If you take your home studio seriously you likely have a set of high-quality studio cans and a good pair of studio bookshelf speakers to emulate the listening experience for your fans or clients. If you’ve found your way to this list you must be lacking the sub frequencies you may experience with your headphones but not through your loudspeakers. This is where a studio-quality subwoofer comes in. We have curated a list of the best monitor subwoofers on the market today.
Topping that list is the JBL LSR310S. It packs a lot of features for an appealing price tag. The clear and present sound you get from its bass frequencies is another great success for the LSR range which is already known for its outstanding quality. That is not to say the competition is not tight, every subwoofer on this list has been built to provide an extremely high standard of sound quality.
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Recommended Studio Monitor Subwoofers
JBL LSR310S Powered Studio Subwoofer
Wattage: 200W
Woofer Size (inches): 10”
Firing Direction: Down
Frequency Response: 27Hz
What we like: Attractive design, powerful bass response, great cost to quality ratio
Not so much: There are better subs if you are willing to spend more, downward-firing driver might not suit all studios, no bypass switch
The LSR310S from JBL is a great studio subwoofer and can be picked up for under $300. It features a frequency response that can get as low as 27hz driven by a 10” downward-firing driver.
This takes gravity out of the equation when considering transduction, as the cone is under less load, and provides the purest sound but may not be suitable if you have downstairs neighbors.
The LSR301S looks great with a rounded black vinyl cabinet equipped with a patented JBL slipstream forward-facing port. This also helps to keep the tight sound associated with the LSR range. These subs can reach up to 113dB thanks to the built-in 200w amplifier meaning there is plenty of power to crank the volume for your playback purposes.
KRK 8S2 Studio Sub Powered
Wattage: 100W
Woofer Size (inches): 8”
Firing Direction: Front
Frequency Response: 30Hz – 205Hz
What we like: Input flexibility, bypass footswitch available, ground lift switch
Not so much: 8” driver might not be large enough for some rooms, grille can’t be removed, 100w power a little lower than the competition
KRK is a sought after brand when it comes to studio monitor speakers and the 8S2 is a welcome addition to its illustrious range. These subs deliver an incredibly precise low end coupled with a frequency range of 30hz to 205hz.
The JBL LSR310S does get a little lower in frequency and has a more powerful amplifier as the KRK has a 100w amp powering it. Aside from those minor victories for the LSR310S, the 8S2 is an equally capable sub that has the signature sound of KRK speakers thanks to the 8” glass aramid driver that is unique to this brand.
The 8” size of this driver makes the sub perfect for small studios. The bass port and driver for this sub is front-facing which makes for easy placement to create the most direct sound for monitoring purposes.
These features may make the KRK 8S2 the perfect buy for your studio if it fits your needs. It also comes in a little cheaper than our number 1, the LSR310S.
Behringer K10S Monitor Subwoofer
Wattage: 180W
Woofer Size (inches): 10”
Firing Direction: Front
Frequency Response: 40Hz – 150Hz
What we like: Crossover switching, low pass filter, defined sound
Not so much: Underwhelming volume, out of the box issues, 40hz as lowest response frequency response is higher than its competitors
Behringer is known for producing professional standard music gear for the budget-minded musician or producer. Therefore, a K10S sub could be a perfect entry-level studio sub for someone who is creating a home studio for the first time.
Despite having a power rating of 180w and a 10” glass fiber cone driver the K10S does not have the oomph that LSR310S or others on this list have. That being said these subs still provide a precise sound for your low-frequency needs at moderate volumes between 40-150hz.
Both the driver and the bass port for the K10S are front-firing allowing for easy placement and to prevent too much room sound or vibration.
It is worth noting that in the past some customers have complained about out of the box issues with the K10S but they come with a 3-year warranty so you can keep your mind at ease.
Focal Sub6 Powered Studio Sub
Wattage: 350W
Woofer Size (inches): 11”
Firing Direction: Front
Frequency Response: 30Hz -250Hz
What we like: 350w power, 11” driver is great for large studios, footswitch input
Not so much: Pricey, heavy, large
The Focal Sub6 is the most expensive sub on this list with a price tag of more than 3x that of our favorite studio subwoofer, the JBL LSR310S.
You get what you pay for though, with 350w of power and an 11” front-firing glass composite sandwich “W” cone driver. This sub really thumps at window shattering volumes if you need it to all without compromising on the precise sound quality that it is capable of.
This monitor sub can reach as low as 30hz which is a little higher than the LSR310S but by a barely noticeable amount. The Sub6 also looks great with red burr ash wood sides and a simple understated cover for the driver.
Using this wood makes the cabinet a little heavier than other studio subs at 50lb, and larger at 14.93″ x 13.56″ x17.31″ meaning it is less suitable for smaller studios.
Presonus Temblor T10 Studio Sub
Wattage: 250W
Woofer Size (inches): 10”
Firing Direction: Front
Frequency Response: 20Hz -200Hz
What we like: 250w power, great response range 20hz-200hz, clear sound
Not so much: Not great for small rooms, unreliable, short warranty
The Presonus Temblor T10 subwoofer is an absolute beast of a studio sub for the price with its 250w amplifier, 10” glass composite driver, and huge response range going as low as 20hz.
These subs feature front-firing driver and ports for easy placement and are happy sitting just about anywhere in a home studio. The cabinet also looks great in an understated way.
There is only one downfall that keeps this sub from being higher on our list and that is they have several reports of ceasing to work after about 18 months of strenuous workload. Coupled with a shorter warranty than other subs on our best-of list makes it a little harder to recommend.
Last update on 2022-03-01 / Affiliate links / Images from Amazon Product Advertising API