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11 Proven Ways On How to Get More Bass Out of Your Subwoofer

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Do you wish to increase the overall bass sound quality out of your subwoofer but are on a limited budget for an upgrade? If so, you came to the right place.

The best subwoofers bring vibrant and dynamic low-frequency thunder, providing a solid foundation for you to enjoy immersive music.

You can blast your speakers at maximum volume, but your subwoofers can still not produce the right bass. The high-end frequencies can also overwhelm the low-end frequencies.

If you wonder about how to get more bass out of your subwoofer, keep reading to learn the different ways you can fine-tune your subwoofers and get the most out of your low-end sounds.

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11 Ways to Get The Most Bass Out of The Car Subwoofers

While you can try different methods to get more powerful bass out of a subwoofer, please note that they only elevate the sound and not the subwoofer’s quality.

So, it is better to have realistic expectations before making any adjustments. If you are ready to take your subwoofers to their full potential, follow the steps below:

#1: Find the Right Subwoofer Placement

The first step to getting the desired amount of bass out of the subwoofer is finding the right location for it. You can consider how the subwoofer works with other speakers as well as how you can make the most of your car space.

When placing your sound system and subwoofer in your car, make use of the space in your car trunk. This gives you more room to position the device as you would like while reducing the chances of theft or break-ins regarding your speaker system.

Remember, the subwoofer permeates through most surfaces. And placing the device in the trunk will not hinder or reduce the sound throughout your vehicle.

Make sure to avoid positioning the subwoofer towards another speaker. If car speakers face one another, the sound quality decreases, and the sound becomes distorted.

#2: Adjust the Subwoofer Settings

Once you find the perfect spot for your subwoofer, you can tune it further and learn how you can get more bass out of your subwoofer. Here are simple ways to adjust your subwoofer settings:

Before playing the subwoofer, adjust the crossover by setting it in the 4 Hz to 60 Hz range for large speakers. If you use small main speakers, you can increase the range from 50 Hz to 80 Hz.

You must adjust the crossover from 80 Hz to 160 Hz for small satellite speakers.

Turn on the power and adjust the subwoofer volume until a more precise bass is produced. Adjust the phase control to compensate for the delays between the subwoofer and the main speakers.

Set the stereo audio equalizer helps deliver the best sound if it is still thin.

#3: Use New Cables and Connectors

Like other things in the world, subwoofer cables and connectors degrade over time. This directly affects the bass quality the subwoofer delivers.

Plus, the cheap and tiny wires usually reduce the electrical current flow. Also, this starves your subwoofer the required amount of power to produce quality bass.

You must check the cables regularly. If they are faulty, ensure to replace them. However, if you splice them wrongly, you can obtain undeserved subwoofer sounds. You also need only to purchase quality cable connectors to ensure more bass out of the sub.

#4: Select Ported Enclosures for Better Sound Quality

The front or rear-ported subwoofers play a critical role in delivering a better bass response. Please note that the port can reinforce low bass frequencies more than your sealed enclosures. But the design can provide the best quality sound if the box has more space.

With the extra space, the cone of the subwoofer will have enough freedom to move. Also, vents can redirect the audio quality of the subwoofer cone’s rear while adding to the one that emanates from the front. This makes the bass louder.

#5: Choose the Subwoofer Enclosures Properly

You need to ensure your quality subwoofer has an enclosure that properly fits in to prevent sound leakage and deliver optimized audio.

You can choose from two main enclosure types, and each type affects the bass sound differently when being played: ported enclosure and sealed enclosure.

The ported enclosure enables louder sounding bass or more output, while the sealed enclosure provides more accurate sounding bass. This means the sealed enclosure is smaller and creates more precision and tighter sound with regard to the sound of the bass.

As with the ported enclosure, you can get more booming, heavier, and louder bass sounds.

#6: Reduce the Electrical Impedance

As you probably know, electrical impedance is the resistance that subwoofers face during the conversion of electrical signals into audio.

If your subwoofer has a high resistance level, the ability of your device to produce quality bass is reduced. You can match the specifications of the subwoofers and car audio system to mitigate the issue.

Additionally, you should also ensure that the magnets and the coils are in their best working conditions.

#7: Use High-Quality Audio Files

The music files’ quality can directly impact the low notes that a sub emits. So, if you have over-compressed files, your subwoofer will have low-quality audio and cannot produce the desired bass.

Keep in mind that compression usually results in the loss of low-frequency details that a sub requires to provide the best listening experience.

Do you enjoy streaming online content? Then, go for an option that enables you to set the right bass and sound quality. You can also go for streaming services offering higher resolution and enough bass out of the device whenever you wish.

#8: Feed Subwoofers Enough Electric Power

If you use an unreliable power source, it would be impossible for you to have a fantastic listening experience.

