# Budget (<$150) 12" woofer for small sealed enclosure



## bassic (Aug 19, 2010)

I have a one cubic foot sealed enclosure with a JL 12W3v2 (dual 2 ohm voice coils, wired in series) powered by a Cadence TXA-3002 (allegedly rated 600 Watts RMS bridged with a 4 ohm laod). 

Despite being able to handle 500W RMS, the JL took a dump and needs to be replaced. I'm looking for a suitable replacement woofer for my enclosure and I found several good suggestions here on DIYMA:

Dayton RSS315HO-4

Image Dynamics IDQ12V2.D2

Tidal Audio REF-TM12.2

Which of these would be the best choice for me? I'm not going after any competition, just some hard hitting tight bass for my Tacoma. I've heard lots of good things about the ID woofer, but they're only rated for 350W RMS and my amplifier is pushing more power than that. The Dayton woofers are 700W RMS which would be better, however I've heard they're much better in a sealed enclosure. 

I honestly have no problem with the Tidal Audio (allegedly a rebranded Image Dynamics) however I don't want to destroy another woofer from too much power. Would I be taking a chance with the ID or the Tidal Audio?

Are there any other woofers in my price range (under $150, but of course the lower the better) that would work well in a 1 cubic foot sealed enclosure in the extended cab of a Tacoma?


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## 60ndown (Feb 8, 2007)

i replaced my sub recently, i wanted a high power great sounding 12.

general verdict is,

1.jbl gti 12 can be found used for $160.(v1 and v2 perform the same just look different)

2. the dayton 

i ended up with a jl12w6v2 used, performs VERY well both sealed and ported.

12" Subwoofers - Car Audio Classifieds


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## rexroadj (Oct 31, 2008)

60 has some great recommendations! You have a wealth of options! I would also add to the list with the jbl p series if you can fit it. The gti is one of the best subs on the planet but the depth can kill some situations. W6 is AWESOME! never had a bad experience with one! Almost anything ID is going to yield great resulst as well. I will also add the new PPI pc.12 into the list. For the price it is GREAT and will fit the power/cuft really well. There is a great review on (I think) PASMAG on the 15. The writer now uses that sub as his Reference sub! He could use anything that comes through his door.....obviously sound is subjective but to me that really says something!


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## snaimpally (Mar 5, 2008)

The Dayton works well sealed or ported. I have tried it sealed in 1 cu ft and it sounds quite good. If you can find one used, the RE SE12D2 or SE12D4 is an awesome sub. Takes gobs of power and excellent SQ. I just sold mine for $125. If you can find a Boston G5 or even a G3 for $150, those are both good choices.


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## mattyjman (Aug 6, 2009)

what is this doing in the spl forum, you're not really breaking into the spl field with 1 sub and a 600 wattss... just saying. 

here, check these... they are cheap...

SE12D - Boss 12" 800 Watt Dual 4-Ohm Subwoofer

95 db efficient P)


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## rexroadj (Oct 31, 2008)

x2 on the g5/g3 extremely GREAT subs!


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## bassic (Aug 19, 2010)

mattyjman said:


> what is this doing in the spl forum, you're not really breaking into the spl field with 1 sub and a 600 wattss... just saying.


My bad, I just didn't know where else to put it (I looked around! Honest, i tried!!! )


I appreciate all the suggestions; I know the W6 is a great woofer, however they're far out of my price range. I'll keep my eyes out for a used G3/G5 or GTI. 

Nobody mentioned the power handling capabilities of the ID woofers - they're only rated for 350W RMS. Would a 600W amplifier damage them? I only ask because the JL 12W3v2 was hitting the mechanical limits with this amplifier on certain frequencies, and that's rated for 500 (even after repeated adjustments to prevent clipping and minimize distortion). Same goes for the G3; I found a new one for $140 but they're rated for 375. Will 600W be too much? The RE SEx12D2 also looks nice and is rated for 600w RMS


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## BassnTruck (May 27, 2010)

bassic said:


> I only ask because the JL 12W3v2 was hitting the mechanical limits with this amplifier on certain frequencies, and that's rated for 500 (even after repeated adjustments to prevent clipping and minimize distortion).


I really do not care for JL just to put that out there. But your issue could very well have been caused by the wrong enclosure. On top of over powering and clipping in an attempt to get more out put thus over heating and frying the sub.


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## Abob89 (Mar 2, 2010)

The Q should take quite a bit of abuse. Buddy of mine ran a IDQ 12" alongside his ID Q600.1. Taking into account how hard he rides his gear, he toasted the sub after about 4 months. Ended up metering the Q amp just for good measure and found out we had been pumping about 1350 into the poor sub. Their resilient little buggers. Sound awesome too.

Never heard to the Tidal stuff. If it is rebadged then that'd prolly be pretty zesty too eh?


