Wireless Subwoofer Vs. Wired – Noisylabs

During this era of technology, one would assume there’s no debate.

We would assume wireless subwoofers are superior to wired subwoofers. But, for the sake of curiosity, we wanted to delve deeper into this topic.

 

WIRELESS SUBWOOFER ADVANTAGES

The first advantage to a wireless subwoofer is probably the most obvious thing.

It’s wireless.

Dealing with cables is a true nuisance. They tangle, trip, and collect dust. What’s more annoying is rodents chew on them making quality speaker cables a priority.

Luckily for you, we wrote a post on budget-friendly speaker cables that are quality.

But because it’s wireless, this also means it’s versatile.

Let’s think of what we can do with a wireless subwoofer.

The first thought of our head is we can place it outside and make it an outdoor speaker. Although you’re going to need an outdoor placement guide to maximize those acoustics, they’ll still work fine.

In addition, you can also place it inside your home and place it next to your home theatre system.

The versatility makes the location of a wireless subwoofer limitless. But if anything is too good to be true, well, there’s something bad around the corner.

 

WIRELESS SUBWOOFER DISADVANTAGES

If you’ve ever had a Bluetooth speaker then you know the pain of hearing static in your system. Sometimes that static can also be misinterpreted as your Bluetooth skipping.

Another disadvantage that comes into play is when someone is connected to the wireless subwoofer with their phone and walks away.

We can’t always say “leave your phone here”, because in 2018, that’s equivalent to saying “leave your hand here”.

Even though a subwoofer is wireless, it doesn’t mean it doesn’t need power.

If you’re like us and hate getting batteries, congratulations, you’re going to have to purchase batteries. Another thing to look at is the audio power from a wireless subwoofer.

Since wired subwoofers are already plugged in, they get more power to help the amplifier.

A battery-powered wireless subwoofer has to rely on a smaller power system. Unless your wireless subwoofer is capable of plugging into an outlet, you might be able to generate more power.

But the configuration of the speaker will not let it handle all that power if it isn’t able to plug in.

If you were to push its limits by inputting excessive volume, then there’s a high chance of failure.

This is the same concept we talked about when it came to voice coils burning.

Now that we’ve talked about both advantages and disadvantages with wireless subwoofers, let’s transition to wired subwoofers.

 

WIRED SUBWOOFER ADVANTAGES

One clear subwoofer advantage is the control you have.

What we mean by this is, more of the audio quality is in the hands of the user. You see, a digital speaker such as a wireless subwoofer has a built-in digital-to-analog converter.

It also has a built-in amplifier inside the wireless subwoofer. This is part of the reason it’s wireless.

On the other hand of the spectrum are the wired subwoofers. Obviously, a wired subwoofer doesn’t come with an amp or digital-to-analog converter.

While that means more wires, you also get the opportunity to customize your amp and converter to your liking.

This way you can discover advantages of a tubed amplifier. Or you can decide whether you want to convert 8-ohm speakers to 4 ohms.

As speakers get older, it’s natural for components to slow down due to wear and tear.

Another factor to consider with customizable parts is you can change them whenever you want to. With wired subwoofers, you won’t have to deal with the inconvenience of deciding whether to purchase a new speaker or not if something goes wrong.

In most cases, all you have to do is decide whether you want this part or not which is an easier choice because it’s cheaper.

 

WIRED SUBWOOFER DISADVANTAGES

What makes a wired subwoofer attractive also makes it complicated.

First off, they have to match the amplifier to a speaker. Assuming the customer just wants to enjoy music, they wouldn’t want to put themselves through that.

Even if they do have the willpower to force themselves to get technical, what if they mess up their own systems?

It’s not inconceivable to think they can mess up their electrical circuits or burn up their voice coils.

Having the advantage of interchangeable parts also plays with you psychologically.

Ever heard of the term “opportunity costs”?

If you haven’t, then let us explain. Opportunity costs means something you lose while making another choice.

For example, if we bought a marine speaker instead of a Bluetooth speaker, then our opportunity cost is the Bluetooth speaker.

In other words, whichever alternative we didn’t pick is the cost. Not only can this mess with someone’s head, it can mess with their dollars.

Being able to decide whether you want that amplifier or this amplifier can leave a customer’s head spinning.

This could leave consumers upgrading every time they feel like their choice wasn’t right.

The other disadvantage we feel we didn’t need to mention is the speakers have wires.

 

WHAT’S YOUR PREFERENCE?

There is no right or wrong decision deciding whether you want a wired or wireless subwoofer.

Each comes with its own advantages and disadvantages. The key is to understand what situation you’re in and bring in the best option.

If you have a home theatre system and want to bring out its potential, then the answer is obvious. But what if you have a home theatre and a backyard needing entertainment also?

The answer depends on where you spend most of your time. Another question to ask is what location would a speaker make the most impact?

These 2 questions come down to 2 things.

Efficiency or effectiveness?

For those who don’t want to deal with much, then wireless subwoofers are the way to go.

Less hassle leads to less stress.

For those who are more of an audiophile and don’t mind getting their hands dirty then a wired subwoofer is for you.

We’re certain the wireless subwoofer vs. wired debate can be defended by both sides.

It all boils down to preference.