Is bigger subs better?

Question

i always wondered if a 8" sub is better than a 12" sub at the same wattage rating, and the same for a 12" and 15" and 15" to a 18" and all the variations there of. Is there a difference, or optimal size for in home use than in car audio use. in your opinion what is the best? thanks-Mitch.

Answer 1

As mentioned design is somethign to look for but if you're looking at different sized subs at the same wattage range, make sure you are looking at the watts rating in RMS and not peak.

And also look at the frequency range...you want something that goes down to at least 20 Hz.....you can't hear any frequencies below that but a sub for example that can go down to 10 Hz that 10Hz-19Hz range you won't hear at all but you will sure as hell feel it.

From what I hear and my own experience 12 inch to 15 inch is adequate for room shaking, chest thumping bass.

I have a 150 watts RMS 12 inch Mirage subwoofer and at a loud enough volume on my receiver I can feel the bass go through my lungs....imagine what one of those expensive 1000 watts plus subs can do lol.

Answer 2

Bigger sub is usually better, but the most important is the design and the quality of the sub.
Base is very difficult to reproduce, so if you are looking for a REALLY good sub - be prepared to spend THOUSANDS.
REL, Velodyne DD series, JL Audio, REVEL make exceptional subwoofers.

Answer 3

Hi. The first rule in Audio is QUALITY is more important than quantity. Always choose the CLEARER sub woofer over the bigger sub.Driver size has nothing to do with sound quality.

Answer 4

Nope.

Scenario. Big 15" sub that costs $200. Small 10" sub that costs $2000. Which one do you think is better?

Big doesn't even mean lower frequencies. Big just means ... bigger.