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Putting together a sound system is a daunting task. You need to pick out speakers, a receiver, and a subwoofer. A lot of people focus on the speakers, rightly so, but the subwoofer is a very underrated part of the setup. I foolishly looked at it as something to add at the very end, but if I had to do it again, I'd spend a lot more time (and money) on my subwoofer.
The limitations of a cheap subwoofer are abundantly clear, even with one you spent a few hundred dollars on. The bad thing about cheaping out in the home theater realm is that nothing's all that cheap, so it's a tough pill to swallow when something isn't up to your expectations. Although I'd still argue your speakers are more important, it's sad to have a glaring weakness in your setup. Thankfully, you don't have to have the same experience as me, and if you do your proper research and allocate a proper budget, you will be able to avoid anything sounding less than ideal.
Subwoofers are important too
No weak points in the setup
A weak subwoofer is a bummer because you'll hear boomy and thumpy bass in everything you watch. Despite what you hear in cars blaring their sound system going down the street, that's not how it's supposed to sound. An example of good bass is being unable to pinpoint where it's coming from. It should feel like it's surrounding you and when it's working well, it's very immersive. A cheap subwoofer can't always perform this task, and there are many times I'm watching a movie where I can hear thumping coming from the corner, exactly where my sub is placed. This isn't good, and it happens far more often than I'd like. Using your receiver's room correction software can only hide the issue so much, but it's still well worth taking those steps because it helps.
What you need to look for is something that can integrate with your speakers. That's often further up the money ladder, and that's why you don't typically see a lot of cheap subs being recommended. I fully understand why you'd want to grab a cheap one, especially if it's the last part of your setup. However, the problem with a sub is that you can't really reuse it in your setup when you make an upgrade. If you have cheaper stereo speakers, you can just shift those over into surrounds or even heights without losing much. A weak sub is a weak sub, no matter where you put it.
The worst scenario you can find yourself in is a world where you bought a cheap sub to save money, only to be disappointed and stuck with it. You can always try to sell it yourself, but good luck trying to ship a giant subwoofer across the country. The better path forward is to simply omit a sub until you can afford one that's worth it. This logic applies to just about everything in the home theater space, to be honest. I know how it feels to want to complete your setup, but waiting is worth it if you can grab a quality product.
Do your research before buying
Don't buy something you regret
Research is a big part of buying a home theater, and that's for good reason. You can spend money in a hurry putting together a solid system, and it would be a shame to buy something that's not up to snuff. There are a few ways you can go about this, and it doesn't mean you have to buy the highest-end products that are available.
The biggest piece of advice I can give about a subwoofer is to go as large as you can within your budget. I see Dayton Audios 12" subwoofer recommended quite a bit, so it seems like a lot of people would be happy picking that one if it's within their means. There are still some things to be aware of before buying a subwoofer, and it's how loud it sounds. If you live in an apartment, shared condo, or something of the sort, you have to really watch what you buy. Bass travels through walls easily, and if you're sharing a wall with a neighbor, they aren't going to like hearing that.
Trust me, I've lived in an apartment where my neighbors had a subwoofer, and it got annoying fast to hear an activated subwoofer while they were watching the evening news. I'm sure there are some ways to avoid this being the case, but it's often not worth the trouble. I didn't put my theater together until I got a house because I knew this would be a big problem. I think it's also a problem that can catch you by surprise, so just think about your neighbors before buying a subwoofer. I'd even recommend going without one completely until you move somewhere where this won't bother anybody.
