The 7 best subwoofer for rock and metal music under $500 review

The 7 best subwoofer for rock and metal music under $500 review in 2022

If you love your rock music like I do then I have a treat for you today! No, it is not tickets to the Bon Jovi cruise! But we are going to be trying to find what is the best subwoofer for rock and metal music under $500. Thanks to my folks, I was brought up in the 80s on rock! It is still a passion of mine and that is why I want a subwoofer that can do justice to bands like Metallica, Guns n Roses, Iron Maiden, Mötley Crüe and many more.

Rock You Like A Hurricane

While I am going to give my honest opinion on each of the subwoofers that we look at today. Be sure to do your own homework. Read as many reviews for each subwoofer as you can this way you can get a better-rounded view of what it is like. Also, these are some pretty pricy subwoofers so I would say that anytime you spend a few hundred bucks on something you should make sure you know what you are buying. Also please note that for a truly rocking setup a subwoofer is only a part of that machine and the overall experience you get will depend on your speakers and setup.

The Best Subwoofer For Rock And Metal Music Under $500 Reviews

I was given the chance to test out five different subwoofers to see if they rocked as hard as my main man Axl Rose. However, I have also picked another couple that I think look kind of cool as well.

1: Klipsch R-110SW Subwoofer2: KEF KUBE 12b Subwoofer

2: Polk DSW PRO 440 WI Subwoofer

3: Samsung SWA-W700 Sound+ Subwoofer

4: Audioengine S8 Black 8-inch Powered Subwoofer

5: ELAC Debut 2.0 SUB3010 400 Watt Powered Subwoofer

6: Niles 1200 Watts Subwoofer Black

7: Monolith 10 Inch Powered Subwoofer

Klipsch R-110SW Subwoofer

Klipsch R-110SW Subwoofer

Pros:

  • It has a great 80s look
  • Very easy to setup and use
  • The sound is fantastic
  • You cannot beat this price

Cons:

  • Style may not be to your taste
  • Not the largest subwoofer

I always say that you really cannot go wrong with any kind of Klipsch piece of audio equipment and that rings true for their, Klipsch R-110SW Subwoofer. Coming in at around 350 bucks this is a fantastic price. It also looks really cool as well. This particular one that I checked out had a black ash effect to it and I thought that it was really neat. I am more of an 80s metal head if I am honest and I do not know what it is, but black ash always screams 80s to me. One other thing that is great about this is that it is not too big. So if you want decent bass and kickass sound, but are a little short on space, the rather compact nature of this will be great for you.

As I was hooking this up I knew that it was going to be good. I swear I am not on their payroll, but I have never experienced a poor Klipsch product. Plus on the box, it said that it had a 10″ spun-copper Cerametallic woofer along with 450 watts of power so I knew it was going to be good. I was very happy with the bass and sound that this provided. My album of choice was the soundtrack to Iron Man 2…. Really? Well yes, this is one hell of a rock album and it is basically a AC/DC greatest hits album. Shoot To Thrill was the song that did the honors and I actually had to turn it down a little! I was actually shocked at how much raw power this thing has. I was very happy with it and I am sure after a little breaking in this thing is going to really knock my socks off.

What Other People Are Saying

On Amazon, this thing has amazing review after amazing review. “I thought my old sub was pretty good but I’m incredibly impressed by the range, volume, and clarity of the Klipsch. If you’re worried about volume, fear not it can get LOUD. It also looks the business. This is a top dollar sub for a very reasonable price” is what one review says and that sums this thing up perfectly to me.

This is the first subwoofer on our best subwoofer for rock and metal music under $500 list and we are already onto a winner. The Klipsch R-110SW Subwoofer is truly amazing and at around 350 bucks I really do feel that this is a steal. I love listening to my rock music loud and this allows that without any loss of clarity to the music or vocals and that is all you can ask for.

