Rockville RW10CA 10" 2-Ohm Slim Powered Under-Seat Car Subwoofer

I installed the Rockville RW10CA 10" Active Subwoofer in my compact car, and it has completely transformed my audio experience. Despite its slim 2.7-inch low-profile design, the sub delivers deep, clean bass that punches well above its size. The built-in 800W peak amplifier with adjustable low-pass filter and bass boost allows me to fine-tune the sound perfectly for different genres, from hip-hop to rock and EDM. Installation was straightforward, especially with the included remote bass knob and mounting hardware. The compact design meant it fit easily under my seat without taking up precious cargo space. All connections were clearly labeled, and the sub’s quality construction feels solid and durable. I appreciate that it does not rattle at normal volumes and maintains clarity even when cranked up. The subwoofer provides excellent value for money, offering performance similar to larger, more expensive setups. Its compact size, ease of installation, and functionality make it perfect for anyone wanting powerful bass without sacrificing space or convenience. I highly recommend this sub for anyone looking to upgrade their car audio system with a simple yet highly effective solution.

UPDATE: 3 years later and still going strong. Now installed into a 21 kia soul and again it fills out the low end nicely. Even if it suddenly dies tomorrow it's been a great investment so far. NOTE I suspect blown units are a result of people cranking up bass boost. Don't do this. Keep it nearly off and get your desired sound via gain. The thing will rattle your rear view mirror but don't try to get more out of it or you'll kill it. It pairs well with 8 or even 10 Guage amp wiring. I don't know how this sub would work out with a more powerful aftermarket system, but I purposely bought it to give my 2018 Kia Soul's stock audio some bottom end. In my car it fit in nicely under my seat on some custom built PVC risers, and the instructions made it easy enough for a non-pro to install it and get it working. This is a huge upgrade over any stock system - the bass is not going to rattle your teeth, but you will feel and hear it. When tuned right it's punchy and extremely clear. It's a marked improvement over stock radio, or even stock subwoofers. Heat is not an issue - my seat has a AC vent under it that blows directly on the bottom side of the amp - it's barely warm to the touch after several hours of use. I don't know the durability - I've only had it in for two weeks, but it really sounds incredible for a $120 piece of audio equipment. I wasn't looking for hearing loss - just a significant sound quality upgrade. ***IMPORTANT NOTE*** Actually tune the sub right. Bass Boost shouldn't really be touched here, set your gain correctly on the amp so it's loud but doesn't distort, and set the HPF correctly, and it'll sound great. Touch the 'Bass Boost' knob and you'll have muddy boomy bass.

The world of self-powered subs is populated with a lot of different devices that offer various means to a solid low end. There are bazooka-style subwoofer tubes a-plenty, and more than a few angular, carpeted boxes with built-in crossovers and their own amps. Despite their relative simplicity, especially when compared to speaker enclosures that need external power amps (and the required wiring from the head unit, and then to the cabinet), the problem with many of these all-in-ones is the amount of space they take up, and the aesthetics - or lack, thereof - for those who are seeking an install that won't detract from the factory look of their car or truck's cabin or boot, or take up precious cargo space. I wasn't concerned about either; my 2010 Ford Transit Connect is a work vehicle. My desire for a sub started when I recently ditched the crappy factory radio for a Bluetooth-capable Binize head unit. Once in, I was surprised at just how much the new radio could wring from the little van's 5 1/4 inch, door-mounted factory speakers, which sounded suddenly much clearer... but it was equally clear that these wee cones could never hope to present the bass I knew I was missing. So, I decided to have a look at powered subs. The Rockville unit was very reasonably priced, and it promised to deliver the bass I wanted, while also disappearing under the driver's seat, thanks to its flat speaker, pastry-box architecture, and sub-four-inch installed height. The unit arrived quickly, and it's an impressive bit of kit - heavy, nicely finished, and packed along with a great set of instructions and clearly-packaged outboard hardware. The installation took an afternoon; in addition to the power wire (not supplied; 4 gauge, through a grommet in the firewall, direct tap to the positive side of the battery, with a store-bought circuit breaker) and the wire that tells the amp to switch on when the radio is turned on (12-gauge, not supplied), I had to run RCA cables (also not supplied, but the same as those you'd use on a home stereo) between the head unit and the sub. The sub also has to be grounded - not a big deal, since any good chassis ground does the job. A short bit of 12-ga. wire and a ring terminal on a seat-mounting bolt did the job, there. Thanks to a neat set of four rubber "feet" which screw onto the unit's sides, then offer screw holes for mounting the unit to the floor, the physical installation was very easy - and I didn't have to take the seat out of the truck (though doing so wouldn't have added a lot to the install time). I just had to slide the seat forward, then, back to access the mounts. There are marked, easily-accessed terminals for the incoming signal and voltage, and a special phone-style plug for the included remote volume knob (which I mounted under the dash). The cable for the remote is a substantial length, and the connectors are already on. Since I didn't want to have to crimp any new ends on, I left it at the length it arrived at, and once it was run along with the other cables, along the sill and kick plate, I just bundled it and zip-tied it securely in a space up under the dash. Once it was all in, all that was left was to set the controls to my liking, and here, again, the included instructions were a big help. There are switches for phase, and for different types of input; the former will offer a subtle shift in the "feel" of the bass, and the latter toggle has to do with whether your radio has output jacks (again - like a home stereo) or if you'll need to tap into the wires that run to your speakers (not as good, sonically, but still a workable solution). Powered subs are blunt-force tools, especially when they're parked directly under your seat, so, it took a bit of not entirely unpleasant fiddling to set the baseline. Adjustments to the overall power of the amp, and the crossover point that determines how much bass the sub will be asked to siphon from the signal supplied, and how much will be ignored, are inset into the back plate, and are accessible and adjustable with a screwdriver. Once the foundation was set, thanks to the dash-mounted remote volume knob, I was able to adjust just how much I wanted to blast my southern regions and the immediate area surrounding the truck. And blast, it does. All in all, I'm really pleased with the unit. It's not something I'd brag to an audiophile about, but if you're looking for a solid piece that does the job, I can't recommend it enough. The remote is a big plus to keep things well-blended from rock, to classical/jazz, to news and weather programming (and the blue "on" light isn't too distracting, if you mount the knob low enough on your dash). If you're handy, and have the right tools (power drill/driver, crimpers, strippers, a basic working knowledge of car wiring), go for it.

