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Since I've joined this site I've seen and heard of more stereo equipment that I ever had my whole life. I thought I knew of alot of brands and what was good and what wasn't but I'm learning thats' not true everyday.. I want to see everyones opinion on what the 5 BEST brand of subwoofers available. I know everyone might think something a little different but hopefull if enough people give some feedback then some of the responses should have some similiarities........

 
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no price range???

 
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Setup will make or break a sub and is a very very important part of the process.

When I had my Soundstream SPL's I went through 3 different prefab boxes before I was happy.

First I had a sealed box that was too small. Was not happy at all.
Second I had a bandpass. Far louder than the sealed, but way too damn boomy.
Last I had a sealed that was just the right size. Actually sounded way better and was just as loud as the bandpass.

Subs: mass market, above average, that the average person would have access to off the top of my head.

Eclipse Aluminums
JL W6's
Rockford Power HX2's
Alpine Type-R's
Infinity Perfects
Kicker L7's
Diamond M6's

 
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Overall peformers.(in no particular order)

JL audio 12W7
JL Audio 12W6v.2
Audiomobile Mass
Eclipse 88120 Ti
IDMAX 12v.1

All out SPL.
DD9915
DD9515
JL 13W7
RF Power HX2
RE XXX 15

Best sound.(no particular order)
Illusion audio ND10
Cerwin Vega Stroker 12
Boston Acoustics 12.5LF
PPI Pro flat piston 15's
JL audio 12W7

 
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IMO, these are the top brands that I have heard and liked a majority of the products that I have heard made by them in Subs (keep in mind that I have not heard nearly close to everything):

1. JL
2. Image Dynamics
3. Eclipse
4. Kicker
5. Cerwin Vega

Keep in mind that if you go to a car show in LA 95 % of the cars will be running one of the first four that I listed so
Also, different subs have different strngths too [IMG]i/expressions/face-icon-small-tongue.gif[/IMG]

 
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1. Lightning Audio Storm Series
2. Rockford
3. Digital Designs
4. JL
5. Image Dymanics

If you thiking RF for SPL look into our Team RF woofers. Is what all our major competitors use and won with at DB Drag World Finals.

 
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you totally cant ask this. no BRAND is the best producer of anything, even my opinion that the 12w7 is the best subwoofer is meaningless, cause if i were to say JL outperforms rockford, you really think a w0 outperforms an HX2? cause they are both JL and rockford.....

furthermore, lets say you redefine your idea, best models subwoofers. the best woofer is that which is installed correctly! you put that 12w7 in a terrible box, i guarantee you that eclipse 86 series woofer you paid $100 for will sound better if you took the time to install it correctly! Even my 4 year old 10" sont xplod woofers that are gettting burned and are wasting away could outperform a w7 if that w7 werent taken care of and installed properly!

the bottom like is that "best" is defined not by BRAND, not even by MODEL of subwoofer, not by what you use to power it, not what car you put it in , not even what TYPE of box you put it in (sealed ported etc) its the time you took to prepare teh car for high pressure, teh deadening, the amount you put into teh box to keep it from flexing, to minimize the amount of tuning you have to do because of a peaky response, the total package!

you cant even say JL is better than pyramid. cant. cause if you took the time to install that pyramid properly (and noone would) but didnt with whatever JL woofer you bought, more likely than not that pyramid will, yes, outperform that JL.

the very question isnt answerable. there is no best. perfect example. why do so many hate the w7 and so many absolutely love it? i guarantee you it has nothing to do with personal opinion as to how it sounds.......

 
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ROCKFORD FOSGATE hands down...ive never heard of n e thing else that even comes close

 
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Read the post just aboive this..and you really need to get out more often [IMG]i/expressions/face-icon-small-smile.gif[/IMG]

 
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I guess I should have more clearly defined the question. I'm talking about buying a sub, putting it in an enclosure that the manufacturer recommends and THATS IT. I don't want to compete, I just wanted know what the most popular brands are the people have had favorable experiences with. I agree that theres more to a sub than just a sub, but I also know that, you buy two different speakers and put the same amp on them, same enclosure, same car and alot of the times there will be a difference. I'm not talking about taking it to the extreme, I don't have the time for all that, I just wanted to know straight out the crate and into your car what subs perform the best in everyones opinion.

