made of MDF and has feet for absorbing vibrations. A transparent grille is removable.
In short, in cheap 12″ subwoofers, this is really great. Although we have to compromise on one thing or the other in cheap subs, this one is really good. If you want a perfect sub and much more features you will have to pay much more for it.
KEF KUBE 12b Premium 12″ Home Theater Subwoofer
One of the most expensive subwoofers for home theater is KEF KUBE 12b which has features you want to look for in a premium quality sub. This sub is designed from the ground up keeping in mind the interests of users and is one of the best and latest models of this brand.
As most audio enthusiasts love bass and it is their first priority when shopping for a subwoofer. Yes, it is must for an amazing experience that is why KEF KUBE uses Intelligent Bass Extension (IBX) algorithm to provide you with the bass you deserve at this price.
The built-in 300 watts amplifier delivers the needed power. 3 different DSP modes let you tune better according to the room placement.
The design is beautiful and has RCA and speaker-level inputs at the back. The frequency response range is 22 to 140 Hz.
In short, it is a perfect subwoofer for a top-notch home audio setup. It would be a more interesting sub if it had a wireless kit as it is a high-price sub. However, it is worth the money without any deal-breaking demerits. You must give it a try if you have budget.
MTX TSW12 12-Inch Vented Powered Subwoofer
Again a good subwoofer at a normal price. MTX TSW12 is also one of the best 12″ subwoofers and it does a great job for your home audio. For bass lovers, it is what they want.
The ground-shaking bass will annoy everyone around you and everything will rattle around you if reached close to the maximum value. Unlike many other subs, it does not cause distortion at high volumes and the sound is always clear with smooth bass at all levels.
The good feature of this sub is you can connect either through wires or wirelessly with Bluetooth. It has become a must-have feature in modern subs. So the availability of wireless connectivity is really really great.
The built-in amplifier delivers 150 watts of RMS which is good. It will work fine without any external power.
Finally, it could be a good choice at an affordable budget. If you love the bass and design of this feature, you can go for it.
Final Verdict
We tried our best to find and review the best 12″ subwoofers for your home theater. In our review, there are almost top 12 subwoofers that are perfect for your home audio and have different price tags.
Perfect subwoofers are always expensive however some cheap also do a great job. Which one to choose depends upon your budget and also what type of sound you want from the sub.
Now, it’s time to read carefully, make a decision and buy the one before it runs away. Again our best pick is #1 in the list.
How to choose the right 12-inch subwoofer for home theater?
When it comes to buying a subwoofer for home theater, there are a lot of things to be kept in mind if you really want to get the best one whether at a low or high price.
Below are some tips that will help you decide better about your sub.
Wired or Wireless Sub
It is one of the main points and you may be thinking wrong about it. You will be thinking that wireless subwoofers are better than wired. But we say wired subwoofers are perfect for your home theater if you really need a clear, crisp sound with smooth bass.
Although wireless subs are easy to set up but they sometimes make the audio quality dull. Some of the subs deliver good quality but using wires is the best way of getting a powerful quality.
Many top subwoofers have both wired and wireless options, which is good as you can use wire if there is quality loss using wireless.
Number of Subwoofers
A single subwoofer is mostly enough to produce good bass and improve sound quality. Some people want more and more bass and they wish to have two or four subwoofers installed.
It is better to buy a single subwoofer with maximum bass rather than buying multiple subs because it sometimes causes distortion. If there is one subwoofer, it will sound better.
Subwoofer Placement in Home Theater
Placement matters a lot as it affects your sound quality. The best way to place the sub is near other speakers as it will give an awesome sound. A front-firing subwoofer is good for placing it near your other speakers.
If you are planning to position the sub on side wall or corner of the room you should get a down-firing subwoofer.
Also Read: The Best Equalizer Settings For Car Audio Bass, Mid and Treble
Power of Built-in Amplifier
All the subs have built-in amplifiers that deliver power to run the sub. This power varies from one sub to another. How much power sub you need depends upon the area of your room.
A high-power amplifier means it will produce a loud sound. Built-in amplifiers are perfect for the sub. However, you can also deliver external power to increase performance.
It is better to buy a high-power sub if you have a large room in the home theater. Almost all our listed models are perfect for medium and small rooms.
So, it was everything you need to know about the best 12-inch home theater subwoofers. Tell in the comment section if you have any queries.
Last update on 2023-02-11 / Affiliate links / Images from Amazon Product Advertising API
