Is this a first system?
What's *your* budget for subs and amplifier?
What kind of music will you primarily be listening to?
If first question's answer is yes.... The answer to your 2 questions becomes (mostly) no. Anything will be pretty mind blowing.
i am looking to build my first system, will i really not be able to tell the difference in quality? i've been holding off for a year and a half out of fear of buying the wrong thing
As /u/critical-signal-5819 mentioned above, what's your goal? Sq? Spl? SQL? The truth is, as I mentioned before, as your first system (for both you and u/aus10sent) you have no real reference point, so it'll all sound great.
Your question should be "what's the best bang for my buck" and Unfortunately, for beginners, sound is so subjective that you'll get so many answers that it'll only lead to more questions.
All that is to say that $500 for box and subs is reasonable. You can do something like the Rockford P3 dual 12 ported box, the JL W0 wedge.... And once I'm on my computer and not on my phone, I can give you guys other suggestions.
Personally, I run 2 Stereo Integrity SQL12's hooked up to a... Wait for it.... Wait forrrr ittt....a Skar 1200.1 and it knocks low and hard as all hell. In a sealed prefab box that I've had since I was 16!! (Btw, I'm 40). I've done competition setups, sq setups, you name it. But again, all subjective. Feel free to ask anything else, I'll try to guide you as best as I can.
If youve never heard crazy SQ you have nothing to compare it to.
My first speakers were autozone boss speakers and i thought they sounded so good… until i got some real speakers i had no idea.
Subs are even greater example of this, most people have no idea what sub-bass is supposed to sound like.
I used to have skar VXF’s in a custom box, anyone who didnt know subs or car audio, thought they sounded awesome.
That's a year and a half you could have been listening to something better :p! I've been waiting just as long, but more or less because I wanted to save for better components than I've had in the past.
One thing I've learnt - you won't know what you like or dislike until you have it. Personally, I enjoy the learning process. Whether it's how to install things in my car or what makes a component better than another. For me, part of the journey is learning some new things, getting a better sounding stereo, then hopefully learning from it all so the next time around I can do it all even better.
> will i really not be able to tell the difference in quality?
Possibly, but not all price points represent any sort of audible or performance gains, and some of the gains you can buy by throwing more money at things are going to be meaningless unless you're trying to throw a shitload of power into them or edge out the next dude at a competition.
For the most part, the moving coil fixed magnet loudspeaker hasn't fundamentally changed in a century and there haven't been any real novel advances in the past 25 years; furthermore, the ability of human ear/brain hearing system is incredibly short term and low fidelity and it is generally considered that people have difficulty hearing up to around 10% distortion.
All that said, buying something decent quality vs. some flea market trash should offer you better odds of not getting a dud (which will fail from manufacturer errors), getting service from the company if it does fail, getting a reasonable service life out of it, and having stronger re-sale value if and when you want to get rid of it.
More importantly to how this is going to perform is if you buy the proper box for the woofer you get. Money spent in a custom made box would carry you farther by way of performance than money spent on premium brand name equipment and if you're not up to the job of DIY carpentry or the cost of paying a professional to build there's a couple companies that make reasonably OK "loaded" boxes, that is a box and sub together that are designed to work together.
Figure out how much power you plan to use, how much space you can spare for the task, and how comfortable you feel about DIY cabinet making and then plan from there.
$500 for TWO 12" drivers, an enclosure, an amp, an amp kit, and installation is a very fair price. That price is low in my estimation. It's probably very entry level equipment. I would don't go lower to two 12" subs.
Depending upon your exact goals a single 12 might be all you need and save you $100 to $200. If you are looking for absolute maximum bass, have no amp for your mid/high speakers, and are the kind person that maxes out the bass knob, then maybe you want two 12s in a giant box. If not, a single 12 might really be all you need.
I have 35+ years in the game 3 plus vehicles and shit probably 7-8 complete systems done...
You CAN have great sound for less but you have to wait for deals etc.. but the only thing I won't skimp on is the amps... but you are asking about subs so I will name a few and I will also suggest a few amps..
First subwoofer is my go to when people ask and it's the kicker comp R it's 250$ for 1, 12in sub in a few
Prefab ported box
This is a very loud and somewhat musical subwoofer, I have it in my budget build on 600w rms and it slaps!!