Polk DSW PRO 440 WI Subwoofer

Polk DSW PRO 440 WI Subwoofer

Pros:

  • The design is cool
  • Offers both front and down firing
  • Great for a more modest sized room
  • Remote control gives you lots of control over the sound

Cons:

  • Price is a wee bit high compared to other Polk models
  • Not ideal for a really large room

Next up we have the Polk DSW PRO 440 WI Subwoofer. The good folks at Polk Audio certainly know what they are doing so I was excited to put this through its paces. Currently, you are looking at around 400 bucks for this which is well under our price limit. One thing that I do like is the design. It has a nice dark black look (although after only a day this thing was a dust magnet) and the best thing of all are those feet. I love the way they do not just raise the subwoofer of the ground, but they also give it a fair bit of personality as well.

This is an 8 inch subwoofer and it is offering us 300 watts of power. I was on a bit of a Metallica kick the day I had this bad boy so that was what I mainly used to test it out. I used this in my upstairs room with my main turntable. This room is quite small and the subwoofer filled the room with some thumping sound! It was actually quite impressive, however, I did turn it up a bit (too much if you ask my wife) and I am not sure how this would be for a much larger room. The quality is great, it really is, but if you want something that is really going to shake the house I am not sure this is it. Still, for a smaller room, I think a subwoofer like this would be ideal. The remote that comes with this thing though does let you tweak things to your liking which I always like.

What Other People Are Saying

I had a look online to see what the people at Crutchfield.com  had to say about this. They gave this a glowing review and mentioned something I forgot and that was you can quickly change this from a down firing to a front firing subwoofer thanks to those feet I love so much!

For a smaller sized room, I really do think that the Polk DSW PRO 440 WI Subwoofer is well worth considering. They allow you to tinker with the sound you get out of it so you can get it just the way you want. This is always a huge plus in my book especially if you are like me and rather anal when it comes to the sound of your favorite albums. This one here is well worth a closer look at!

Samsung SWA-W700 Sound+ Subwoofer

Samsung Sound+ SWA-W700 Wireless Subwoofer, Front Firing Design with 10-Inch Driver, Ultra-Deep 27Hz Bass, Pairs Automatically with Sound+ Soundbars

Pros:

  • Seamless design is really cool
  • Fully wireless
  • Works great with other Samsung products
  • Sound is actually quite good

Cons:

  • Only really ideal with other Samsung products
  • No way to change settings

I love my Samsung TV and phone, but when it comes to stereo equipment I have never given them a fair chance. So I was stoked to see if their Samsung SWA-W700 Sound+ Subwoofer could rock my socks off. First thing that no doubt catches your eye with this one is the design. This has what they call a seamless design as the whole thing is silky smooth. The black they have used is really weird, but I do dig it. For such a little box this thing does have a lot of personality that is for sure. The pricing for this thing though is all over the place I have seen it for as little as 290 bucks and as much as over 500! So be sure to shop around.

In all honesty with you guys, I think it is debatable if this should be on our best subwoofer for rock and metal music under $500 list. Samsung have made this with it connecting to their own brand of soundbar and bookshelf speakers in mind and it does all of this wirelessly. So if you have the rest of your setup as Samsung then this is easy to recommend, I have a Samsung soundbar, a spare one actually ! So I had to test it with what I had it was not bad at all. There was no distortion at all, but I had no way to change the settings. All I could do was change the overall volume. This is not great as when I listen to certain albums (pretty much anything from Bon Jovi) I like to play around a bit with my sound settings.

What Other People Are Saying

There is not a lot of reviews for this, but the best one if you want to actually experience the bass the subwoofer provides is a video review from AVS Forum. Now granted the song they have chosen to test this thing out is horrible. However, it does give you a good sense of the power that this one here has.

Hmm, the Samsung SWA-W700 Sound+ Subwoofer is a very easy recommendation if you already have a Samsung soundbar that is wireless and want a full Samsung setup. The sound it provides is good, I just prefer to be able to tweak that sound to my own liking. It looks really cool and if you can shop around you can get it for a great price, but I do think that this all depends on your love for Samsung.

