A subwoofer is going to make your life more enjoyable, trust me.
Even if you’re not a music producer.
But if you are, you’ll know that music production mainly revolves around two things:
Your talent, and the type of equipment you have.
The latter is a bit more confusing to most aspiring producers because this part is not often defined.
Let’s put it this way:
In order to apply your knowledge, you need to have feedback. Without that, you just won’t have the type of control you need to properly mix and master a piece of music.
One of the most important pieces of gear in this respect are monitor speakers.
Having a set of flat output monitors is essential.
With that said, monitor speakers are often too focused on the mid and hi part of the frequency range, leaving almost nothing in the low-end response.
Because of that, adding a subwoofer specifically designed for this application will give you the girth in the bass that most of these systems miss.
The Best 3 Studio Subwoofers for the Money
I have done the footwork for you and found 3 recommended subwoofers that will get the job done at a reasonable price.
Let’s see what they bring to the table.
Rank | Studio Subwoofer |
---|---|
1. | Yamaha HS8 |
2. | JBL LSR 310 S |
3. | Mackie MR10S Mk3 |
Yamaha HS8 Studio Subwoofer
Yamaha's HS8 monitor speakers are among the most popular, and honestly the best bang for the buck model at the moment.
The HS8 Subwoofer is there to add the missing pieces to what is already a perfectly good foundation.
Yamaha didn't skimp out when they designed this thing, giving it a nice aesthetic appearance to match its abilities.
Main Features That Make This The Top Pick
The core of this box is an 8-inch transducer that sits in a frontally ported cabinet. The material of the cabinet and its build quality are more than decent considering what this sub was designed for.
If you look at the back panel, you will see a metal plate that houses a stealthy looking heat sync and all of the controls for the subwoofer.
Speaking of which, you have a low cut and a high cut switch at your disposal, along with a phase switch. Since the speaker itself works within the 22Hz - 150Hz frequency range, the low and high cut filters kick in from some 80Hz and max out at 150Hz.
A pretty reasonable amount of tweaking power for this unit, too.
Sound Performance That Makes a Difference
The main thing about any monitoring setup is to get the flat rendering of your music.
That means that no parts of the frequency range should be accentuated, leaving you with the most barebones tone you can get.
Yamaha HS8 studio subwoofer can move some serious air, but in a way that goes along with the principles of professional studio monitoring.
Sure, you can crank the gain up thanks to a pretty powerful built-in amp, but that's not the point.
Combined with the HS8 monitor speakers, this sub gives you some low-end width to work with.
Find a sales price on the official product page here.
JBL LSR 310 S - Subwoofer
Similar to the Yamaha model we have just talked about, this JBL subwoofer has been designed to work with the preexisting monitor speaker.
What JBL created with LSR 310 S is a dynamic way of achieving more responsive bass that conforms to your needs in ways other units are just not capable.
For the most part, it's not a necessary addition to the LSR 305 s, but it's definitely one that will amplify the value of these monitors.
A Stylish and Powerful Sub
In terms of appearances, we are looking a pretty stylish sub that offers a unique ported design which has been patented by JBL.
For the most part, it packs similar features as most of its counterparts in this range, but it brings a bit more than just that.
We are talking carefully dialed-in sub presets, a built-in crossover with adjustable input sensitivity and balanced I/O section. There's a lot of kick from this JBL, and it definitely deserves a mention.
Tons of Control with No Distortion
This is where things get even more interesting.
The amount of control you have over the low-end response with this sub is impressive. No matter how low you go, there won't be any distortion or tone degradation.
Transducer found inside is a pretty capable unit that gives you enough power and definition for even the more demanding tasks.
JBL LSR310S is not the cheapest sub out there, but it's worth the investment under right conditions.
Find a sales price on the official product page here.
Mackie MR10S Mk3
Whenever Mackie is mentioned, you will either have those who adore their products, or those who can't stand them.
This polarity has more to do with their overall design than their actual performance.
The Mackie model I reviewed for you is the Mackie MR10S Mk3 subwoofer, capable of moving serious air on a tight budget.
Even though you could definitely consider this to be an entry level unit, it packs enough performance to be used in more serious applications.
Great Price, But Use With Other Makie Monitors
One of the first things you need to keep in mind is that this sub was specifically designed to work with Mackie MR5 and MR3 monitors.
Plugging it into anything else may or may not be feasible. With that said, for the price, this thing is a beast.
The main features that deserve a mention are its shelf-ported design and the ample crossover that is built into the package. The cabinet itself looks pretty stealthy and fits in just fine with any conservative style.
Get Ready for some Deep Bass
Thanks to a pretty capable crossover, and the fact that the transducer is pumping out air through a shelf port, Mackie MR10S Mk3 delivers a pretty deep type of bass.
Just by listening to its tone during first use, you can sense that it grabs pretty deep.
While it's not the most refined sub out there, this thing costs a fraction of what you would otherwise have to pay.
Find a sales price on the official product page here.
Quick Recap
Adding a bit more bass to your monitoring setup can be crucial depending on what type of music you are mixing.
These subs are just what is necessary to achieve that effect without completely drowning the mix with bass tones.
No matter which one you go for, you are bound to get that extra dimension of tone to further fine tune your projects.
Where to buy these units:
Find the best deals in the table above.
I regularly update the table with the best sales prices from online retailers.