Différents types de subwoofers :le guide complet
Vous avez besoin d'un subwoofer pour ajouter un peu de punch supplémentaire à votre système audio et donner à votre musique la profondeur que vous désirez. Pour obtenir ce genre d'expérience, vous devriez opter pour un sous-marin conçu en fonction de vos besoins. Maintenant, quels types de subwoofers conviennent à vos besoins ? Lisez la suite pour tous les détails importants sur les différents types de subwoofers.
Il existe de nombreux types de subwoofers différents, y compris des subwoofers actifs dotés d'un ampli intégré et des subwoofers passifs utilisant des amplis externes. Il existe des sous-marins portés qui ont un port dans l'armoire et des sous-marins scellés qui utilisent des boîtes fermées. D'autres ont des radiateurs passifs comme ports. Il existe également des subwoofers avant et vers le bas ainsi que des subwoofers passe-bande et à pavillon.
Choisir le meilleur subwoofer est une tâche difficile. Il ne s'agit pas seulement de vos préférences personnelles, mais aussi de la configuration du reste de votre système. Discutons des différents types de subwoofers afin que vous puissiez prendre une décision éclairée et intelligente.
Quels sont les différents types de subwoofer ?
Lorsque vous recherchez le meilleur subwoofer, vous devez commencer par examiner les options dont vous disposez. Voici les principaux types de subwoofers susceptibles de vous offrir la meilleure expérience d'écoute, en fonction de vos besoins de divertissement :
Caissons de basses passifs
Des amplificateurs externes alimentent ces types de subwoofers. La quantité de puissance dont vous avez besoin pour que ces amplis vous servent bien est directement proportionnelle aux basses dont vous avez besoin.
Par exemple, pour reproduire des basses extrêmes, votre récepteur ou amplificateur doit produire une quantité de puissance suffisante pour maintenir les effets de basse à travers le sous-marin sans être complètement drainé.
D'autres facteurs, notamment les exigences en matière d'enceintes et la taille de la pièce, peuvent également déterminer les besoins en alimentation de votre subwoofer passif.
Pour en savoir plus, consultez notre article sur les subwoofers actifs et passifs.
Caissons de basse actifs ou actifs
Ce sous-marin combine le haut-parleur subwoofer et un ampli à l'intérieur de la même armoire. Pour que votre subwoofer amplifié vous serve bien, tout ce dont vous avez besoin est une sortie ligne (pre-out, LFE out, sub out) de votre récepteur et une alimentation secteur.
Cet arrangement est unique en ce sens qu'il enlève une grande charge de puissance à votre récepteur ou amplificateur. Ainsi, il permet à votre récepteur ou amplificateur d'alimenter plus facilement vos tweeters et le médium.
En raison du haut degré d'efficacité, vous pourriez trouver ce type de subwoofer la meilleure option. La petite taille et la simplicité d'installation du subwoofer sont une autre raison pour laquelle vous pourriez les trouver très précieux.
To learn more, check out our article on active vs passive subwoofers.
Component Subwoofers
The component subwoofer refers to the speaker driver itself and is designed to function in different subwoofer enclosures.
Depending on the subwoofer’s arrangement, it can serve you well on low or high power. Overall, component subwoofers can be the best choice if you want a custom-built audio system.
Enclosed Subwoofers
Enclosed subs refer to component speakers that come pre-mounted in the correct box. If you want to improve your bass quality but don’t have adequate time to custom-make your sound system, it could be the ideal choice.
However, you should bear in mind that component subwoofers offer a much better raw bass production than enclosed ones. Moreover, you require an external amplifier to power these subs.
Ported Subwoofers
A ported sub comes with an extra opening or hole, known as a port. It allows air to escape and increases the subwoofer’s bass level, and guarantees you a rich, thick sound.
These subs can move a lot of air and fill up a very large room with sound.
Which are the Best Subwoofer Design Variations and Setting Options?
Subwoofer designers use various design variations as well as setting options to optimize the low-frequency performance further. You can use these features to classify different types of subs. Here are the specific design variations and settings that you may need to think of when looking for a subwoofer that best suits your requirements:
Front and Down Firing
Front-firing subs have speakers that are mounted pointing forward. These units radiate sound to their fronts and sides.
On the other hand, down-firing subwoofers direct the sound towards the ground and the front. To get the most out of these subs, you should place them on stands or shelves.
