Best 10-inch Subwoofer Reviews

If you are into some bass-boosted music, you definitely need something to highlight the low-frequency sound. To get some extra bass, you will need such an addition to your audio system as a subwoofer. The best 10-inch subwoofer guarantees not only a more powerful sound and rich bass but will also provide a louder and more volumetric sound, improving the overall sounding of your audio system.

The properly built audio system ensures clean and crisp sound quality with no distortion. This way, if the tweeter handles the higher frequencies, the subwoofer works for low-frequency sound. It gives you cleaner and solid low bass notes — something that a built-in sub in regular speakers not always able to provide. Setting up a 10-inch sub in your car or home audio system will completely change the way you are used to listening to music.

Not everyone is willing to spend a large amount of money on a big subwoofer that provides deeper and richer bass but takes too much space. The subwoofer that has 10 inches in diameter is a compact option that is able to deliver some pleasantly sounding bass tones and is easier to install. Besides, this versatile subwoofer can be installed whether under your seat or in the trunk.

However, an embarrassment of riches, available on the market, makes the choice of the best 10-inch subwoofer harder than it seems at first glance. For this reason, take a closer look at our top 10 picks that can help you make a choice.

10-inch Subwoofer Reviews

Rockford Fosgate P300-10

This 10-inch subwoofer from Rockford Fosgate goes as the all-in-one solution from Rockford Fosgate’s Punch series. It’s powered by a 300W amplifier which provides plenty of power. The sub’s housing is finished with black heat-sensitive vinyl which is also scratch-resistant. The sub itself is made of solid 5/8-inch MDF so it’s quite durable. The speaker’s grill is made of a mesh metal and reliably secured to the box. This sub has a closed-loop design which makes the integration with most audio systems much easier.

All the inputs and controls are located on the sub’s rear side. There are an audio input and power connector designed for quick connection/disconnection of the amplifier’s remote, power, and ground source. There are also a phase switch (between 0° and 180°), gain control, variable crossover (from 50Hz to 200Hz), and bass control (from 0dB to +12dB @ 45Hz). The remote punch level allows controlling the amplifier’s output level remotely (from the dash or center console). There are also an auto turn on/off with three modes (REM(+12V), DC Offset, and Audio), and input level control (LO – RCA or HI – Speaker Level).

The power LED indicator is located on the rear side of the sub as well. It becomes green when the sub is turned on. If a short circuit or low impedance happens in the speaker’s connections, the protection LED indicator lights up with red (the amplifier automatically shuts down if it occurs).

The Rockford Fosgate Punch P300-10 has 13.3 x 18 x D1 8.9 – D2 5.9 inches. Thus, it fits in a great variety of spaces: in the trunk, behind the seats, underneath rear fold-up seats, in SUV cargo space, etc. However, it’s quite heavy, weighing 23.8 pounds.

Video Rockford Fosgate P300-10

Pioneer TS-SWX2502

This model from Pioneer has all chances to be the best 10-inch shallow-mount subwoofer since its oversized cone structure contributes to a louder and deeper bass as it moves more air. The sub’s enclosure is fully carpeted and has a non-slip and scratch-resistant surface. It also includes legs that are mounted into the sub’s frame to provide greater stability.

The cone is made of mica injection-molded resin which gives the ability to reproduce a more accurate bass. Including a dual spider, the sub provides more cone motion control and supports the linear movement.

Unlike the other subwoofers that traditionally can be mounted whether horizontally or vertically, the Pioneer TS-SWX2502 uses angled push terminals. They make the connection of subwoofer’s wires much easier and save more free space. Besides, thanks to its compact size (18-5/8 x 13-7/8 x 6 inches) you can install the TS-SWX2502 in the cabin or in the trunk. Having 19 pounds of weight, the sub is, however, a bit heavy.

The Pioneer 10-inch subwoofer is a model with a single voice coil. It has two spring-type speaker terminals designed for amplifier connection.

