In many of the best soundbars and music systems, subwoofers are connected by wires More recently, however, subwoofers have become Wi-Fi enabled, connecting wirelessly to dedicated TV speakers or grouped with speakers in their own ecosystem, as in the Sonos Sub Mini

Instead of Wi-Fi, the PreSonus Eris Sub 8BT subwoofer uses Bluetooth technology to get as close to a universal audio add-on as possible Smaller and less expensive than many, the Sub 8BT adds bass and midrange to a wide variety of music, movies, and games, with plenty of adjustment and customization options

The best part is that rather than only working with a small group of soundbars or speaker sets, the Ellis Sub 8BT's Bluetooth allows you to connect anything from a smartphone, tablet, or computer and not support Bluetooth It can also be wired to form part of a traditional stereo speaker setup It can also be wired in to form part of a conventional stereo speaker setup that does not support Bluetooth; see our review below to see what the PreSonus Eris Sub 8BT subwoofer can do

The PreSonus Eris Sub 8BT is available directly from the PreSonus website It is priced at $199 and is also available at Amazon and Walmart for the same price In the UK, it is available on Amazon for £169, half the price of the $430 Sonos Sub Mini or the $400 Sony SA-SW3

The enclosure of the Sub 8BT is made of MDF fiberboard It is only available in black and comes with sturdy rubber feet to isolate it from the floor; at 128" x 116" x 98" and weighing 163 pounds, it is compact and light enough to move around the room until I could decide on placement

The Eris Sub 8BT, like the company's Eris Sub 8, has a single 8-inch woofer It has a ported design, with an open slot on the front and an LED below it that glows green when connected

Powered by a 100W class-AB amplifier, the PreSonus Eris Sub 8BT sounds clean, according to PreSonus tests, handling frequencies from 30Hz to 200Hz and adding deep bass Lacking the Sub Mini's ability to reach frequencies as low as 25 Hz because it can rattle windows, few will be able to hear or feel the difference

There are several ways to personalize the output: gain controls from 30 dB to +6 dB, a high-pass (80 Hz) filter, and a 180-degree phase switch The most impactful control was the variable low-pass filter, adjustable from 50Hz to 130Hz, which was useful for integrating the sub-8BT's output with other speaker systems or rooms

While other wireless subwoofers connect via Wi-Fi or proprietary technology, the Sub 8BT uses Bluetooth 50 and can retain two profiles, eliminating the need to manually re-pair devices There is also the flexibility of a wired option with a choice of a balanced TRS phono plug and a pair of unbalanced RCA inputs Outputs are also provided to drive other speakers

The PreSonus Sub 8BT comes with a 5-foot power cable that connects directly to the subwoofer; the Bluetooth range covers about 48 feet and worked well in corners and near walls as well as under desks

Setup is not as easy as a wireless subwoofer partnered with the best soundbar, which is preconfigured to automatically connect I used three different methods First, I paired the Samsung Galaxy Note 20 via Bluetooth and connected the Edifier powered speakers to the Sub 8BT; after pressing the pair button on the Sub 8BT for a few seconds, the LED changed from white to flashing blue and green, indicating it was ready to pair It immediately appeared on the phone's Bluetooth interface, and the connection was made in less than a minute

We then used a hybrid approach, connecting the Mac Mini entertainment computer and the Samsung 43" Smart Display to the Monoprice soundbar via optical audio link and to the Sub 8BT via Bluetooth The hybrid approach was used This approach required streaming to the two speakers using Apple's Audio Midi Setup app

Another approach was for older, pre-Bluetooth hardware in the basement party room, such as the Sherwood RX-4503 audio receiver and Acoustic Research speakers Sub 8BT, also with RCA cables, retrofitting a Sennheiser BT T100 Bluetooth transmitter to the receiver worked well

After three weeks of daily use and trying different locations and settings, the Sub 8BT lacked a tuning and control app In contrast, the Sonos Sub Mini has powerful Trueplay tuning that easily integrates the room and speaker system

Overall, the Eris Sub 8BT added extra punch, power, and richness, no matter which connection method was used It was especially noticeable in making up for what was lacking in the Edifier speakers With the low-pass filter set at an aggressive 130 Hz, the sub provided excellent bass and midrange extension that enlivened the Grateful Dead's "Box of Rain," remastered in 2001 The result was a well-balanced, full-range audio experience that effectively compensated for the midrange and low-frequency tones that the main speakers missed without obscuring the guitar tracks or muddying the vocals The drum and bass tracks combined to create a texture that could be heard and felt, further enhancing the soulful experience of the song

On Drake's "Back to Back," the sub-speaker's full-throated bass highlighted the drum and bass guitar tracks without becoming boomy or rumbling Still, his unique voice came through loud and clear, and on Trombone Shorty's "Something Beautiful," the added bass punch mixed well with the drum tone On the other hand, the gain had to be turned down so that the low frequencies did not overwhelm the rest of the track

With a Mac Mini, Samsung Smart Screen, and Monoprice soundbar, the Eris Sub 8BT turned my office into a home theater, bringing out the best in movies and online video For example, in the opening scene of "Raiders of the Lost Ark," the audio was more powerful, from the sounds of the jungle to the click of Indiana Jones' revolver to the crack of his whip In the escape scene, the subwoofer excelled with the realistic bass of the giant rock ball chasing Indiana Jones and the eerie thud of Indiana Jones' guide as he fell to the ground dead

Next, in "Europa Report," the subwoofer added energy and urgency to the roaring solar flare scene and increased the aural intensity of the rocket explosion sequence I did notice a slight echo in the dialogue, however, which was easily fixed by turning down the gain and low-pass filter a bit It was easily fixed by turning down the gain and low-pass filter a bit; PreSonus missed a great opportunity to add a phone app to control the subwoofer's Bluetooth capabilities without getting up and running

Overall, the wireless capabilities of the Sub 8BT were impressive with my conventional audio receiver and Acoustic Research passive speakers The effect was subtle but exciting in the treble-heavy prelude to Arnold Schoenberg's oratorio Greleader In addition to making the kettle drums more prominent, the Sub 8BT's contribution made the piece richer and more tension-filled

Without a doubt, the most surprising aspect of the Sub 8BT is its ability to work with a variety of audio equipment and fill in the missing tones to enhance the experience In fact, it worked equally well with my Edifer powered speakers as well as the Monoprice soundbar and Acoustic Research passive speakers

Able to expand your audio world without cables, the PreSonus Eris Sub 8BT subwoofer is the perfect complement to the audio in your cell phone, conventional stereo, computer, or soundbar Not only can it compensate for missing tones and add punch to music, movies, etc, but it can be connected via traditional analog cable or Bluetooth, opening up a variety of wiring (and de-wiring) possibilities

The most appealing aspect of the surprisingly small Sub 8BT is its $199 price tag Finally, the Sub 8BT is one of the most flexible options I've come across at this price, but I fully expect others to follow suit For now, the PreSonus Sub 8BT is the best Bluetooth subwoofer at this price