$75 · Yamaha powered subwoofer yst-sw45

STRENGTH: Excellent value. Room shaking bass. Accurate sound without excessive boom. WEAKNESS: Cannot play extra "low" but 99% of 8 inch subs cannot play below 30 Hz anyway. Before writing this review, I read the other 21 and the one thing everyone mainly complained about was that it loses control at high volumes. What I notice about most people is that they believe that they have to have monstrous bass for something to sound good and an 8 inch sub that lists for $149 is not going to produce bass like you get in a Honda with 2 15 inch subs. Audiophiles like myself strive for a balanced sound meaning the bass, treble, and mids are all heard clearly and evenly without bass drowning out the rest of the sound. This sub is absolutely excellent for it's size and price and you could not find a better powered subwoofer for the price. The bass is as deep throated as I've heard from a driver at this this size and even double the list price and the active servo amp design keeps the bass in control at any volume level without drowning out the rest of the sound. Any speaker turned up to past it's limits will sound like "farting noises" because the excersion of the driver is beyond it's capabilities and the voice coil former is hitting the magnet structure. This is not an excessively loud sub so if you need excessive bass or have an extra large listening room, buy two of them. Two of them will probably out do most subs under $300 anyway. But I live in an apartment so one is plenty for me.