Audioengine S8 Black 8-inch Powered Subwoofer

Audioengine S8 250W Powered Subwoofer, Built-in Amplifier (Black)

Pros:

  • Two fantastic designs
  • Very reasonable price
  • It has some serious power
  • Easy to get the settings just the way you want

Cons:

  • It is not the most imposing looking subwoofer
  • Hard to pick between white and black!

There are two versions of the Audioengine S8 Black 8-inch Powered Subwoofer. The version I checked out was black, but it is also available in a very snazzy and classy white. Both versions are around 350 bucks, but I must admit the white version is really catching my eye. The way they have mixed just a little bit of black detailing on it really does bring it to life. I know that some folks as well as rocking out want their setup to look great too, well this is a showcase subwoofer. The black design is still really cool and it has those awesome little feet that lift it just a little off the ground which I really like.

I know that at 8 inches you may think this is lacking in power, but I found that not to be the case at all. For testing this out I got out a CD by The Almighty, a Scottish Rock band who are awesome. I tested it at all sound levels and even as I cranked it up bit by bit I never noticed any distortion at all. On the back you have your dials for volume and so that you can get it just the way you want. If you are like me and really particular about your sound, you will no doubt spend ages just getting it the way you want. The overall build quality is very impressive and in general, for such a small subwoofer it packs one hell of a punch.

What Other People Are Saying

On Amazon, there are close to 100 reviews and it as a 4 and ¾ star rating! Many of the reviews brag about how great this thing is, but I love this one here. “My only ‘complaint’ is that it’s WAY too powerful :). This can be tuned down for an apartment, but it will make you laugh when it’s set at ~15% and you can feel the sound under you. Even in a house, 50% power is more than sufficient. 10/10, perfect subwoofer.” This perfectly captures how good this is.

I was not sure what to expect from the Audioengine S8 Black 8-inch Powered Subwoofer but I was blown away. This thing for the price is truly amazing and the power it has really is fantastic. Without a doubt when it comes to the best subwoofer for rock and metal music under $500, this one here has to be in contention. I really was impressed and happy with this. Also, it looks really cool design, while I think the white does it for me more, the black is great too.

ELAC Debut 2.0 SUB3010 400 Watt Powered Subwoofer

ELAC Debut 2.0 SUB3010 400 Watt Powered Subwoofer, Black

Pros:

  • Really awesome 80s style
  • It is made with strong wood
  • It will not get dusty and dirty easily
  • The asking price considering the tech is reasonable

Cons:

  • Some people have reported problems with the app
  • It really is dependent on the app

The ELAC Debut 2.0 SUB3010 400 Watt Powered Subwoofer is part of a line from ELAC that is all about rocking your living room. This thing has some serious 80s style to it and that is a style I can get right behind. It has a very nice black design, a design that thankfully is going to attract dust and fingerprints too bad. It does come in at around 400 bucks, but to be fair to the folks at ELAC they have put a lot of their own tech and design into this thing.

Performance wise I was very excited to blast some Guns n Roses out of this. It is made with a custom driver (it actually uses a passive driver along with the main one) and the 10 inch woofer ensures a real punch to whatever it is you are playing. Out of the box, it sounded pretty good. But we all know I love to tinker, one thing to know about this is that you need to download an app to control it. I had no trouble doing this, but I have heard some people have. The app gives you all the control you need to rock out just the way you want.

What Other People Are Saying

I read a pretty interesting review on a site called Crutchfield.com . They had some great things to say about this such as , “ELAC broke the subwoofer mold with their original line of Debut Series subwoofers. Now, the Debut 2.0 SUB3010 offers even better performance and customization to deliver excellent bass from anywhere in your room.” This really sums it up perfectly. They were reviewing this more in terms of a home theatre setup, but I can tell you it is great for rock music too.

