# Subwoofer Specs: What do they mean?



## jer_hong (Jun 17, 2009)

if this is in the wrong forum, i apologize and feel free to move it to the appropriate subforum.

*SUBWOOFER/AMPLIFIER SPECS/PARAMETERS: WHAT DO THEY MEAN?*

First off, i'll be the first to admit that i'm a noob. I recently just installed my first setup, and i'm moving on into learning more about car audio and getting ready my next install (which i hope to leave in for A LONG time, so i'm trying to do it right), but when it comes to sub specs and parameters, i am at a complete loss.

I searched the forum for "specs" and didn't find ONE thread that answered this, which i thought was rather strange. 

_but anyways, could anyone tell me in basic terms what each sub spec means? or if you only want to answer the "important ones" could you do that and explain why they're important? i'm not good with all the scientific jargon, so layman's terms would be helpful. :laugh: 

when it comes to amplifiers, i'm lost as well. i understand the basic channels/watts/rms/impedence/etc, but the specs here have me lost as well. could anyone help me out in this department as well?_

i'm planning on doing an SQ system with a TINY SPL for the rare occasions i want to get loud (maybe 70%sq 30%spl). considering an older style JBL wgti10/12 mkII (i think that's the model) with the plain cap and logo powered by a jl 500.1. I know that's not much power for that sub, but i may also sell that and get something else. suggestions welcomed.

all help is appreciated! i've also been looking at speakers and although i'm learning a little more, the specs still have me completely baffled. 

I have no clue what to look for in a speaker/driver/sub, so at the moment i can only base my choices on what other people say about them, which put simply, sucks a big one. so help me please! thanks!


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## Kassta (Apr 24, 2009)

Impedance should be relatively low. That's one thing I know... I think.


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## Chaos (Oct 27, 2005)

In a nutshell, T/S parameters describe the electrical & mechanical characteristics of a loudspeaker. In order to understand what they mean, it may be best to first learn a little about how a speaker works, and to become familiar with different types of enclosures.

Basic Car Audio Electronics (page 31)

The Subwoofer DIY Page


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## Oliver (Jun 25, 2007)

The internet is your friend 

HowStuffWorks "How Speakers Work"

HowStuffWorks "How Amplifiers Work"


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## finfinder (Apr 15, 2006)

I always advise newbs to visit the tutorial section of this site as well as the12volt.com and bcae1.com

Tons and tons of basic and advanced info and answers to questions you haven't even thought of yet.


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## dorkbert (May 26, 2012)

What does the RMS range mean? When a subwoofer spec lists it as being 50W-200W RMS, does that mean it requires at least 50W to operate? I am not referring to the max rating (which most people states as being nearly worthless.)


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## minbari (Mar 3, 2011)

dorkbert said:


> What does the RMS range mean? When a subwoofer spec lists it as being 50W-200W RMS, does that mean it requires at least 50W to operate? I am not referring to the max rating (which most people states as being nearly worthless.)


lol, yup 49 watts and it wont make a sound! 


most of the time those are recommendations. does it mean you cant run it off of 30 watts, of course not!

this is a great read
Thiele/Small - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia


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## dorkbert (May 26, 2012)

minbari said:


> most of the time those are recommendations. does it mean you cant run it off of 30 watts, of course not!


When I read the spec of SWR T-10 which lists a range of 300-600W RMS, I thought "it REQUIRES 300W just to start?"


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## minbari (Mar 3, 2011)

lol, no. they are just recommending a power range of 300-600 watts. you have to realise most of those manuals are written for people who dont know what they are talking about, lol.


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