Trying to gain comparison knowledge on subs...

[Junkyard81 10+ year member]

I will be getting a new JL 12W3v2 sub, mostly for the fact that I am familiar with JL subs. I have been reading quite a few forums over the past couple days and it seems that many people say that JL's are a bit overpriced, and you can get a comparable sub for much cheaper.

My biggest concern is, how do you know which sub brand (i.e., Kenwood, Infinity, Kicker, etc.) is going to give a comparable, deep bass, that is equivalent? Obviously not all brands with similiar data sheets will give the same sound, so what is it that tells you this? Is it merely a matter of experience with different brands?

If it is experience, then I fall short on that b/c I have not heard anything beyond Sony, MTX, JL, and Kicker subs. You can not go into a car audio shop to get a feel, because they sound different in cars...

I'd really appreciate any light on this subject, so that next time I perhaps do not need to spend as much money to get equivalent quality. Any specific brands/models would be appreciated.....thanks you all.

Click to read more...

 

[Termlab 10+ year member]

you can buy a ton of brands that sound good. but the "best" sounding is strictly opinion (you will read that quite often on these forums).

if you are going with purely SQ....... that is what JL is made for. now flame if you want but a couple of years ago, JL said something along the lines of "everybody will compare thier subs to ours" which is exactly what everybody does. everywhere you go, everywhere you look its "bla bla bla compared to JL x subwoofer".

now i'd say that alone should speak for itself. but if you are on a budget try fusion subwoofers. you can obtain those relatively cheap, they pack a punch, and they sound pretty good too.

american bass makes some nice subwoofers.

i can also get you a good deal on memphis HPO 12'' subwoofers if you want them (200 for a pair + shipping - used though). but i personally dont like the SQ of these woofers.

 

[Termlab 10+ year member]

also if you look at the build of the w3, and the comp vr (kicker) subwoofers they are almost identical except for cosmetics. they dont sound the same, but the comp vrs sound -similar- and they are fairly cheap also

dont buy kicker comps, they ****

 

[jujumantb 10+ year member]

if you are going with purely SQ....... that is what JL is made for.

I'd disagree. Their W7 wouldnt have that much throw if it was for purely SQ. JL makes no pure SQ subs to my knowledge, mostly SQL, with perhaps an emphasis on SQ, all their drivers do sound nice.

 

[Termlab 10+ year member]

actually JL will tell you thier subs are not made to be loud........ they are made to sound good

ALL of JL woofers are that way. if you say otherwise, then you dont know what you are talking about. thier drivers are made for 1 purpose....... musical reproduction.

 

[Termlab 10+ year member]

and "throw" isnt what makes a subwoofer loud...... it helps the driver with its "SQ" and low bass extension.

 

[DFW40 10+ year member]

The W3v2 is a great sounding sub and will have great SQ in most applications. I would go ahead and get one, you might be able to save $75 and get something else but that is up to you. Put about 300-350 rms to the sub and you are set. Now if you want to bounce quarters off of your roof and impress your friends then there are other options.

 

[Junkyard81 10+ year member]

This is some of the best response I've gotten on this subject...so let me try to get more info. out of you guys.

First off, when you say SQ, are you talking about how cleanly/accurate it hits, how deep the bass is, or just the pure sound of the bass?

Next, it does seem like the consensus is that JL makes good subs, but how come no one mentions any of the brands that you find in your local car audio stores (aside from Kicker)? I have never heard of Fusion, American Bass, or Memphis HPO...

What I am looking for is a sub that hits bass notes with a nice, deep sound, that you can feel the vibrations rather than just hear a "thump" out of the woofer (if that makes sense to you guys). I have heard some Sony subs, Polk, and just was not impressed. I can never tell if that is b/c of my friends settings, or just the sub itself.

Part of the reason I made this post was although people feel JL are good subs, I wanted to find out how to find an equivalent sub for cheaper...

 

[DFW40 10+ year member]

Generally SQ refers to a quick response and a sub that can play all bass notes evenly. Some SPL subs cannot do this and have a peak in their sound. The W3v2 is a well balanced sub that can play as low as any sub and bump you in the chest as well. Be aware that a lot of this has to do with the box of the sub and the right amount of power etc. I have owned many subs and this one has quality SQ on all songs. It can play deep rap notes as well as muddy music like fast drum/bass guitar notes.

 

[IgnoreMe 5,000+ posts]

of course JL makes awesome subs. thats not somethign that can really be argued. the only downside is price...you will hear it again and again and again. that why you have the xxx, the mag, and the brahma. they are compareable to the w7 line. as for the comment about all subs going to be compared to JL...well no shit, when your tryin to become the best you have to compare yourself with the best.

 

[bonesninja 5,000+ posts]

This is some of the best response I've gotten on this subject...so let me try to get more info. out of you guys.
First off, when you say SQ, are you talking about how cleanly/accurate it hits, how deep the bass is, or just the pure sound of the bass?

Next, it does seem like the consensus is that JL makes good subs, but how come no one mentions any of the brands that you find in your local car audio stores (aside from Kicker)? I have never heard of Fusion, American Bass, or Memphis HPO...

What I am looking for is a sub that hits bass notes with a nice, deep sound, that you can feel the vibrations rather than just hear a "thump" out of the woofer (if that makes sense to you guys). I have heard some Sony subs, Polk, and just was not impressed. I can never tell if that is b/c of my friends settings, or just the sub itself.