The sub has a peak power handling capacity of 1200W and continuous RMS power of 300W. Thanks for having a frequency response of 20Hz to 200Hz, the sensitivity of 89 dB and 2-Ohm impedance, the sub is universal for all music genres.

The sub’s package contains two heavy-duty metal mounting brackets and some screws. Since the TS-SWX2502 is a passive subwoofer, it will require more wiring, so the installation may be a bit difficult.

Video Pioneer TS-SWX2502

Rockford Fosgate P3D2

The P3D2 is a flagship of the Rockford Fosgate’s Punch series. It’s a 10-inch car subwoofer with dual voice coil (supplied with spun-laced Nomex reinforcement collar) and 500W RMS/1000W of max power handling.

It has an anodized aluminum cones and dust caps with Rockford Fosgate’s VAST technology which increases the surface cone area up to 25%. Featuring the spider venting construction, the dust caps provide great heat dissipation (up to 100°) and keep the motor as cool as possible during long hours of work and during high SPL conditions.

The hybrid stamp-cast basket ensures decent strength and reduces both the P3D2 weight (the sub weighs 17.3 pounds) and its resonance. Additionally, this Rockford Fosgate sub meets CEA-2031 industry standards which means that it’s capable of handling power under continuous load.

The sub goes in a protective PVC textured magnet cover. It also has an extended pole piece and bumped vented backplate.

The sub’s wire is made of lead with the usage of a multipoint stitched technique which reduces the mass of each tinsel lead and distributes stress and strain over a larger area. This provides improved subwoofer performance. Besides, the stitched tinsel leads are capable of withstanding some extreme duty cycles, fatigue, and high current.

The sub goes equipped with 10-AWG nickel plated push terminals. It also uses slots instead of single screw-sized holes to allow slight adjustment of the subwoofer even after mounting.
This 10-inch subwoofer from Rockford Fosgate measures 10.5 x 13.5 x 13.5 inches and goes along with the painted aluminum trim ring and the installation hardware.

Kicker 10C104

This Kicker 10-inch sub is a part of Comp series subwoofers designed for a harsh automotive environment. It provides power handling of 300W (150W RMS) at the peak, has 4-Ohm impedance with 30-500Hz frequency range and 86.2 dB of sensitivity being suitable for a large variety of music genres. It has an extremely rigid injection-molded SoloKon cone that does a great job in eliminating sound distortion and producing clear sound.

The cone has an original black and yellow double-stitched polyfoam ribbed design. The double-stitched surround provides enhanced durability. Behind the cone, there are a 360° back bracing, a vented pole piece, and a solid steel basket. The single high-temperature voice coil wire is capable of withstanding long hours of work while keeping the subwoofer cool.

The sub is equipped with solid and easy-to-use nickel-plated push terminals. This sub mounts by the infinite baffle method which effectively utilizes the rear deck and trunk space of most sedan type vehicles. It doesn’t even require a sealed enclosure for better performance.

This model has 11 x 11 x 6.38 inches. Weighing only 10 pounds, this sub is not among the lightest 10-inch subs on the market but still not bulky. The manufacturer recommends pairing the sub with a DX amplifier with 150W of power.

Pioneer TS-SW2502S4

The Pioneer TS-SW2502S4 is a single 4-Ohm shallow-mount sub that has 1200W of max power (300W RMS). It goes in a dual-layer fiber elastic polymer surround with the mica-injected resin cone which gives the sub the ability to reproduce accurate bass. Using the oversized cone structure, the subwoofer is also capable of producing louder and deeper bass since it moves a large amount of air. Despite this, it still has a space-saving design (11.5 x 11.5 x 4.25 inches) and light weight (10 pounds) while delivering a big bass performance of a full-sized subwoofer. It’s also supplied with not so impressive but still above average 25-125Hz low-frequency response. The sub works better in a small sealed enclosure, so it can be installed either behind or under the seats.

The TS-SW2502S4 goes with a single oversized cone structure which increases the sub’s power. The single cone helps reduce overall moving mass at controlled levels which is very important for subwoofer’s efficiency and sound quality.