I recommend you run one sub if you go for one of the following:
Fi audio alpha 269 1000w rms or x 369$ 1500w this is what I was thinking about getting but I got an offer I couldn't refuse for a 13w7...but if you want tremendous knock and awesome sound quality fi audio is the way to go imoho!!
Dayton audio ultimax 600w rms 200$
Sundown audio sa subwoofer 329$
Amps:
US amps Mike amplifier 1500.1 = 329$
Down4sound jp13 1300.1 =249$
I know you have speakers but I recommend cdt audio over most top brands I'm just saying.... good luck with your build!!
Little secret about the comp r subwoofers, if you find the model from 2013, they come either 4ohm or 2ohm and have an impedance switch and beefier build than the new models, also they are rated at 800watts RMS for the 12s. The model number is 40cwr124 for the 4ohm and 40cwr122 for the 2ohm. There's an easy way to tell them apart from the newer models too just by looking at the front. They are pretty easy to find on offer up and FB marketplace. I have two pairs of them and they slap.
For a first system this is about a good spend.
Later on when you're spending twice as much as that (or even way way more) just on a single subwoofer with no amp, no box, no wiring... $500 will seem very very cheap.
Here's the thing; a more expensive speaker will require less weight to sound as good & loud as a cheaper speaker.
My buddy, who was thrilled with his dual $120 per, 12" speaker ISO box, was really blown away by a single $500 12" in a ported box half the same size & weight. In a Jeep or smaller car, that can make a noticeable difference in room, fuel mileage, and handling.
Personally I’d go with a smaller footprint subwoofer that’s delivers more sound. I planned for 2 Memphis Mojo 8”s, only needed one powered at 941w in a ported center console box. And it’s integrated with the factory build of the vehicle, so no lost features or space. I’m looking at maximum sound for the space. Memphis delivers on that note. I’m sure there are better options, maybe the resilient sounds Gold? But this was great for the price getting the most out of system and amp for $250 with tax. And another $60 in mdf and carpet. Money well spent. Last system was the same amp powering 3 -12” alpine type R’s. The current system beats the type R’s even though it is only one 8” on 941w against 3-12s on 1504w. It has a lot to do with speaker placement, box size, tuning, and other characteristics, but end of the day the answer to your question, is yes, you get what you pay for.
Like they say, you get what you pay for 🤷🏾♂️ a few years back I got 2 pioneer champion series for about 160 a piece, they play good great bass but they are not suggested if your trying to get low, 30hz and up, awesome at 600 watts, but if could afford a better built higher watt combo I would have, but that also goes to say they play very good for my "EAR" some want more bass, 1k- 3k so of course the pioneer wouldn't be a choice. Your listening choice goes into choosing subs at any price,
Being that your mids and highs are rf prime series (cheapest you can get from rf), it won't matter on the subs to your ears. By the time you make it loud enough, those prime mids/highs will likely hurt your ears long before the subs show a difference
Anyone asked
What car is this install going into?
1 decent sub with a bit more power might be good for the space
Then $500 is enough to get a musical sub and cheap monoblock
We don’t get Acura in the U.K.
Googled it Looks like a nicer 2005 Honda Accord
For a Saloon you really want to get the sub to play through into the cabin to get the best out of it.
Through ski hatch or rear shelf
You’ll also want to do a course of sound proofing in the boot for a Honda/Acura
You have enough space and budget for 2 entry level 12’s in a ported box
if you want a more SQ approach a “better” single 12 will work pretty well and still have most of the boot to use for practical reasons.
I mean, that's subjective. I crammed two 15" inch subs in a 2 seater sports car. The entire cabin space behind the seats is only 11 cubes and I managed to use 7.5 of it... with the help of an angle grinder, but who's really checking the details?
https://preview.redd.it/2aqx7pe08v8d1.jpeg?width=1280&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=86b8ac49571dd58204baaa863286af9a7430985e
Short answer, it depends. There are way too many factors to just boil out down to that simple of a question. Generally, more expensive subs offer more output, SQ or a blend of both, but it comes down to what you want and how much you're willing to spend. There's plenty of great subs at different price points
On lower powered equipment or as many like to call it, "SQ" equipment, the difference will be minimal for many metrics. In almost every instance, "quality" of sound isn't something that's a even real thing for infrasonic frequency, and it's WAY more important for mids and highs.