Two Separate Chambers
A bandpass speaker has two separate chambers. One of them has a port that releases radiation that originates from the front cone.
You are highly likely to find them in professional live sound equipment like line array systems that feature in large arenas. Moreover, many of them are used in sub cabinets designed for car audio.
Bandpass subwoofers are highly complex, but they allow for clean, natural bass output. Moreover, they will enable you to specify the bass levels you want to come through your speakers.
Passive Radiator
Some subwoofer designers take the ported speakers idea a step further. They use two passive radiators that aren’t wired to the amplifier instead of the port. The movement of these radiators allows sound to escape with a great frequency range.
If you look around, you’ll notice that passive radiators are standard components of many modern Bluetooth speakers and subwoofers.
Many music enthusiasts now understand that passive radiators allow them to get a decent low-frequency range irrespective of the subwoofer’s size. In other words, these radiators make it possible for you to design and use small enclosures that deliver excellent sound quality.
Vehicle-Specific Features
If you’re a music lover who desires to get the best entertainment when driving your car, you should choose either a powered or unpowered vehicle-specific sub. Choose one tailored to fit in your car model’s space and is color-matched with your vehicle’s interior.
Like the powered subwoofers, they require a small space but take care of your listening needs. Of course, due to their size, these subwoofers are not the best if you are looking for massive bass.
Horn Loaded Subwoofer
Horn-loaded subwoofers produce highly directional sound, meaning they typically sound much better than their counterparts. How?
They focus the sound that could have been spread out in various directions and channel it to the desired direction through a longhorn speaker.
Croisements
This feature refers to electronic circuits that route frequencies below a particular point to the subwoofer. It allows the main, center, and surround speakers to produce the rest of the frequencies. A typical crossover point is 80Hz-and-100Hz.
Tapped Horn
Subwoofers with tapped horns use the two sides of a high-powered, long-excursion driver in a ported cabinet. It comes with two paths that combine in phase at the mouth of the horn.
Cardioid Settings
Cardioid settings help to configure two or more subwoofers. In this case, one of the subs is reversed and phase-inverted. This way, it produces a cancellation at the back.
Are 12 or 15-Inch Subwoofers Better?
You can also classify subwoofers depending on their sizes. So, you can call your powered subwoofer that’s 12 inches a 12-inch sub.
Overall, you can name your sub depending on its sub. Does the size matter? Yes, it does. For example, as a general rule, 12-inch subwoofers produce more bass than 10-inch subwoofers.
12-Inch Subwoofers
These are the most versatile subwoofers and can adequately handle a wide assortment of music.
If you are an audiophile with a big appetite for bass, you can go for it without looking back. Experienced music lovers agree that it’s excellent for producing the extra bass you need. Therefore, these subs are less responsive and are ideal for slow-paced music like Blues, Rap, Rhythm, and Rnb.
To learn more, check out our article on 10-inch vs 12-inch subwoofers.
15-Inch Subwoofers
These subwoofers are the most powerful and deliver the deepest bass given their favorable large size. 
Nonetheless, they lack the tight responsiveness that small subwoofers like 8-inch and 10-ich speakers offer (These small subs are best for vehicles).
If you like listening to Rap, Hip Hop, and other EDM genres, you’ll find 15-inch subwoofers incredibly beneficial.
Types of Subwoofers For Cars – Can You Put Any Subwoofer in Car?
Yes, you can put any subwoofer in your car, provided it fits in your enclosure. Car subwoofer drivers come in a wide variety of sizes ranging from 6-inches to 15-inches. Besides the size, you should consider the amount of power and bass you want before choosing one.
Please remembers that you should go for car subwoofers if you want the best listening experience. Let’s see some of the most popular types of car subwoofers that you can consider below.
Bass Tubes
Bass tubes are enclosed in tubes and allow you to add bass to your audio system without using too much space in your car. Many drivers think that these subwoofers can’t deliver an incredible sound. However, they are easy to install and are, therefore, a great choice for DIY installation.
If you are looking for the best bass tubes, you can consider the options made by Pyle and Bazooka. The first one offers bass tubes that range from 8″ to 12″. They can handle as much as 800 watts. The latter option provides car subs ranging from 6″ to 12″.
To learn more, check out our article on subwoofer bass tubes vs bass boxes.
