The Best Wireless Subwoofer Kits
Owning a wireless subwoofer is a good way to reduce cable clutter and a great solution for the optimizing placement of a sub for better sound. However, if you do not own a wireless subwoofer, a wireless subwoofer kit that includes both a transmitter and receiver will add wireless connectivity to any subwoofers, amplifiers, or speakers. In this post, we review our best wireless subwoofer kits you can check out today.
- Our Top Wireless Subwoofer Kits
- The Best Wireless Subwoofer Kits
- Wireless Subwoofer Kits Buying Advice
| SUBWOOFER KIT | RF BAND | FREQ RANGE | FREQ R** | LATENCY | DIMENSIONS |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| SVS SPWADAPT Soundpath | 2.4 GHz | up to 65 ft | 6 Hz – 22,000 Hz | <25.5 ms | 2.2 x 4.2 x 9″ |
| BIC America WTR-Sys | 2.4 GHz | up to 80 ft | 20 Hz -20,000 Hz | Unknown | 1.1 x 3.8 x 3″ |
| iFinity Amphoney | 2.4 GHz | up to 200 ft | 2 Hz – 20,000 Hz | Unknown | 2.6 x 2.3 x 1.1″ |
| Klipsch WA-2 | 2.4 GHz | up to 50 ft | 15 Hz – 15,000 Hz | Unknown | 2.1 x 1.3 x 2.1″ |
| OSD Audio Nero-WSA | 5.8 GHz | up to 150 ft | 8 Hz – 22,000 Hz | 16 ms | 4.5 x 2.9 x 1.1″ |
| MartinLogan SWT-X | 2.4 GHz | up to 50 ft | Unknown | Unknown | 9.8 x 7 x 2″ |
| Dynasty Proaudio WSA-5TR | 5.8 GHz | up to 100 ft | 10 Hz ~ 23,000Hz | Unknown | 2.6 x 2.3 x 1.1″ |
| Dayton Audio Wave-Link | 2.4 GHz | up to 66 | 20 Hz – 22,000 Hz | Unknown | 11 x 7 x 4″ |
FREQ RANGE – Frequency Range
FREQ R** – Frequency Response
1. SVS SPWADAPT Soundpath – Our Best Wireless Subwoofer Kit
RF Band: 2.4 GHz
Wireless Range: up to 65 ft
Latency: <25.5 milliseconds
Frequency Response: 6 Hz – 22,000 Hz +/-1 dB
PROS: Easy and fast setup, small and lightweight, the delay is minimal, quality of sound is good
CONS: Blue LED light is too bright
The SVS brand is well known for its quality subwoofers that excel in reproducing the low notes. The SVS Soundpath is their wireless subwoofer kit that transforms nearly any powered subwoofer into a wireless sub while still transmitting CD-quality audio between your playback device and the output device.
Before talking performance, let’s see what comes when you buy the SVS SPWADAPT Soundpath. The contents of the package include a transmitter, receiver, two USB power adapters, two 40″ long USB power cords, two 15″ long 3.5mm stereo to mono RCA male cables, two 17″long 3.5mm stereo RCA male cables, and two 2″ x 1″ rectangle of 3M double-sided tape.
The transmitter is small and also extremely light, which makes handling and placement very easy. Both the transmitter and receiver look alike except for a few differences in the labeling. For connectivity, each unit houses a 3.5mm mini stereo jack and a Micro-USB power input. A blue LED indicator and a pairing button also feature on each unit.
Installation is easy with a simple procedure of inserting the input and output cables, connecting power, and waiting for the blue LED indicator to signal when the transmitter and receiver auto pairs. Incase the self-pairing process fails, pressing the reset buttons re-initiates the process again. From unboxing to complete installation it takes less than 10 minutes.
Performance-wise, the Soundpath delivers on most fronts without failure. The latency is quite good, and with a good receiver or processor that has standard adjustments, you can compensate for the delay. The working distance is specified up to 65 feet. We were able to get the Soundpath to work at a distance of 50 feet, but both the receiver and transmitter need to have a clear line of sight. Small movements at this distance cause signal drops and poor audio reproduction. In most home settings, the Soundpath should work well for distances measuring 20 feet or less. The sound quality is good, and you hardly detect any popping or quality issues.
Overall, the SVS SPWADAPT Soundpath is a great product. Set up is quick, and it solves a major problem with cable clutter in your home. One of our complaints would be the blue light is too bright, and they are on always. Putting tape on them should solve the issue if they are a problem.
