Now the Base Shall Suit Your Taste: Find the Best 8-Inch Subwoofer for Your Car!
There are many ways to resolve problems associated with bass in your car, but using a subwoofer will be the simplest way to add punch to your setup without investing a lot of money into it.
Finding a good subwoofer depends on how you use them and how much you’re willing to pay. Low cost can sound great but may break if played with too much power. Consider what your subwoofer will do, and then purchase the best one within your budget.
There are so many qualities that a subwoofer can add to your car’s stereo system. So you need to understand all these qualities to make the most of them and decide what kind of subwoofer would be best for you.
What is a Subwoofer?
This is a type of stereo loudspeaker that helps reproduce low-frequency sounds and augment the low-frequency base of recorded sound or music. It offers the car’s audio system able to reproduce precise bass notes that help improve the listening experience of the automotive sound system.
Subwoofer speakers were developed in the 1960s for enhancing bass tone in home stereo systems, but now it has become a must-have accessory for a car that helps produce bass (low-frequency sound).
Every car’s stereo system includes factory-installed subwoofers, which are often too small to handle low-frequency sound. Now it has become possible to upgrade the stereo system of your car with the help of subwoofers. These are easily available in the market and come in many body styles and sizes.
Top 5 Best 8-Inch Subwoofers Available In The Market
If you are looking to upgrade your car’s audio system, then you should go for an 8-inch subwoofer that delivers rich, deep bass sound. Here we have mentioned the best models and their features so that you may know more about them.
There are so many choices available in the market for an 8-inch subwoofer that offers great performance and is affordable. You should look for the general features, price, pros, and cons of each subwoofer and choose the right one that you feel would be the best performer for your audio system in the car. Sometimes larger subwoofers can distort the overall musical experience.
Many people underestimate the power of small-size subwoofers, but these are good to use and offer solid performance. You just need to install and power them properly to get good output. You can get the best product to deliver great bass even for a reasonable price.
Here in this guide, we have mentioned the top five 8-inch subwoofers; you can look at the features, pros, and cons and choose the right subwoofer for your car.
1. Rockford Fosgate P3SD2-8 8″ Dual 2-Ohm Punch Series Shallow Mount Car Subwoofer
This is one of the best subwoofers brands in the market, and you can rely on the quality of this product easily. This is the best brand in the car audio industry. It is very well-designed and offers solid performance for adding punch to your audio setup.
Main Features
- It features a dual tear and fatigue-resistant poly-cotton spider
- It has extra strength
- It comes with an anodized aluminum voice coil
- It can handle heat buildup
- Hard-hitting Punch Best 8-inch subwoofer with dual 2-ohm voice coils
- It has a sealed enclosure to offer optimum sound quality
- Internal power handling: RMS: 150 Watt
- Peak power handling: 300 watts
- Frequency response: 38-250 Hz, sensitivity 82 dB
Pros
- It comes with one year warranty period
- Two months money back guarantee
- Rich and Deep Bass Sound
2. Rockville SS8P 400w 8″ Slim Under-Seat Subwoofer
This is one of the best subwoofers brands in the market, and you can rely on the quality of this product easily. This is the best brand in the car audio industry. It is very well-designed and offers solid performance for adding punch to your audio setup.
Main Features
- Enclosure made out of aluminum to stay cool
- High-Level Inputs with Auto Turn-On Technology
- Thermal Protection Circuit, Short Protection Circuit
- Adjustable Input Sensitivity
- RMS Power Handling: 100 Watts
- Low Pass Filter: 50Hz – 150Hz. Bass Boost: 0 – 12dB @ 45Hz. Built-in Subsonic Filter @ 20Hz. THD: < 0.4%.
- Subwoofer Level Remote Control. Fuse Rating: Single 10A. Peak Power 400 Watts. RMS Power: 100 Watts.
- Impedance: 2 Ohm. Dimensions (L x W X H): 11.4″ x 8.3″ x 2.8″ Inches. Frequency Response: 20Hz – 150Hz.
- Signal to Noise Ratio: >90dB. Sensitivity: 90dB @ 1w / 1m. Input sensitivity, Low level: 300mV. Input sensitivity, High level: 1.0V
Pros
- Comes in a compact size. Great for smaller cars.
- Can be easy to install
- 90-day money-back guarantee
3. BOSS P80DVC 1000 Watt, 8 Inch, Dual 4 Ohm Voice Coil Car Subwoofer
This is one of the best 8-inch subwoofers that offer solid performance and serious sound without distortions. This speaker is highly rated and seems to be a good subwoofer. It offers a low-bass audio reproduction for its size. You get very good sound quality, and its performance makes it an extremely well-performing product.
Main Features
- 1000 Watts MAX / 500 watts RMS
- Aluminium Voice Coil
- Dimensions: 8.3” x 8.3” x 4.3” and Mounting depth: 3-3/4”
- 42 Hz frequency response and 88dB sensitivity
- It is an 8-inch subwoofer with dual 4 –ohm voice coils
Pros
- Good sound quality with minimal distortion
- Good quality for this type of speaker
- Good bass for the size
4. Polk Audio db842DVC 8-Inch 4 Ohm Subwoofer
This product is certified and can be used in marine environments. This is a full-sized subwoofer that comes with many strong features that offer good sound quality.
