Subs: Small vs. Big? What are the traits of each?

[jer_hong 10+ year member]

Hey everyone,

First off, I'll be the first to admit that I'm a noob at car audio, so there's no use in posting "NOOB/NUB/NOOBER/NUUB/OMGZUTEHNOOB/etc".

Second, I tried searching, but there were so many topics that came up (most that had absolutely no relation to what I was searching for) that I couldn't find anything relating to my question within the first 5 pages of search results. I tried a few different searches, but for the most part, the words used in my search are ''too common'' or ''too small''.

So that leads me to posting a thread...Could anyone please inform me as to the benefits of using a smaller sub (8") versus the benefits of using a larger sub (12"-15")?

What are the sound characteristics/traits of smaller subs vs. larger subs?

I'm about to install my first sound system, but I have a feeling it's not going to last very long since I'm usually a wh0re when it comes to hobbies, and I like to swap things out until I find whatever suits my tastes perfectly. Plus, from what I've read about the JL w0-4 (my current sub), it's not something I think I'll want to keep for very long. (I got it for free from my brother, so I figured I'd put it to use until I got learned up on car audio).

Thanks in advance

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[benner410 10+ year member]

OMGZUTEHNOOB

...just for good measure.

but more cone area = more air = louder

 

[terra 5,000+ posts]

Smaller enclosure, usually less power.

 

[SPLluminator 10+ year member]

Idk, it really depends what you can do. Thorshammer is hitting louder than most people with 2 15s and he has 2 10's. But the 15s have way more potential. Smaller subs tend to be a bit more punchy but that also changes with port length, box size, etc.

 

[ciaonzo 5,000+ posts]

Whatever happens in this thread, do not listen to anyone who tells you that larger drivers will not give you good sound quality, it's simply not true. You can have phenomenal SQ from 15" and 18" drivers, it all depends on the parameters for the driver. The most important thing to start with is deciding what you want from your subwoofer, quality wise, and how loud you expect it to get.

 

[Skip01 5,000+ posts]

Psshh....theres no diff traits too me.

Ive used 8s up to 15s....they all get the same low end, and upper end....its all in box size and tuning

I like 12s the best though too me......or a bunch of 10s.

15s take up too much space and area for a box.

 

[cx-7heaven 10+ year member]

Yes, first and foremost you need to decide if you want loud, loud with SQ ( sql) or just real nice sq. Then how much room you have nad your budget. Don't be surprised if your budget is way off though, because you arent just buying subs, you need amps, wiring, materials, sound dampening... and it all costs money.

 

[JimJ 5,000+ posts]

Smaller subs tend to be a bit more punchy

No.

 

[jer_hong 10+ year member]

thanks for the replies guys. as far as my personal needs go, i'm looking for sound quality with a little SPL. basically SQ would take priority over SPL.

i've read a few threads that basically say that smaller subs give better SQ, and bigger ones give more SPL, but cianzo disproved that theory..does the size of the sub have ANY relationship with the quality/amount of SQ or SPL? is it easier to achieve better SQ with smaller subs than it is for larger ones? or vice versa?

this was the problem i found with reading up on different threads; so many people say one thing, then some people say something else that contradicts everything else...then there's so many different views that i just get confused and don't know who to believe. lol. and to add to that, e-sarcasm makes it even worse! haha

thanks for going easy on me though //content.invisioncic.com/y282845/emoticons/smile.gif.1ebc41e1811405b213edfc4622c41e27.gif learning as i go

 

[cx-7heaven 10+ year member]

Little explanation for you: For the most part in the car audio world, the larger subs got put in to more spl oriented enclosures/builds. that is why you will see people saying that 18's have poor sq compared to tens, because most people don't put 18's into a proper sq system, and most manufacturers will build 15's and bigger as more of an spl sub. I can say from personal experience that 18's can sound amazing in the right box, I had 2 AA Havoc 18's sealed in my 07 Mazda. It sounded great. Another thing with sq vs spl, is a typical sq system really doesnt need 15's or 18's to fill the bottom end for a good balanced sound.

 

[cx-7heaven 10+ year member]

What does the rest of your system consist of? then we can give you a better idea of bass to match up to it, rather than overpower it.

 

[cleansoundzz 10+ year member]

I good solid pair of 10's with a custom made box to specs and clean power can go a long way. I have 2 10 inch Cerwin Vega V-Max's that give excellent lows, clarity and spl depending on how I set my eq.

 

[Mass Car Audio 10+ year member]

but more cone area = more air = louder

WRONG !!!!!!//content.invisioncic.com/y282845/emoticons/laugh.gif.48439b2acf2cfca21620f01e7f77d1e4.gif

 

[jer_hong 10+ year member]

What does the rest of your system consist of? then we can give you a better idea of bass to match up to it, rather than overpower it.

well, at the moment, this is what's going into my car for the time being:

Pioneer deh-p6000ub

JL 300/4

JL w0-4ohm

-I'm bridging 2 channels from the amp for the sub, then using the remaining 2 channels to power the front speakers, and using the headunit to power the tweeters/rear speakers. This is only temporary until I buy new speakers, so I can throw in another amp.

I got the sub for free from my brother, and I got a nice deal on the 4 channel, which is why it's all JL. I by no means think it's necessary to stick with all JL stuff, but I don't mind having JL as long as I dont pay retail. //content.invisioncic.com/y282845/emoticons/crazy.gif.c13912c32de98515d3142759a824dae7.gif

I've got stock electrical, but might do the big 3 after I do more research on it. I also plan on upgrading the speakers, but funds just don't allow for that quite yet.

I'm also planning on picking up a JL 500/1 for my future set up (even though I have no clue what that is going to be yet), so assume this is what will be used to power the future subs.

I'd like to have 2 subs if they're smaller (8-10"), maaaaybe 3x8"s. or just one 12" or 15", maaaaybe 2x12's. Not sure yet, but I'd like to hear the opinions of others so I can make an informed decision.

 

[chithead81 10+ year member]

One monster 12" can fill both worlds, SQ and get loud.

But then again, there is just something about how low a 15" can easily get...