The Best 8 Inch Subwoofer- A Review and Buying Guide

As a car owner who loves music, you surely want your car to have the best audio system. Although you might already have the best car speakers installed, the audio system cannot sound best without having decent bass. Regular speakers don’t have the capability of delivering the kind of bass that any audiophile would want. So what should you do about it? It’s simple. Invest in a new car subwoofer. Subwoofers are a special type of speakers that are designed to reproduce low frequencies. Car subwoofers come in different sizes, with 8 inch subs being one of the best size. Eight-inch subwoofers are ideal in that they can easily fit in most car spaces. You can even install multiple 8 inch subs if space and budget allows. However, which is the best 8 inch subwoofer today? Read on to find out.

Quick Comparison Table

How We Wrote this Review

Not many car owners have an idea about the best eight-inch subwoofers available in the market. Some end up choosing overpriced subwoofers thinking they’re the best, only to end up being disappointed with the choices they made. The most expensive model is not always the best. At the same time, you shouldn’t buy the cheapest one at the expense of quality. As such, you need to make an informed choice. Thus, we decided to write this review with the aim of assisting potential buyers on the best eight-inch car subs available today. We’ve only considered the subwoofers that have the most desirable features. We gathered reviews from current users and also tested the subwoofers. All our reviews are nonpartisan. Thus, you can depend on the reviews below to stand a better chance of investing in the best performing 8 inch sub for your car.

A Review of Top Ten 8 Inch Subwoofer

Here’re the top ten eight-inch car subwoofers available today, including their top features, what we like most, what we dislike, and our verdict for each model:

The Rockville SS8P stands out as one of the best subs available today. Its great features have made us list it at the top of our review. It’s designed as a solution for all bass needs and takes very little space. Rockville designed it with the customer in mind such that it’s easy to install it. Let’s look at its top features.

Its Top Features

Pioneer is renowned for designing some of the best audio equipment. The Pioneer TS-SWX2002 has not been left behind based on its captivating features. Let’s look at some of the features that made it rank second in our review.

Its Top Features

Yet another great 8” sub is the Planet Audio AC8D. The subwoofer features the kind of performance you would want for your car music system. It comes with a power handling rating or 1200 watts peak power and 600 watts RMS, making it ideal for driving with lots of power from an external amplifier. Here’re the features that made us rank the subwoofer as the third on our list of review.

Its Top Features

Skar Audio has designed a small but mighty subwoofer. The Skar Audio VVX-8v3 D2 may look small, but it’s packed with a lot of power. It’s designed to enhance your listening experience by adding punchy bass in your car. Let’s look at some of the features that made us consider it in our review.

Its Top Features

The Alpine PWE-S8 subwoofer is designed as an easy and reliable way of adding power bass to the audio system of any car. By just looking at it, you’ll notice that it’s built with simplicity in mind. Let’s look at the features that make it one of the best 8 inch subs available today.

Its Top Features

Rockford Fosgate is known to design sound equipment, especially subwoofers that are high-performance. Consequently, its P3SD2-8 subwoofer has not been left behind in our review. Read on for its detailed review.

Its Top Features

Sound Storm Laboratories has loaded its LOPRO8 subwoofer model with great features that allow a user to have enhanced experience with regard to bass effects. It was worth our consideration based on its modest pricing and noteworthy features. Let’s look at some of its features.

Its Top Features

The Bazooka BT8014 BT subwoofer features in our review based on its unique design and unmatched performance. It’s one of a kind when compared to other subwoofers of the same level. It’s designed as a bass tube that adds bass in any car music system. Let’s look at the features that make it one of a kind.

Its Top Features

KICKER’s legendary technology in designing sound equipment continues leading. Its 11HS8 subwoofer has not been left behind in our review. Let’s review the features that this subwoofer boasts about.

Its Top Features

The DS18 is a cleverly designed subwoofer. Just by looking at it, you can tell it’s well-built for enhanced performance and durability. Want to know why we included this subwoofer in our review? If so, read on to find out.

Its Top Features

Factors and Features to Consider When Choosing the Best 8 Inch Subwoofer

If you really need to enjoy the best bass response in your car, then you need to choose the right subwoofer. While there’re many eight-inch subwoofers to choose from, not all are made equal. As such, there’re certain factors and features you need to consider when choosing a sub for your car. Let’s look at these factors and features.

Power Rating

One of the most important factors to consider is the power rating of the subwoofer. Each subwoofer has a specific power rating that shouldn’t be exceeded. In most subwoofers, you’ll find a peak power rating and RMS rating. The RMS rating is more important in terms of the continuous power that a subwoofer can handle. Thus, judge the power of the subwoofer by its RMS rating rather than peak power. Also, note that powering a subwoofer beyond the recommended power rating can burn it out. Thus, you need to ensure that the external amplifier you’re using won’t overload the subwoofer. Avoid turning the volume all the way up to protect the subwoofer from distortion and damage. Also, avoid under-powering the subwoofer as you can damage easily damage it.