I installed this into my 2010 MX-5 Miata (aka NC Miata). As anyone can guess, there isn't much room at all to add a subwoofer to the interior of this car. I didn't want to install anything in the trunk so I could keep the little amount of storage available in this car. Installation was reasonably easy IMO. Since the amp is built in, that definitely helped making this process quicker and less complicated. The OEM Bose system was already replaced a couple years ago with a Pioneer DMH-C2550NEX head unit. If you have RCA connections in your head unit, then I'd highly recommend buying the Rockville RWK81 8 gauge install kit, which had everything I needed. This sub did not fit under my seat, but did fit perfect behind it. Love that it has it's own separate power/volume control to match your taste if your head unit can't do it. In my little car, I only need to use the minimum power for the majority of music to maybe a tiny bit more for some other songs. My goal was to get nice clean bass, not an annoying boom, though this sub can give much more than I want or need if I turned up the power knob. Quite funny to me.... a couple different car audio businesses told me that I would never get a decent bass in that car due to it's small size, especially with the top down. Well... This sounds great with the top up or down. Based on my experience, I would highly recommend this sub and would buy it for another car if I needed it for sure. Edit... Several days after installing this, there was an intermittent power issue where sometimes it's on and sometimes it shuts off. I saw at least one other person saying they had this issue. All connections seemed tight, so I tested them all with a volt meter. All passed except from the inline fuse (separate Rockville install kit) to the sub. The connection seemed tight, however after removing the connection cover, it was just snug. Either I didn't tighten it enough when I installed it and/or if may have vibrated loose. I reinstalled the cable further into the fuse case, tightened the screw, then made sure the plastic cover on that side of the connection was very tight. So far, seems like that issue was resolved and has been working good. If you do use an install kit from any company, just make sure all of the connections are very tight. Before you blame the product... It's probably a loose connection... just like I found.

Had one of these. it definitely made my truck sound better if you’re looking for deep Lowes, this is not it, but the durability is amazing. I have mine for four years decided to put it on my boat and destroyed it.. very reliable indeed

I spend a lot of time out on the road seeing how I'm in the construction trade. I ordered this unit the last couple of days of February and received it on the 2nd of march. I was scheduled to go for 3-4 weeks on an out of town project and didn't have time to install the unit in my '04 Silverado before I left, so I was eagerly anticipating my return to do so. once I returned a week or so ago, I finally got a day in where I could install the amp in a professional manner (I was an installer for 4 years awhile back, and know the drill.), so I took my time, read through all the instructions, and did things the right way. Shortening this up, I finished the install yesterday, but waited till today to give it a try. The install was relatively simple with no real hitches other than pulling my deck and running the RCA's, and after power testing the unit (following the recommended procedures in the install brochure) I finally had it adjusted where it was sounding surprisingly nice, even at low settings. My drive to Lowe's was about 20 minutes so I had a chance to toy with the EQ and SUB settings but kept it slightly under 50% volume. About 15 minutes into the trip I noticed that the [Bass] volume level had diminished considerably, so I finished my shopping and and checked it out in the parking lot. For some UNKNOWN reason, the amp just QUIT working. I tried adjusting the volume, gains, and even checked the remote by jumping it from the hot wire. NOTHING! Bottom line: Since I was out of town working when the unit arrived, needless to say, my return window slammed shut with my $140 I paid for this boat anchor on the other side of it, and now I have no recourse but to write this detailed review in hopes nobody else has to experience this major disappointment. As I mentioned, it sounded GREAT for the 15 minutes or so that it worked. So much so that I was considering a second unit to enhance the bass in my vehicle without all the window-shattering lows and excess volume. That's not going to happen now. But the pretty BLUE BOAT ANCHOR might look nice on the wall in my shop as a conversation piece!

