which is better? 2 10inch subs or one 12inch sub?
07-17-2012, 05:45 AM
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which is better? 2 10inch subs or one 12inch sub?
working on system for my 2011 2dr. i know theres not much room so im trying to get best bang for the buck.. just purchased a nice used kicker zx500.1 amp today for $55. looking to buy kicker subs now.. cant decide on going with 2 10's or just one 12. i guess i'll just put a big ass ugly box behind rear seat and just take it out when i need some room for storage. whatcha think? how can i make a quick disconnect for the speaker wires on the box.. BTW, im going to mount amp under driver seat.. wheres the guy that makes the amp mounts? i need one of those too!!!
07-17-2012, 05:50 AM
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I had 2 8 inch sundown audio subs with a 1500 watt amp and the windows on my hardtop would flex !!!! Make sure you get/make a ported box makes a huge difference with sound quality
07-17-2012, 06:23 AM
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Its all in what you want, a 12 will go lower in freq that 10's but for "loudness" 2 10's equal 20 inches of surface area compared to just 12 inches with just 1 12, so the 2 10's would be more but won't go a deep as a single 12... not to mention need more power than just a single sub.. I had 2 JL w6 13's in my JKU and it was INSAIN!! way too much for a jeep my winshield wipers would bounce off my winshield when they hit, granted i ran a hardtop at the time.. I'm going down to a single L7/L5 or single W7
07-17-2012, 07:58 AM
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There are a lot of "depends on" scenarios with this question
This is an age-old question, with many opinions from many people. I've dealt with speakers in various vehicles for many years. Here's my two-cents.
When you are talking about 2-10's vs 1-12" sub the general thought is "the 12 will go lower, but the 10's will hit harder". Which is usually a correct comparison, IF you are talking about the same model speaker. However, even with the same manufacturer there is significant difference. For example assuming Kicker is the brand (my favorite brand, btw)
The 10" 10C104 has a freq response of 30 - 500 Hz, and the 12" (10C124) publishes 27 - 500 Hz. This minor 3 Hz difference may never be noticed by a human ear. And it can certainly be adjusted with a good amp. Basically, the 12" may publish lower Hz, but you won't hear the difference. There's another unit that is measured on subs called the "Fs" frequency, (the natural frequency the sub resonates in free air). Comparing the Comp 10" and 12" there still is only a 3 Hz difference. Which IMHO, you won't notice.
However, with the amp you have, neither of these subs would work anyway. You'll need something that can handle the power, which put's you to the higher end Comp Series or the Solo-Baric series. In those, the frequency response is very similar between the 10" and 12" woofers. (the 10" 10CVR104, 12" 10CVR124, 10" 11S10L34, and 12" 11S12L34 all have a frequency range of 25 - 500 Hz, with very similar power ratings). The Fs on these subs are similar as well, all hovering around 32 Hz with the exception of the 10" 10CVR104 (a disappointing 43 Hz).
Notice that the higher end 10" subs have a lower frequency response than the less-expensive 12". And the higher end 10"s have basically the same frequency response as the 12"s. Therefore, frequency response really doesn't play heavy into this equation. I have an 8" pioneer sub and a 10" Rockford sub that I keep swapping out to try and determine which will be permanently mounted in the jeep. The 8" pioneer hits way lower than the 10" Rockford. It can handle the really deep bass notes that just disappear with the 10". However, the 10" can make the kick drum seem like it's sitting in the back. I love that! Oh the dilemma.
The bottom line, in my humble opinion is keyed off of what was mentioned above, two 10" subs give you 20" of cone moving and one 12" just gives you 12" (obviously). The two 10"s are going to hit harder, if you care about that. When my nephew was asking this same question earlier this year he decided to go with the 2 10"'s just for the volume. He's still young enough to want other people to hear him from far away. I'm a little older and care more about the sound quality. If you care about other's hearing you, the 10"s will be good.
What you mentioned about space in the jeep makes me lean toward a single 12" for you. The Solo-Baric 12" requires a 1.25 cf box, the two 10"s will require 2.0 cf of space, making the box a lot larger. Just something to consider. Besides, a 12" is more than enough!
I'm in the process of designing a removable box for under the back seat (for the 8" or 10" mentioned above). Not sure if there is enough space for the 12" under there and still make it removable. But once I get the design finished if the 12" would fit I'll share it with you. I'm trying to get the sub in the passenger area b/c when I go topless it can't keep up.
LAST Thing, I used this type of wire disconnect for my speaker box. It works really well. I've never had them come apart accidentally. Maybe something like this is available at an auto-parts store?
If you can't find one, I have some extra's. PM me and I'll send you one.
I'd love to know what you decided.
When you are talking about 2-10's vs 1-12" sub the general thought is "the 12 will go lower, but the 10's will hit harder". Which is usually a correct comparison, IF you are talking about the same model speaker. However, even with the same manufacturer there is significant difference. For example assuming Kicker is the brand (my favorite brand, btw)
The 10" 10C104 has a freq response of 30 - 500 Hz, and the 12" (10C124) publishes 27 - 500 Hz. This minor 3 Hz difference may never be noticed by a human ear. And it can certainly be adjusted with a good amp. Basically, the 12" may publish lower Hz, but you won't hear the difference. There's another unit that is measured on subs called the "Fs" frequency, (the natural frequency the sub resonates in free air). Comparing the Comp 10" and 12" there still is only a 3 Hz difference. Which IMHO, you won't notice.
