Rockville RVB8.1A Powered Subwoofer vs Yamaha NS-SW100 Subwoofer

These are not rivals in the same room. The Rockville RVB8.1A is a car sub: an 8-inch driver in a vented hatchback-style box with a built-in 200W RMS amp, a dashboard bass remote and high-level inputs, so it drops into a factory system without a separate amp. The Yamaha NS-SW100BL is a home sub: a 10-inch driver with Advanced YST II and a Twisted Flare port, rated 100W dynamic and 50W continuous, reaching down to 25 Hz. Buy the Rockville for a vehicle, the Yamaha for a living room. Owners of the Rockville praise the bass for its size and the easy install; Yamaha's line is known for clean, tight bass rather than room-shaking output.

• Choose the Rockville RVB8.1A if you want more low end in a car or truck and would rather run one powered box off speaker-level inputs than install a separate amp.
• Choose the Yamaha NS-SW100BL if you are adding bass to a stereo or home theater setup and want a compact, well-built sub with Yamaha's YST and port tuning.