Best Car Subwoofers Under $500: Add More Punch To Your Music For Less Money

This guide provides a selection of subwoofers that are meant to bring bass lines to life and add a little more kick to the drums. These aren't going to rattle the fillings out of your teeth or announce your terrible taste in music to people three blocks away, but that kind of thing hasn't been cool since mini trucks died out anyway. Pick one of these powered subwoofers for improved bass in minimum space.

I've been in and out of the car audio hobby for a few decades. I've watched it evolve from being a niche community to being mainstream with non-enthusiasts having higher expectations for sound quality. Years ago, a decent system required removing all the factory equipment and starting from scratch, but as factory equipment has gotten better, and in some cases, an integral and non-removable part of the car, the aftermarket has found ways of augmenting those systems. One way is the powered subwoofer which provides greater low-frequency response, usually lacking in a factory system, that also improves the performance of the existing speakers by letting them focus on the mid-range, which they do best.

We judged these products on ease of installation, performance in producing real music, and not just noise and, obviously, they had to get in under the price cap of $500. Besides having used several products in this category in my own car, I also consulted owner and professional reviews online. Complaints and single-start reviews with "not loud enough" or "didn't fit in my car" were discounted. If there were only a handful of reviews that were quality-related, we didn't give those that much weight as any product that is sold in the thousands is going to have a small percentage of QC issues. I gathered what I considered to be the best bang for the buck in easy-to-install powered subwoofers.

If you're looking for an off-the-shelf solution that provides performance a little closer to something custom, this is a good choice. It has a higher power amplifier than most competitors in this size and price range at 300 watts RMS and will produce more bass.

We like the cleaner sound the sealed enclosure provides compared to a ported box, and the adjustable level provided by the wired remote control is also a nice touch, although certainly not all that unique. There is a trade off to the more powerful amp and higher volume enclosure, which is obviously the space required to mount it. This isn't going to fit under many seats and it will take up a considerable amount of space in smaller trunks or in the back of truck cabs.

This is a great option for people looking to take their car's stereo to the next level, while still remaining under our $500 budget. It does take up space, but it isn't that much work to remove if occasionally you only need your whole trunk or need to carry something that required dropping your back seats.

It can be tough to jump into the car audio hobby when it seems like it takes hundreds or thousands of dollars to get started. Adding a small subwoofer like this is an easy way to jump into it and see actual results. This small unit fits just about anywhere in your passenger compartment, so the low power still provides a noticeable boost in bass performance.

At 135 watts RMS, it isn't going to blow your roof off, but it'll allow you here bass lines over the car's road noise. This unit was designed for ease of installation, so it will take the signal straight from your existing speaker wiring or you can use RCA from the head unit if available. For installation, you will still need an installation kit to get power straight from the battery along with a remote turn-on wire and a fuse holder. This isn't particularly challenging to install, but that's all relative.

There's a decent variety of powered subwoofers in the below $500 category, but the Rockford Fosgate P300-10 is a standout and earned Best Overall for its punchy bass and quality. For those looking for an entry-level option, the MTX TN8MS is our Best Value not only for its performance but its ease of installation.

There are a few terms and a little bit of knowledge you will need to make the process easier.

When looking at audio equipment you will normally see two different power ratings, measured in watts. The first and arguably the most important is called out as RMS, or Root Mean Square. This is the constant power output that an amplifier can produce – or that a speaker can use. There is also the peak rating, which is normally about twice the RMS number, which as you can probably guess, is the power an amplifier can produce for a short burst. Some unscrupulous brands will only give peak power to make their products look better.

Installing one of these powered subwoofers is far easier than designing and building a box, and having to purchase a separate amplifier. But, installation is not just plug and play. You will need to run a power cable to the battery which will require getting under the carpet or at least removing some interior trim pieces. You will also need to get a signal from your head unit. Some of these subwoofers will allow you to tap into existing speaker wires, while some will need RCA inputs run to the back of the head unit. When budgeting for the project, be sure to include everything you need to make it work.

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