I think it's an awesome idea, Erin.
Above $400usd, there's well-known and measured subs like
RSL Speedwoofer 10s ($400usd) and
SVS SB-1000 ($500usd).
But below $400, there's a lot of options that are never tested.
Audioholics doesnt measure budget subwoofers.
Brent Butterworth from Wirecutter tested the most budget subwoofers of anyone. Here's a list of his
tested models.
Another source is data-bass.com, but they don't seem to be measuring anymore.
Overall, there's a lot of budget subs that were never tested.
I see
recommendation guides like this from reddit and I shake my head.
They just give blank recommendations based on woofer size, so the user is left wondering what model to choose from (there's 14 options for 15" subwoofer, for example).
Are these subwoofers for a small room, medium or large room?
It's anyone's guess.
What I do like is that Audioholics created the "
Bassaholic" rating, which ranks the ability of subwoofer to a reference level of SPL in relation to the size of the room.
This is a much better indicator of a good subwoofer, as it shows that the subwoofer can hit a certain SPL for a given size of room.