Upgrading your car audio output system can take a very heavy toll on your bank account. Especially when you go for more power packed and advanced equipment which would make an even bigger dent. So to help ease the load, I will be listing below a bunch of affordable best 15 inch subwoofer under 200 for your indulgence. But first, for people who do not necessarily understand the basic difference between various sizes in subwoofers and their use, given below is some information that might help you understand it better.
Subwoofers are basically responsible for maintaining bass levels so that the sound is neither too high pitched and sharp nor too low and base heavy. In essentiality subwoofers help maintain a state of equilibrium while still pumping power.
What a lot of people do not understand is that the need for sound equalising, comes directly from power. If your speaker is really powerful, it is obvious that both the high and the low notes would play with the consequent amount of power, making them sound distorted. Which is why it is important to have some sort of system in place to maintain balance. Moving on to the different sizes in subwoofers. People usually tend to pick between these three sizes, 8 inch subwoofers, 12 inch subwoofers and 15 inch subwoofers.
The sizes predominantly determine the power of the subwoofers. Bigger sizes equal greater power. There are, obviously, other factors that weight in like the impedance, frequency, distortion levels, etc. But mainly the power of a subwoofer is dependent upon the size of it. So if you are looking for greater power, you have come to the correct conclusion of looking for 18 inch subwoofers.
To make your search easier and more nuanced, given below is a list of some of the best 15 inch subwoofers in the market, all under 200 dollars. Yes, you heard that right. Not only are you going to get your hands on the best subwoofers in terms of quality but you also get them for the best possible price.
Top 5: Best 15 inch subwoofer under 200 dollars
*All of the products mentioned below are available for less than 200 dollars on Amazon
Audiopipe TXXBD315
Let us start off with something that is basic in nature but is really high power. The Audiopipe TXXBD315 is one of the most powerful 15 inch subwoofers out there, especially among the affordable ones. It has an RMS Power of 1200 watts which is massive. RMS Power of a subwoofer essentially signifies its constant power pumping ability. Its power peaks at about 2400 watts, there is no way you will be complaining about the power with these numbers.
Quality wise too, this subwoofer makes quite an impression. This is mainly in correspondence with the brand of this subwoofer. Audiopipe has been around for quite some time now and has been known to deliver in terms of both quality and affordability. One major downfall is the high impedance of the subwoofer (4 ohms). A high impedance can sometimes cause system overheating and it can consume a lot of energy too. While all subwoofers cause some amount of stress to the electrical system of the car, higher impedance might lead to frequent audio cuts.
It is important that you know your car’s capacity to pump power before you get your hands on this or literally any other high power subwoofer. In terms of durability too, it ranks pretty well. It has a solid cone-make and is fitted with a dual voice coil.
It is best fit into a ported enclosure which is a ported box. However, it is versatile in its make and can very well be fit into a sealed enclosure. Weighing all of the pros and cons, it is easy to say, for the price, there is literally nothing that could stop you from wanting to buy this subwoofer.
An overview:
- Affordable
- Durable
- High Power
- High impedance (X)
Rockville W15K9D2
Following the line of simple yet quality products, the Rockville W15K9D2 is an absolute steal. It has a RMS Power rating of 1250 watts which is again, massive in terms of 15 inch subwoofers.
The peak power sits at a whopping 5000 watts which easily makes this product better than the last listing in terms of power. Not only does it exceed expectations when it comes to power, it also has a lowered impedance of 2 ohms instead of the usual 4 ohm impedance. This means the chances of system overheating are way lesser. In addition to low impedance, the voice coils can take quite a lot of heat. The voice coils can sustain heat levels of up to 240°C and are wound pretty tight. You will not have to worry about them coming undone or getting burnt.
These subwoofers do have cones made up of paper but they are pretty heavy duty and can take a huge amount of wear. The outer basket is made of aluminum which makes the subwoofer both light and durable at the same time. The cones are surrounded by foam which gives the sound a fuller and deeper feel to it. If I had to name cons, one of them would have to be the height of the product.
The subwoofer is 8 inches in height which might be a little too much for certain types of cars. Besides that, you will not be facing any problems, minor or major, when it comes to this subwoofer. This is undoubtedly one of the least problematic subwoofers out there. All things considered, this subwoofer makes a pretty practical/smart buy and you will not be riddled with buyer’s remorse.
