How to choose a subwoofer and is it necessary in a car?
A subwoofer is a low-frequency speaker with a size of 20 cm as a rule (although we have seen subwoofers with a diameter of only 13 cm). Despite the fact that a subwoofer is initially a speaker, many people also call enclosures with such speakers subwoofers, which is also correct in principle. The task of a subwoofer is to reproduce low frequencies from 500 Hz, which are responsible for the depth of the music scene, its richness, saturation, dynamism and completeness.
What is a Subwoofer?
Most people interested in car audio know that a subwoofer is a large box that takes up half the trunk and produces “booming” sounds. Young people who listen mainly to dance music love subwoofers, because without a low-frequency rhythm, electronic music “doesn’t go over well”. Older people think that a subwoofer is a harmful thing that gives you a headache and makes it impossible to fit potatoes (a stroller, skis, scuba gear, etc.) in the trunk.
Let’s figure out what a subwoofer is (which is often incorrectly called a “subbwoofer” or even a “buffer”), how it works and whether it is needed in a car at all.
Here I want to be brief – forget about quality sound if you don’t have a subwoofer in your car! Forget about guitar, drums, double bass and drum’n’base – none of this will happen without low frequencies!
Now let’s figure out what types of subwoofers can be purchased and installed in Kyiv, and which ones are best suited for your car.
Subwoofer speaker
The subwoofer speaker itself is almost never installed by itself – it always needs a case. The options for cases and their design, perhaps, give the differences in the types of subwoofers.
In our practice, when it comes to high-quality car audio, when we implement multi-channel processor audio systems that compete with premium factory ones, such as Bang & Olufsen, Harman Kardon, Burmeister and so on, we most often use subwoofer speakers – that is, we do not take a ready-made case, but take a speaker, and then come up with an acoustic solution for it.
1. Subwoofer speaker in a OEM box
Here, for example, is one of the cases when a subwoofer speaker is installed in a factory case – in this case, it is a 2021 Toyota Seqouia with a factory standard JBL audio system, which already had a standard subwoofer. As a rule, standard subwoofers are nominally so and we always, literally in every case, change them. We slightly modify the plastic case, strengthen it with vibration isolation on the outside and a noise absorber on the inside, select a speaker that matches the dimensions and parameters, and mount it without changing anything in the car’s interior:

2. Subwoofer speaker in a custom case
There are cases when we use a subwoofer speaker, and we make the case for the specific dimensions of the space where we plan to install the subwoofer. That is, we choose the speaker that is most suitable for the configuration of the audio system and the highest quality within the given budget, and we make a case for it. Such a case can be located in a niche in the trunk, in the left or right rear wing in the trunk and in other interesting places)
For example, in the 2021 Audi Q7, we made a custom enclosure for a high-end speaker that fits perfectly in the very small trunk space. This Audi Q7 had three rows of seats, which made our job very difficult. But despite this, the enclosure fits perfectly in the trunk:


As a result, we have an absolutely untouched trunk that has retained its functionality, but under the lid is hidden real high-quality car audio. This type of subwoofer, as a speaker in a custom case, has some advantages over others, except, perhaps, the price.

So, we’ve sorted out the subwoofer speakers – they are a necessary, important thing, they have a number of advantages, but also disadvantages – the main disadvantage is the price. But for those who want to achieve the magical sound of a new car audio system in the car, the price is probably not the most important criterion when choosing a subwoofer. Here’s how it looks in a car – watch our video, which clearly shows the advantage of installing a subwoofer in a custom case:
Subwoofer in the spare wheel niche
Subwoofers have become very popular lately. The latest generation ones are for the spare wheel niche. As a rule, these are active subwoofers that already have a built-in amplifier. They are also ultra-compact and their trick is that if your car has space for a spare wheel, but you don’t use the spare, then a subwoofer for this empty niche is just a godsend!


A short video showing the actual dimensions of the subwoofer in the spare wheel well for the Nissan Ariya trunk:
Subwoofer in a ready-made case
So, subwoofers in a ready-made case come in different acoustic designs, but we don’t want to dwell on this now, because as our experience shows, current car owners don’t want to delve into the design features and structure of the subwoofer, people just want it to be good and are ready to trust us in this matter.
Here is an example of a car where we chose a subwoofer in a ready-made case for low frequencies, which suited our parameters and budget, and the car owner was not too worried that part of the trunk would be occupied by a fairly large box.


This option significantly reduces the time of installation and assembly of not only the subwoofer, but also the entire audio system, due to the fact that the case is already there and there is no need to waste precious time on its manufacture. The main thing is to securely fasten such a case in the trunk and enjoy good car audio in the car. Here is a video from the same installation:
Here is another version of a ready-made case subwoofer, which can be installed in just 1 day, and which will give a significant increase in the quality of car audio even if it works together with the factory (standard) audio system:
We hope our article was useful for you) We have collected the most popular options for choosing, buying and installing a subwoofer from our practice over the past couple of years. Waiting for you for new car audio in Kyiv on Podil!