Make sure to feed your subwoofer enough power since bass notes require more electric energy instead of higher frequency levels.

An underpowered subwoofer does not deliver accurate bass. In fact, the device turns up the distorting signal when getting the bass volume.

Please note that if you underpower your device, it will likely get damaged.

#9: Get Sound-Deadening Material

You can eliminate noise and vibrations through damping, also known as adding deadening materials. Both lower and higher frequencies need to be treated in a room to get the most out of your sound system.

Remember, noise or vibrations are interruptive forces that compete with the music. They also distort your overall listening experience. High frequencies are the easiest to control and require less expensive materials to treat.

Pillow stuffing is a cheap technique used by audio engineers to reduce the number of standing waves in a certain area. Utilizing these small tweaks can allow you to get the max volume out of the environment that you are working with.

#10: Consider A Dedicated Subwoofer Amplifier

If your budget does not allow buying a subwoofer amp, it’s totally fine. You can try other ways to improve the sub’s bass output without this device.

However, if you can afford an amplifier, you can get better bass out of the sub. Also, you need to set it up correctly. All you need to do is:

Choose the most suitable amp rack according to the material used to build it.
Consider bi-amping to allow at least two power amplifiers.
Ensure proper connections.
Upgrade the amp by using pre-amp outputs.

#11: Use a Subwoofer Horn

Increasing the sub’s efficiency is possible by adding a subwoofer horn. You need to search for a flared tube and then attach it to the output of the subwoofer.

The horn helps direct the audio to the proper listening location, which increases the chances of getting high-quality bass.

Also, the increased efficiency provides better power transfer and output. The horn’s surface should be acoustically transparent so as not to impede the audio, and a conical shape works well for this purpose.

How to Make Your Subwoofers Louder Without an Amplifier

Let’s face it – amplifiers are costly. So, it is better to consider the above steps before considering an amplifier.

Here are simple steps to make your sub louder without an amp:

Place your subwoofer in a corner to produce up to 6 dB of bass boost.
Ensure your sub is in phase while the rest of the audio system is without variance. Then, play bass-heavy music and make some adjustments with the phase switch until you are familiar with how to get a deep bass out of your subwoofer box.
Place your subwoofer in an asymmetrical position, ensuring it is relative to room boundaries. This delivers the smoothest response and louder bass output.
Fine-tune your subwoofer’s crossover controls to deliver louder bass instead of leaving it at the default settings or randomly setting it.

As a rule of thumb, you can adjust the crossover frequency of your home theater system to reduce the amount of low-end that the subwoofer emits. You can also turn on the low pass filter feature on the home subwoofer for a more accurate

Another thing you can do is adjust the volume of the lower frequencies on your head unit. Go to the equalizer settings of your car stereo and look for the frequencies that are located between 20 Hz to 200 Hz. Slowly turn them down until you achieve your preferred setting based on personal preferences.

How to Make Bass Sound Deeper

Placing the subwoofers in a strategic location helps make the bass sound deeper. This ensures that the sound waves have a lot of room to create the desired effect and bounce around. Furthermore, ensure your sub receives enough power. This ensures that you will get a great bass that is clear and loud.

You need to adjust the equalizer and crossover settings to find the ideal balance for your audio system. Adjusting the speaker level inputs will help you archive the loudest bass possible without having to listen to distorted sounds.

Do you have an amplifier installed that can handle more power? This is crucial if you are working with multiple subs at the same time. Tweak the crossover frequency settings of your amp until you can no longer hear any noise.

Verify that the speaker wire that you are using is free of breaks or any other damage, as any imperfections can lead to signal loss and a decrease in audio quality.

What Decibel Levels Do You Need to Set the Subwoofer?

It is recommended to use internal test tones for calibrating every speaker to a similar volume – 75dB. Increasing the levels above this number can create a muddy environment.

You can increase the speaker level by a few decibels if you wish for more bass effects. So, all your speakers are in the 75dB setting; setting the subwoofer at 77 to 78 dB is acceptable.

Conclusion

You can make the most of your subwoofer with the simple steps above. Every time you want to enjoy quality sound or listen to your favorite songs in your car, getting more bass can make a big difference in your overall listening experience.

Remember, the car subwoofer sound can directly impact the sounding beat and how you enjoy music. Make sure they are properly plugged into the head unit, and that speaker wires are not damaged or broken.

Last Updated on: February 2, 2023

Hi, my name is John Snow and I am a car lover. With two decades under my belt fixing and driving cars, I'm always on the hunt for fresh, cutting-edge methods to give my ride a performance boost. Driven by my zeal to decode car problems, I'm on a mission to equip vehicle owners with accurate and handy tips. By doing so, they can fix their rides while saving both time and cash.

By John Snow