Best Compact Subwoofers

You may have a home cinema or stereo system, but your party would be incomplete without a subwoofer. They add low frequency even to the classical dancefloor or the action cinemas to make them more dramatic.

So, a robust subwoofer comes with a theater-like set-up to add the punching boom to your favorite music track. But most of the subwoofers come in a large shape.

But what will you do if you are not fortunate with enough space? Here comes the importance of a compact size subwoofer. You can easily fit them in any corner of your room.

Besides, cars also do not come with enough space to install larger subwoofers. But you can add a compact subwoofer in your vehicle to get an incredible sound quality in your car ride.

Though they do not have powerful drivers but come with strong punching bass to make your listening experience more unique; moreover, you can find the best compact subwoofer in a pretty stylish look to match your interior.

But you may get confused about choosing the perfect one among the endless options available. I had to dig and develop some of the best compact subwoofers with their specifications to help you.

You will also get a detailed buying guide at the end of this article. Please go through the entire article to find one for you.

Best Compact Subwoofers Review

1. Kenwood KSC-SW11 Compact Subwoofer 

Kenwood KSC-SW11 comes first in the list of the best compact subwoofer. It comes in such a compact size that you can easily place it under your car seat or in the trunk.

Kenwood attaches a remote control with the device to monitor the bass as per your preference. ‘Kenwood’ itself is a leading brand that comes with all the additive features to make it the best subwoofer.

It has an excellent sensitivity rating to steal your heart. 110db sensitivity rating has made it stand apart from the other efficient subwoofers. Therefore, it does not require much power to deliver a loud bass.

So, it can be the best car subwoofer that needs very minimal power to play loud music. Easy installation is another feature that you are going to like the most. Even you do not need an expert to make this subwoofer installed.

You only need to connect the device with the battery using the RCA cable. Overall, it is the best compact subwoofer for a car that delivers a crystal-clear bass to your car audio system.

Though, some of the reviewers claim that Kenwood is unable to deliver overpowering bass. The manufacturers design this subwoofer in a way to make it suitable only for cars.

The remote control is a bonus for you. While driving, you can adjust both the music’s volume and bass without moving your eyes from the road. 

So, be ready to pinch your pocket a little to pick this top-rated compact car subwoofer.

2. Alpine Electronics PWE-S8 Compact Subwoofer

Alpine Electronics PWE-S8 is another best compact subwoofer that comes with 3-inches depth. However, it weighs only 10-pounds to make it well-built. So, you can install them comfortably, even in the narrowest places.

You can also place this small subwoofer in your car trunks, under your seat, or anywhere you want. Another aspect you will like the most with this subwoofer is the robust build quality.

The manufacturers design this with rugged cast material to make it withstand any everyday bumps. Due to the sturdy material, it looks like a tank. I can bet you cannot find any cheap material in this unit.

Easy and simple installation is another aspect of this best car subwoofer. Those who have minimal car audio system experience may take only less than an hour to make it installed.

If you are blessed with RCA connections in your car stereo system, the installation will be more straightforward than usual. Now, the question is, how will be the audio quality of this compact subwoofer.

It can be the best small subwoofer for music that delivers a crystal-clear and rich bass. But it will not disturb your neighbors. Though it is small, it is ideal for filling your car with an exciting bass.

But you will be disappointed if you install this in a mini truck or SUV. It is the only issue you will face with this Alpine subwoofer. Though, the Alpine electronics car subwoofer comes with all the mounting accessories to make it install easily.

It is weatherproof and has a 15amp inline fuse to protect all the internal amplifiers. 

3. Rockford Fosgate PS-8 Subwoofer

Another best compact subwoofer for the car is the Rockford Fosgate PS-8 device. It also comes in a small size with having only 8-inch width. Therefore, it is ideal for making it install in any of the compact space or stereo systems.

Rockford itself is a leading brand that can give you quality sound to make you feel impressed. It weighs only 14.3-pounds and is best suitable for cars and vehicles.

There is an in-built class D 150-Watt amplifier in this compact subwoofer. Moreover, it comes with a good range of frequencies from 50Hz to 120Hz. This decent range of frequency helps to boost up your stereo system with an amplifying bass.

Though, you cannot expect a strong and powerful bass from this subwoofer unit. It is unable to deliver neither an overpowering bass nor a rumble sensation. So, it can be the only negative aspect you will find with this subwoofer.

