Best Under Seat Subwoofer Reviews

So you don’t have enough space inside your vehicle to accommodate larger subwoofers? Well, you don’t have to feel left out, because under seat subwoofer can get the job done just fine.

Under seat subwoofers feature a very compact design. They can easily fit into tight spots. Their relatively easy installation and tiny size make them suitable for vehicles with very limited space such as compact hatchbacks and sport cars.

That being said, keep in mind that under seat subwoofers won’t produce ground-pounding bass by any means. However, these subs are a great add-on to factory stereo systems.

Although these subwoofers aren’t going to turn your ride into a rolling thunderstorm of bass, they’ll certainly add some depth and punch to your music. So, if you’re wanting to add some bass without compromising space, consider an under seat subwoofer.

Under Seat Subwoofers Comparison Chart

Subwoofers	Power handling RMS/Peak (watts)	Frequency response	Sensitivity (dB)
PIONEER TSSWX2502	300/1200	20 - 125 Hz	90
Kenwood KSC-SW11	75/150	35 - 125 Hz	NA
Kicker 11HS8 Hideaway	150 RMS	25 - 120 Hz	95
BOSS AUDIO BASS800	280/800	20 - 150 Hz	NA
Dual BAK1550	500/1000	25 - 150Hz	NA
Clarion SRV250	75/150	30 - 200 Hz	NA
SSL LOPRO10	600/1200	20 - 150 Hz	NA
Rockville RW10CA	200/800	50 - 150 Hz	90
Rockford Fosgate R2S-1X10	200/400	38 - 250 Hz	83
Boss BASS1400	700/1400	20 - 150 Hz	90
Cerwin Vega VPAS10	200/400	75 - 150 Hz	NA

Pros and Cons of Under Seat Subwoofers

First off, the pros: one of the biggest pros of underseat subwoofers is their size. You can mount an under seat subwoofer almost anywhere inside your vehicle. These small subwoofers are designed to fit within the space constraints presented by some compact vehicles. Additionally, they are light and portable, so you’ll be able to easily to move or transport your under seat sub outside the vehicle.

In terms of cons, the lack of booming bass if one of the major drawbacks of these subs. Obviously, you won’t get the same bass quality with these subwoofers as you’d with larger subs, and that’s mainly due to their smaller drivers (sub and amp). Most under seat systems are fitted with smaller subwoofers – particularly 8″ inch subwoofers. Additionally, the built-in amplifier isn’t anything to write home about compared to external powerful amplifiers.

Best Under Seat Subwoofers Reviews

1. Alpine PWE-V80 Review

Alpine is a Japanese electronic component manufacturer that specializes in car audio equipment. They were founded in 1967. They are, and always have been one of the most recognized brand in in car audio industry. Alpine offers a wide range of quality products including car speakers, amplifiers, headunits (both single and double din stereos) and subwoofers of different types.

The PWE-V80 by Alpine is one of the best under seat subwoofers on the market. It’s also one of the most expensive. However, this is a very well-engineered slim subwoofer and would be a great investment for anyone who’s looking for a solid ready-to-use subwoofer that’s designed with quality in mind.

If you want to upgrade and add some decent bass to your factory stereo system setup no muss no fuss, then the PWE-V80 is a great option to consider. It can be added to your stereo sound system in just a few easy, simple steps. Its super shallow design makes it ideal for under-seat installation or into tight spaces.

This tiny subwoofer is fitted with a compact 8″ subwoofer powered by a decent built-in amplifier. The PWE-V80 has a variable low pass filter of 50Hz – 100Hz. It comes with speaker-level and RCA inputs, as well as a phase selector switch. A wired remote control is also included.

In terms of cons, it’s really difficult to think of any. If anything, I’d say that this slim under seat subwoofer is a bit pricey. However, something this good is naturally expensive. Our purpose here isn’t to convince you folks to go out and splurge on the most expensive under seat subwoofer. Quite honestly, this subwoofer isn’t even close to the most expensive powered subwoofers we’ve seen.

Alpine PWE-V80 Specifications

Subwoofer size : 8 inches
Power handling
- RMS : 75 Watts
- Peak : 160 Watts
Frequency range : 50 Hz – 100 Hz
Dimensions (mm)
- Width : 342
- Height : 80
- Depth : 238 mm

Alpine PWE-V80 Feature

Sealed Die-Cast Housing for Stealth Installation
Built-in Amplifier
Phase Selector Switch
Wired remote Control
Speaker-Level and RCA Inputs

2. Kenwood KSC-SW11 Review

We’ve reviewed a ton of Kenwood car audio equipment on this site before. Kenwood is one of the most authoritative brands in this industry. They’ve been around for a very long time. They have made a name for themselves in the audio industry developing and marketing a wide array of audio equipment including car speakers,subwoofers, amps, headunits as well as Hi-Fi home and personal audio, and amateur radio (“ham”) equipment.

