The main reason people would rip on any of JL's products is they are way over priced. JL makes good quality stuff don’t get me wrong, but for the money you can get much better. To many people swear by JL's gear because that is all they know (along with other mainstream brands), they do not see the better stuff because it is not as heavily marketed as the JL products. I know a guy that tried to start an argument with me saying that a JL W7 is much better in every aspect then a RE XXX(07-08 model), I do not fault him for trying to make a retarded argument, it’s just that JL's marketing methods have worked on him. According to him JL is the absolute best on the market and you cannot sway him from that opinion very easily. Also JL dealers push JL products a little more than they’re other lines because they make a better profit on them then other brands, from what I have heard anyway.
There are many subs that will sound better or be louder than the W7, just check some other stuff out, this forum is an awesome resource, I have jumped off the Kicker/JL bandwagon a long time ago thanks to this site.