Pro's And Con's of 2x 10" Subwoofers To A 12" Subwoofer?

[chartman18 10+ year member]

I currently have 1 subwoofer, in a 2.5 cu.ft. 32hz box, a 12" Fi Q. Now I am very limited to my selection of subwoofers, as my trunk isnt the biggest. It can probably hold 3 cu.ft. at the most, maybe a tiny more. Now I'd love 2 12" Fi Q's ported, but I dont have the money for another amp for the other Fi Q, and space is limited.

But the more I think about it, I think I could fit 2 10" ported subs in there, but that'd mean splitting my amp power to each the subs, and my amp is a Hifonics BXi 1606D, soo its overrated at 1600 watts at 1 ohm, so its lower than that.

Heres where Im baffled, stick with my Fi Q 12" at 1400 (guess) rms watts, or get 2 10" subs at 700 watts rms each? Will the tens get lower and louder? Im afraid going smaller means lower/less.

I went from Rockford P1's, to Alpine Type-R 12" to my now Fi Q, and I love my Q, but like everyone else, i strive for more lower, loud, and smooth bass.

Not only am I stuck on 2 10's or 1 12", I dont even know what subs are good at 700, being that I have never looked at 10's before.

What are the pro's and con's of having 2 10's over 1 12"?

Im sorry if my post seems long or nooby in any manner, but any kind of advice or help would mean alot for me.

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[tc300 10+ year member]

the 2 10'2 are going 2 have more cone area (Sd)

 

[tc300 10+ year member]

o..what kinda cardo you have the fi q12 in????

 

[chartman18 10+ year member]

I have it in a 2001 Ford Zx2, coupe. Trunks small compared to others.

I know 2 10's will have more cone area, but does that mean it'd get louder on 2 700rms watts per sub, compared to one 1400rms watt sub? Or lower?

 

[Ignatowski 5,000+ posts]

I tried dual 10s and went back to a single 12.....

 

[chartman18 10+ year member]

Why'd you go back to a single twelve? What happened and what was the reason?

Anybody else, input?

 

[jbl_marshall21 10+ year member]

do a couple RE SE 10's. Putting 700 to each will be dandy!

2 10"s will give you more output because of cone area but will take up more space depending on the enclosure you would use for a single 12"

 

[helotaxi 5,000+ posts]

It isn't as simple as more cone area always means louder. The potential is there and more cone area will have the advantage for a given excursion but without knowing what exact subs are being compared, the 12 could displace more air with the given power because it is efficient and the 10s are not. If you're talking the same line of subs, the 10s will have the advantage because of a reduction in power compression to go along with an increase in cone area. Which plays lower is going to depend on the enclosure.

Real disadvantages to the 10s when talking the same line of subs: price and space. Usually the difference in price is only $10-20 between the 10" and 12" subs in a model line. Going with 2 10s is therefore almost 2x as expensive as a single 12. The enclosure for a single 10 is many times significantly smaller than that for a 12 of the same line, but rarely is it half the size. Factor in the space taken up by the subs themselves and the enclosure as a whole is usually considerably bigger for a pair of 10s.

 

[15nissen 10+ year member]

a really well built box (ie. loud box) will make a world of a difference. Before making drastic changes play around with some new boxes. i picked up 5+ db from switching boxes and i peaked lower as well, so it sounded much better on music.

 

[SQBubble 10+ year member]

a really well built box (ie. loud box) will make a world of a difference. Before making drastic changes play around with some new boxes. i picked up 5+ db from switching boxes and i peaked lower as well, so it sounded much better on music.

x2, i went from a 15 to a 18 and now i have 2 10"s with an sort of spl box and its louder then the 15 and 18 down low and still sounds good to me.

 

[Scoobydoo 5,000+ posts]

x2, i went from a 15 to a 18 and now i have 2 10"s with an sort of spl box and its louder then the 15 and 18 down low and still sounds good to me.

ya but you have 2 10" OEM's, thats not really fair

 

[chartman18 10+ year member]

ooh, thanks for all the help guys. i really appreciate it all. personally, im going to see how my sub sounds facing the trunk (its currently facing into the cabin with seats down) and if it doesnt please me, i may save up money and try to fit in 2 10" subwoofers, with an extra amp to power the other 10" alone, so they both get enough power.

once again, thanks for the help!

 

[audioholic 5,000+ posts]

ooh, thanks for all the help guys. i really appreciate it all. personally, im going to see how my sub sounds facing the trunk (its currently facing into the cabin with seats down) and if it doesnt please me, i may save up money and try to fit in 2 10" subwoofers, with an extra amp to power the other 10" alone, so they both get enough power.
once again, thanks for the help!

Front firing now? Chances are you'll see a significant increase in output when you turn them around and face backwards.

 

[chartman18 10+ year member]

Ooh, thats what everyones been saying. I really have to try this, just alot of work since everythings bolted down and wire-managed. Oh well, Im sure it'd be worth it.

Thanks for the help. =]