Affordable Subwoofer Shootout: SVS, REL, ELAC, and Monoprice

As an audio engineer, I’ve always been curious about subwoofers but until now, I’ve never had the opportunity to actually test and compare multiple subs at once. I was expecting to notice little to no difference switching between the different subwoofers because I assumed that room acoustics would have a far more profound effect on the proliferation of sub frequencies in a space than the specs/design of a given subwoofer. So I was surprised to find that each sub had its own distinct character, strengths, and weaknesses.

A couple years ago, on a whim, I purchased an ELAC SUB3010 after ELAC hit me with a well-timed B-Stock sale advertisement. I was mixing some tracks for a pop/dance/rock band at the time and I was curious how the mixes would translate to a 2.1 system. I was also excited to test out ELAC’s “Auto-EQ” feature which still seems uncharacteristically innovative for a subwoofer that I only paid a couple hundred USD for. 

For the purposes of this comparison/review, Ecoustics had the following subwoofers sent to me:

• Monoprice Monolith M-10 
• REL HT/1003
• SVS SB-1000 Pro

ELAC SUB3010

• 32.1 lbs
• 10” Speaker
• 10” Passive radiator
• 200 Watts RMS BASH

The ELAC has some of the most exciting features of the lot – namely the one I already mentioned, “Auto-EQ.” Auto-EQ, and the rest of the ELAC’s features can only be accessed via their smartphone app. Once you’ve connected the app to the 3010 via bluetooth, the app instructs you to place your smartphone next to the sub and press GO. Pressing GO initiates what sounds like a sine sweep while the app records the frequency response through your phone’s microphone.

Then the app instructs you to press GO again but with the smartphone in your listening position. The sine sweep is triggered again as the app records the frequency response from the listening position.

The application then calculates what EQ needs to be applied in order to make up for the effects the room acoustics have on the listening position frequency response. In theory, this is a very user-friendly way to achieve something very exciting. In practice, I’ve gotten mixed results.

Since acquiring the 3010, I’ve changed rooms/apartments a number of times and in each new location, I’ve had different luck getting the “Auto-EQ” to do something that sounded beneficial. In some rooms, the “Auto-EQ” really did the trick – balancing out spectral peaks and valleys in an otherwise problematic acoustical space.

In other rooms, I much preferred the sound of the sub without the “Auto-EQ” feature enabled. Other features available via the smartphone app include adjustable level, sweepable phase, adjustable delay between 0 and 20ms, adjustable low pass filter between 40Hz and 150Hz, and eight bands of parametric EQ. All of these features together make for a remarkably flexible subwoofer.

Monoprice Monolith M-10 V2

• 72.5 lbs
• 10” Speaker
• Ported (pluggable) 
• 500 Watts RMS Class D

The Monoprice Monolith M-10 V2 has some similar features to the ELAC but they’re only accessible on the back of the subwoofer itself. On the back of the M-10, you’ll find adjustable crossover, adjustable phase, adjustable level, a crossover on/off switch, an EQ switch (Extended vs THX,) and an auto on/off switch. I think it’s worth noting that the lack of a smartphone app or remote makes the M-10 more difficult to dial in (than the ELAC or SVS) because you have to keep making adjustments and then returning to the listening position to re-evaluate. The EQ switch, which made a very slight adjustment in my room, is much less useful, in my opinion, than the adjustable parametric EQ’s available with the SVS and the ELAC.

It’s probably worth noting here that the Monolith M-10 is twice the size and weight of the other subwoofers in this roundup. At 72.5 lbs, I was unable to move the M-10 around the room without help. 

REL HT/1003

• 10” Speaker
• 33.3 lbs
• 300 Watts RMS Class D

Like the Monoprice, the REL HT/1003 has no remote or smartphone application so adjustments can only be made on the back of the unit. The features on the back of HT/1003 include an auto on switch, a phase flip switch (0 vs 180 degrees), adjustable crossover between 40 and LFE, and adjustable level. The REL is the most straightforward set of features with the least options for adjustments. Notably, the HT/1003 is the only sub that doesn’t have a sweepable phase setting. 

