Kicker L7 and L5 are pretty nice for getting loud. They fit 90% of teenagers needs. They get very loud, rattle stuff in the neighbor's house, and you can hear them from 2 blocks away.
On the other side, I have never heard ANY Kicker sub OR speaker with a tiny amount of SQ.
They get loud, but have terrible response, especially on transient notes. Maybe they sound okie dokie on newer rap, with all that computerized bass that already sounds like crap, but ry them on an old gospel song using a stand-up bass.
I have a pair of L7 12's, and I HATE them. They are very loud, but aren't smooth at all. You can always tell that they are wanging, never blending in. I cannot get them set at level where they sound nice with all music. If you turn them up to blend with older country, they are extremely overpowered on rap or on FM radio commercials.
I myself think that the amps are top-notch. I would love to have a new Kicker 5-channel.
Competitors aim to keep anything in their car from sounding overpowering or distinct, thus they want the sub to blend in with the music and make its presence not too well known.
