What kind of subwoofer should I get?

Question

I decided that I'm going to buy a subwoofer for my car, but I know zero about this kind of thing. I went into car toys, but all of the employees were busy so I'm hoping someone has some experience with these things. I really just want a basicsub in the box, but do I need an amp to connect to it? or is that just something extra? Also, am I better of paying to have this installed, or have someone I know do it for free? Thanks!

Answer 1

you should just get a ten inch sub of any brand you think sounds cool and yes you will need an amp. as for installing it, i install all my friends stuff for free but just make sure you trust them and know them well. and make sure if you got problems with it they will be there to help you out.

Answer 2

If you don't know anything about this, ask one of your trusted friends (one who experienced about this, or at least better than you, so you can ask him/her opinion) to accompany you to an audio workshop, choose one that has a reputable name in your region. Yes the pro may charge you a little more, but at least you can be sure that they know what they are doing to your car.
You have to decide what kind of installation that you need, how much space that you can to sacrifice, and how much money that you'll spent. Let the pro analyze your car
If you just want a good bass and a balanced system to enjoy some music, a low cost entry level sub will do. They usually cost around $100 or even less. Choose from a reputable brand, maybe JL 10W0, Kicker Comp10, or Sony XPlod, these sub are good all-rounder that won't break your budget. A 10" or 12"sub is enough.
To power it you need only need a small amp, between 100-200W total. Don't use active pre-made subs, they sounds awful. Ask the pro to built an enclosure tuned specially for your car.

Answer 3

I would get one audiobahn aw1206t in a seald box running about 700 to 1000watts rms, this sub will be nice and quiet when its down low and still reproduce the bass clear, and then if you crank it it can give you some major thump, ive got 2 in my car with a 2000 watt rms amp and it POUNDS, but mine are in a vented box which is more for loudness than a sealed one, sealed will give you better sound quality, make sure your amp is a class d monoblock, if you can find a shop to install for 45 to 60 bucks that would be best, I would take someone that knows about this stuff with you though because they can tell and they will try to rip you alot of the times if they dont have prices posted by the products, do some price shoping on the internet and add about 25 to 75 bucks to the price depending on brand and model

Answer 4

I agree with Sam. You need some kind of JL Audio sub. I would go with either two 10-12" W6's if you want a nice quality sounding sub, but if you want volume, go with one 13" W7. These are VERY expensive high end things and they don't include an amp, but it's worth the time and money.

Having a professional is always better for the quality of work. Normally you can find someone in your area that has a little "shop" (aka their own garage) that they work out of. Those type of people are great for custom work.

Answer 5

Well, you have been given a plethora of advice. What to do with it all?

Best suggestion, go to a pro audio shop (or {cringe} Best Buy) and listen to what they have. Your ears will be your best critic to what you like. Just be aware that what you hear in the store may not be what you hear in your car. With that, some pro audio shops will demo systems right in your car. So you know exactly what to expect.

To get an idea what all is involved, this information is JUST on the speaker box itself (and some other tidbits):

http://spkrbox1.spaces.live.com

________________
sarah j,

"paying about 100 bucks an hour!"

The tech's at IBM charge that much for on-site tech support at the commercial level.

Someone is REALLY ripping people off.

I worked for a pro audio company and we charged $35 an hour. First hour was free if you bought your stuff from us.

Answer 6

easy answer
SUB: fusion 12inch encounter seriers if you like nice tight bass(techno songs) cost about $260 in a box from autobarn
AMP yes you will need an amp they come in theses modes:
2CH : for only running 2 speakers like splits in the front of the car these amps are not for subs
4CH : for running four speakers in the car (2 in front 2 in the back) these also not for subs
D class : for subwoofers only! cost will vary depending on sub you choose
and yes recomend pro install. Autobarn will do you a good deal if you buy sub and amp package from them hope this has helped p.s have alittle xtra cash on hand when chooseing as you will need extra things like speaker wireing and fuses ect

Answer 7

Just buy it on craigslist and have that person install it for you theres a whole lot more to it than just buying amps and speakers, you have to run a bigger power wire from your battery to your amp and that usually goes in the trunk theres a lot more stuff to buy but just go in and talk to those guys at car toys.

Answer 8

Get a Blastosonic amp and a Loudthumpa sub.

Answer 9

i'm a expert musician, and my son has used 2 categories of auto-particular subs. normally, "no longer common" and "unfastened" hitting could actually be a function of woofer length instead of sort or sort. case in point, bass guitarists and keyboard gamers desire an array of 10" woofers instead of 12" or 15" woofers for definition and readability - 12" and 15" oftentimes produce assorted visceral impact yet notes are fuzzy and ill-defined. My son has now used the two Rockford Fosgate and JL Audio subs, has long previous with 2 10" subs in the two circumstances, and we desire the JL subs over the RFs all day long. a number of that has to do with the speaker, i'm advantageous - yet he's likewise replaced and upgraded the tuned enclosure, which will have a minimum of as plenty result on the final sound because of the fact the speaker itself. So from our adventure i will additionally propose the JLs, propose you opt for 10", of path make advantageous your amp has better than sufficient headroom, and be advantageous to apply a high quality, tuned, enclosure desirable on your purpose and utility. desirable to you.

Answer 10

well if you like music, and care about how it sounds, and dont have to be the loudest car on the street, then go with a Boston Acousitcs G2 12". its a awesome sounding sub, it wont break your budget, and its only 300 watts rms. so in other words, yoi wont need a huge expensive amp to push it. thats my suggestion.

hope it helps, good luck.