Part of the reason I made this post was although people feel JL are good subs, I wanted to find out how to find an equivalent sub for cheaper...

all your questions are good legitimate one's. i second the motion that jl makes good quality products. i just want to say that if you are happy with the system that you decide on than its good and don't let anyone tell you different. i also second the motion that there are other companys out there that make subs that get louder and for less money but ultimately you have to decide what you are looking for. and just for info purposes SQ stands for sound quality and spl stands for sound pressure levels

 

[Junkyard81 10+ year member]

Ya I do agree that JL makes good products, which is why I'm sticking with them. I guess I was more curious as to how to find products that are equivalent? As George said above, everyone talks about the price on JL.

I guess I have a hard time differentating one brand (with approximately the same power) from any other brand.....like if I have an MTX 250W sub, how that will compare with my JL 300W sub, you know?

I also ask these questions b/c a friend of mine is building his first system with my help but doesn't want to spend as much money, so I have a hard time suggesting an eqiuvalent sub (quality wise).

 

[jujumantb 10+ year member]

actually JL will tell you thier subs are not made to be loud........ they are made to sound good

ALL of JL woofers are that way. if you say otherwise, then you dont know what you are talking about. thier drivers are made for 1 purpose....... musical reproduction.

yeah... their 13W7 isnt made to get loud //content.invisioncic.com/y282845/emoticons/rolleyes.gif.c1fef805e9d1464d377451cd5bc18bfb.gif

An all out SQ driver would be, for instance, focals lines. A sub does not need 2inches of excursion to "hit the low notes", that is what we in the business like to call an "SQL" driver. I'm not saying the W7 doesnt sound good, but it is overkill in a true purely SQ install (one that is designed to play relatively flat across the board)

Sorry I wont be around to argue with you, I have to get going now but with your attitude, its probably a good thing. You sound like a kid who buys into all the marketting you hear... "JL will tell you" //content.invisioncic.com/y282845/emoticons/banghead.gif.8606515f668c74f6de0281deb475b6fd.gif

Just so you dont get confused with what my point is.

your arguement: JL subs are made for purely SQ (as quoted in my first post)

my arguement: JL subs are made to be loud with good SQ while doing it, not purely SQ.

 

[Termlab 10+ year member]

First off, when you say SQ, are you talking about how cleanly/accurate it hits, how deep the bass is, or just the pure sound of the bass?

its basically all that rolled into one.

Next, it does seem like the consensus is that JL makes good subs, but how come no one mentions any of the brands that you find in your local car audio stores (aside from Kicker)? I have never heard of Fusion, American Bass, or Memphis HPO...

fusion is an off brand..... sort of. but they are nice reliable subwoofers. i cant believe you have never heard of memphis car audio...... not the best sounding woofers, but very reliable/loud also. http://www.memphiscaraudio.com is where you will find information on those. the M3 subwoofers replaced the HPO subwoofers. take a look if you want. i dont know american bass's website off hand.

What I am looking for is a sub that hits bass notes with a nice, deep sound, that you can feel the vibrations rather than just hear a "thump" out of the woofer (if that makes sense to you guys). I have heard some Sony subs, Polk, and just was not impressed. I can never tell if that is b/c of my friends settings, or just the sub itself.

sony, and polk are cheap (IMO) i'm sure there is somebody out there that swears by them ( i dont know who ) but i'd never invest money in them.

Part of the reason I made this post was although people feel JL are good subs, I wanted to find out how to find an equivalent sub for cheaper...

you just have to look and listen to find a subwoofer that performs similar to JL. nobody can really tell you how to do that. but for the most part people recognize JL as a reputable/reliable company as a whole. every now and then you find an "idiot" that doesnt like them. they must have hooked thier woofer up wrong or something.

 

[Termlab 10+ year member]

yeah... their 13W7 isnt made to get loud //content.invisioncic.com/y282845/emoticons/rolleyes.gif.c1fef805e9d1464d377451cd5bc18bfb.gif

dont make the mistake of thinking just because its big, that its made to be loud. ALL JL woofers are made to sound good. end of story. why why why mr anderson, why do you persist?

An all out SQ driver would be, for instance, focals lines.

JL would be another example of the above statement. its posted all over thier website. they do not recommend putting a JL driver on a meter, because thats not what it was created for.

A sub does not need 2inches of excursion to "hit the low notes", that is what we in the business like to call an "SQL" driver.

i didnt say it needed alot of throw to hit the low notes. but adding the extra excursion helps the driver play the lower notes..... louder, with less distortion. which sounds like sound quality to me. " we in the business"....... what a joke.

I'm not saying the W7 doesnt sound good, but it is overkill in a true purely SQ install

so you are saying JL doenst know what they are talking about??? all thier drivers are SQ oriented. can they be loud??? yes, but its intended use is -MUSICAL REPRODUCTION-

(one that is designed to play relatively flat across the board)

Sorry I wont be around to argue with you, I have to get going now but with your attitude, its probably a good thing.

no attitude here sir...... just stating facts //content.invisioncic.com/y282845/emoticons/smile.gif.1ebc41e1811405b213edfc4622c41e27.gif

You sound like a kid who buys into all the marketting you hear... "JL will tell you" //content.invisioncic.com/y282845/emoticons/banghead.gif.8606515f668c74f6de0281deb475b6fd.gif

i see, when you run out of information you have to attack the postee directly. its ok i wont tell anybody that you dont know what you are talking about //content.invisioncic.com/y282845/emoticons/wink.gif.608e3ea05f1a9f98611af0861652f8fb.gif

Just so you dont get confused with what my point is.

your arguement: JL subs are made for purely SQ (as quoted in my first post)

my arguement: JL subs are made to be loud with good SQ while doing it, not purely SQ.

nobody said the drivers couldnt get loud. but the point still remains, that you are confusing the drivers -purpose-. which is point blank musical reproduction. anybody with a little intelligence knows the only way to tell how "loud" a stereo system is, is put it on a meter. JL subwoofers were not made for that. so are you saying they are made to go on a meter, but sound good doing it??? i think not.