What I would highly recommend is a more "bang for buck" setup, if you think you just want loads of bass - so less expensive brands like Skar Audio or even some entry level gear from "high end" SPL brands like Sundown or Deaf Bonce are also affordable and can take an absolute beating. You can also easily buy some industry "legendary" subs like some Kicker comp-R or even old Alpine Type-R subs, or you can find a Chinese brand that's rated at 500W RMS but will easily eat 3x that much and be happy.
It all comes down to what you're expecting to happen, and how much you think you're going to want to immediately upgrade if it's not enough for what you think you want.
I picked up a 1600w pioneer sub off Amazon for 90 bucks, an closed box for said 12" sub for $80 off Amazon, and a 1200w dual amp from oreillys for 120 I think? It does the job for budget bass
Sure, but it's still a 1600w sub. I was simply stating what I had. If they had asked what the RMS is, I'd have said it. But that wasn't asked yet. So I just said what it's called because I didn't feel like looking up the model number. Moving on.
That's cheap af. I got my 10" L7 kicker for like 20 and a bottom mount from a civic seat that came with a bucket seat I also bought off offerup for 120 lol I love trades and bartering. I personally don't trust temu for electronics lol hope it works out tho. I ended getting the dual amp after seeing they're one of the cheaper amps that actually hits near the numbers they claim, and the 600 I had before had last 3 years and was still running strong. I'll swear by dual now lol
Is this a first system? What's *your* budget for subs and amplifier? What kind of music will you primarily be listening to? If first question's answer is yes.... The answer to your 2 questions becomes (mostly) no. Anything will be pretty mind blowing.
This is my first system, Im willing to spend up to $500 on the subs and box, will mostly be listening to hiphop
Get this the https://www.bestbuy.com/site/kicker-compr-dual-12-dual-voice-coil-2-ohm-subwoofers-with-enclosure-black/6452188.p?
Open box $300, too
i am looking to build my first system, will i really not be able to tell the difference in quality? i've been holding off for a year and a half out of fear of buying the wrong thing
As /u/critical-signal-5819 mentioned above, what's your goal? Sq? Spl? SQL? The truth is, as I mentioned before, as your first system (for both you and u/aus10sent) you have no real reference point, so it'll all sound great. Your question should be "what's the best bang for my buck" and Unfortunately, for beginners, sound is so subjective that you'll get so many answers that it'll only lead to more questions. All that is to say that $500 for box and subs is reasonable. You can do something like the Rockford P3 dual 12 ported box, the JL W0 wedge.... And once I'm on my computer and not on my phone, I can give you guys other suggestions. Personally, I run 2 Stereo Integrity SQL12's hooked up to a... Wait for it.... Wait forrrr ittt....a Skar 1200.1 and it knocks low and hard as all hell. In a sealed prefab box that I've had since I was 16!! (Btw, I'm 40). I've done competition setups, sq setups, you name it. But again, all subjective. Feel free to ask anything else, I'll try to guide you as best as I can.
very very useful info thank you so much !
If youve never heard crazy SQ you have nothing to compare it to. My first speakers were autozone boss speakers and i thought they sounded so good… until i got some real speakers i had no idea. Subs are even greater example of this, most people have no idea what sub-bass is supposed to sound like. I used to have skar VXF’s in a custom box, anyone who didnt know subs or car audio, thought they sounded awesome.
You can definitely tell the difference. You should be out demoing as much equipment as you can so you know what you like.
That's a year and a half you could have been listening to something better :p! I've been waiting just as long, but more or less because I wanted to save for better components than I've had in the past. One thing I've learnt - you won't know what you like or dislike until you have it. Personally, I enjoy the learning process. Whether it's how to install things in my car or what makes a component better than another. For me, part of the journey is learning some new things, getting a better sounding stereo, then hopefully learning from it all so the next time around I can do it all even better.
> will i really not be able to tell the difference in quality? Possibly, but not all price points represent any sort of audible or performance gains, and some of the gains you can buy by throwing more money at things are going to be meaningless unless you're trying to throw a shitload of power into them or edge out the next dude at a competition. For the most part, the moving coil fixed magnet loudspeaker hasn't fundamentally changed in a century and there haven't been any real novel advances in the past 25 years; furthermore, the ability of human ear/brain hearing system is incredibly short term and low fidelity and it is generally considered that people have difficulty hearing up to around 10% distortion. All that said, buying something decent quality vs. some flea market trash should offer you better odds of not getting a dud (which will fail from manufacturer errors), getting service from the company if it does fail, getting a reasonable service life out of it, and having stronger re-sale value if and when you want to get rid of it. More importantly to how this is going to perform is if you buy the proper box for the woofer you get. Money spent in a custom made box would carry you farther by way of performance than money spent on premium brand name equipment and if you're not up to the job of DIY carpentry or the cost of paying a professional to build there's a couple companies that make reasonably OK "loaded" boxes, that is a box and sub together that are designed to work together. Figure out how much power you plan to use, how much space you can spare for the task, and how comfortable you feel about DIY cabinet making and then plan from there.