Main Features
It has steady performance and comes with very good features like:
- RMS Power handling level (250 Watts)
- Frequency Response (30 to 200 Hertz)
- Peak Power handling ability (750 Watts)
- Dual voice coils
- Equipped with polymer composite cone
Pros
- Very Easy to install
- Peak power and RMS are very impressive
- Small enough to carry anywhere
- Waterproof
- Certified to be used in the marine environment
5. Planet Audio AC8D 8-Inch Car Subwoofer
If you are looking for good quality subwoofers for an audio system for your car, then you can spend your money on this product. You can get some very good sound to replace your factory speakers with solid performance.
Main Features
- 8 inch 1200 Watt Dual Voice Coil Subwoofer
- Cone: Polypropylene, Surround: Foam
- The best option is long play times
- Power Handling (Peak): 1200 Watts
- Voice Coil: Dual 2 inch High Temperature
- Sensitivity (1 Watt/1 Meter): 85dB, Resonant Frequency: 39 Hz
- Impedance (4 ohms)
- Mounting Depth: 4” (101.6 mm), Cutout Diameter: 7.3” (185 mm)
- Frequency response (23 -250 hertz)
Pros
- Good build quality
- Good sound quality
- Good for nice lows
What are the Different Types of Subwoofers?
Subwoofers are available in different sizes that range from 8 inches to 15 inches, but you need to choose the one that is a perfect fit for your car. The subwoofer should be connected to an amplifier and fit in an enclosure easily. The different types of subwoofers include:
- Powered Subwoofers:
- These kinds of subwoofers include the amp in a compact enclosure. These subwoofers are ideal for being installed in small spaces. These do not produce much bass effect.
- Component Subwoofers:
- You have to choose an amplifier and enclosure separately in order to install these kinds of subwoofers in your car. For those people who want a highly customized stereo system for their car, component subwoofers would be an ideal option for them.
- Enclosed Subwoofers:
- These are pre-mounted in a box, and you need to find out an external amplifier for this kind of subwoofer.
- Vehicle-specific Subwoofers:
- These subwoofers are designed to fit into various other spaces in your car, such as the doors of the car. But these do not produce much bass effect.
Why is a Subwoofer a Must in the Car?
There are lots of benefits to having subwoofers for your cars. Some of them are mentioned below; check them out:
1. Realistic Sound Experience
As we mentioned above, subwoofers produce rich and deep bass. They also generate low-frequency tones that are important to the sound reproduction quality of the system. Since car speakers are smaller and less powerful, they don’t have the ability to reproduce bass in the way subwoofers can.
Bass creates a sense of fullness and loudness within the music regardless of how soft or loud it is played. Only subwoofers can create a realistic sound experience within the smaller space of a car.
2. Optimum Performance
These subwoofers come in circular shapes. This shape makes them more effective in the prevention of distortion. These subwoofers can be installed easily near the rear seats or in the boot of the car.
Non-circular subwoofers are also available in the market and they can be mounted anywhere in the car. These subwoofers are available in different types and shapes. They generate an optimum sound experience for every listener.
3. Prevent Damage to Speakers
The Higher volume of bass has the potential to damage the speakers in your vehicles. These speakers are not designed to handle higher levels of bass sound, so there is a chance of speaker damage. Playing bass via these speakers can cause them to tear or crack as these are usually designed with plastic and cardboard.
These speakers have no potential to absorb the vibrations required to reproduce bass frequency. Subwoofers are required to prevent damage to speakers; they are designed to allow deeper cone fluctuations needed for exact low-frequency generation.
4. Easy to Install
It is very simple to install a subwoofer in a vehicle. All you need to do is to get the most suitable subwoofer for your car. Its shape and size should complement the available space in the car.
How to Choose a Subwoofer for Your Car Audio System?
If you are looking for adding subwoofers to your existing car stereo setups, then you should consider some factors before purchasing it.
- The Size of the Subwoofer:
- This is one of the most important factors that determine how low/loud it can go. A bigger size produces good bass, so you should look for the ideal unit. You should also consider the space available in your automotive system before purchasing subwoofers. The subwoofer should fit into the available space, so you should look accordingly.
- Type of Enclosure:
- The enclosure is a box that contains a subwoofer, and it is available in many types, such as port, sealed, and bandpass. The type of selected enclosure also impacts the sound quality, so be careful while selecting it. If you want exceptionally deep bass, then you should choose sealed enclosures. If you don’t want exceptionally deep bass and don’t care about accuracy, then you can look for Ported and Bandpass.
- RMS value, SPL, Frequency Range, and Ohms:
- While the types of enclosures and size of subwoofers are important, you need to pay special attention to power, frequency, sensitivity, impedance, and other factors. The power level denotes the power handling features of subwoofers. A high RMS value means more bass than before, but it is useless without an amplifier that matches the RMS of the subwoofer.
Sensitivity is expressed in SPL, and it refers to how much power is needed by subwoofers to produce a given volume. You need high sensitivity if your amp unit is underpowered to make your system work properly. Frequency is represented in the form of a range of sounds that a subwoofer can produce.
We have mentioned the top five 8-inch subwoofers, and these all are good in performance, but when it comes to choosing the best out of all these five, we recommend JL Audio 8W3V3-4 8. This product delivers an outstanding output and an amazing sound experience to the listener. If you have an extra budget to spend on subwoofers, then it is worth buying this subwoofer. This is all about 8-inch subwoofers, but you can also choose a 10-inch subwoofer to get the amazing sound quality.