While a standard sub uses a damper to control the cone excursion, the TS-SW2502S4 utilizes double spiders for this purpose. They are more efficient since they need less power to move the cone and reproduce a truly detailed bass with low distortion level.

This sub is very easy to mount because it only needs to be recessed at 3-1/8 inches so you can easily connect it to your car’s music system. This way, it may the best 10-inch subwoofer for those who have never dealt with the subwoofer installation before.

The sub goes with eight 1/8-inch self-tapping screws and an adhesive-backed foam gasket.

Rockford Fosgate R2D4

This model from Rockford Fosgate handles 250W RMS/500W providing a reasonably robust amount of continuous sound power. The sub also has the 4-Ohm dual anodized aluminum voice coil for installation flexibility being adaptable to most amp setups. Plus, such coil provides great heat dissipation even under demanding conditions. The sub uses the liner spider with embedded 16 gauge stitched tinsel leads which significantly improve the reliability and bass performance of the sub.

This dual 10-inch subwoofer from Rockford Fosgate is 14 x 17 x 5.25 inches in size. Weighing 8.5 pounds, this sub is also among the lightest ones.

The sub goes equipped with a mica-injected polypropylene cone with a parabolic design which contributes to a truly deep bass performance and also keeps the motor cool. This cone moves a good amount of air helping the sub in producing some good-sounding bass tones.

The R2D4 also has a high-density poly-foam surround with a stamp-cast basket and a built-in spider venting which is typically used in the high-end subwoofers. Moreover, the Rockford Fosgate R2D4 is among the cheap 10-inch subwoofers affordable for most buyers.

This Subwoofer goes with dual 12 AWG compression terminals and a PVC trim ring, and it is easy to install in most car audio systems.

JBL LSR310S4

This JBL 10-inch subwoofer goes in a port design that works for deep, dynamic bass response. The double-flared shape of this port is specifically calculated for the optimization of the low-frequency extension.

Its body is made of black textured wood. This sub is suitable for a large variety of purposes but is primarily designed to work as a studio monitor subwoofer, so it’s not surprising that it’s quite large (17.65 in x 15 in x 15.65 in) and heavy (34.3 pounds).

The sub stands on four feet which prevents it from acoustic coupling with the floor. On the sub’s front side, you can find the power LED indicator.

The input panel is located on the sub’s rear side. It includes the power connector, input connectors, and controls. There are light and left XLR inputs which you can use to connect the sub to some external equipment with the help of balanced XLR plugs. There are also right and left 6mm connectors, and right and left XLR outputs.

The input sensitivity control can be switched from +4dBu to 10dBV. The volume control allows balancing the sub’s volume with the volume of the speakers. The crossover frequency has three settings: 80Hz (for studio monitors), XLF (commonly used in club playback systems), and External (allows using an outboard active crossover). The polarity switch enables optional 0°/180° polarity. On the bottom side of the panel, you can find the power receptacle and power switch.

Video JBL LSR310S

JL Audio 10W0V3-4

The 10W0V3-4 uses a single 4-Ohm voice coil and provides 600W/300W RMS of power handling. The large 2-inch coil helps the sub get rid of heat faster.

The mineral-filled, polypropylene cone provides improved durability. The large roll foam surrounds don’t interfere with cone moves and ensure great excursion capability.

The JL 10-inch subwoofers stand out for having the Elevated Frame Cooling system that carries air directly to the voice coil and the 10W0V3-4 is not an exception. It allows the sub to produce a powerful bass for long periods of time without overheating. This means that it will last for long hours even under continuous high power handling demands.

The Dynamic Motor Analysis system predicts how the circuits are going to work while they have a heavy power load. This means that the 10W0V3-4 is designed to work at its peak performance without distortion.

The sub has space-saving size dimensions (23 x 12 x 13.625 inches) and weighs only 7.5 pounds.