 
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in that case...

no BRAND is the best producer of anything, even my opinion that the 12w7 is the best subwoofer is meaningless, cause if i were to say JL outperforms rockford, you really think a w0 outperforms an HX2? cause they are both JL and rockford.....

furthermore, lets say you redefine your idea, best models subwoofers. the best woofer is that which is installed correctly! you put that 12w7 in a terrible box, i guarantee you that eclipse 86 series woofer you paid $100 for will sound better if you took the time to install it correctly! Even my 4 year old 10" sont xplod woofers that are gettting burned and are wasting away could outperform a w7 if that w7 werent taken care of and installed properly!

the bottom like is that "best" is defined not by BRAND, not even by MODEL of subwoofer, not by what you use to power it, not what car you put it in , not even what TYPE of box you put it in (sealed ported etc) its the time you took to prepare teh car for high pressure, teh deadening, the amount you put into teh box to keep it from flexing, to minimize the amount of tuning you have to do because of a peaky response, the total package!

you cant even say JL is better than pyramid. cant. cause if you took the time to install that pyramid properly (and noone would) but didnt with whatever JL woofer you bought, more likely than not that pyramid will, yes, outperform that JL.

the very question isnt answerable. there is no best. perfect example. why do so many hate the w7 and so many absolutely love it? i guarantee you it has nothing to do with personal opinion as to how it sounds.......






you put it in a factory spec box and fire it forward, get a buncha canncellation, wonder why it sounds shitty, then fire it to the rear, it sounds beutiful? on the same subwoofer? much less different?

we CANT say one brand, even model will sound better than another based solly on that its installed in factory spec box. theres just too many factors involved. even the kind of music you like factors inot the equasion! if you walk into a shop and say you need a subwoofer, if he is worth his weight in ********* he will start by asking what your vehicle and musical tastes are.

but you could define every possible variable, and STILL there is no BEST subwoofer out there. you simply can NOT define it. well, you cant define it and be speaking absolute truth, that is.

 
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I see what you are getting at dude...you may want to rephrase you question in order to get the reponse that you are looking for. One way you could possibly get the answer you want is to ask strait out what is everyone currently running in their rides [IMG]i/expressions/face-icon-small-tongue.gif[/IMG] That way you can get an idea of what is the most "popular"

 
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again, even that isnt the ideal question...

If i had the money and time, i would have 5-10 cars, exact same kind of car, each with its own ridiculous stereo, every single one different.

Not only can you say that there is no best speaker, you can also say that there is no single install that will suit everyone's needs.

I wish that I could do an installation that would win SQ comps, break the world record at DB drag, and sound badass in EVERY application, be it Death metal, Goodie Mobb or some ghetto *** music, Classical music, Underground Hip Hop, Electronica, and talk radio.

Another issue is that MOST people done have their desired system due to financial reasons. I bet that everyone on this forum has one car audio product that they WISH they could have. I personally know that if we had the time, money, and means, myself, Whiterabbit, Mohawkboom, Subrage, SQCivic, SQCivicEX, and a few others would probably buy every speaker that ever exists and has existed and we would play with them, probably doing some insane installs in the process...

Stick around for a while in the field, and most importantly BE OPEN MINDED ABOUT THINGS. You have no idea how many people I deal with every day both here and at other forums and chat rooms that have this notion imprinted in their minds that they know what the best product and brand in the world is, and they refuse to listen to anything else nor try anything else. Youll soon learn what you want and need to know, and maybe youll become an obsessive car audio junkie like those of us on here that are.

Any questions from any of you or if you guys are ever just really curious about learning this stuff, you should go to caraudioforum.com and go to the chat room, I'm there every day along with Whiterabbit, and mohawkboom has been known to make his rare appearances there. Theres also a few other people that come into that room that are VERY knowledgeable about this stuff...

I'm done ranting... i should make a car audio FAQ soon using this info andother stuff...

