Active subwoofer around €100 Options

[eamon123]

I'm looking to get an active subwoofer for christmas. I was looking at the S80 from Cambridge audio. Is this a good choice? What would you recommend? €150 is my upper limit.

This post has been edited by eamon123: Nov 22 2012, 19:57

[DVDdoug]

I don't know anything about that speaker, but Cambridge has a good reputation. Have you heard that sub? Can you go to a store and listen to some subwoofers?

Every speaker sounds different and there are always compromises. With a subwoofer, you'd ideally like strong, deep, even-accurate bass reproduction (assuming you want "high fidelity"). That generally takes a big box with a big driver and a big amplifier (and a good design).

It's hard to get strong-deep bass out of a small driver, so the designer has to choose between smooth bass that rolls-off at the lowest frequencies and "boomy" one-note bass. The buyer needs to compromise too, so it's best if you can listen before buying so that you'll be happy with your choice.