Everyone wants a good deal when it comes to spending their hard-earned money. After all, who wants to pay more than they need to, just to get what they want?
Fewer people like cheap in the sense of low quality. But, if you’re on a tight budget and can’t spend more than $250 on a car subwoofer and don’t want to compromise in a competition sub anyway, read along as this guide will help you buy a cheap subwoofer at an inexpensive price.
When you see subwoofers on manufacturers or online retailer’s websites, there are usually a few specifications called out to help define what’s on offer. These typically include power handling capabilities (RMS/Peak), size, frequency response, and sensitivity.
The size of the woofer is a good starting point for finding the subwoofer you need. Most of today’s subs are sized at either around 10- or 15 inches. There are also some that range on 18 and 20 inches made as competition subs. At the smaller end, you may also find an 8-inch subwoofer in the market.
The size of the subwoofer also gives a guide to the overall bass output, helping you make a decision if a boom, earth-shaking bass is an essential key to your needs.
Choosing the Best Budget Car Subwoofer is a daunting task. The sheer number of cheap subwoofers on the market is enough to make your head spin. We know better than anyone else how hard it is to shop for a good quality yet reasonably priced car subwoofers.
That’s the reason why we did this research to help you make an informed buying decision. So, here are the Best Budget Car Subwoofers of 2021.
Is a budget car subwoofer right for you?
Bargain-hunting is great when you’re shopping for a new car audio component. You don’t have to shell out several hundred dollars for a subwoofer unless you’re a seasoned audiophile who wants to be heard miles away.
A decent sub-$200 subwoofer is good for anyone who’s just wanting to add some bass to their car audio system without breaking their bank account (Don’t expect to turn your ride into a rolling thunderstorm of bass and rattle license plates with cheap subwoofers. A strong budget car subwoofer, however, will deliver more than enough bass to satisfy almost anyone).
If you need a solid, very well-engineered subwoofer with strong bass output, and great power handling capabilities, you’ll have to shell out some serious dough – around $200 – $500.
If you can’t spend that much but need a subwoofer that’s designed to reproduce and deliver enough bass to satisfy anyone, a Best Budget Car Subwoofer like the ones we recommend represents the perfect mix of power and price.
Best Budget Car Subwoofers Reviews
As far as affordable budget car subwoofers are concerned, the Fosgate P3D2-12 is arguably the most legendary of them all. These budget car subwoofers are of high-quality and come with a reasonable price tag as well.
They are designed to deliver loud, deep bass and feature an anodized aluminum cone to help maintain its shape when heavily loaded and, at the same time, still staying responsive and light, making it one of the most sought-after subwoofers today.
In addition, this 12-inch Punch P3 subwoofer uses a new technique that offers a relatively bigger woofer cone that’s almost about 25% larger than what the other competition provides.
So, if you’re one who’s into larger cones, you’re assured that this one has it, thus allowing it to push more air to get an even louder and bigger bass. With its 600 watts RMS to back you up, you’ll be able to use this all day long.
This is another 12-inch budget car subwoofer that offers very good quality at an inexpensive price. You won’t find many car subs that have better quality as this sub, especially at this price point.
People who are on a budget won’t hesitate to get this as it has one of the best-sounding bass in the market today.
After all, not only is this securely protected by a high-quality treated foam to make it sound great, but its added layers of protection assure that despite being played for a long time, it won’t easily lose its volume at all.
It also has a rugged cone which has been manufactured from injection-molded polypropylene material accompanied by treated-foam surrounds designed to help keep the cone under control, so as to ensure the speaker sounds good whether in ported or sealed enclosures.
These subs are equipped with a strong 6-layer voice coil allowing it to sustain up to around 300 watts continuously.
- PIONEER 10" Dual 4 ohms voice Coil subwoofer -TS-A250D4
- 10" Glass fiber and mica interlaced Injection molded polypropylene (IMPP) Cone construction
- Butyl rubber surround and poly-cotton/ cotton dual spider for strength and linearity during high excursion
- Oversized 56 oz double stacked magnet and vented pole yoke for increased power handling
- Smooth and seamless integration with PIONEER a-series full-range automotive loudspeakers
Another one in the list is the Kicker 10C104. When it comes to quality, this is a brand that’s well-recognized in the car audio world and offers good quality subs at relatively affordable prices.
The best-selling car subs on Kicker’s roster is, no doubt, these 10C104 subs, and there’s no coincidence to this because they are very well-built and well-engineered subwoofers.
This Kicker measures 10-inches and features a flex-resistant, thick polypropylene cone with ribbed foam surround support.
Because of these, you are able to have better linearity and greater excursion. It can also produce great bass up to 200 watts of RMS, giving you that depth you really crave in your music.
On top of these, it also has a sturdy motor structure, extensive venting capacity, and solid double stitching engraved on it to make it last longer. With these protecting your sub, you’re sure that it won’t break that easily even if you put the bass on high.
