YAMAHA 8" 100W Powered Subwoofer - Black (NS-SW050BL)

I bought this mini sub when I was living in my apartment because I’m a big movie person, but didn’t want to piss off the neighbors with a larger, true HT sub (plus I was on a tight budget), and was very pleasantly surprised. It’s only an 8” driver, so you can’t compare it to a 12” or bigger driver, that’s not realistic, but it’s fantastic for what it is. This thing rumbles and it has a nice tactile punch to it. I never turned the gain knob up past 5/10. I would absolutely recommend this sub for anyone with SPL (volume) limitations, neighbors, or financial limitations. At 8” it just physically can’t get down ultra low or provide the fullness a bigger driver can, but man does it try, and if you’ve never experienced anything bigger, you won’t be missing anything. I would be very interested to listen to the 10” version, the NS-SW100. Overall, I was thrilled with it for the size and price point at the time when I built my budget 5.1 system. It really is a fantastic little sub and I would absolutely purchase it again. If you have a bigger room or want a true HT sub, you’re gonna have to be realistic and go bigger and a lot more expensive. Otherwise, get this thing (or the 10” NS-SW100) and enjoy!

good price, good quality, simple knobs, nothing too complicated. good product

for the money, it gets 5 stars

I've always like Yamaha products, and this subwoofer is no exception. I like that location is pretty flexible and is small enough so it's not intrusive or overpowering to our room. In addition to controlling the sound output from our receiver, the subwoofer has its own volume knob on the back to control output.I wish that it could be powered on and off by the receiver instead of having reach behind the speaker to manually turn it on or off. It's so easy to forget that it's on when turning the system off and I find that we end up leaving it on all the time.

Full disclosure; I'm Rebecca's dad, not Rebecca. I ordered the Yamaha sub to replace an aging passive subwoofer. Modern 5.1 systems are set up for an active subwoofer and, frankly, they need one!The Yamaha fit the bill. It was priced right, including a 15' cord to connect back to the receiver & allow the sub to be placed where I want it in the room.The results? Fantastic. 8" doesn't sound like much, but the Yamaha puts out an impressive sound. When I listen to music, it provides that low underpinning of sound that is hard to get from a standard speaker, or from an old fashioned passive subwoofer that simply lacks the volume needed. For movies, it has transformed my sound into a chair-rumbling experience. As soon as the speaker was set up, I gave it a good shakedown test - Star Wars, then Independence Day. The Yamaha delivered the kind of theater experience I've been looking for.Some people have asked if it is loud enough. Absolutely. The subwoofer itself has a volume control, which I leave at full volume; that allows me to control volume through the receiver with the remote. For most movies, keeping the SW channel just above 50% is just right; for a few action movies, such as Independence Day, I had to back it down to about 40% - high enough to feel the rumble, but low enough to hear the dialogue through the center channel.I'm sure there are some better subs out there; just depends on what you think you need. For me, the Yamaha subwoofer is a perfect match. For reference, my system is: a Denon 5.1 receiver, 2 Bose 201 speakers for front channel, and 3 Sony bookshelf speakers for center and rear channels.

I am very impressed with this sub. It works very well with my Klipsch R-28pf powered speakers. Love it.

I just received the Yamaha subwoofer and mated it with my Yamaha RX-4VA receiver. I have also Bose bookshelf speakers and a Yamaha center speaker. The subwoofer does not come with a cable to connect it to the receiver. So need to order one or pick up a cable at Best Buy. Sound is very rich and clear. Volume is adjustable to match the main and center speakers. Sound without the subwoofer is weak but with it on, sound is very rich and full. Set up is simple and takes a few minutes. Highly recommend this subwoofer.

Don`t let the small size fool you this sub will get with it ! we have this connected to our soundbar via a cable at first we wern`t sure but after a few movies on 4K disk and Netflix WOW this thing came to life and we have a big room had to turn the volume down to less than half no issues we are Happy with this sub just make sure you turn on your bar first then connect the cable that way it links.