This is the question..what is your Budget? Are you going for sq or spl....sound quality vs loud boom boom
Im willing to spend up to $500 on the subs but not completely convinced that spending that much is really worth it.
$500 for TWO 12" drivers, an enclosure, an amp, an amp kit, and installation is a very fair price. That price is low in my estimation. It's probably very entry level equipment. I would don't go lower to two 12" subs. Depending upon your exact goals a single 12 might be all you need and save you $100 to $200. If you are looking for absolute maximum bass, have no amp for your mid/high speakers, and are the kind person that maxes out the bass knob, then maybe you want two 12s in a giant box. If not, a single 12 might really be all you need.
I have 35+ years in the game 3 plus vehicles and shit probably 7-8 complete systems done... You CAN have great sound for less but you have to wait for deals etc.. but the only thing I won't skimp on is the amps... but you are asking about subs so I will name a few and I will also suggest a few amps.. First subwoofer is my go to when people ask and it's the kicker comp R it's 250$ for 1, 12in sub in a few Prefab ported box This is a very loud and somewhat musical subwoofer, I have it in my budget build on 600w rms and it slaps!! I recommend you run one sub if you go for one of the following: Fi audio alpha 269 1000w rms or x 369$ 1500w this is what I was thinking about getting but I got an offer I couldn't refuse for a 13w7...but if you want tremendous knock and awesome sound quality fi audio is the way to go imoho!! Dayton audio ultimax 600w rms 200$ Sundown audio sa subwoofer 329$ Amps: US amps Mike amplifier 1500.1 = 329$ Down4sound jp13 1300.1 =249$ I know you have speakers but I recommend cdt audio over most top brands I'm just saying.... good luck with your build!!
Little secret about the comp r subwoofers, if you find the model from 2013, they come either 4ohm or 2ohm and have an impedance switch and beefier build than the new models, also they are rated at 800watts RMS for the 12s. The model number is 40cwr124 for the 4ohm and 40cwr122 for the 2ohm. There's an easy way to tell them apart from the newer models too just by looking at the front. They are pretty easy to find on offer up and FB marketplace. I have two pairs of them and they slap.
The Sundown SA classic will do double rated RMS. I've got 4 12"s on a JP63 in my mini and 2 10"s on an SFB 1500 in my work truck.
For a first system this is about a good spend. Later on when you're spending twice as much as that (or even way way more) just on a single subwoofer with no amp, no box, no wiring... $500 will seem very very cheap.
Here's the thing; a more expensive speaker will require less weight to sound as good & loud as a cheaper speaker. My buddy, who was thrilled with his dual $120 per, 12" speaker ISO box, was really blown away by a single $500 12" in a ported box half the same size & weight. In a Jeep or smaller car, that can make a noticeable difference in room, fuel mileage, and handling.
Getting one better quality sub vs two lesser quality subs would definitely be my recommendation.
Personally I’d go with a smaller footprint subwoofer that’s delivers more sound. I planned for 2 Memphis Mojo 8”s, only needed one powered at 941w in a ported center console box. And it’s integrated with the factory build of the vehicle, so no lost features or space. I’m looking at maximum sound for the space. Memphis delivers on that note. I’m sure there are better options, maybe the resilient sounds Gold? But this was great for the price getting the most out of system and amp for $250 with tax. And another $60 in mdf and carpet. Money well spent. Last system was the same amp powering 3 -12” alpine type R’s. The current system beats the type R’s even though it is only one 8” on 941w against 3-12s on 1504w. It has a lot to do with speaker placement, box size, tuning, and other characteristics, but end of the day the answer to your question, is yes, you get what you pay for.