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## rexroadj (Oct 31, 2008)

The power really should not be an issue. Chances are that whatever you have hooked up to it wont see all of it anyway. Just be smart with the gains/eq/xover and keep in mind the enclosure its in. Yes the G3 will take that 600 without a problem! I had about 7-800 to one in my truck and it was 0 issue


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## SomeGuy748 (Feb 24, 2010)

The ID woofer is amazing and can handle a lot more than specs may show. Is it the loudest option... probably not. JL is just over rated and you'll pay a premium for the name but not really get anything special. The JBL seems to be popular on this forum but from the ones I've heard I have not really been all that impressed. They get pretty loud but seem to sound loose and boomy. The Boston sub has been very disappointing. There seems to be a lot of big claims about high output with small enclosures, but that has not been my experience with them. Just too quiet. I would consider the Exile XPE12 or maybe the Brutus 12 if you're looking for real boom for your buck. The XPE may not be in your price range but will really do the job based on the power and enclosure you have already. Same with the Brutus. It may not sound great but you can really beat the snot out of it and it will get loud.


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## Abob89 (Mar 2, 2010)

SomeGuy748 said:


> I would consider the Exile XPE12 or maybe the Brutus 12 if you're looking for real boom for your buck. The XPE may not be in your price range but will really do the job based on the power and enclosure you have already. Same with the Brutus. It may not sound great but you can really beat the snot out of it and it will get loud.


That HiFonics Brutus sub is a total anomaly. Their like $100 at full rip and they kick ass for what they are. Most MaxxSonics stuff I just glance over and don't give a second thought but that thing is a kick in the pants if your lookin' for a good cheapy. Haven't been able to pop one yet


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## bassic (Aug 19, 2010)

SomeGuy748 said:


> I would consider the Exile XPE12 or maybe the Brutus 12 if you're looking for real boom for your buck. The XPE may not be in your price range but will really do the job based on the power and enclosure you have already. Same with the Brutus. It may not sound great but you can really beat the snot out of it and it will get loud.


I hope you're not talking about the Brutus that lights up, that's just crazy . I found the current generation online and the price is insane ($60-80) however they are only available in dual 4 ohm; I need single 4 ohm or dual 2 ohm voice coil configuration.

I found a used Boston G5 locally with a custom enclosure that incorporates the passive radiator. The guy is asking $175, but I'm not so sure that's a good deal; I can get a new G5 for $200, however that doesn't include an enclosure that's made specifically for that woofer. 

I'm really liking the RE Audio SEx12D2 ($150) or the Dayton RSS315-HO ($140), they both look good and I hear many good reviews around here, so if the G5 doesn't check out I'll be focusing on those.

Now for a detour, I took my setup apart and found that my JL 12W3 looks pretty good, and the only problem is that the dust cap separated from the cone - that's why it was sounding like garbage. It wasn't hitting any limits, in fact I don't think I was overpowering it at all. I glued the cap back on and it works just fine now. . . so now I'm going to crank up the gain and see what this thing is capable of now that I'm shopping for a replacement. I thought about just keeping it, but it's 7 years old now and it's been abused.


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## rexroadj (Oct 31, 2008)

That G5 deal is awesome! If you cant get a lot of great sounding bass out of that then you cant get it out of anything!


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## bassic (Aug 19, 2010)

I pushed my W3 hard this morning and it sounds fine; good enough for now so I'll be holding out on buying something else until I really trash it. I'm going to focus on a shallow 10" or maybe even an 8" that doesn't take up so much space. Talk about a change of plans!

The only downside now is that my current setup is a classic example of using the wrong enclosure for the woofer. While not too far off in size (1 cubic foot versus the recommended 1.25 cubic feet), something is not right and it's not very efficient. The bass isn't 'tight' and gets sloppy if it's pushed too hard.

Back in the day (mid 90s) I had a JL 12W1 in a custom enclosure designed specifically for that subwoofer, powered by a relatively tiny rockford punch 40i (~100W bridged), and that thing used to bump.


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## SomeGuy748 (Feb 24, 2010)

bassic said:


> I hope you're not talking about the Brutus that lights up, that's just crazy . I found the current generation online and the price is insane ($60-80) however they are only available in dual 4 ohm; I need single 4 ohm or dual 2 ohm voice coil configuration.


No, no lights. The ones we have do not light up but do hit really hard in a moderate sized ported enclosure. Not real excited about the chrome basket, but for the money they are a great sub.


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## Abob89 (Mar 2, 2010)

SomeGuy748 said:


> No, no lights. The ones we have do not light up but do hit really hard in a moderate sized ported enclosure. Not real excited about the chrome basket, but for the money they are a great sub.


It's actually one of the lost T/S Parameters. The Bling factor or "Bf" can add up to a 20% increase in Xmax. The Brutus sub actually gains an extra 3mm in linear excursion due to it's chrome basket.



Joking aside they do actually perform well for a $100 sub.