See the SVS SPWADAPT Soundpath
2. BIC America WTR-Sys
RF Band: 2.4GHz
Wireless Range: Up to 80 ft
Latency: Unknown
Frequency Response: 20 Hz -20, 000 Hz
PROS: Easy to set up, the transmitter can connect up to four subwoofers, the sound is good,
CONS:
BIC America has been around for a while. They boast a wide catalog of products including, speakers, subwoofers, soundbars, and now wireless speaker kits. BIC WTR-SYS is a 4-channel that lets you add more subwoofers or speakers to the same wireless channel. By purchasing four receivers you can synchronize them with one transmitter.
The package includes a w-transmitter, w-receiver, two RCA to RCA stereo cables, two Y-adapters with female ends that plug into the RCA male ends, two USB AC power adapters, and two USB cords. Velcro strips for mounting and two external antennas also feature in the package. To connect your computer, you would require a 3.5mm stereo to RCA cable which is not included in the package.
The transmitter and receiver are built from plastic. Both are lightweight and the quality is good, though some would say they are slightly overpriced for the build quality. The antennas are screwed on, and according to BIC America, they help in increasing the range up to 80 feet with a clear-line-of-sight, and 60 feet when obstructed.
Connectivity, just like the SVS Soundpath is easy. First, connect the transmitter to your AVR through the SUB out using the Y-splitter cable with female RCA cables provided. Connect the RCA to RCA stereo cables to the female RCA and into the transmitter. On the receiver’s end, connect the Y-splitter to SUB IN port and RCA to RCA to the receiver. Plug the transmitter and receiver to power, and you are set to go.
The major advantage of the BIC America WTR-Sys is you can hookup up to four subs using the same transmitter. Just buy an additional receiver and connect it to the same channel as the transmitter. This should enable you to use two or more subs simultaneously.
Once paired and working, the performance of the BIC America WTR-Sys is great. The sound quality is good with no noticeable degradation in the quality or volume. Though the maximum distance is 80 ft, we used a distance of 5-20 ft, and it worked perfectly. Sound lag is hardly noticeable.
Overall, the performance of this wireless subwoofer kit is good. The sound quality does not degrade, and there is no noticeable audio latency. It also offers a modest distance to set up your subwoofer without worrying about cables. Apart from that, you can hook up additional subs with the purchase of an extra receiver.
3. iFinity Wireless Audio Transmitter/Receiver – A Budget Option
RF Band: 2.4 GHz
Wireless Range: Up to 200 ft
Latency: Unknown
Frequency Response: 2 Hz – 20, 000 Hz
PROS: Easy to set up, adaptive FHSS, good quality audio reproduction, cheap
CONS: Looks and feels cheap
Amphony corp is a company that deals with digital audio. Their range of products includes wireless speakers, audio amplifiers, audio transmitters, wireless speaker kits, Bluetooth amplifiers, and wireless headphones, among many others. The iFinity Wireless Audio Transmitter/Receiver is a budget wireless subwoofer kit we have featured in this list.
The package of the iFinity Amphony includes a transmitter, receiver, two AC adapters, and two RCA to RCA cables.
The design of both the transmitter and receiver is alike. The build quality is not that great and includes cheap plastic. Though they look and feel cheap, they hold up pretty well if you take care when handling them to avoid accidental falls. On top of the unit, a status light and a pairing button are located.
Connectivity of the iFinity Amphony kit is easy. Once you connect the cables to the receiver and subwoofer, plug both the transmitter and receiver into a power source and press the pairing button. The network status light should flash quickly, and once connected it should be on. The iFinity Amphony, like the BIC America WTR-Sys, allows you to pair up to four receivers with one transmitter.
Though cheaper, the performance of the iFinity wireless kit is good. The maximum operating range is listed as 200 ft with a clear line-of-sight. At a distance of 20 ft, the wireless kit did a good job with very slight noticeable quality in the audio quality to the wired signal. The adaptive frequency-hopping spread spectrum (FHSS) feature also helps by allowing very minimal signal interference when using the wireless kit around other 2.4 GHz devices.
The iFinity wireless subwoofer kit is a good wireless device for connecting your subwoofer to an AV receiver, TV, or other playback devices. Though the cable supplied and the unit are not high quality, performance-wise this unit scores very good. Adaptive FHSS should be a great feature if you use other RF transmitting devices around your home.