SVS SB-1000 Pro

• 12” Speaker
• 27 lbs
• 300 Watts RMS Class D

The SVS, like the ELAC, has a smartphone app that allows you to access all of the sub’s features remotely. Unlike the ELAC, the SVS also has physical controls on the back of the sub. That makes the SVS the only subwoofer of the lot that has both physical and remote controls.

Features on the SB-1000 Pro include level, presets, sweepable low pass filter between 30Hz and 200Hz, sweepable phase, 3 bands of parametric EQ, room gain compensation with adjustable frequency and slope, and the ability to save 3 alternative ‘presets’ with different collections of settings per preset. In my opinion, the SVS wins for the best set of features and customization options.

Sound

ELAC SUB3010

The Elac Debut 2.0 SUB3010, in my space, sounds the deepest and feels the most immersive. Perhaps due to its downward facing passive radiator, the 3010 seems to effortlessly fill the room with that classic movie theater quality low end physicality in a way that the other subwoofers can’t match.

However, the 3010 also sounds the sloppiest. Sometimes it even sounds like the subwoofer’s impact is hitting slightly behind the mark. The sub’s slow decay isn’t particularly noticeable with films but with music it can, especially with more up-tempo music, sound/feel really wonky as if the bass player/kick drum is constantly dragging behind the rest of the song.

With films however, the ELAC is a lot of fun. The ELAC managed to reproduce what sounded like the most detail in the lowest octaves while watching/listening to the official trailer for Blade Runner 2049. 

Monoprice Monolith M-10 V2

The Monoprice Monolith M-10 V2 did not get along with either room I tested it in. Even after putting in the work adjusting the cutoff, the phase, plugging the port, unplugging the port, flipping the “THX” vs “Extended” EQ switch, etc, etc, the Monolith just didn’t sound as punchy as the SVS or REL, or as deep as the ELAC.

REL HT/1003

The REL HT/1003 is hands down the punchiest and snappiest sounding sub of the bunch. The REL sounds like it does the best job keeping up with both my home theater speakers and studio speakers in terms of speed and decay. The REL quickly disappears/grooves into both systems with minimal manipulation of cutoff/phase etc. However, the REL has the least power in the lowest octaves. The lack of REL’s sub frequency potency was obvious and disappointing when using the Blade Runner 2049 official trailer to compare the subwoofers directly. 

SVS SB-1000 Pro

The SVS SB-1000 Pro is, in my opinion, the goldilocks subwoofer of the lot in terms of sub frequency power and mid bass punch. The SB-1000 Pro doesn’t sound quite as punchy as the REL or as thunderous as the ELAC, but it gets close enough to both.

The SB-1000 gives the Blade Runner trailer a satisfying amount of rumble and up-tempo music and a satisfying amount of punchiness to the mid bass beyond what the speakers can output on their own. All of this is true even before diving into the myriad of settings and customizations through the app which only improves the subwoofer’s sonic performance.

Conclusion

It’s hard to say which subwoofer is the winner here as they each have their own strengths and weaknesses. If you’re looking for a subwoofer for home theater use exclusively, I would probably recommend the ELAC due to its ground shaking capabilities.

If you’re looking to add a subwoofer to a stereo system that’s only used for music, it’s somewhat of a tossup between the REL and the SVS. The REL is the punchier sounding subwoofer while the SVS is less punchy but has more low end girth to it.

Based on the way it behaved in my space, I wouldn’t recommend the Monolith over the other options in this roundup. However, your mileage may vary! The Monolith has the highest output in watts RMS so it may make more sense in a larger space that requires the M-10’s higher output.

Specifications

Test Tracks

Where to buy:

SVS SB-1000 Pro – $599 at Amazon | Crutchfield | svsound.com

REL HT/1003 – $598 at Amazon | Adorama

ELAC SUB3010 – $649 at Crutchfield | Adorama

Monolith M-10 V2 – $549 at Amazon | Monoprice

Note: Pricing may vary based on current promotions.