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## bassic (Aug 19, 2010)

Abob89 said:


> It's actually one of the lost T/S Parameters. The Bling factor or "Bf" can add up to a 20% increase in Xmax. The Brutus sub actually gains an extra 3mm in linear excursion due to it's chrome basket.
> 
> 
> 
> Joking aside they do actually perform well for a $100 sub.



Maybe I'm just old, but when I hear "Brutus" this is what I think of:


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## iceman76 (Aug 17, 2008)

WOW!! Old Skool wrestlers are the greatest!!


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## stickler (Jan 31, 2009)

I've run the Tidal Audio 12.2 in a 1.25ft^3 sealed enclosure off a DPX1851 @ 4ohms. It was very impressive for the price. Works great sealed. 
It is still going strong in my friend's car after 2 years of abuse from both of us.


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## bassic (Aug 19, 2010)

I've been playing with my existing setup and I'm not sure what's going on, but something doesn't seem right. 

I have a single JL 12W3V2-2 (dual two ohm voice coils wired in series) in a sealed 1.15 ft^3 enclosure powered by a Cadence TXA3002 amplifier. X-over frequency is set at 80Hz on the headunit and approximately the same on the amplifier. There's a decent amount of bass, but it seems lacking. I've heard this same subwoofer installed in a homemade smaller enclosure powered by a cheap no-name amplifier and it sounded much better than what I have right now (and that amplifier was rated for less power output!)

I know the Cadence TXA3002 is a budget amplifier, but it's rated at 600W RMS at 4ohms and Cadence has a good enough reputation not to overstate their claims, or so I thought. It just seems that this amplifier isn't putting out enough power. Does anyone have any experience with these?

My enclosure (16"W x 13"H x 11"D) is a bit smaller than what's recommended (23"W x 14"H x 10"D), and the dimensions are completely different, but I didn't think that could have too much of an effect, or can it?

I know the W3 can handle more power than it's currently receiving. My preamp outputs are configured for a subwoofer, and if I turn up the subwoofer level there's obvious distortion. Same goes for the amplifier; too much gain and it gets distorted. What really makes me wonder is that in the past I've gotten much more bass out of a sealed 12W1 with only 150W. 

Is this just a typical case of not enough power? What gains could I expect with a ported enclosure? I don't have much experience with them, however I'm willing to try something different. I want some ridiculous bass - not to win competitions or show off but enough for me, and I've heard it done (enough bass for me) with a single 12' many times.


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## Cruzer (Jul 16, 2010)

ported ur going to gain about 3dbs roughly. some spots its only 2, some its 4, according to winisd.

let me just say that i have a friend who has a 10w3v3 ported to jl's specs, it pounds for a single 10...

my single 15" sealed is only louder than his 10 from 40hz up, otherwise his is right on par with mine. ported deff makes a difference. cant wait till my ported box is done as i have never ran ported either.


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## bassic (Aug 19, 2010)

Cruzer said:


> ported ur going to gain about 3dbs roughly. some spots its only 2, some its 4, according to winisd.
> 
> let me just say that i have a friend who has a 10w3v3 ported to jl's specs, it pounds for a single 10...
> 
> my single 15" sealed is only louder than his 10 from 40hz up, otherwise his is right on par with mine. ported deff makes a difference. cant wait till my ported box is done as i have never ran ported either.



What is he using to power it, and what are you using for your 15?


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## SPLmonster13 (Jul 5, 2010)

Run you like a rockford p2. They run "250" rms watts, they will actuallly handle way more and they cheap. Or even like a shallow mount Rockford p3. That would get the most oyt of your smaller enclosure and they do like 800 watts, super efficent, and cost around 130 on eBay.


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## Cruzer (Jul 16, 2010)

bassic said:


> What is he using to power it, and what are you using for your 15?


he as an alpine, 400-500 watts not sure. i can find out more info on it if u need, like model and exact power.

im using an AQ1200D, pushing 800 to it.


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## jlh2003 (Dec 14, 2010)

I'm currently running a JBL GTO 1204 in a similar size box but ported powered by a rockford p400.2 bridged @4ohm

the gto is rated at 350rms

the birth sheet on my p400.2 said 486w bridged at 4ohm.....supposidely specs are [email protected] bridged....

my gain is set to about 3/4 or 7/8 and the sub gets loud and has no issues at all handling the 450 or more watts its probably getting

you can get a gto 12 svc or dvc for under 100$...i love mine...granted that's my opinion and I haven't heard a lot of higher end subs

I love my jbl compared to rockford's, audiobahn, jl wo's, and pioneer I've had in the past...

my 2cents...


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## ericrutter11 (Nov 6, 2009)

Personally, I thought you should go with the DC Level 3 12". If youre asking in the SPL forum, you obviously want bass and thats what DC specializes in. You can get it to your door for $190 and you won't be disappointed. The RMS on the amp matches the recommended use perfectly and it will take that much power smiling and asking for more. 

ttp://www.dcsoundlab.com/woofers.html


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