Best Subwoofers For Apartments in 2024 (Buying Guide)

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Subwoofers, as we all know, are powerful speakers that can get loud and produce intense vibrations that feel like an “earthquake.”

Having one in your apartment isn’t the best idea, is it?

The next thing you know, the cops are at your door because your neighbors called them on you.

To avoid causing mayhem in your apartment, I’ll try to compile a list of subwoofers that you can use in it. So, without further ado, let’s meet those best subwoofers for apartments.

ImageProductFeaturesPrice
Best Value
SVS SB-1000 Pro

SVS SB-1000 Pro

8.6
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Best Budget
Polk Audio PSW10

Polk Audio PSW10

8.5
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Best Premium
Sonos Sub (Gen 3)

Sonos Sub (Gen 3)

9.1
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Best All-Rounder
Klipsch R-120SW

Klipsch R-120SW

8.8
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Top 4 Best Subwoofers You Can Use In Your Apartment

4. SVS SB-1000 Pro – Best Value

SVS isn’t a brand you’ll hear a lot in the audio world. When it comes to subwoofers, though, it is a name that will be at the top of the list. SVS is an American company dedicated only to providing audio enthusiasts with high-quality home cinema subwoofers at a reasonable price.

The SB-1000 Pro is a model from SVS’s newly updated 1000 line of subwoofers, and it’s the one we’ve got here.

This is the company’s entry-level subwoofer series, and as a result, it is the most affordable of the SVS subwoofers.

However, the SVS classification of entry-level subwoofers does not equate to entry-level performance or features, it has in store more than that.

SVS has a very homey appearance, and the SB-1000 Pro is very similar to its predecessor, the original SB-1000, in terms of design.

This is a large black box, measuring roughly 13 inches on each side, and the style is conventional, which is unusual in this price range.

SVS took their time and put effort into the design, which is both attractive and robust.

The SB-1000 Pro subwoofer is a real monster with a legendary lineage that punches well above its class, with 325 watts RMS and 820+ watts peak output.

The front-firing 12-inch high-excursion SVS driver that SVS chose to put on is responsible for all of the amazing bass.

There’s also a smartphone app you can download for the best possible tuning.

Why Should You Buy It?
It’s one of the most capable and assured subwoofers on the market today. It boasts some of the best design, controls, and usability in the industry, and it sounds fantastic.

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3. Polk Audio PSW10 – Best Budget

While the SVS subwoofer mentioned above was a good value for money, it couldn’t compete with the Polk Audio PSW10.

Polk’s subwoofer established a name for itself purely because of its low pricing.

Don’t let that fool you; it still manages to deliver a high level of quality.

It’s all about minimalism in terms of design; it’s just a plain square box with a grille in front; the grille isn’t anything special, but when you remove it, you’ll find the subwoofer in a silver color, which I believe is a good touch since you can use it with or without the grille.

Given the price I understand why the design is all about minimalism, that’s a way for Polk to cover the manufacturing costs. Nevertheless it still looks good and nothing awful

What matters is that it won’t draw attention to itself or stand out; instead, it will fit in seamlessly with the rest of the furnishings.

Controls are located on the back of the subwoofer, including basic volume controls, power on/off, and a separate power auto button.

There’s also a low pass filter for frequency settings, as well as a phase control that lets you add electrical delay to an incoming signal and has a range of 0 to 180 degrees.

The Polk Audio PSW10 is a subwoofer designed for folks who enjoy bass and want to hear it at its deepest.  It has a 10-inch driver made of the Dynamic Balance polymer composite material, which is extremely robust.

This subwoofer also includes a 50W RMS amplifier with a 100 Watt Dynamic power output for the deepest bass conceivable.

Why Should You Buy It?
I would highly recommend this one subwoofer to people who don’t want to burn money on a subwoofer, it is extremely cheap yet it will prove really useful and it won’t even bother neighbors due to not being anything serious.

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2. Sonos Sub (Gen 3) – Best Premium

Sonos is omnipresent when it comes to speakers that have to do with the home, and we can only think of excellent quality and high-end speakers when we think of Sonos.

When it comes to subwoofers, the Sonos Subwoofer (Gen 3) is the most recent model on the market. It is an improved version of its predecessors, the Sonos Sub Gen 1 and Sub Gen 2

The Sonos Sub is a wireless subwoofer that can be placed in a variety of positions, including on its side or upright. Furthermore, it can be simply coupled with the rest of the Sonos lineup for an even better listening experience.

When it comes to design, this is not your average subwoofer.

And that’s a good thing. The Sonos sub has a unique shape that not only makes it look great but also offers it a leg up on the competition when it comes to placement.

Two inward-facing speakers in the Sub assist to eliminate vibrations. The SUB’s distinctive design allows it to be utilized in both an upright and a lying-down position.

What separates this subwoofer from the competition is its connectivity. Unlike the rest of the subwoofers, this bad boy uses wireless connectivity and I think that’s a great touch from Sonos. You won’t be limited by wires and you have the freedom to place it anywhere you want.

As I just mentioned, to eliminate vibrations and rattle, these drives face each other. The SUB has a low-frequency response of roughly 25Hz, resulting in excellent bass.

It comes with two Class D amplifiers and two properly tuned acoustic ports, which reward you with great sound quality.