Alpine SWT

The Alpine 10-inch subwoofer has 1200W/1200 RMS of maximum power handling. It comes preloaded in a sealed enclosure with a black carpet. This way, it’s a ready-to-use solution.

The subs specs make it a universal solution for most kinds of music. It has 4 Ohms of final impedance, a wide 35-200Hz frequency response, and 90dB of sensitivity. The sub’s highs mids hit right at the perfect frequencies, and all ranges are very clear.

The sub has a passive design (it’s recommended to use the 700W amplifier) with push SPK terminal. It’s mainly designed for installation in a vehicle’s trunk. However, its enclosure is 11.22 inches wide and has 23.6 inches in diameter, so you can easily install it in any other limited space of your vehicle. However, it has quite a considerable weight of 20 pounds.

MTX Audio 5510-4

This model is one of the MTX 10-inch subs that use the large 2-inch dual 4-Ohm high-temperature voice coil (the spider plateau venting mechanically cools the voice coil down) which make it easy to hook up the sub to a mono amplifier. This voice coil provides a truly mighty bass and makes the sub suitable for long term use by reducing the heat.

The expanded surface area of the sub allows for increased volume and SPL. Plus, the oversized cone — made of solid polypropylene — moves more air and therefore gives more bass.

The advanced suspension exerts extra control when you push the sub hard, so it handles up to 400W RMS and reduces the distortion by controlling the excursion at high power levels.

The sub features a basket design. It has 12.6 x 6.5 x 12.2 inches and weighs less than 10 pounds.

Buyer’s Guide

Single vs. Dual Subwoofer Voice Coils

A voice coil is an insulated conductor that transmits the power signal of the amplifier and moves the subwoofer’s cone in and out. There are two types of subwoofer voice coils: single and dual voice coils. The subwoofer with dual voice coil contains two voice coils while the sub with a single voice coil has only one. However, both types of voice coils are made of the same material and have close characteristics.

How it works

The voice coil works the next way:

1. The amplifier sends a signal to the voice coil so the current could flow through the coil, creating a directional magnetic field. The stronger the signal is, the stronger is the magnetic field created by the voice coil.
2. The field created by the voice coil interacts with the permanent magnet field. The stronger the field is, the stronger is the interaction.
3. The amplifier changes the polarity of the signal with a certain frequency, so the field changes its direction since the coil moves in different directions with different number of times per second.

A subwoofer with one voice coil has only one positive and only one negative terminal, and one strip of wire wrapped around the sub’s cylinder. The subwoofer with two voice coils has two pieces of wire and some additional terminals for connection to the amplifier.

A sub with two voice coils provides more flexible installation: in series or parallel. The biggest difference between these two types of installation is the resistance (ohm load), supplied to the amplifier. The higher is the impedance of the amplifier, the lower is the flow power. This way, the subs with dual voice coils work great in optimizing the amplifier’s power.

What to choose

Generally, if you need a 10-inch subwoofer box just for the reproduction of low frequencies at a certain volume level with decent sound quality, a sub with a single voice coil will be enough. However, if you like to upgrade your stereo system (change its configuration, components, etc.), the sub with dual voice coil will work better for you. It’s also especially relevant for the sound systems with two subwoofers since it provides a more flexible installation.

The dual voice coil allows connecting the subwoofer in one of two ways: in series or parallel. This provides the opportunity to change the electrical resistance of the subwoofer in a certain way, reducing or increasing its power.

If you use a parallel connection circuit, the impedance contains half of the resistance of one coil. For example, if the impedance of one voice coil is 4 Ohms, then using of parallel connection, the total index will drop to 2 Ohms. The advantage of this type of connection is the reduction of the resistance level which allows the amplifier to develop a larger current and, accordingly, get an increased sound power.

When you use in series connection, the total resistance is equal to the resistance of each winding. Thus, using two 4-Ohm voice coils, you get a total resistance of 8 Ohms. This can significantly reduce the level of nonlinear distortion.

Guitarzan

Hi everyone! I’m Thomas Moody, also known as Guitarzan.