An overview:
- Affordable
- Sturdy make
- Foam surrounding for fuller sound
- High power
- Low impedance
- A little too tall (X)
Pyle PLPW15D
If you are looking for quality, power and reliability over everything else, this is just the right subwoofer for you. In terms of power, this subwoofer has the RMS Power of 1000 watts while the peak power sits at about 2000 watts. While this might not seem like a lot on paper, with this subwoofer installed in your car, you can be sure to turn heads wherever you go.
As far as sound clarity and distortion levels go, this subwoofer has the most ideal noise sensitivity of 92db. This is the amount of sensitivity that a lot of high end subwoofers offer. A 92db sensitivity ensures minimum distortion regardless of whether the notes are too high or too low.
Another admirable feature, which is usually found in products asking for prices that are way higher than this subwoofer’s, is the non corrosive dual voice coil. A lot of affordable subwoofers give in after continuous use and the biggest reason for it is usually the voice coil coming undone. You do not have to worry about that happening with the Pyle PLPW15D as the voice coil is both tightly wound up and corrosion resistant.
The construction of the whole subwoofer is pretty sturdy with a foam surround and a steel basket for protection of internal components. Foam surrounds help give the audio a deeper, fuller feel. A downside to this subwoofer, however, is the high impedance of 4 ohms. This might be a deal breaker for some and a none issue for others. To each their own.
And if it is of any benefit to you, the subwoofer claims to be waterproof. Not that you would want your car to play you some beats while it is drowning, but it is still an added feature nonetheless. When you consider all of what this subwoofer has to offer and the price of it, you would realise that it is an absolute bang for your buck.
An overview:
- Affordable
- Corrosion resistant voice coils
- Sturdy make
- Ideal noise sensitivity
- Waterproof
- High impedance (X)
Skar Audio VVX-15v3 D2
Okay I am not going to say that Skar is the best car audio output brand but I’m going to say it, Skar Audio is literally the best affordable audio output brand you can find. There is literally no debating this. Not only do each and every one of their products deliver, but they also have an extensive range. This brand outshines every other brand out there and there are so many reasons why.
When we talk about the Skar Audio VVX-15v3 D2 subwoofer, in particular, a feature that makes this product stand out is the unique airflow cooling system that is inbuilt in it. From all of the above mentioned information, you must have come to the conclusion that subwoofers and all car parts alike, tend to heat up a lot. And this is just a natural part of their functioning. However, we sometimes come across products that seem to fix this problem and this subwoofer is one of them.
The power on this subwoofer however, is not as high up as some people would want it to be. This subwoofer has the RMS Power of 600 watts and the maximum power of 1200 watts. While these numbers are comparatively quite low, some people tend to look for a lot more than just power in their subwoofers. Also the low power output makes this subwoofer perfect for smaller cars.
The subwoofer features a high strength paper cone, inside which sits the dual voice coil. Both of these features add to the durability of the product as a whole. Another great feature of this subwoofer is the low impedance, that is, 2 ohms. So if you do have a small car and are looking for something that fits both the budget and the car, you might want to go for the Skar Audio VVX-15v3 D2.
An overview:
- Affordable
- Low impedance
- Dual voice coil
- Airflow cooling system
- Durable
- Low power (X)
Q-POWER QPF15
Now this is the real deal, no messing around. The Q-POWER QPF15 is definitely not for the faint of the heart. This subwoofer is chosen mainly by people who just cannot go a day without blasting music to the highest possible decibel and letting the world know that they are what you might call a bass enthusiast. If all of these things seem like character traits you have noticed in yourself, this would be sort of an easy and obvious choice.
The Q-POWER QPF15 is the most high power subwoofer among all of those mentioned already. It has a RMS Power of 1100 watts. There is nothing else I could possibly say that would scream POWER, more than that. The frame and the make is pretty sturdy as it is made out of die-cast steel and fiber.
The only downside and this is if you count it as one, is the fact that this subwoofer costs a little more than all the other subwoofers mentioned previously. It still falls under the “Below 200” category but it makes it just by an inch. Other than that, if you are someone that holds power in a really high regard, you should definitely go for this subwoofer.
An overview:
- High power
- Sturdy make
- More on the expensive side (X)
Conclusion
Subwoofers with their varying designs and sizes can be quite difficult to choose from. In addition to that, your subwoofer needs to complement your amplifier in a way that both of the systems can work in harmony and bring out the best in each other.
So yes, your choice in subwoofers does majorly dictate how your audio would sound. That is why, to make things easier for you and to make sure that you do not end up with a subwoofer that you regret buying, I have curated this list of subwoofers that have been loved by everyone who has used them. All you have to do now is pick the one that goes with your car’s electrical system and amplifier.