Hello guys, how are you? I recently decided to buy a subwoofer for my home studio my budget is around 200 dollar. The problem is that any device that is price 200 dollar anywhere prices here in my country around 300 (taxes) (For example a Yamaha 10inç 100w (199dollar) is around 370 dollar lol. so my options are either buying a device that is second hand or a device around 100-150 dollar. Before I ask your advice i should tell you about my setup and my room. My room is 2.10 meter x 2.20 meter and 2.10 meter x 2.40 meter almost square and my setup is a M-audio M-track air 192/4 with M-audio BX3 reference monitor (I'm gonna improve this one next with a 5-7 inch monitor) so my options right now are ;

I don't want to pay more than 250 dollar at most but if you guys think I should wait and save more for a better device I will

a second hand haven't been used wecler audeo b110p for 185 dollar
a second hand used for sometime swissonic sub10 200wRms Subwoofer for 213 dollar
a second hand used for couple months Yamaha YST-SW012 for a tempting price 111 dollar
a second hand used few times KRK 10S Subwoofer for a 315 dollar which I haven't bargained yet aiming to reduce it around 250-270 dollar
Retail Mackie CR6S-X 6.5 increased priced 315 dollar

(Also stocks are big problem and I don't want to order from outside of the country due to shipping time etc unless Amazon.)

HELP ME !

Lastly, there is a big market for subwoofers for cars etc here in my country they seem the know what they are doing and creating crazy custom subwoofers for cars, Do you think they can make me a custom one when I provided a second hand subwoofer thingy without cabin which I found online but didn't think they would fit for my home studio what do you think?

 

The one that comes with your speakers. There's a bigger chance for an adequate frequency response. For phase you'll still have to move it around a bit and listen.
Also look for a bigger box. The bigger the box is, the lower it can go.

 

that's a small room,
low frequencies won't translate well and you'll have BIG problems taming and treating them acoustically,
for such small space I'd skip subwoofer completely and rather get pair of decent 3-way coaxial monitors like Kali Audio IN-5 which will go low enough and won't sound hollow in mids; or Kali Audio IN-8 v2 if you would really want even more low-end, or would get bigger room later

 

So you think I should skip subwoofer and sell reference monitors and put more money etc. and by these it seems like a good deal I guess but cheapest one 550 dollar for one and I will need a passive one which will cost the same I guess (I never bought standalone monitor I always bought them as a set so idk. do I need to buy two to have a passive and active one or do they sold seperately?

 

I would skip the subwoofer too. it is a very small room for a sub. Since you mention replacing your monitors, maybe they will already have a good amount of the bass you will need. I would wait until after you get the monitors, get headphones with better bass response, or maybe try to find a Subpac 2nd hand. The last option I would pick would be a sub; and you only need one.

 

That room is too small for a sub and it wouldn't fix the, sorry, crappy sound of your monitors either. Don't get me wrong, I don't say everything below $1k is crap, but I'd look for max 8'' near field monitors, maybe 6,5'' are even sufficient. And forget everything with 'multimedia' printed on it.

 

yeah, not a good idea to go for a subwoower in there. By the dimensions of that room i'm gonna bet you're already sitting on a bad spot for the range of regular monitors, a subwoofer will only mess things up even more.

Nope. Passive monitors require an external power amplifier, which is another piece of gear. Passive Kalis are actually more expensive.

Sold separately and they are different models, can't pair one active Kali monitor with one passive monitor or vice versa. Same for other brands, with some exceptions (like your M-Audios which are designed to work together in that way). Bigger monitors don't, you'd need to buy either 2 actives or 2 passives + external power amplifier.

 

Last edited: Jul 27, 2023

...Or so I said when I only read the title. Reading the post itself, the room is too small and too square.
And for that budget you're better off with a pair of high quality headphones. Even decorating the walls with thick carpets will exceed it.
I don't say this in a condescending way. I'm mixing with a Microlab 2.1 system, using carpets as a reverb suppression and old furniture as bass traps. But perhaps you'll have to as well.
Really, in this situation good over-ears will be the most preferable option.

 

those are active monitors, you buy two, each has its power cable and audio input,
Kali Audio also offer some new WS-6.2 subwoofer but I'd still suggest good main stereo speaker setup first, and only if that won't suffice, then consider subwoofer,
perhaps check pricing for a combo of that subwoofer + pair of Kali Audio LP-6 v2 - if you'd have better deal than pair of IN-5, then maybe I'd consider that an alternative

 

I'd invest in a good pair of headphones for a room that small.

 

Wow they're more expensive than I imagined around 500 dollar. Are there any good monitors that sold together as a pair or is it impossible to find a good reference monitor which I won't need to buy external audio amplifier. I could go for Kali's which would cost me around 1000 dollar but with external power amplifier it goes up to 1500 dollar. I will also have sound isolation and acoustic treatment with that adding up the prices go wild for me. https://www.amazon.com.tr/Audio-Amplifikatör-Profesyonel-Dijital-Hoparlörü/dp/B071XQGYRJ?source=ps-sl-shoppingads-lpcontext&ref_=fplfs&psc=1&smid=A27MPXN0R8YFPE something like this would work? or it wouldn't

 

Last edited: Jul 28, 2023

I would go for Adam speakers if you got the $. Maybe go a bit bigger for speakers to get a better low representation. If you do really want a sub, make sure to create the triangle, in which the sub is in the middlle of you and always stay in the triangle when making/listening to music. and use a sub that is recommended by the brand you have for the speakers.

 

I don't feel the lack of bass but I imagined I could treat my lows better providing a subwoofer but I see that I am wrong now. I can't believe I was almost gonna buy the Swissonic one I mentioned before I wrote here? Now I am planing to save for a better reference monitors.

 

I can't do headphones mates they seem unnatural to me I never been fan of but unfortunately it's very expensive way I choose with acoustic treatments and living in apartment so I need sound isolation etc. I will also use it as a recording studio with microphones so that maybe I can have few customers

 

I was considering your first recommendation KALI IN-8 one before I checked the prices for external power amplifier now I am considering whether I can eliminate external power amplifier and buy high quality set of reference monitors if its possible or buy external power amplifiers such as this one which is very cheap https://www.amazon.com.tr/Audio-Amp...pcontext&ref_=fplfs&psc=1&smid=A27MPXN0R8YFPE
or if you guys think this is a bad choice something like this https://www.meteormuzik.com.tr/2509...4YOL0LUKDvXQYqnIMudhPHkXLrO8FiWfUj1hVNiLqUJps which is also very cheap(315dollar) but I trust behringer to provide a good quality for quite low prices

 

Most monitors at that price range are active, meaning you don't need an external power amplifier. Kali's IN and LP series are active too. There's also the usual suspects: Yamaha HS, KRK Rokit, Presonus Eris, JBL LSR, Adam T, all of them active.

I imagine some stores might sell them as a bundle of 2, but really you can just buy two of the same model, that's the way it's done most of the time.

you're better off without passives for now, trust me.

 

The bassy one! The loud one! Turn the volume all the way up! The big one!
Torture your neighbours!
Boooooom wwoooooooop

 

I'm pretty happy with the Teufel T8. Love the Bass

 

practically all studio monitors are active, and except of small cheap pairs, there's a separate amp in each speaker for each woofer/tweeter,
there's no reason to bother with passive speakers and dedicated amps for studio/home use - it only starts to make sense on venues and live gigs where big speakers with high-power amps would be way too heavy to carry around

 

Maybe this helps you to find some active monitors within your budget? If you enter a max price you need to set it for two speakers because some of them are offered as a pair.