However, with the amp you have, neither of these subs would work anyway. You'll need something that can handle the power, which put's you to the higher end Comp Series or the Solo-Baric series. In those, the frequency response is very similar between the 10" and 12" woofers. (the 10" 10CVR104, 12" 10CVR124, 10" 11S10L34, and 12" 11S12L34 all have a frequency range of 25 - 500 Hz, with very similar power ratings). The Fs on these subs are similar as well, all hovering around 32 Hz with the exception of the 10" 10CVR104 (a disappointing 43 Hz).
Notice that the higher end 10" subs have a lower frequency response than the less-expensive 12". And the higher end 10"s have basically the same frequency response as the 12"s. Therefore, frequency response really doesn't play heavy into this equation. I have an 8" pioneer sub and a 10" Rockford sub that I keep swapping out to try and determine which will be permanently mounted in the jeep. The 8" pioneer hits way lower than the 10" Rockford. It can handle the really deep bass notes that just disappear with the 10". However, the 10" can make the kick drum seem like it's sitting in the back. I love that! Oh the dilemma.
The bottom line, in my humble opinion is keyed off of what was mentioned above, two 10" subs give you 20" of cone moving and one 12" just gives you 12" (obviously). The two 10"s are going to hit harder, if you care about that. When my nephew was asking this same question earlier this year he decided to go with the 2 10"'s just for the volume. He's still young enough to want other people to hear him from far away. I'm a little older and care more about the sound quality. If you care about other's hearing you, the 10"s will be good.
What you mentioned about space in the jeep makes me lean toward a single 12" for you. The Solo-Baric 12" requires a 1.25 cf box, the two 10"s will require 2.0 cf of space, making the box a lot larger. Just something to consider. Besides, a 12" is more than enough!
I'm in the process of designing a removable box for under the back seat (for the 8" or 10" mentioned above). Not sure if there is enough space for the 12" under there and still make it removable. But once I get the design finished if the 12" would fit I'll share it with you. I'm trying to get the sub in the passenger area b/c when I go topless it can't keep up.
LAST Thing, I used this type of wire disconnect for my speaker box. It works really well. I've never had them come apart accidentally. Maybe something like this is available at an auto-parts store?
If you can't find one, I have some extra's. PM me and I'll send you one.
I'd love to know what you decided.
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07-17-2012, 07:34 PM
#8
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For what it's worth, I made a mistake mounting my amp in my jeep. It's under the driver's seat. I wish I'd have put it under the passenger seat because I'd like to have one of those security storage boxes. Now I will have to move the amp if I get one. It's not a big deal, but if I had to do it over again, I wouldn't put it where I did. You may not care about one of those security boxes at all, but just in case you thought you might in the future, it may be a good idea to leave that open.
07-19-2012, 04:48 AM
#9
it depends.....
on the subs
the box its in
the subs efficiency (ie: db/spl @ 1 watt)
the wattage they can handle (rms & peak)
and the AMP you drive them with.
in my f350 i have a single 10" kicker solobaric (square) that is rated at 450/900 watts (rms / peak)
its driven by JL 500/1 that can properly drive it (500w RMS, 900 Peak).
the single solobaric in my crewcab f350 will buzz the hair on your arm, withOUT distorting !
personally im a BIG fan of JL "slash" amps - theyre noise free (very low THD) and theyre VERY stable across a wide voltage range - the voltage in any car/truck/jeep is not stable - especially if you start pushing the amp...the JL SLASH series performs the SAME from as low as 11v to as high as 15 volts (input).
the JL Slash amps are are also STABLE and rated to put out the same wattage REGARDLESS of the speakers resistance (ohms) - its one less thing to worry about and it gives you more options for speakers and how to wire multiples w/out worrying if youre reducing the amps output.
heres some photos of my f350 set up (all work performed by myself).
on the subs
the box its in
the subs efficiency (ie: db/spl @ 1 watt)
the wattage they can handle (rms & peak)
and the AMP you drive them with.
in my f350 i have a single 10" kicker solobaric (square) that is rated at 450/900 watts (rms / peak)
its driven by JL 500/1 that can properly drive it (500w RMS, 900 Peak).
the single solobaric in my crewcab f350 will buzz the hair on your arm, withOUT distorting !
personally im a BIG fan of JL "slash" amps - theyre noise free (very low THD) and theyre VERY stable across a wide voltage range - the voltage in any car/truck/jeep is not stable - especially if you start pushing the amp...the JL SLASH series performs the SAME from as low as 11v to as high as 15 volts (input).
the JL Slash amps are are also STABLE and rated to put out the same wattage REGARDLESS of the speakers resistance (ohms) - its one less thing to worry about and it gives you more options for speakers and how to wire multiples w/out worrying if youre reducing the amps output.
heres some photos of my f350 set up (all work performed by myself).
Last edited by bushpilot; 07-19-2012 at 05:01 AM.
07-19-2012, 05:30 AM
#10
Super Moderator
Why choose one way or the other? That has always been my strategy when building my system. So I went with dual 12's
Last edited by Rednroll; 07-19-2012 at 05:32 AM.