difference in subs..

[james99]

im looking into buying one, maybe 2 alpine type-x's. i was going to do this before, but decided against it, but now im working on a system. what kind of sound difference would a 12" sub have over a 10" sub, that are rated the same wattage/rms?

[cougar22]

Size mostly depends on what music you listen too?

[fade2blk]

if the enclosure is optimum for both drivers... you will notice very little diffrence.... the diffrence will be mostly how fast a 10 will react compared to the 12th and a 12" might play just a tad lower... but that will also depend on the amplifier and a given frequency as well....

[GrandMasterKhan]

general rule of thumb is that 12s will hit deeper and be louder than 10s.

given the proper enclosure/amp for each the sound quality would be similar regardless of the difference in cone size.

[seaneyo99]

I have heard a 10" kicker L7 and i have a 12" Kicker L7 and the 10 have alot better response then my 12 does but my 12 will keep right up with anything u throw at it. Im running it in a sealed box at 2ohms with 900 watts going to it and i have people ask me all the time if i have 2 12's or a 15 in there.

[blustreak]

I have heard a 10" kicker L7 and i have a 12" Kicker L7 and the 10 have alot better response then my 12 does but my 12 will keep right up with anything u throw at it. Im running it in a sealed box at 2ohms with 900 watts going to it and i have people ask me all the time if i have 2 12's or a 15 in there.
Yeah well noone believes I have 4 10"s either but I have a big ported box (pic in my avatar).

It really matters how you setup your box.

[02gsxr600]

:bs: :bs: :bs: :bs: :bs: :bs: :bs: :bs: :bs: :bs: :bs: :bs: :bs: :bs: :bs: :bs:


There are so many factors in picking out a sub. A 10" is not necessarily cleaner or more accurate than a 12", a 12" is not necessarily louder, etc etc. There are so many factors that you amatuers overlook.

Things such as excursion, sensitivity, cone area, box design, box size, vehicle cabin size, distance from listening area, frequency response, magnet strength - notice how I don't say SIZE! A good rule of thumb when picking out a sub is you get what you pay for!!

If you want a good overall sub (SPL and SQ), check out Eclipse Aluminum's, Eclipse Titaniums, Image Dynamics ID Max's, Memphis, JL W6's or W7's, Alumapro's, Focal Polykevlar or Focal Utopia's, just to name a few.

My best advise is to go to a local higher-end stereo shop (not best buy, circuit city, etc) and listen to what they have in your price range. Do not necessarily judge the sub depending on how it sounds in the store - every sub will sound different in every car and every box. The MOST important thing is the box design. A poorly designed box can ruin the sound of even the best subs out there, and certain box types (ported or transmition line) can actually physically destroy your driver! Therefore, if you don't know what you are doing, pay a professional to make the box for you.

If you insist on doing it yourself but don't know where to start you can pm me and I can design a box for you, as long as you provide the theile/small properties of the sub (mechanical and electrical properties). I have several very expensive programs and calculations that assist me in designing the correct box for each sub and application.

[02gsxr600]

Another very important thing I should mention is that the amplification you are using is even more important thant the quality of the sub you choose! If you have to choose between a good sub or a good amp, choose the good amp and the cheaper sub!

You can not blow a sub by overpowering it with clean power (except in extreme cases), but underpowering a sub causes clipping and distortion which will destroy the woofer. In most cases you can not hear the woofer clipping because of the SPL level and frequency it is playing at, but you are ruining the sub.

[seaneyo99]

but underpowering a sub causes clipping and distortion which will destroy the woofer.


:bs: when u turn the volume down u are inturn lessening the power going to the sub. what u just said sounds like something u would here at circuit city.:eek:

[DagerOne]

Turning the volume down isn't quite the same as "underpowering" a sub. What 02gsxr600 said is absolutely true, particularly if you try to compensate for your amplifier's inadequate power by boosting the gain.

[LostRacer]

IMO He's right about underpowering your subs and killing them. Most people don't understand gain matching and use it as a volume knob. Most decks only put out 2.5v from the pre-outs. There are a lot more higher powered ones out there, but the majority is still around there. When matched correctly with your deck you should be putting out minimal distortion if any in the higher volume areas. If you're underpowering your sub this causes very little sound to come out. Now we all know nobody bys a sub for the minimal vibe. So what does the average person do? They turn up the gain on the amp to make up for the minimal power being distributed. In doing this you're now pushing more power then the deck is able to produce cleanly including amplifying it causing it to clip. IIRC this is what assists in overheating your vc's and destroying your sub.

So basically it goes like this..

Under power your sub with properly matched settings will be ok as long as you keep the gain matched. The sub won't perform as xpected, but it will work.

Properly powering your sub with matched gains would be optimal. Underpowering and not doing it correctly could be audio fatality..

[02gsxr600]

Thank you, atleast someone understood what I was trying to say.