We’ve previously discussed why outdoor subwoofers are so important, but how do you select the best one? There are a few things to consider when you choose the best outdoor subwoofer for your needs.
Three Types of Outdoor Subwoofers
Let’s first look at the different types of outdoor subwoofers. These breakdown into three different types:
- Underground. These are buried in the ground and all you see is a mushroom-shaped dome above the ground.
- Landscape. These are designed to be placed in the plant beds or borders and are typically staked into the earth. They are meant to blend in with their surroundings, if you don’t want your audio system to be as obvious.
- Freestanding. These are designed to be placed either on a solid surface or in the plant beds or borders.
Choosing The Best Outdoor Subwoofer for Your Needs
Is selecting the right type of subwoofer just preference? Not entirely. The right choice for you will depend on several things:
- The layout and size of your yard
- The location of the main speakers
- How you plan to connect to the rest of the system
- Budget
One thing to remember: the subwoofer does not have to be close to the main speakers.
Low frequencies, or bass, are non-directional, this means that it is almost impossible to tell where the bass is coming from. So even if the subwoofer is behind the listener and the main speaker in front, it will not matter.
Underground subwoofers are generally the best sounding. By burying them in the ground you stop any bass from being lost; all of it reaches you as good low distortion bass.
Considering Bass
The next thing to consider is the size of the bass driver. Typically, you will find 8-inch, 10-inch, and 12-inch drivers. The bigger the better. Larger drivers move more air, and this creates more and deeper bass. Our Rock subwoofer goes one better by having two bass drivers, a 10-inch, and an 8-inch, this is even better than a 12-inch.
Power Handling
Then you should look at power handling. This determines how loud and how far the bass will travel. Our subwoofers are rated at 250W, 300W, and 500W. A 500W subwoofer will ‘fill’ twice as much space with bass as a 250W one. Of course, you must have a matching amplifier. A 250W amplifier with a 500W subwoofer is limited to the amplifier’s power – 250W.
Ready To Choose The Best Outdoor Subwoofer?
Having considered these factors, you can now choose the right subwoofer and amp combo for your project. If you need further help you can check out our ‘Have a Plan’ service. We can help you make the right decisions. To understand the basics of designing an outdoor system you can also see our blog on this subject.