So let me start by saying that I’ve been in the car audio industry for 23 years, that’s longer then most of you have been alive. These new underseat mini subs with built in amplifiers are something you’ve really only seen in masses in the last few years. I’ve never heard much good or bad about the Rockville line of equipment, but I can say it seems like they’re making a name for themselves in the industry as of late. I have a 2010 Transit van I use for a mobile service business I run, and it has zero room in the passenger compartment as it has a steel partition that separates the front from the cargo area. The 10” sub fits PERFECTLY under the front driver seat, with literally less than an inch between the rails on either side. I have 6.5” woofers in each door, and a 5.25 component set in the “A” pillars in custom pods I built, and while they sound great, there’s just no bass. Well the Rockville sub totally fixed that. I had my doubts... 2.5” mounting height?! Literally less than .2cuft in the enclosure?!! Don’t be fooled, this thing BRINGS IT. Now, is it a normal 6” deep 10” subwoofer? No. But for its size it’s totally out of this world. I’m running mine from a Kenwood DDX26BT with sub output, and I’m at “0” on the sub out, and about 1/2 up in the bass knob, and it 100% has the ability to overpower my component speakers. Trust me, it’s worth every penny. Pros : -super small -super efficient -loud for size -fits anywhere -sq is on par with a normal 10” sub Cons: -with a 25amp fuse, it’s a physically impossibility it’s 800watts. Can’t happen. 12volts x 25 amps =300 watts at 100% efficiency. I would say this package is 200watts max. -Rap bass can get a little muddy and hit a ceiling pretty quickly.

Very solid build quality. However, I would not recommend this to anyone other than a pickup owner or a small car where it could be mounted inside the driver’s compartment, under or behind the seat where it belongs. I have a small 4 door car, the sub is mounted inside the trunk because I do not have space to put it in the cabin. The results are underwhelming. When I’m sitting still, it ‘sounds’ good. When moving down the road, the sound is virtually non existent and you certainly cannot ‘feel’ it. I will tinker with positioning and adjustments and update this review in a day or 4. But for now, SAVE YOUR MONEY and opt for an 8” enclosure, you will not likely regret the decision, especially if you cannot mount this under your seat. Edit. This speaker was finally installed in a standard cab ranger. Much better sounding than in a car. You’re still not going to impress anyone outside of your vehicle, or inside your vehicle..but it does add a little depth to the music and it fits nicely behind the seat.

Very well Built, Packaging is excellent, highly recommended. Bass is very good and remote bass control is very convenient.

I have a Ram 1500 so space for a sub is limited. I have been searching for a while and actually bought a different Low Profile sub on amazon from another seller. Within 10 seconds of turning it on, the sub blew up. I hadnt turned the gain or bass boost or anything up yet. Needless to say, i was dissappointed. I then had this sub show up in my items related to ones ive viewed so i looked into it. Little higher price than what i wanted, but i figured it would be worth it. Got the sub and it is extremely well built! Made of actual metal as opposed to plastic ones from competitors. Your not going to get window shattering bass out of this, but I was able to greatly improve the bass in the truck with this little 10" sub that fits perfectly under the rear seats. It also does just enough to lower the bass out of the door speakers, resulting in a cleaner sound overall! Highly recommend to anyone looking for a sub and is limited to space!

This product is soo much better than expected. Sound quality is fantastic and at a budget price. Highly recommended

Easy to install, great value, only been in the Jeep for 1 day so I can’t speak to longevity but so far this blew my expectations, It’s not super loud, it’s not going to shake your windows, but it complemented my crappy base in my Jeep very nicely and now I can actually stand to listen to music when I’m off road. Does what I need and more, well done

I installed it in the trunk of my Ford Mustang convertible. My Mustang is a base version with 4 "wide-band" speakers, and no bass at all. Now, it sounds much better, the sound is nicely balanced. If you expect it to generate an earthquake, you'd better go get something else, this thing is not that powerful. But you will need a woofer, an amplifier, a case, a low-pass filter, a line-out converter, that might get expensive. Here, you get a all-in-one package at reasonable price. It would probably sound much better if installed in a cabin of a hatchback or a pickup truck. I installed in the trunk, so the sound is attenuated. It could have beed a little bit louder, so I give it 4 out of 5 for sound quality. It doesn't take much space, because of its compact size. You could put it under the seat too. I'm quite satisfied with this product.