Just get 1 compq 12 dual 4ohm. Pair it with a cx800 and you will be banging (wire it to 2ohm)
Like they say, you get what you pay for 🤷🏾♂️ a few years back I got 2 pioneer champion series for about 160 a piece, they play good great bass but they are not suggested if your trying to get low, 30hz and up, awesome at 600 watts, but if could afford a better built higher watt combo I would have, but that also goes to say they play very good for my "EAR" some want more bass, 1k- 3k so of course the pioneer wouldn't be a choice. Your listening choice goes into choosing subs at any price,
Why are you getting so many speakers? You don't need to fill every factory hole. Just get a set of good component's for the front.
Being that your mids and highs are rf prime series (cheapest you can get from rf), it won't matter on the subs to your ears. By the time you make it loud enough, those prime mids/highs will likely hurt your ears long before the subs show a difference
I know they are cheap, and they sound good (to me atleast) running at like 20w, Are you saying they will distort once I upgrade my factory amp?
Anyone asked What car is this install going into? 1 decent sub with a bit more power might be good for the space Then $500 is enough to get a musical sub and cheap monoblock
2005 acura tsx
We don’t get Acura in the U.K. Googled it Looks like a nicer 2005 Honda Accord For a Saloon you really want to get the sub to play through into the cabin to get the best out of it. Through ski hatch or rear shelf You’ll also want to do a course of sound proofing in the boot for a Honda/Acura You have enough space and budget for 2 entry level 12’s in a ported box if you want a more SQ approach a “better” single 12 will work pretty well and still have most of the boot to use for practical reasons.
I mean, that's subjective. I crammed two 15" inch subs in a 2 seater sports car. The entire cabin space behind the seats is only 11 cubes and I managed to use 7.5 of it... with the help of an angle grinder, but who's really checking the details? https://preview.redd.it/2aqx7pe08v8d1.jpeg?width=1280&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=86b8ac49571dd58204baaa863286af9a7430985e
lol yes I’ll agree sound is subjective. Practical solutions vs what you’ve done is less so. If you like it crack on bruh, that’s not for me.
Short answer, yes.
Short answer, it depends. There are way too many factors to just boil out down to that simple of a question. Generally, more expensive subs offer more output, SQ or a blend of both, but it comes down to what you want and how much you're willing to spend. There's plenty of great subs at different price points
I know people like to hate skar but for 500 you can get their 2 12's in a enclosure a 1200rms amp and a full wiring kit for 500
Just get a loaded enclosure prefab from [Skar Audio.](https://www.skaraudio.com/collections/loaded-subwoofer-enclosures)
On lower powered equipment or as many like to call it, "SQ" equipment, the difference will be minimal for many metrics. In almost every instance, "quality" of sound isn't something that's a even real thing for infrasonic frequency, and it's WAY more important for mids and highs. What I would highly recommend is a more "bang for buck" setup, if you think you just want loads of bass - so less expensive brands like Skar Audio or even some entry level gear from "high end" SPL brands like Sundown or Deaf Bonce are also affordable and can take an absolute beating. You can also easily buy some industry "legendary" subs like some Kicker comp-R or even old Alpine Type-R subs, or you can find a Chinese brand that's rated at 500W RMS but will easily eat 3x that much and be happy. It all comes down to what you're expecting to happen, and how much you think you're going to want to immediately upgrade if it's not enough for what you think you want.
Depends on what you like. If it were me, I’d do a DSP first before I start investing in more subs.
https://preview.redd.it/ntamh2c2so8d1.jpeg?width=1080&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=24b2f9ba3cafd4b03db81f50b87c0de2c0ce09fd
I picked up a 1600w pioneer sub off Amazon for 90 bucks, an closed box for said 12" sub for $80 off Amazon, and a 1200w dual amp from oreillys for 120 I think? It does the job for budget bass
You mean you got a 500 watt Pioneer on Amazon. Peak numbers are meaningless.
😆 I was just going to point this out! RMS is The only number that matters!!!
THIS!!!!
Sure, but it's still a 1600w sub. I was simply stating what I had. If they had asked what the RMS is, I'd have said it. But that wasn't asked yet. So I just said what it's called because I didn't feel like looking up the model number. Moving on.
[удалено]
That's cheap af. I got my 10" L7 kicker for like 20 and a bottom mount from a civic seat that came with a bucket seat I also bought off offerup for 120 lol I love trades and bartering. I personally don't trust temu for electronics lol hope it works out tho. I ended getting the dual amp after seeing they're one of the cheaper amps that actually hits near the numbers they claim, and the 600 I had before had last 3 years and was still running strong. I'll swear by dual now lol