 
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I have a JL 10W7 in the H.O. (high Output) JL box running the JL 500/1 amp and 1 farad digital cap. it F**kin' hits hard i also have had sevearl other name brands in a 12" size and they don't come close to the performance of the JL. for the extra money i would recomend JL W7 series, my system is set up for sound quality and 10W7 in the H.O. box sounds so true. The great thing about the W7 when you roll up next to someone that thinks that there stock stereo is the sh*t, all you need to do is turn up the sub level and then the volume and put them in there place!!![IMG]i/expressions/demon.gif[/IMG]


Deck:
Clairon DXZ925 (singal DIN folds to Double DIN)
Frontstage:
custom installed focal Utopia's 6.5 comp. (real ones)
JL 300/2w
triple dynamat on each door
Rearstage:
custom installed focal Utopia's 6.5 comp. (real ones)
JL 300/2w
SUB:
JL10W7 in HO box, powered by a JL 500/1
soom to be custom installed
every thing is wierd via Monster cable
all amps are backed by a one farad digital cap.

 
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I swear you make everything so DIRE serious and critical WR. Anyways I think you'd be absolutely right IF, I was asking for "PROOF" of what the best subwoofer was? BUT I'M not. I wanted to hear some OPINIONS..let me say it again....OPINIONS! So you're right a "more monstrous" subwoofer might not sound as well as a "cheaper" subwoofer due to the lighting, shading, and other external forces......My idea was for people to throw out some names, I investigate see if I like them and maybe buy some?? I was asking for OPINIONS WR, so YES.....YES you can ask that question. IMO I wasn't looking for a definitive answer, as you have already explained that can be done. But you can ask what people (in their own minds, ideas and thoughts) think are the best subs...bye

 
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lol this is some funny *** ****...

 
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ok, fine, my opinions on good subs to get....this is just out of the things I have heard...I know there are plenty of other things to go for, and this is definately not the be all and end all list......I agree completely with White Rabbit and Mohawk...these are all subs I have heard in my car BTW, with the exception of the Rockford, the Memphis and the 13.5" W6v2...but I know it's an amazing sub [IMG]i/expressions/face-icon-small-smile.gif[/IMG].......(2k2 coupe)

Entry Level:
JL W0
Diamond CM3
Memphis Audio (Dont know models)
Xtant

Mid/Above Average
Diamond M6
JL W3v2
JL 10 or 12" W6v2
Alpine Type R
Rockford HX2

Amazing [IMG]i/expressions/face-icon-small-smile.gif[/IMG]
JL Audio W7 series
JL Audio 13.5" W6v2
Diamond TDX (incredible for the price, less than $500)


OK, thats it.....yeah.....talk to shops, you can tell when they are bsing you about something......dont go to Tweeter.

And listen, listen, listen to as many different subs as you can....most reputable places will allow you to take a sub out to your car and see how it sounds with your amp and such....just ask. If they want to sell you something, they'll let you do it. [IMG]i/expressions/face-icon-small-smile.gif[/IMG]

 
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I'm with White Rabbit and Ludlam on this one. Even if you ask for peoples opinions your still not going to get the answer that you personally may be looking for. No one is going to respond to this and tell you that their subs arent loud and loud isnt the same to everyone. To some people loud might be high 130's, other in the 140's. I don't think a system is loud until it breaks 152 and you can't swallow properly. Personally I have built many sub enclosures using many different sub and amp combos and its all about the design of the box.

Anyone can tell you there system is loud but the human ear is far from a great tool for measuring that. Once its run on an SPL meter then someone can tell you their system is loud and you can compare.

Don't take anyones word for it. Go listen to a bunch of different subs and decide yourself what you consider loud.

 
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yes, you can define the best sub, you rate things to it's fullest potential, for example, let's use two cars as an example, Ford Festiva and a Mclaren F1, according to your reasoning, depending on conditions, the Ford Festiva is a better car then the Mclaren F1, although true, it's just unheard of. A JL sub at it's best is far greater then the 89.99 mtx subwoofer you bought on ebay at it's best. The potential for greatness is larger in a more refined product, regardless if it's a sub or if it's a car.

 
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then why doesn't every SQ competitor and every dbdrag competitor use the same sub....

 
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dude i think you guys are being a lil too picky here...
compare a sony xlod vs a 12w7... yes the sony xlod can be louder and sound better then a 12w7 depending on the install but realistically who's going to use sony xlods in a competition.

