which is better.. 10 inch sub or 12 inch.sub?

Question

i want to purchase a sub.. but i want accuracry and muzic to sound as it is.. which size shoul i go for.. i can get two 10"..thats no prob..the thing is which sub sounds better..10" or 12".. in ne case..and muzic like rap ,pop and rock.if possible..give a detailed answer.thanx

Answer 1

As we all agree size matters, he he, the other important factor is the enclosure the subs go in.

See my site for info on subwoofer wiring methods, enclosure construction and other tips http://spkrbox1.spaces.live.com

Answer 2

Look at JL Audio's slogan, "There's no replacement for displacement" The amount of bass produced by a sub depends on how much air it moves. Period. This is the simplest approach you can take. For example I went from a Rockford Fosgate 15" sub which I bought for $149.00 to 2 JL Audio 10w7's which retail for just over $700.00 apiece. The single 15 put out more bass than the two 10's im using now and it costed much less as you can see. However the 10 inch subs are much more versatile than the 15. I still have the 15, as a matter of fact I have two but the main reason I switched subs is because I went from a full size SUV to a compact hatchback and the 15's were just too much for a small car. Subs tend to have a sound curve, the point at which a sub sounds best from a certain distance. When I had the 15's in my hatchback the bass sounded best when standing about 5 feet in front of my car. I wanted the sound to be the best inside my car. Take the size of your cars cabin (interior size) into consideration when buying a sub. However, it is true that a 15 inch sub is not the best for reproducing higher bass notes as well as a 10 inch sub doesnt reproduce the best lows. All in all the popular favorite for all subs is typically a 12 inch version. It is right in the middle. This is the size of sub I would recommend not knowing what you are driving. It is the safest bet.

Answer 3

The main differences between a 10" and a 12" sub is gonna be power handling and it's sound range.

A 10" sub, as it is smaller, will handle a little less power. It will be a little more accurate than the 12", but not really noticeable. However, it won't go as low in terms of frequency, ie Hz, therefore not producing as much "boom" that the 12" would. A 10" will usually cut out just under 30Hz while a 12" will do closer to or just less than 20Hz. As there is little sound at those levels, this makes little difference to anyone other than audiophiles.

Accuracy, on the other hand, is mostly affected by your box and amp. Sealed boxes create the most accuracy because they are sealed air tight. Therefore the sub is not able to move freely and therefore has to be moved (by the magnet). This doesn't allow for it to be "sloppy". However, if you have a sealed box, you need a more power full amp because it's harder for the magnet to move the speaker and therefore requires more power to be as loud.

Bandpass boxes have a benefit in that they're toned specifically to a Hz and can greatly help the sound level at that Hz. They're also sealed on one side as to help hold the speaker.

Ported boxes are also good in that they require less power, but don't give the sub much resistance and therefore it can be sloppy at higher volumes.

Answer 4

a ten inch sub will give you more "range" its better for rock music and things that dont use a whole lot of bass. a 12 inch sub hits harder. This is better for rap music. i tend to like the way a 12 sounds.. dont go cheap though because its not worth it. the more you spend the better the sub.. go with JL audio.. they can handle massive amounts of power and have a lifetime warrenty. they are expensive tho

Answer 5

Since you listen to a variety of music your best bet is going to be a 12" sub. Ten inch subs work the best for rock because they play a bid higher than larger subs,fifteens work really good for rap because they hit a lot lower so you would want to get something right in the middle. Twelves can play higher frequencies and also lower frequencies. I recommend JL Audio W3. Good overall standards and affordable.

Answer 6

The trick is in the amount of air the speaker can move and the cone resonance. Look at the specs for both speakers.

A suspension cone (with a soft rubber surround) allows the cone to move like a piston, therefore allowing it to move a large volume of air. Low notes need a large volume of air to render them accurately. The lower the cone resonance, the more accurate the rendering of low notes.

It all depends on the speaker/cone design and the size of the magnet on the speaker. In general, the larger the cone, the better the low frequency response, but not always... The best way is to compare the technical specs.

Answer 7

10s are very good for rock but if you listen to r&b more then i would go with the 12s. dependingon how much you spend on your subs the 10s woul probablybe the best!

Answer 8

The 12' will sound alot deeper and depending on the type of music yo listen too you will probley get that deeper bass.. a 10' is fine but you wont get that deep sound.

Answer 9

it depends on what kind of subs you get an expensive 10 might be better than a cheap 12

Answer 10

I kinda like the 12 give or take an inch.