Mounting Depth

The subwoofer mounting depth determines the mounting location and the size of the subwoofer box. If the subwoofer depth is shallow, then you can easily install the subwoofer in most locations. If you’re working with tight space, then a subwoofer with shallow mounting depth would be your best bet. With a shallow depth, you can install the sub in a compact sub box. On the other hand, a wider mounting depth means that you’ll need a larger space to mount the subwoofer. A wider mounting depth will also require a larger subwoofer box.

Free Air Vs Enclosed Subwoofer

Eight-inch car subwoofers come as either free air or enclosed. A free air subwoofer is one that doesn’t have a subwoofer box. You can mount it on the door if space allows or on the back dashboard. On the other hand, an enclosed subwoofer is the one that comes with an enclosure. The size of the enclosure will determine the placement. An 8 inch subwoofer with a compact enclosure can easily fit under most car seats. The one that comes with a larger enclosure would need to be installed in the trunk. Here, your choice will be based on the kind of bass you need. Generally, an enclosed sub delivers tighter bass than a free air subwoofer. However, a free air sub takes less space than an enclosed one.

Number of Voice Coils

Subwoofers come with either one or more voice coils. You can find a subwoofer with dual or four voice coils. While the number of voice coils doesn’t determine the performance of a subwoofer, it determines the kind of wiring options you’ll have when connecting multiple subs. With a single voice coil, you’ll be limited with wiring options. Single voice coil subwoofers can only be wired in series when connecting multiple subwoofers. On the other hand, dual voice coil subwoofers can be wired either in series or in parallel.

Powered vs Passive

Another important factor to consider when buying an eight-inch car sub is whether it’s powered or passive. A powered sub is the one that comes with its own amplifier, which is usually housed in the same enclosure as the subwoofer. A powered subwoofer makes it possible to connect it directly to a receiver. This way, you won’t have to rely on an external amplifier. On the other hand, a passive subwoofer doesn’t come with its own amplifier, thus you’ll need to connect it to an external amplifier.

If you’ll opt for a powered subwoofer, ensure it has sufficient control options. The more the controls, the better. It should at least have controls for bass boost and gain. Controls for phase switch, input level switch, remote control, and auto turn on would be an added advantage.

Durability

A subwoofer comprises of multiple components. If you need a subwoofer that will serve you for many years to come, then consider the one whose components are made of durable materials. For instance, ensure the cone and surround are made of a material that doesn’t tear easily. At the same time, it should be light. Also, ensure the subwoofer has a properly vented design for enhanced cooling of the coil. Proper ventilation ensures the coil doesn’t overheat when using the subwoofer for a prolonged period. Another factor to consider is the subwoofer terminals. The terminals should be coated with a material that resists corrosion. You should also consider a subwoofer that comes with a grille to keep the cone protected from damage.

Ease of Installation

It’s also important to consider the ease of installing a subwoofer. It’ll help to choose a subwoofer that comes with mounting hardware, especially if it doesn’t have an enclosure. Buying installation hardware separately can be quite challenging. Also, consider a subwoofer whose terminals make it easy to attach the speaker cable. Screw terminals and push terminals are ideal for anyone who keeps on removing the subwoofer to create space, especially in the trunk. Terminals that require soldering are only ideal for anyone who won’t be moving the subwoofer frequently.

FAQ on the Best 8 Inch Subwoofer

Is an 8 inch subwoofer good?

Yes. An 8 inch car sub is a good size for a starter. The size is ideal for anyone who needs a subwoofer than can fit in tight car spaces. If you choose from the best subs available today, it’ll assist you in achieving deeper bass in your car sound system.

Is an eight inch sub small?

While an eight inch sub may look small, it’s a great standard size. It can still deliver deeper bass than regular speakers. Thus, don’t assume it won’t deliver decent bass due to its small size.

Is an 8 inch car subwoofer the smallest?

Yes. This is the smallest subwoofer size available today.

How do I know that a subwoofer is eight inches in size?

When buying a subwoofer, you’ll find that it has a description of its dimensions. Basically, the size of an eight inch sub is measured in diameter.

What’s the mounting depth of an eight inch sub?

Different subwoofers have different mounting depths. The mounting depth is measured in height from the bottom of the subwoofer magnet to the top of the basket.

Final Words

So which is the best 8 inch subwoofer to buy today? Well, as you can see from our review, each subwoofer we’ve reviewed comes with some unique features and a few shortcomings. Your choice should be the subwoofer that has all the features you want. Also, consider your budget by buying an eight-inch subwoofer that is within your budget and has all the desirable features you need. However, don’t compromise quality over cost. After all, you need an eight-inch car sub that will serve you for many years to come.