If you require a quick answer, the best underseat subwoofer is the Kenwood KSC-SW11, which delivers 150 watts of power and comes with a wired remote for adjusting the speaker settings. However, if you are willing to spend slightly more, the Pioneer TS-WX130DA offers additional performance and functionality.
After plenty of research, testing and using a number of underseat subwoofers (the above photo is my Kenwood KSC model), we’ve gained plenty of experience with these speakers. As well as our experience and testing, we also based the recommendations below upon multiple factors. The factors that we considered included their performance (peak power and RMS), size, construction, remote control, supplied hardware, warranty and value for money.
Best Underseat Subwoofer Overview
- Best Overall: Kenwood KSC-SW11
- Best Performing: Pioneer TS-WX400DA
- Best Compact: JBL BassPro Nano
- Best Quality: Alpine PWE-V80
- Best All-Rounder: Pioneer TS-WX130DA
- Best Budget: In Phase USW300
Compared to traditional car subwoofers that are much larger in size, the underseat alternative uses a compact design for versatile mounting. Whether you drive a small two seater or use your car for lugging tools around, the space savings make it a worthwhile investment for those requiring extra bass to their music.
Below is a list of the best underseat subwoofers that deliver powerful bass and fit easily underneath most car seats.
The Best Underseat Subwoofers
1. Best Overall: Kenwood KSC-SW11 Underseat Subwoofer
By far the most popular underseat subwoofer in the UK is the Kenwood KSC-SW11 and for good reason too. It’s constructed of an aluminium die-cast frame and delivers a peak power rating of 150 watts.
Supplied with the underseat subwoofer is a wired remote control, which allows you to adjust the bass level, frequency and phase control without having to reach under the seat.
- 150 watts peak power
- Built-in amplifier
- Aluminium die cast frame
- Supplied with a wired remote control
- RCA and speaker level input
- 28 x 19 x 7 cm in size (perfect for under the seat)
- Not the most powerful when compared to the alternatives
The Kenwood KSC-SW11 is an excellent all-round underseat subwoofer that ticks all the boxes and offers great value for money. Although it isn’t the most powerful, it provides more than enough power to complement the existing speakers.
2. Best Performing: Pioneer TS-WX400DA
If you are looking for additional power, the Pioneer TS-WX400DA is the best option. It delivers an impressive 250 watts of power, which can be controlled via the supplied wired remote control.
In terms of its sizing for fitting under the seat, its dimensions are 30 x 20 x 10 cm, which shouldn’t be an issue.
- Peak power of 250 watts
- Built-in class D amplifier
- Digital bass control with two modes
- Downfiring driver and acoustic reinforcement
- Adjustable low-pass filter (50-125 Hz)
- 100 dB speaker sensitivity
- Most expensive option within our roundup
To conclude, the Pioneer TS-WX400DA is the ultimate underseat subwoofer for those that want extra bass and are willing to pay for it. Apart from the premium price, it ticks all the boxes and it’s a must-have for any bass or audio enthusiast.
3. Best Compact: JBL BassPro Nano
In certain vehicles, space that’s under the seat can be very minimal and if you require the smallest underseat subwoofer that offers the best performance, the JBL BassPro Nano is the best option. Although expensive, it provides up to 200W of peak power and an RMS of 100W, which is great performance for its size.
- 200W of peak power and an RMS of 100W
- Supplied with all the hardware for a hassle-free installation
- Delivers punchy, tight bass
- The enclosure is constructed of a rugged die-cast aluminium
- Desirable bass volume remote control for adjusting the sound from the driver's seat
- Relatively expensive when compared to the alternatives
To conclude, the JBL BassPro Nano is a high-performing underseat subwoofer that takes up very little space and is developed by the reputable JBL brand. Although expensive, it’s certainly worth the money and it won’t disappoint.
