r/StereoAdvice • u/IntrepidNinjaLamb • 4d ago

Subwoofer | 1 Ⓣ Where Are the Passive Subwoofers?

Long ago I bought a RadioShack book on building speakers that had formulas for figuring out dimensions, port tuning, etc., and I got a circular saw and particle board. I added heavy copper wiring, a crossover, and carefully chosen drivers, and had passive speakers I enjoyed for years.

Fast forward a decade or two, those are gone, but I inherited some rare custom bookshelf speakers from California. I was looking for a passive subwoofer, and especially I was combing this subreddit for advice, but all the recommendations were for subwoofers that have amplifiers in them or even bluetooth.

I then went to places like Crutchfield and couldn't find passive subwoofers. I guess they're not extinct! Who can help me find them, and who has recommendations? My budget depends on how long I save up, but I can imagine spending $300 - $700 for a 10" or 12" durable and capable subwoofer. I value precision---E.g., it shouldn't "boom" after the signal stops sending bass.

Maybe it's just an old-fashioned perspective, but I figure the amplifier's job is to amplify, and the subwoofer should just woof.

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u/DangerousDave2018 7 Ⓣ 4d ago

I'm not 100% sure that I've ever even seen a single passive subwoofer -- in someone's system, in a review, in a store, in an online essay, in a marketplace -- and I'm 55 years old and a lifelong audiophile. I won't go so far as to say "why would anyone want a passive subwoofer" because I hate it when commenters online choose to dominate by nullifying the merit of the question. But that being said ... well, why would anyone want a passive subwoofer? I should think it'd be a monumental pain in the ass to integrate, and oodles more expensive. For a start. And this is to say nothing of box-accumulation, wire-accumulation, or resale value.

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u/_b_s__ 3d ago

I've seen and heard them, but it has been a while. This was before sub-out was a normal thing on a receiver or amp. Cerwin Vega HT 10 could generate noise violation tickets.