I know that some people had a bit of trouble getting the ELAC Debut 2.0 SUB3010 400 Watt Powered Subwoofer to connect to their app, but I did not. I found the bass pretty darn punchy and I spent a few days with this thing and never had a single issue. I love how much control the app gives you and while having some dials on the back would have been great. I do feel that the app lets you get the subwoofer firing just the way you want it.

Niles 1200 Watts Subwoofeer Subwoofer Black

Niles 1200 Watts Subwoofeer Subwoofer Black (SW8)

Pros:

  • I personally like the 80s plastic look
  • The asking price is quite fair
  • It has some good tech inside it
  • All the dials you need on the back

Cons:

  • Not many reviews for this floating around
  • Design might be something you do not like

Here we have the Niles 1200 Watts Subwoofer Subwoofer Black. I put this on my best subwoofer for rock and metal music under $500 list because I thought it looked pretty interesting. So while I have not personally used this one, I think we should look a little closer at it. I do like the design of this and going for a more plastic look than wood is certainly an interesting design idea, although I do worry about fingerprints getting all over it.

Inside this are “long throw active woofer drivers feature Black anodized aluminum cones” which should make the sound very real, raw and punchy and that is what you want in a subwoofer. Also from the pictures, you can see on the back of this thing it has all the dials you need to fine tune it just the way you want. This is something that I actually wish all subwoofers would have. I would really love to get the chance to test this thing out as it seems pretty good.

What Other People Are Saying

Hmm, despite me thinking that this looks really cool. I cannot find a lot of public or professional opinions on it. There is a single review on Amazon. this though really does not reveal much information about it as all the guy says is “great”.

While I have not had the chance to test this out I do like the look of it. It is being sold for a little over 300 bucks so the price is not bad at all. I think the design will be a love or hate thing for most folks. From looking at what they have inside here I do feel that with the right tweaking from you this should sound pretty great.

Monolith 10 Inch Powered Subwoofer

Monolith Powered Subwoofer - 10 Inch with 500 Watt Amplifier, THX Certified, Ideal for Professional Studio and Home Theater

Last of all we have this monster Monolith 10 Inch Powered Subwoofer. Monolith actually do a larger version of this subwoofer! However, as we are trying to stay under 500 bucks that is why I have picked this one. I have often looked at this one and always wished I could try it out. It is made with high quality black HDF material and all the reviews I have read say it has a really strong build quality to it. Now it is priced at $499.99 so it is very close to our limit.

I know we are looking for the best subwoofer for rock music, but this one here is THX certified. I know you think of movies when you see the name THX, but this means that this is going to be super loud. Not just loud, but also have no distortion! The 19 inch woofer and 500 watt amplifier will ensure no matter if you are listening to a classic 80s power ballad or some thrash metal from the 90s that the sound will be great.

What Other People Are Saying

I found a great video that shows this thing in action. YouTuber, Home Theatre Hobbyist may be more about the home theatre side of things. However, his video lets you see how impressive this thing is not just from a sound point of view, but also in terms of how awesome it looks. The music he is playing may not rock, but you can still get a sense for how powerful this subwoofer is.

While the Monolith 10 Inch Powered Subwoofer is clearly more aimed at the home theatre crowed. I actually think this is what makes it so great for music. I really would love to hear some live music pumped through this thing as I bet it sounds fantastic. While the price is high I do feel that this is worth you taking a closer look at.

What Is The Best Subwoofer For Rock And Metal Music Under $500?

We have looked at some truly epic subwoofers today, but for me, two really do stand out more than the rest. It may only be 8 inches, but I loved the Audioengine S8 Black 8-inch Powered Subwoofer. I was very impressed by the power of this thing and how easy it was to get it just the way I wanted.

The other one that I feel is the main contender for the best subwoofer for rock and metal music under $500 is the Klipsch R-110SW Subwoofer. Klipsch never let me down and I was very happy with how my favorite rock albums sounded through this. Also, the asking price is more than fair so it is well worth being on your shortlist. Also do check out the Best Subwoofers for Rock and Metal Music under $1000, you might want to invest more!

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