Also, the Rockford subwoofer comes with a broad controlling power to monitor the bass. The manufacturers attach a remote control with this unit. Besides, short circuit, thermal, and reverse-polarity are some of the safety protections you will find with this subwoofer.

This small subwoofer is unable to stand on its own. Therefore, it comes with all the hardware accessories to make it merely installed. You can also use a good quality Velcro strap to mount this unit temporarily.

Overall, we can say, though, this subwoofer cannot give you a powerful bass, but a decent range of frequency and in-built amplifier has made it the best small subwoofer for music.

4. Pioneer TS-SWX2502 Pre-Loaded Enclosure

Coming from a trusted brand, Pioneer TS-SWX2502 comes in a compact size with a 10-inch shallow mount. Therefore, you can perfectly fit it in any tight space, like- under the car or truck seat.

It has a 6-inch mounting depth to make it the best subwoofer for cars, especially sedan cars. Now comes another notable point to discuss, the build quality. It is the best compact subwoofer that comes with strong manufacturing.

You will find an oversized cone along with a mice-injected molded resin. It allows better air circulation to get an improved bass. 

This small subwoofer comes with a dual spider design. This feature helps to stabilize and support the cone to wipe out a decent volume of air. 

Besides, this subwoofer requires a straightforward installation. Especially if you are a technical person, then it is as easy as you can even think.

Pioneer compact subwoofer comes with two ‘L’-shaped brackets and eight mounting screws to make the installation simple. Angled push terminals are present in this unit to connect the wires comfortably.

Also, it has exceptional sound quality than the other competing ones. It delivers an accurate and sharp bass to enhance your car audio system. 

Moreover, the 20Hz to 200Hz frequency range and 89db sensitivity have made it the best subwoofer for music. So, this compact subwoofer is suitable for any theme.

5. JBL BassPro Compact Subwoofer 

Last in my list of the best compact subwoofer comes JBL BassPro. It comes in a sleek design to fit in any of the tightest enclosures comfortably. There is an in-built amplifier present in this 8-inch subwoofer to make it the best car subwoofer.

You can install this powered subwoofer under the seat of any of the cars to deliver powerful bass. Most importantly, you will be surprised to hear the low-frequency sound from this sleek designed subwoofer.

Flexible EQ and crossover control are the two notable features that have made it the best compact subwoofer for music. The manufacturers design the amplifier to be energy-efficient.

Thus, it helps to keep the device cool, even when charging. High-quality passing filters and limiters are the two notable features that help to deliver an impressive performance.

For those who love to add great bass to their favorite playlists, JBL BassPro will not make you sad. Moreover, it has a decent range of bass and speaker to make it the best car subwoofer.

The manufacturers use high-quality ABS material to make it sturdy and long-lasting. Moreover, you will face very minimal or no distortion when listening to your favorite music track with this compact enclosure.

JBL BassPro does not get overheated and can be your best pal when you are on a long drive. Additionally, it does not consume much power from your car’s electrical system.

Finally, the manufacturers attach all the necessary mounting screws with this unit to make the installation procedure more straightforward and quicker.

How to Choose Best Compact Subwoofer – Buying Guides

Before buying a compact subwoofer, you need to consider the following factors:

• Size: For a compact subwoofer, you need to consider the size first. It entirely depends on the space where you are going to install the device. For example, to pick the best car subwoofer, you must choose the enclosures having less than 10-inch depth. 

• Power: The quality of the sound and the entire coverage area depend on your subwoofer unit’s capacity. Though, the compact subwoofers do not have much power. But to get the best result, you must pick as many powerful units as possible. 

• Bass: Bass is the most crucial factor of a sound woofer. When a subwoofer hits the low-frequency sound, it creates a powerful bass. A decent quality subwoofer does not produce overpowering bass to make you distracted from the primary notes.

• Distortion: Only the best budget subwoofer comes with minimal distortion. If your subwoofer comes with more powerful bass and lower frequency, it will create distortions. Nowadays, many subwoofers come with various advanced features to lower those distortions and deliver uninterrupted music. A decent compact subwoofer should have less than 10% distortion.

Conclusion on Best Compact Subwoofer

Here ends the list of the best compact subwoofer for the car. It is tough to decide though the best one among them. All of them come with notable features.

They all come with an excellent punch to improve your car audio system. Pick any one of them to enhance your listening experience.