If you want to completely avoid having to look for the right car sub-mount in the proper enclosure and then eventually hook it up to an amplifier it’s compatible with, then you might want to strongly consider the compact Kicker Hideaway.
Measuring about 14-inches in length and just over 3-inches in height, this Kicker car sub combines an 8-inch speaker to a 150watt amp to help produce a thumping bass sound to any car audio unit.
What makes this great is that it’s so compact that you can install this under your seat or in areas where you don’t regularly find subs, making it ideal for those who have smaller spaces.
Additionally, this one has a lot of features to offer. This includes a remote control wherein you can tune your bass levels on the go. It also has a low-pass crossover that’s adjustable, a switch for phase-cancelling, a variable +6dB bass boost, and 2 turn-on options that’s automatic. What more could you ask for?
- RMS Power: 150 Watts
- Ultra-compact powered subwoofer system designed for tight locations
- Dimension: 13 7/8 x 9 3/8 x 3 1/8
- 8-inch internal subwoofer
- 150-watt (RMS, 14.4v) power amplifier
This 12-inch car sub is sure to give your ride that “bump” you’re looking for. The cone contains a Kevlar-treated pulp – the same material that’s used for making bulletproof vests – for extra durability and stiffness.
Plus, it has its trademark Santoprene that forms the sub’s surround that gives it an awesome excursion.
If you’re a certified basshead, you’ll never be disappointed by its otherworldly thump as it can handle up to 1000 watts of RMS!
And because it comes with a dial 2-ohm voice coil, you’ll get that flexibility that you’ll truly appreciate as your sub grows and changes, allowing you to have the opportunity to max out the power of your amp anytime you like.
It’s got low-frequency responses which help it provide fantastic bass pulsations too. That’s why you’re encouraged to get an ideal amplifier for this as it requires a lot of power to match its greatness.
If you want a dependable subwoofer, then this is another 12-inch car sub that offers very good sound quality at an affordable price.
Not only is it a dual 4-ohm subwoofer but it also features a Sider plateau venting by MTX themselves, which is designed to keep everything cool and basically noise-free during loud sound levels.
Its inverted apex surround is also much narrower which, in turn, gives the core a greater surface area.
When it comes to its cone, the MTX audio’s cone is made out of aluminum-finished polypropylene which is also mica-filled.
It also has an added rubber surrounds to make it sound even more impressive, especially when you turn it on high.
In addition, its voice coils which are made out of quality aluminum adds to its impressive reliability and power handling, which can accommodate 300 watts of RMS – definitely not a bad choice for something so affordable.
- 2.0" High Temperature Voice Coils
- Expanded Surface Area Allows For Increased Volume Displacement and SPL
- Progressive Suspension Controls Excursion At High Power Reducing Distortion
If you’re looking for something that’ll help save you some space, then the KSC-SW11 Compact is just what you need. It’s got an unbelievably low-profile and can be put in tight spaces or under seats. Its sub enclosure is solid, durable, and well-constructed, and it has its own in-built amp as well. It’s one of the smallest high-quality options currently available.
What makes this impressive despite its small size is that it uses quality materials to make it. Its aluminum enclosure is sturdy enough that it does not rattle even if you turn the volume up.
Because it's small, its dependable amplifier can take 75 watts of RMS that’s built-in solidly inside. Lastly, it comes with a wired remote, allowing you to control the bass, and it also has mounting brackets and a harness for more convenience.
If you want to start with a small subwoofer, this won’t intimidate you at all, giving you a chance to explore and experiment with subs for just an affordable rate.
The last one in our list is this awesome sub from JBL, a prominent brand that’s known for their affordable choices. This JBL is already housed in its very own companion enclosure. This tailored sub enclosure has been optimized to provide you with the most efficient and cleanest bass sound quality.
It’s a reflex-style speaker enclosure that has a patented Slipstream feature that’s used for preventing compromised audio quality and for minimizing turbulence. Plus, it comes with a remote to control your bass level anytime you want to, significantly adding you that convenience.
It also features a 12-inch polypropylene cone that has a rubber surround design to provide resonance dampening as well as dual-stacked, oversized magnets for an increased magnetic flux, assuring you of its quality when you turn it on.
Lastly, its 150-watt amplifier is also a great addition as it perfectly matches its strong bass volume, allowing you to rock all day.
Final Thought
Looking for a best Budget car subwoofer that doesn’t compromise the sound quality in your car may be overwhelming, especially when you’re new to this and don’t know anything about the ideal subwoofers specs.
However, with this guide, hopefully, you’ll get to have an idea what these highlights are and what types of subs you like.
The ones listed above are some of the best ones in the market today. They have reasonable prices and decent features that newbies and even die hard bass fans can appreciate.
You can start from any of the subs mentioned above or use them as your basis to pick a reliable product that’s affordable yet doesn’t compromise the quality of its audio.
Last update on 2021-12-31 / Affiliate links / Images from Amazon Product Advertising API