The Kenwood KSC-SW11 is one of the best selling powered under seat subwoofers on the market. It’s very reasonably priced, and it would a great solution to anyone who’s wanting to further enhance the bass in their system without taking up a lot of space.

The KSC-SW11 incorporates a 8 inch subwoofer powered by 75 watts RMS by the built-in amplifier. This compact powered enclosed subwoofer features a very high sensitivity rating of 110 dB. Which is quite impressive. And as a matter of fact, a subwoofer with high sensitivity rating requires less power to play louder than a sub model with low sensitivity.

The KSC-SW11 comes with a wired remote control so you can adjust the bass from the driver’s seat.Althoug, the Kenwood KSC-SW11 is designed specifically for cars, I don’t see anything wrong if you use it in home theaters or media rooms to ensure that every chunk of music you hear reaches its full potential and simulate movie going experience.

Kenwood KSC-SW11 Specifications

Woofer Size (inches) : 8.25 x 5
Built-in amplifier
- RMS : 75 watts
- Peak : 150 watts
Frequency response : 35 – 125 Hz
Sensitivity : 110 dB
Warranty : 1 year

3. Kicker Hideaway Compact Powered Sub Review

Kicker is one of the most legendary when it comes to clear-sounding, ground-pounding bass. They produce some of the best hard-kicking car subwoofers on the market, and the “Hideaway Compact Powered Sub” is no exception.

It’s one of the best compact powered subwoofers under $300. The KICKER Hideaway Compact Powered Subwoofer delivers surprising low frequency output from a remarkably small enclosure, setting a new standard in plug-and-play bass performance and convenience in a vehicle. At just about three inches high and nearly 14 inches long, the Hideaway houses a 150-watt built-in class D amplifier and an 8-inch heavy duty subwoofer to add decent thumping bass to any vehicle from the tightest spots. It comes with a quick-connect power plug and Velcro®-fastened nylon straps for smooth, secure installation and simple but fast removal.

The quick-connect plug and harness entails power, signal and remote turn-on. The Hideaway also comes with a remote bass control so you can easily fine-tune bass levels on the fly, variable +6dB bass boost, adjustable low-pass crossover, two automatic turn-on options and a phase-cancelling switch for max output. It also features high- and low-level inputs for smooth integration with nearly any aftermarket or factory single or double DIN head unit.

The only downside I can reasonably think of is the price. The Kicker Hideaway is a bit expensive. However, there are still quite a few people we’d recommend this to. First, like all slim powered subwoofers, the Kicker Hideaway is geared to the needs of people with very limited space in their vehicles. The Kicker Hideaway will save you the hassle of finding the rights enclosure and amplifier for your subwoofer, wiring, and matching the amplifier to the sub …etc.

Additionally, the Kicker Hideaway is an all-in-one unit, so there’s only one equipment you’ll need to find a mounting place for. All in all, Kicker Hideaway is one of the best small subwoofers, and when you pick it up, you’ll know where the extra dollars went.

Kicker Hideaway Review

Woofer Size (inches) : 8″
Built-in amplifier – RMS : 150 watts
Frequency response : 25 – 120 Hz
Sensitivity : NA
KickEQ boost : variable to +6dB @ 40Hz
Warranty : 1 year

4. SL LOPRO8 Review

You may be asking yourself what this amplified subwoofer is doing on the list. It’s clearly outclassed by most small underseat car subwoofers we included here. So, why did we list? Price. While most powered under seat subwoofers are priced at over $200, easily, the SSL LOPRO8 can get the job done for almost half that price tag. It’s one of the best underseat subwoofers under $100. SSL LOPRO8 is a great entry-level low-profile amplified subwoofer system if you want to test the waters before upgrading to something a little more sophisticated. It’s rated for 300 watts of power on continuous basis. It comes with a remote level control, a selector switch and an adjustable input sensitivity selector.

SSL LOPRO8 Specifications

Subwoofer Size : 8″
Power Handling
- Peak : 600 Watts
- RMS : 300 Watts
Voice Coil Configuration : Single

5. Boss Audio BASS800 Review

The BASS800 by Boss Audio is another great low profile amplified subwoofer system under $100. It’s fitted with a solid, heavy duty 8″ subwoofer featuring Polypropylene cone woofer and rubber surround.

This great looking enclosed powered subwoofer is capable of slamming out decent thumping bass. It’s designed to handle up to 280 watts power on continuous basis and to accurately reproduce very low frequencies.

The BASS800 comes with a remote subwoofer level control, variable low pass filter, subsonic filter and bass boost for further flexibility. And for safety features, it’s fitted with thermal, overload and short protection circuits. It also comes with high level and RCA low level inputs, making it a universal solution for use with almost any factory-installed or aftermarket head unit. The built-in amplifier features a low pass crossover, and a control for adjusting the input sensitivity from 0.2V to 6V.