I was originally waiting for the JL stealthbox until i found out it is just one 10W3 in a box for over $500. Considering that the actual sub is only worth a little over a hundred, i've decided against it. My new target is the new JL 12W7. It is similar in price to the stealthbox and from what i hear, is a monster. Does anyone have any other suggestions. I've seen alot of other subs like the titanium eclipses, kicker squares, ppi flat subs, xtant hexagons, bazooka triangles, CerwinVega Strokers with the spiders on the outside of the cone- all very weird, but are they any good? I heard a 12w7 at a local stereo shop hooked up to a JL 500/1 amp and it was amazing, just pure effortless bass.

 

The titanium Eclipse is very, very good. I was originally going to get a W7 (I've always used JL in the past) but ran out of patience several months ago. I've still never heard one.

A few "issues" you may find:
Cost! Last I checked, the W7 and Ti Eclipses both retail for well over $500. The Kicker Squares and CV Strokers should both be under $500 and may be capable of equivalent volume, but their sound quality will be crap in comparison.

Space! To do any of these big subs justice, you need a decently sized box, which will take up all of your trunk well. You may be able to get a Q-logic or equivalent to work for you, but many of us have gone with custom fiberglass pieces, which adds significantly to the total cost. Check out my sig for how I set up mine.

Power! After the box and sub are in, you then need a big amp (class D preferably) to provide adequate power for these monsters. Another amplifier somewhere for the front speakers, more space consumed.

Weight! An Eclipse 88120Ti and pair of Rockford amps added 100 pounds to my trunk. I don't usually carry much cargo in my car, but think about if you really want that much "junk in the trunk". I designed my system to be removable so the weight doesn't hurt on race day. Just one more thing to keep in mind.

Good luck, and may the bass be with you!

 

i know how to build a fiberglass box so the cost of the box isn't a big deal. while i couldn't find a stealthbox for under retail, i did find the w7 in the $500 range. According to JL's website, it is 8.5db louder than their 12w6.

 

Why Class D?

 

Kicker square sub S12L7 Dual 2 or 4 ohm. Sounds great!! Only needs .88 cubic feet. There should be plenty of room in the cubby hole if you take out the tools. Also, you can find them on Ebay for $200.

 

Class D amps are better suited to powering big subwoofers. They trade worse THD (which isn't super important for a sub) for higher efficeincy - they make more power with less heat and a smaller physical footprint. My sub gets 800 watts RMS from a regular amplifier, but it could be getting 1500 from a smaller amp generating less heat had I been more prescient and bought a class D.

However, their single purpose design necessitates a separate amp for the front stage. If you got a slightly less power-hungry subwoofer, you could probably get by bridging 2 of a big amplifier's 4 channels.

 

I went with a Planet Audio 12". It is extremely light (approx. 5 pounds), has a mounting depth of only 3 inches. The cone is made of carbon fiber. I also have their 6 1/2" components(also carbon fiber). The deciding factor on these speakers for me was weight. These components were actually lighter than the stock speakers.

Anyway, good luck.

 

Another thing to consider is what type of enclosure : sealed, ported, or passive radiator.

Sealed are the most common and least power efficent. Ported or Bass Reflex is more efficent giving 2 sound waves rather than 1. The passive radiator uses a dummy driver and is most efficent and more precise. You'll often see the latter in small all in one units.

 

There are a few that are better, but most are way out of your price league, so for about the price you've mentioned....

...Boston Acoustics Pro. Still one of the hardest-hitting, cleanest-sounding, and highest-quality subwoofers out there. Period. They need a lot of juice, and a lot of space in a good SEALED enclosure, but if you can manage it.... there's your boy.

 

anyone with an infinity kappa perfect? i just ordered a 12 and was wondering if anyone is running one of those??