Shallow Mount Subwoofers
As the name suggests, these subwoofers have a shallow mounting depth. Due to this, they are suitable for installation in tight spaces. That’s the reason you are highly likely to find shallow mount subwoofers in places such as in the back dashboard and under the car seat.
Shallow mount subwoofers are ideal for installation in small-sized car trucks. They offer tight bass and take little space. However, they may not be the best for you if you prefer listening to loud, booming sounds as you drive.
Self-Amplified Bass Solutions
Designers of these subwoofers build them into enclosures that in-line amps power. Due to the unique structure, these car subs are useful for a quick and easy upgrade that allows you to save a lot of space in your vehicle. However, like the bass tube, they aren’t the best if you want an incredibly powerful sound.
One of the best-rated all-in-one bass solutions that you can consider if you value quality is the Infinity BassLink series.
Please note that there are also powered and passive car subwoofers. The size of your sub can also directly influence the sound quality you receive. In other words, if you want incredible sound, you should consider going for large-sized car subwoofers.
How Do I Set Up Passive Subwoofers?
First and foremost, you need to have your passive subwoofer connected to one of the speaker connectors. After that, you can connect the speaker wire to the speaker line of the subwoofer. Notably, there will be ‘Speaker In’ ports on your passive subwoofer, while taking remaining vigil that your subwoofer does not admit excess power way above what the receiver can actually supply.
Is It Dangerous To Connect A Passive Subwoofer To A Receiver?
Yes, it can get dangerous to link passive subs to a receiver because passive subwoofers require much more power to be able to reproduce the bass so experienced. Consequently, there is a likelihood that your receiver may not distribute the requisite power for your subwoofer to function most favorably. Please do not forget that you might even cause the receiver to blow if you are not careful with your subwoofer, especially when comes to older or poor quality devices.
What Are The Top 5 Subwoofers?
1. Rockford Fosgate P300
This sub comes with a complete, self-contained unit; everything is built-in. It has a powerful amplifier that lets out 600 watts peak and 300 watts RMS.
Also, its automatic off/on function is enabled. It has a built-in bass EQ with a remote bass level control and an adjustable low pass crossover at 12dB/Octave, allowing the frequencies you wish to pass through. A closed-loop design ensures the speaker and amp inside the enclosure are working harmoniously to achieve the premier performance level.
2. MTX Audio Terminator Series TNE212D
Housed inside the cabinet are two twelve-inch subwoofers. This device cannot fit into the trunk of your car, not unless you fit it in the back seat, for it is big. It comes with a frequency response of 10Hz to 150Hz. Each speaker can handle 200 watts RMS.
3. JL Audio 10W6v3-D4 10″ 600W Dual 4-Ohm Car Subwoofer
The subwoofer has a ten-inch speaker capable of delivering 600 watts RMS. Its cone is made of heavy-duty and tough Polypropylene. It produces a deep and resonating bass that is clear and much defined even at higher volumes, devoid of distortions. The frequency response is 22-200Hz, ensuring a transient experience.
4. Orion HCCA12 12″ Car Subwoofer 2000 Watts
The Orion HCCA 12 is a monster of its kind. It puts out a frightening 5000 watts of power, 2500 RMS. It is worth your budget.
It has a rubber surround which allows the speaker some movement, producing a punchy bass. It also absorbs some of the unwanted excess energy it produces. It comes with Polypropylene making it very long-lasting and resilient.
It is designed to be fitted into space in the boot or trunk of your car so conveniently, and it will need a depth of six inches. The size of the actual speaker is 12 by 12.5 by 6.5 deep. It weighs a massive 68 pounds.
5. Rockville RVB12
It is easy to install, and it is very powerful. Above all, it is cost-effective.
This RVB12, an all-in-one unit, is a complete system for generating a big sound for your car’s entertainment system.
It is a12″ inch-subwoofer that discharges 300 watts RMS, and the peak is at 500 watts. It has a frequency response of 30Hz to 150 Hz.
What Size Subwoofer Has The Deepest Bass?
In the market are 15-inch subwoofers, which offer the most powerful and deepest bass thanks to their enormous size. These subs, however, lack the tight responsiveness of their tiny counterparts, an essential component. The subs will take much of your space which is why they are commonly used in large trucks and SUVs.
Summing Up
You can see you have several different types of subwoofers out there that you can use. Before choosing one, consider whether you’ll get the right amount of bass, need an external amplifier, and the likes. That’s all you should do to avoid choosing types of subwoofers that you don’t need.