Best 18 Inch Subwoofers

You can survive with just a regular set of speakers. You don’t, strictly speaking, need a subwoofer. However, while modern speakers are better than ever, nothing really does the job of digging deep like a subwoofer.

What does a subwoofer do, exactly? Basically it handles the punchy grunt work in the 20 to 200 hertz range, providing you with deeper, cleaner, more impactful bass.

Bottom line, a subwoofer will make a night and day difference by improving the listening experience in a unique and palpable way that no other audio component can.

Unfortunately, when it comes to buying a subwoofer, you’re presented with a slew of options. But things really start to get interesting in the 15 inch to 18 inch range.

If you like chest-thumping bass or feeling that big bass hit in your favorite music, an 18 inch boomer has the power to (almost literally) move you.

Without any further ado, here are some of the best 18 inch subwoofers in the market.

Best 18 Inch Subwoofers — Reviews

1. Skar Audio ZVX-18v2 D2

Skar Audio ZVX-18v2 D2

• Competition grade pressed paper cone
• Stitched high roll foam surround
• Dual 1 ohm voice coil configuration
• Massive triple-stacked magnet
• 3 inch high temperature copper voice coil

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While Skar Audio might be one of the younger companies in the car audio industry, it has been able to make a name for itself as a serious contender by providing top-notch products and by constantly raising the bar and defining new limits.

Skar Audio offers a wide selection of subwoofers of different sizes and types. Their subs seem to be well-liked, for good reason.

The beast at hand is one of the best 18 inch subs that Skar Audio has to offer, all thing considered. It’s designed deliver riveting lows that you can feel as well as hear.

This powerhouse driver was built to withstand brutal everyday use while performing efficiently at the highest levels of output power.

Speaking of power, this subwoofer boasts up to 1,600 watts RMS rating, and can handle bursts up to 3,200 watts, with high roll foam surround supporting an 18″ competition grade paper cone. It has a 29mm Xmax and a frequency range of 29 – 400Hz.

Combine those features with its 3-inch high temperature voice coil and a massive triple slug magnet, and it becomes evident that this is a competition grade subwoofer built to deliver unrivaled performance.

2. Skar Audio EVL-18 D2

Skar Audio EVL-18 D2

• 2 ohm voice coil configuration
• Competition grade pressed paper cone
• Stitched high roll foam surround
• Advanced air flow cooling system
• 3 inch 4-layer black aluminum CCAW voice coil

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If you’re on a budget and looking to scale down from the Skar Audio ZVX-18v2 D2 (mentioned above), Skar Audio has plenty of other choices available. One of the more popular options available is the EVL-18 D2.

This subwoofer has an Xmax of 23.5 mm. It comes equipped with a competition grade pressed paper cone coupled with high roll foam surround for ultra-low-end frequencies.

Furthermore, this sub features a black coated 3 inch high temperature voice coil, a massive high flux, and a double stack ferrite motor structure – which delivers the driving force behind the chest thumping lows this subwoofer can deliver.

Combine all those features with its and advanced air flow cooling and suspension designs, and it quickly becomes evident why this woofer is capable of consistently delivering more solid, clean, ground-shattering bass for hours on end.

Skar Audio EVL-18 D2 can handle up to 1,250 Watts on continuous basis, and it’s rated at 2,500 watts peak power. It sports 18 – 250 Hz frequency response and 88 dB sensitivity.

3. Harmony Audio HA-ML182

Harmony Audio HA-ML182

• Competition grade paper cone
• Stitched high roll foam surround
• Tinsel leads woven into spider
• Die-cast aluminum basket
• High flux ferrite magnet

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Harmony Audio is a brand we haven’t come across very much on our site, however, their 18 inch competition SPL subwoofer at hand seem to be well-liked.

This subwoofer is featured with a competition grade paper cone bonded to stitched high-roll foam surround for excellent linearity and high-level playback.

This HA-ML182 18 inch subwoofer uses tinsel leads woven into spider and a high flux ferrite magnet for strong performance.

At 1,750 watts of continuous power and the ability to handle bursts up to 3,500 watts, this subwoofer is powerful enough to allow you to hear and feel even the subtlest of effects. It boasts a 30Hz to 300Hz frequency response and 88.4dB sensitivity, giving you all the range and power you could want.

4. Rockville RVP18W8

Rockville RVP18W8

• Fiber reinforced ultra stiff paper composite cone
• Paper composite dust cap
• Expanded and rolled steel basket
• Accordion cloth surround
• 3 inch high temperature CCAW high spl voice coil
• Linear progressive conex spiders
• Dual nickel plated banana plug terminals

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The Rockville RVP18W8 18 inch subwoofer delivers plenty of power and thumping bass with a price point that is more manageable than some on this list. I mean, think about it: two 18 inch subs for less than 150 bucks? That’s a major bargain. So, if you’re on a tight-budget and looking for cheap 18 inch subwoofers, the Rockville RVP18W8 could be the perfect choice.

These subwoofers are featured with paper composite dust caps and rigid paper composite cones coupled with accordion cloth surround, allowing them to handle up to 600 watts RMS each.

The Rockville RVP18W8 subs have a decent bass response range of 26 to 500 Hz. They can deliver up to 101 decibels of sound, giving you enough hard-hitting bass to make your music feel more alive.

Furthermore, this subwoofer is fitted with 3 inch high temperature CCAW voice coil, linear progressive conex spiders, and dual nickel plated plug terminals. It also uses an expanded and rolled steel basket which provides a solid base for the subwoofer and reduces weight and resonance.

All in all, if you’re on a tight-budget and looking for affordable 18 inch subwoofers that don’t cost and arm and a leg, these Rockville subs are a great bang for the buck.

5. Skar Audio SDR-1X18D2

Skar Audio SDR-1X18D2

• Vented enclosure design
• Loaded with 18 inch subs
• Made of 5/8 inch MDF
• Wrapped with premium black carpet
• Configured for 1-ohm at the terminals

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If you want to save yourself from the hassle of building an enclosure for your subwoofer and prefer an easy off-the-shelf solution, we can’t think of a better option than the Skar Audio SDR-1X18D2.

This vented enclosure is made of 5/8″ MDF, and comes wrapped in rugged premium grade black carpet for a sleek appearance and features the Skar Audio logo in white on the top of the box.

The Skar Audio SDR-1X18D2 is loaded with an 18 inch subwoofer rated at 600 watts RMS. It has an impressive frequency range of 18 – 250Hz and boasts 87.3 dB sensitivity rating.

The subwoofer loaded into this enclosure is featured with a high grade pressed paper cone supported by high roll foam surround. It comes with 2.5 inch high temperature copper voice coil and high flux ferrite motor.

The dual 2-ohm subwoofer is wired up inside of the enclosure so that the final impedance load is configured for 1-ohm at the terminals.

Bottom Line

The old saying “bigger is better” can be very hit or miss depending on what you’re talking about. That phrase rings true when it comes to subwoofers.

In this guide, we’ve evaluated the best 18 inch subwoofers for the money that you can buy. We included everything from cheap 18 inch subwoofers all the way to high-end models and a few in-between to cater for different needs, and budgets.

We hope that our list was of help to you in choosing the right 18 inch sub for your setup.