Dedicated to the art of bass reproduction, subwoofers add depth and impact to movie soundtracks and turn them into a thrilling, visceral experience. The subwoofer is the ‘.1’ in a 5.1 system, working alongside other speakers to heighten the sense of power and scale, whether it’s the rumble of an explosion or the deep roar of an engine.

They also bolster multichannel music playback, beefing up basslines and drums. Subwoofers come in all shapes and sizes. Almost all are active, which means they have a built-in amplifier (usually a high-efficiency Class D type). Most use a single driver, the size of which determines the amount of bass it’s able to produce, while others use two to reinforce the output.