See the iFinity Wireless Audio Transmitter/Receiver
- Connectivity to Subwoofer
- 2.4GHz vs. 5.8Ghz Frequency Band
- Latency/Time Delay
- Interference and Signal Drop-Outs
- Frequency Hopping
Before setting up connecting your subwoofer and AV or TV using a wireless subwoofer kit, it is good to try and maintain a clear line-of-sight between the transmitter and receiver. This ensures the best results in the transmission of audio. Devices that run on the 2.4 GHz band, such as cordless phones, microwaves, or Wi-Fi routers should not be kept near the transmitter because they may create signal interference.
SVS Soundpath wireless subwoofer kit
The first step of setting up a wireless subwoofer kit is hooking up the wireless transmitter to the AV receiver or TV. The transmitter is connected to the playback device using an RCA cable to the subwoofer pre-out, LFE channel, or 2-Channel stereo pre-amp (see here for the best 5-channel amps). Once the transmitter is hooked up, plug the power supply and plug it into a wall outlet.
The next step is connecting the receiver to the subwoofer to deliver audio to the subwoofer. If you’re using an AV receiver, connect the receiver to the LFE input on the subwoofer. For 2-channel applications, connect the RCA plugs to both the L and R subwoofer inputs. If the receiver lacks an L and R RCA plugs, use a ‘Y’ splitter adapter. Next, plug the receiver into the power supply and plug it into a wall outlet.
Pairing the transmitter to the receiver can be done manually, while other wireless subwoofer kits come already paired. For more information on pairing the transmitter to the receiver, refer to the device’s manual. Once everything is done right, you are ready to use your subwoofer wirelessly to unleash the low frequencies.
Most devices in our homes use the 2.4Ghz band, which runs on a frequency of 450Mbps or 600 Mbps. Because most devices use 2.4 GHz, you will likely get interference from other devices running on the same band like microwaves, cordless phones, etc. It can also get crowded because of many users, which may affect speed.
5.8 GHz frequency is a relatively new standard and can support up to 1300 Mbps, which is a big difference in speed compared to what 2.4 GHz offers. It is also not commonly used, thus it has not overcrowding or interference from other devices using 2.4 GHz. 5.8 GHz also has more bandwidth, which makes the transmission a little better in quality.
Comparing both 2.4 GHz and 5.8 GHz, 2.4 GHz has a greater distance coverage and is less directional. This means, 2.4 GHz will cover a wider distance and will go around obstacles a bit better than 5.8 GHz. Although 5.8 GHz has a smaller area of coverage, it has better speed compared to 2.4 GHz. This makes it great for gaming and file streaming.
BIC America WTR Sys Wireless Transmitter/Receiver Subwoofer Kit
When it comes down to a wireless subwoofer kit, the subwoofer placement, point-of-view, and obstructions in the room will determine whether to go for a 2.4 GHz or 5.8 GHz. If the room is crowded and the distance between the transmitter and receiver is longer, then a 2.4 GHz frequency kit will do. However, if you have a clear point-of-view and the room is less crowded, a 5.8 GHz kit will deliver the best results.
Latency or time delay in audio refers to the short period of delay taken when the audio signal is sent to the time you hear it from your speakers, subwoofers, monitors, etc. Latency is everywhere and cannot be avoided, but it can be limited.
All wireless devices are susceptible to RF interference from other devices like microwave ovens, video game consoles, cordless phones, baby monitors, Wi-Fi networking hardware, and other devices. Other devices, specifically those operating in the 2.4Ghz band may cause interference and signal dropouts for a wireless subwoofer kit. A wireless subwoofer kit may also affect other devices.
To reduce interference and get the best sound out of your wireless subwoofer kit, separating the distance between these devices is the best way to go. If you notice the quality of sound is degrading, check the proximity of other devices to your wireless kit and relocate them accordingly. When a microwave or other RF-generating devices are not in use, turning them off stops interference.
Apart from limiting and increasing the distance between a wireless kit and an RF_interfering device, always try to keep a clear line-of-sight between the receiver and transmitter. This means avoiding hard barriers and walls between them that would cause signal drop-outs.
Frequency-hopping spread spectrum (FHSS) is a method used to transmit radio signals by rapidly changing the transmitting radio signals among several frequency channels. FHSS is used to avoid interference by avoiding frequency channels used by other wireless devices.
When implemented in a wireless subwoofer kit, frequency hopping helps by allowing very minimal interference because the probability of two readers transmitting at the exact frequency is very low. This comes in handy when using other RF transmitting devices in one room or home that might cause interference and thus signal degradation.
We also reviewed the Polk Audio PSW10 10-inch powered subwoofer here.
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