Thats kinda my point. Kicker is a good brand, they have been around for years just like jl and fosgate. Thay have good products. I own some of each and I like them but their biggest problem is their prices
Well they went through a model change and I was at the time planning on doubling my system. I didn't want two of the old gray cones and two of the silver cones. They were warrantied so I tried smoking the VC or breaking the spiders. They got all kinds of stinky, they were bottoming out big time (terrible metal on metal noises). After like 30min straight of this I wire them back up right thinking they'll give anytime. They never missed a beat for another year...
This is true, because I literally did just that, just not in a 3 year timespan lol
I will agree that in pre-fab and small box enclosures Kicker low end does not match the SQ of a lot of brands. My local shop sells RF prime that sounds much better than Comps in low end applications. It takes moving up a few rungs on the ladder and getting a decent box with good clean power to make Kickers sound good. They can though, but like any other brand, a bunch of that has to do with the install. A voice coil is the same on every sub, a wound piece of copper...
i concur 100%
The voice coil is only one part of a subwoofer... soft parts, motor structure, cone materials, ect. all factor into a subwoofers abiltiy to accurately reproduce music. Kickers get loud, they are pretty reliable, but they are not designed for SQ, they are designed for SPL... there are better SPL subs for the money, and there are worlds better SQ subs for less money. Kicker makes quality amps, and their product do last, but they are an average speaker company at best.
Accurately reproducing music is a blend of many factors, but three of which are the predominant force: 1) The input signal being accurate and clean 2) The motor of the sub being substantial enough to fully control the sub under normal working conditions 3) The box
I've heard lower end Kickers in small sealed boxes on low power that would get loud for 250w, but sounded like trash. Every application I've heard with a true 500w or more the subs could hang with any 'multi-purpose' sub out there (meaning no, it won't be more SQ than a strictly SQ oriented sub). I used to think my L7s sounded good, then I moved to Xs. On top of having tons more output, the Solo X puts all of it's cousin squares to shame. A big thing about squares isn't really 'sq' it's just more that square have a retarded low fs and a different mechanics altogether, so they just sound different in general. It is a sound you have to get used to. Once you do, however, you'll notice they don't sound any 'worse' than round subs, it just sounds different. It's more of a full note. They have incredibly long throw. A square cone making conal sound waves takes a couple of feet for the sound to level out right. What this means is that if you stick your ear up to the sub it can sound a little wonky, you get away from the things (say in your seat or outside the car) and the note is shaped correctly and sounds just like any other sub. This excessive distancing for the note to form is also part of the reason why these things carry insanely. People with 2 15's (that didn't really meter anything spectacular mind you) were honestly being heard inside buildings from multiple blocks away. I got a call the other weekend from a buddy of mine that works in a big truck workshop. Amongst all of the rigs rumbling and machinery in his shop, he called me well over a mile away and told me he knew he heard me. I was on my way towards him, down in the bottom of a hill, on the other side of an overpass from him. When he started to hear me I was at a stop light approx. two road miles away. That's impressive carry.