 
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the same reason why people don't use the same car. There is financial constraints and sometimes people want to achieve something using something different, besides, in it's purest form, the best is what your opinion of best is, if you like fuel economy, and being comfortable, you might think the civic is the best car, but if you like all out power, then you might think another car is best, now, I think the word we should be using is what is better, not what is best, there is no definitive term that we can all agree on with the word best.

The reason people don't use the same subs in competition is because, they are all powered differently, a certain combination of amps, crossovers, connections, sound deadening material....etc, is used to achieve the best setup. Okay, you can't tell what sub is best, but you know that the jL sub is made with more quality then the cheaper mtx sub (refering to my original post) because it is easier to acheive a good sound from it, yes you can make the MTX sound just as good as the JL, if not, better but the kind of effort, time and money spent on it will not be worth it, you can probably just get better wiring and outdo the MTX at full load.

 
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maybe a better way to rephrase the questions would be...
what would YOU get if you were going for SQ, for SPL and for SQL.

 
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REAL competitors have no financial constraints... these people spend more on wiring than we do on our systems...

 
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honestly? i couldn't tell you... i'd probably buy a whole sh!tload of speakers and try them all out, and if there was no financial constraints, i'd probably have multiple setups for each one....

12 civics, 4 sq, 4 spl, and 4 sql.... i'd be in heaven... hehheheheh

im gonna dumb myself down and make you happy

$0 - $200

shiva
tempest
w3v2
idq

$200 - $400

infinity perfect
HCCA
eclipse alum
w6v2

$400 - $600

IDMAX
Any W7
DD 9500 series
eclipse ti
phoenix gold TI
RE XXX
inhuman


i would buy them all and put them in different cars if i could

 
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true, how do you feel about the rest of the post???

 
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you make a point, and its the same point that i give people to an extent, but in part, i have met people that find that the best sub in the world is some POS sub, and no matter what you show them or let them listen to, they still think theirs is the best EVER.... regardless, I personally agree with you, but i like to keep my views open, and in my post i was trying to post an opinion that suits a more general opinion....

 
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i propose we restart this thread, how about ask everyone to list what they have right now, going from HU to the sub itself, include basic box design, how many, what size, if theyve had another sub on the same amp, what the differences were, etc. likes/dislikes about current setup, etc.

ill start,

Kenwood X-859 HU
JL 250/1
JL 10W3V2
Box is a Tweeter Built, JL spec single sealed enclosure, facing the rear of the car.
(by the way, dont totally disregard tweeter like someone else here has, ive never had a problem there)

Ive also heard a 10" Xtant i think its an "A" series( its the hexoganal one with a metal cone) on my amp, it is mounted in a $20 Wal-Mart Box. Oddly enough, i think it hits a little harder, and can handle a little more volume than my W3V2. I recommend the W3, or W3V2 as a good, well rounded sub for people who dont want anything cheap, yet nothing too expensive and has good quality.

After all, in his title he did say RATE 'EM!

 
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I have 2 xtant A10s



I'm not complaining
compaired to my previous setup
radioshack subs lol
these rock

 
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alright... as to what i've had in my car, i haven't had much, but i will in the future.

rating 1 - audiobahn aw1200x

i've run them off two different amps, one ghetto brand 400 rms amp and also off of a BEtter Audio 1600 M1 amp... I've got to say, the better audio amp is the best possible buy ever... (BEtter Audio site)

but back to the relevant point, the subs,

2 subs in 1.25 per sub sealed at 200 rms each (ghetto brand amp) -- blegh, lacked tightness and clear sound

2 subs in .85 per sub at 200 rms each (ghetto brand amp) -- egh, a little bit more lacking in the low end, but still just sounded average

2 subs in 1.6 cubic feet each ported to 33.6 Hz with 200 rms to each (ghetto brand amp)-- MUCH better low end response, but much less response, bit louder

2 subs in 1.6 cubic feet each tuned to 33.6 Hz with 250 rms to each (BEtter Audio amp) -- MUCH clearer than last amp, yet still sounded average

1 sub sealed in .85 cubic feet at 1000 - 1100 rms (BEtter Audio amp) -- ridiculously loud but way overpowering the sub, even when turned down, still just kinda sounds average (i'm seriously just trying to see if they'll blow )

in the near future, i'll rate my new adire subs that are just sitting in my room as i build my box