4. Best Quality: Alpine PWE-V80 Under The Seat Subwoofer
The Alpine PWE-V80 is another high quality underseat subwoofer that delivers 160 watts of peak power and 100 watts RMS. Unlike many of the alternatives, this model focuses upon build quality and it’s designed to withstand even the toughest of environments with a sealed die cast housing construction.
- Peak power rated at 160 watts and RMS at 100W
- Sealed die-cast housing
- Speaker level and RCA inputs
- Supplied with a wired remote control
- Largest within our roundup (34.2 x 23.8 x 8 cm in size)
Overall, the Alpine PWE-V80 is a high quality underseat subwoofer that’s built to last with a sealed die-cast housing construction. As well as its rugged design, it also has the performance to match along with the reputable backing of the Alpine brand. However, the main drawback is that it’s much larger in size than the alternatives, which means you’ll want to take some measurements before purchasing it to avoid disappointment.
5. Best All-Rounder: Pioneer TS-WX130DA
Another popular underseat subwoofer by the Pioneer brand is the TS-WX130DA model, which also features a built-in class D amplifier. Depending upon your existing audio setup, this model can accept both speaker line and RCA line input. This means it has the benefit of being capable to connect to both OEM or aftermarket stereo systems.
- Peak power rated at 160 watts and RMS at 50W
- Aluminium construction
- Dynamic bass control with two modes
- Easy to install to either OEM or aftermarket systems
- Supplied with a wired remote control
- Relatively expensive when compared to other underseat subwoofers that offer similar performance
To conclude, the Pioneer TS-WX130DA is a highly rated underseat subwoofer that delivers powerful bass without any distortion. Considering that it’s developed by the reputable Pioneer brand and delivers great performance, it’s an excellent all-round option to consider that really does tick all the boxes.
6. Best Budget: In Phase USW300 Underseat Subwoofer
In Phase is a reputable UK car audio brand and the USW300 is their new and improved underseat subwoofer. Compared to the previous USW10 model, the 300 ditches the circular construction in favour of a rectangular shape, which is more compatible due to the limited space available under a seat.
- Peak power output of 300W and RMS of 130W
- Aluminium coned subwoofer construction
- Die-cast aluminium chassis
- Compact design (20 x 28 x 7.5 cm in size)
- Supplied with all the installation hardware and a remote control
- During testing, we found that the metal chassis had a slight rattle with certain music (mostly deep bass)
To conclude, the In Phase USW300 offers the best performance for the money and it can’t be beaten on price. It’s also the brand’s new and improved model with additional power and a more compatible design.
How We Rated
As mentioned above, we’ve owned several underseat subwoofers over the years and know what to look out for.
However, to keep up our commitment to testing and reviewing the latest underseat subwoofers (for this article), we’ve upgraded multiple in our cars due to brands releasing upgraded units.
As you can see in the below images, we recently installed the JBL BassPro Nano and Pioneer TS-WX400DA into separate cars. Both of these underseat subwoofers are highly rated in our roundup and we highly recommend them.
In terms of the installations of both, they were relatively straightforward but each time, we removed the car’s seat. However, it’s worth pointing out that this isn’t always necessary but it does make the installation go far more smoothly. With regards to the JBL BassPro Nano installation, the space we had available was minimal but thanks to the ultra-compact design, it fitted perfectly and it made a huge difference to the bass in the car.
As well as testing and our experience, we also based our recommendations upon plenty of research and a number of factors. Some of the factors that we took into consideration included their performance (peak power and RMS), size, construction, remote control, supplied hardware, warranty and value for money.
Conclusion
Underseat subwoofers have become increasingly popular over the years because most modern cars lack the space for the traditional subwoofer alternative. To avoid disappointment, we strongly recommend that you measure the available space under the seat that you wish to mount the subwoofer. This is because not all cars offer enough space for even the most compact of units. However, if this is the case, most can also be mounted elsewhere if required.
If you require further information regarding any of our underseat subwoofer recommendations, feel free to get in touch and we will try to provide our assistance where possible.
