Loud!
For this list of top-notch subs, we polled our product panel composed of dealers and installers around the country about which woofers caught their ear in the $500-$1000 range. What you see below are their picks with some of the woofers being selected by more than a few panel members. However, we should state that some preferred to stick to more affordable offerings recommended in the previous two installments of this series, but others definitely relished making their choices in this premier category.
1. JL Audio 13TW5
Coming in with a small-space solution, Mark Miller of Westminster Speed & Sound in Westminster, Maryland, recommends JL Audio’s 13TW5. “It works in a 0.75 cubic foot enclosure and is only 2.5" deep,” he explains. If you feed this power-hungry sub 500-800 watts, it will reward you with great output, along with detailed response, in return. “We have used numerous of these in enclosures we installed under the rear deck in a sedan and you would be hard pressed to even notice the enclosure as it was so small,” Mark exclaims.
2. Alpine SWR-T10 and SWR-T12
Gary Bell, frequent CAE contributor and master fabricator, loves Alpine Electronics Type R subwoofers. These flat 10” or 12” woofers come in at the lower end of this spectrum and earned an Innovations Design and Engineering award at this year’s CES. Designed from scratch to perform as well as a standard-sized sub, the SWR-T10 and the T12 harness exclusive features including a patent-pending Segmented Thermoplastic Elastomer Spider and patent-pending Pass-Through Gap Geometry. It “sounds amazing and does so in a TINY box!” Gary exclaims. How tiny? How about 0.35 cubic feet!
3. Rockford Fosgate T2D412
Rockford Fosgate found a way into installers’ hearts with the T2 line-up. Parish Tanner of Ocala Car Audio in Ocala, Florida, relates how he recently installed a pair of T2D412’s in a Land Rover. “In a ported enclosure these subs got hit so hard and deep it was unbelievable,” he exclaims, adding that not only is it one of the loudest pair of 12-inch systems in town, but it also beats out the four-sub systems.
Moving a size up to the T2D415 or T2D215 is Bjorn Gunnlaugsson of Custom Autosound in Oakland Park, Florida. “These woofers handle 1,000 watts RMS no problem and we have actually used much more power on them,” he reveals. “If you want insane pressure levels and a woofer that is virtually indestructible, this is the woofer to use.”
4. Morel Ultimo 12
We reviewed the Morel Ultimo 12 some time ago and were quite impressed. This is an “amazing SQ woofer,” says Bjorn Gunnlaugsson. A 5.1" voice coil, carbon fiber/paper cone and hexagon shaped aluminum voice coil wire are just a few of the highlights that make the Ultimo a technical marvel. The sum of it parts clearly showed its intentions in our test: Superb clarity at any volume, breathe taking impact and phenomenal tonal balance! But what surprised us was it appetite for SPL, making it possibly the best-do-all subwoofer we've tested! Designed to perform in sealed or ported enclosures, the sub can suit various installations. “In the correct enclosure this woofer will reproduce frequencies that no other woofer on the market could even dream of,” Bjorn concludes.
5. Hertz Mille ML3000.1
“We love this woofer,” oozes Micah Williams of Sonus Car Audio in Clarksville, Tennessee, about Hertz’s Mille ML3000.1. “It is the most dynamic thing on the planet and the impact in vented enclosures leaves you thinking there must be more in the trunk than there actually is.” It’s full of cool features such as triple venting (a combo of flared port with radial holes in the pole piece that results in operating temps 30% lower than standard methods) and “V Cone” construction for excellent sound and pressure dispersion. Also the frequency response goes from 25 up to 900 Hertz. “Yeah, 900Hz on a woofer,” Micah adds, “and they are musical in that range!” Another fan of the Hertz Mille woofers is Ernesto Oñate of Sound Innovations in Hayward, California. Many woofers claim to combine extreme power handling, excellent articulation and output with reliability. However, Ernesto says, most don’t actually deliver like the Mille line-up.
6. JL Audio 12W7
JL Audio has earned another favorite in their W7 series. “Arguably, this may be the most well-known sub in this price range,” states Dave Evans in regard to his pick, the 12W7. “They are great sounding subs!” Dave says the 12W7 is one of his “go-to” woofers because of its balance of precise sound quality, high-output-level capability and relatively small enclosure requirements. “These characteristics make for a level of flexibility that allows the 12W7 to function as a great solution in a wide array of applications.” Ernesto Onate of Sound Innovations also gives the W7 series a nod, pointing out their combination of reliability and amazing output.
7. Digital Designs 9512
“This sub represents an excellent value,” states Dave Evans of Adrenaline Audio in Clayton, North Carolina. “I love the fact that this sub possesses the finesse required for top-tier sound quality, yet is capable of some pretty insane levels of sound pressure.” He recommends it specifically for people who want to get “obscenely loud” but still won’t compromise on sound quality and as a bonus, it’s an extremely reliable speaker as well. “Whether you're looking to be a serious SPL competitor, or are building a top-notch audio system strictly for your own personal enjoyment the 9512 is a great solution.”
Another fan of the Digital Designs 9500 series altogether is Ryan Pepsin of SRQ Custom Autosound in Sarasota, Florida. “The 9500 series goes head to head against the internet fanboy brands (Like Fi and Incriminator) and kills them on performance,” he enthuses. “There is very little flash if any, no chrome flames or 3D dust caps, just a ton of output.”
8. Dynaudio MW 190
Installer and CAE contributor Keith Turner recommends Dynaudio’s MW 190. The 12" sub has a large 100mm (4”) voice coil that enables it to reproduce low frequencies with precision while ensuring 200 watts of continuous power handling. Another bonus about the sub is the range of installation options available. In addition to sealed and vented enclosures, its low suspension compliance lets it perform in small enclosures. Or you can even pop it into your rear deck sans box!