Something that I like about this is that you can alter the equalization settings via the Sonos app, and the SUB can automatically adapt audio settings to match connected Sonos speakers.

Why Should You Buy It?
Being from Sonos itself this has to be and it is a good subwoofer, it will be used by you in many ways, not only it will make your room look premium and nice but also “sound nice” if you can bypass the price which is not that expensive, don’t hesitate on this one since the vibration elimination feature is also a great addition for apartments.

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1. Klipsch R-120SW – Best All-Rounder

You knew it was coming, right? If there’s a list of speakers or subwoofers that doesn’t include Klipsch, I’ve got some bad news for you: that list is bad.

Klipsch is a well-known brand that has built a favorable reputation for itself by providing audio realm speakers for various budgets, from high-end to entry-level.

The Klipsch R-120SW is one of their most well-known subwoofers.

When you combine this subwoofer with the rest of your home theater setup, you’ll get an experience like no other; you’ll be able to hear every low-frequency effect in great detail.

Just like the rest of Klipsch’s products, it screams Klipsch when it comes to design.

The Klipsch R-120SW sports Klipsch’s distinctive design, which is elegant and features the well-known cooper woofer in front of it.

The subwoofer is featured in a black color finish and is built of high-grade materials.

Moreover, the open fasteners, corner feet, and magnetic grilles give this speaker a more contemporary appearance.

Additionally, the reinforced MDF design greatly reduces body vibration, making it excellent for sitting in your apartment.

The various line-level LFE RCA inputs also make this subwoofer compatible with a variety of home theater systems and receivers.

You can also utilize RCA to RCA connectors, however, they are not included with the subwoofer.

Let me tell you something about the sound: it’s incredible. It exceeded my expectations for the price. This subwoofer is ideal for rock music. It takes the drums from your favorite performance to your house and gives you hours of entertainment.

This subwoofer from Klipsch features a 12-inch woofer, which provides incredible bass accuracy in any situation. The music you’ll be listening to with this subwoofer will undoubtedly be unique.

Why Should You Buy It?
It’s from Klipsch? What more could one reasonably ask for? Joke’s aside this is a really great overall subwoofer that will be beneficial to you most times, not only does it look good but sounds really good, you can use it for whatever you like.

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How to Use Subwoofers Without Upsetting Your Neighbors

Below I will try to explain to you a few ways you can use your subwoofer to not bother your neighbors, we don’t want cops on our flat every hour.

Subwoofers can get rather loud, and the room-shaking bass is a plus, but although this is great for bass heads, t’s not so well received from your neighbors.

The strong sound or rumbling bass tends to bounce out of your room and into your neighbor’s apartment; worse, the sound of the subwoofer is not dampened, so your neighbors will hear it in the same way you do.

You must take action to prevent this from happening.

Subwoofer Isolation From The Floor

One of the most effective techniques to get rid of that vibration has to be this one.

You may isolate the sound of your subwoofer by distancing it from the ground and preventing vibrations from going through to the other side, as the term implies.

Decouplers are also available, a device that isolates the speaker from the floor.

They’re also called stands, and their main job is to absorb the vibrations produced by your subwoofer.

You can choose between metal and rubber stands and a bunch of other offerings, they are relatively cheap so don’t worry.

Make your Ceiling Soundproof

If you’re a music fanatic or say an audiophile, and you don’t want to miss a single note, this will cost you more.

You might want to think about soundproofing your ceiling. You may, for example, use sound isolation mats or even drywall to cover the area.

However, sound isolation mats are the best option because they are the most secure and can be easily taken off afterward.

You just have to make sure it’s something you can do in your apartment because some landlords aren’t keen on it.

Using a Second Subwoofer

Yes, this may appear foolish because two is always more, but that is not the case here.

By adding a second subwoofer, you can lessen the total vibration caused by a single speaker. This is because the music will attempt to balance itself between the two subwoofers, resulting in less vibration.

Just make sure they’re set up properly and in good locations.

Final Words

To be honest, the subwoofers mentioned above would be a terrific addition to any space, but there are no subwoofers designed expressly for apartments.

While some subwoofers perform better than others, they all have the same goal in mind: to produce bass and vibration.

If you can use different methods to stop it from bothering your neighbors it would be good enough.

However, in my opinion, the best thing you can do is talk to your neighbors and come to an understanding with them.

Hopefully, I was clear, and this pretty much sums up everything.

Further Reading

If you enjoyed what you read, you may go on to read some more great blogs.

There’s a comparison between the Logitech Z623 and the Logitech Z625. There’s also one between the UE Boom 3 and the JBL Flip 5, which is a titanic battle.

Check out this showdown between JBL’s finest party speakers, the JBL PartyBox 310 vs 300.

Alternatively, my favorite comparison is between the JBL Xtreme 2 and the JBL Boombox 2.

If you have a JBL speaker and are having trouble connecting it to your phone, I’ve written a tutorial that will show you how to connect your JBL speaker to your iPhone.

A list of the best ceiling speakers for Dolby Atmos is also available, as is information on how to connect Bose headphones to an iPhone.

 

Whether you’re looking for information on audio equipment, looking to learn more about how things work in the music field, or looking for reviews of products, we got you covered!

 
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