There are two reasons I want a component subwoofer. 1. Kill the bass to my speakers for more clarity 2. Much better bass. I'm not actually looking for more bass. I normally don't crank music because I have tinnitus (constant ringing in the ears) and I don't want to risk making it worse. I don't care about really low low's either. I do care some about the sub being fairly punchy though. I should also mention that I'm going for a 150 rms fosgate amp and a 150 rms sub. Also, space is not an issue.

Even a 10" subwoofer doesn't seem to bump at all (almost no excursion) when producing a fair amount of bass at low volume levels. Will an 8" for example sound better at low volume in comparison to a 12"? Because I could actually get a 12" kicker for around the same price as an 8" (maybe fosgate, JL, etc.), but I would only consider it if it sounded the same or better at low volume levels. Any advice would be helpful.

Thanks!

 

If you like the "kick" I'd recommend either a 15" or a 12" in a sealed enclosure. Some people may disagree with this, but it is really personal preference. A decent 15" in a minimum-sized sealed box will produce a significant punch(better than a 12" or a 10" IMO) when properly positioned.

Most people don't understand that the position and firing direction of the sub is extremely important when designing and installing any sound system. When it comes to vehicles, acoustics are never same. All cars are different, usually have several materials inside the cab aswell as many variables like windows(changes air pressure and adds noise. Setups where air space limited, like trucks or coupes, tend to sound louder and "fatter" with the windows opened).

So just experiment, really. Experimenting is only limited by box dimensions as some of the way it may sound the best it won't necessarily fit. Size is always the culprit in car audio, so sacrifices have to be made sometimes.

You may want to hook up with one of the car audio places on here like P&R or MCOR.

 

If you're mounting something in the trunk of your Optima, I would agree with sticking to at least a single 10" sub. You can amp it moderately low (save a few bucks there) since you are not looking for thunder-just something to round out the low end. As was mentioned, we have all of JL's subs on display here and you can actually run a box out to your car, and we have a speaker wire reel that will allow the display board to drive it. So effectively, you can test drive the sub before buying it. This is particularly useful in a situation like yours.

 

I really appreciate all the replies. I have now decided to go with a 10" for the reasons mentioned (good value & suits what I want). I was thinking a Rockford Fosgate Punch Stage 1 subwoofer (150 RMS) paired with a Fosgate 150 rms amp. That would only be $70 (sub) + $100 (amp) excluding the box and wiring. I already installed an aftermarket head unit a while ago so I'm good there. I don't want to be narrow minded with brand of the sub though, if anyone has any suggestions on that I'd be glad to hear them. JL is not out of the question but going that route would definately cost more. Also I forgot to mention, definately going with a sealed box.

I was in Auto Audio today with a friend geting terminal cups for his box and it's a pretty nice environment. I'll probably pop into MCOR some time this week to check it out since it's fairly close to where I live.

 

Auto Audio definitely has a nice setup, I used to live about 5 minutes from there. I'm not saying JL is the only other brand you should look at but don't exclude them simply based on price; if I remember correctly, SRP for W0v2's is the same as P1's if not very close, and will sound a lot better if you ask me but thats my preference - I was never impressed by the P1's I've done.

 

i would do a 10" but in a ported box, jl w0, with about 250 watts, will work, Matt at MCOR will hook you up, try his in car sub demo!

 

Not rejecting the JL 10W0v2 at all,

Should I also consider a kicker 10"? 150 rms, only ~$50
Kicker Comp 07C104 10" 4-ohm subwoofer at Crutchfield.com

 

I just watched a few youtube videos and I see what everyone is saying now. W0's produce really good quality bass. Bass much better then the P1's or kicker comps. I should have just taken everybody's word for it.

I'll probably stop by MCOR some time this weekend.

 

The W0's are hard to beat for the money. These things absolutely knock. Sold a couple of them this week to different customers that didn't even come in to purchase subs-just can't believe the sound for the price (happens all the time). Everyone just assumes that JL still only offers really expensive stuff. W0's are the best of both worlds. JL struck gold with this one. They are projecting this to be the best selling subwoofer in America by the end of 2010. They might be right...