What is the best budget car subwoofer in 2024? Cheap 12 inch subwoofer shootout!
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- Опубліковано 20 сер 2024
- Check out the $35 subwoofer challenge here: • The best cheap car sub...
What is the best budget car subwoofer? Which 12" subwoofer is the king of cheap bass?
These were all $50 or under when purchased, check the links for updated prices:
Pyle: amzn.to/4cwL3ix
Boss: amzn.to/4cEdr21
Skar: amzn.to/43DI0kq
Pyramid: amzn.to/43HSsaQ
Blaupunkt: amzn.to/43DDORO
Infinity: amzn.to/43VKYkF
JP23: lddy.no/1iou8
JP8: lddy.no/1iol7
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0:00 Introduction
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Check out the $35 subwoofer challenge here: ua-cam.com/video/9xTCAtZOD9Q/v-deo.htmlsi=KbiZOCO4fOnC8r20
Hi can you tell me the displacement of a ds18 gen x 12inch subwoofer
Putting the Infinity in third place rating makes no sense. Its a speaker and does what its suppose to do and looks really good. Its the only speaker that survived the test too.
I agree....
Agreed and any real installer will solder the connections and would prefer the “cheap” terminals
That infinity is actualy Jbl cs1214 sub only with different soft parts coils, motors and baskets are the same just wanted to share this out since people might want to know, but its best of the lot for sure decend 4layer vc on it as well
Probably not relevant at this price point, but a company who backs up their warranty is as important as how their product performs.
That's one reason why I like Kicker and Savard. You can actually call them up and get somebody on the telephone or email them and get a response.
@@DIYAudioGuy I use Savard HI-Q12''s .“Laissez les bons temps rouler”
@@DIYAudioGuyinfinity has the best customer support in the world, love them
My BOSS met me at the Pyramid. He had to take a huge Blaupunkt that left a big Pyle and wound up leaving a Skar . He said it felt like it was going to keep going for Infinity.
😂
I love my Skar 12. Running about 400 watts to it
The next level up from this one is about 80 or 90 bucks and they can easily handle 500 watts.
My best guess on the Pyramid would be that theyre trying to advertise the sub as having a "high temp" voice coil. Technically able to handle sustained use at high power when used as say a guitar or PA monitor. Plastic baskets believe it or not are ALOT less resonant than a stamped steel basket.
Out of all of these i actually like the sound of the infinity the best. Skar ix if i need to get rid of an empty sub box 😂. But the ix is a fine sub for dirt cheap. Most people would be surpised by either in 3.5 cu ft tuned to 35hz.
When i got back into car audio i picked up 4 of those infinitys and a ctSounds 2k and a big ported box and they handled every bit that amp would put out and sounded amazing, sense then i now have a couple giant 8s and bigger amp, but out of the subs you showcased those infinitys are far more superior than the others
Awesome!
Never buy cheap subs.......lessons were learned in this video. A good rule of thumb is to also never buy the most expensive. Buy the one just below the most expensive that normally has all the important features without the unneeded extras.
I agree.
Owned a pair of Super Pros back around 1990ish. Except for the the push terminals, they haven't changed a bit in over 30 years! My buddy had a pair of Super pro "free air" red cone 10s in a box and they were surprisingly loud. Loud enough that the RCMP confiscated his amp 😂.
That Infinity looks exactly like the Jbl cs1214!! A nice classic if you ask me👍
Have you ever tried Dayton Audio dsp-lf before? It has a neat room correction feature👍
I'm using mine in the car😁 Thanks for another nice video
I've been running that Dayton DSP for quite a while! I'm very happy with it.
@@DIYAudioGuy It's a hidden gem👍 Do a review on it?
Infiniti and JBL are owned by Harman International which is the parent company of them plus Mark Levinson and Harman Kardon
I had a CS1214 around 9 years ago and it was a solid budget sub
This test really shows how dominant the box is, and why it’s so important to tailor the box to the individual speaker.
I’ve been hoping someone would make a video about response curves, and what they actually sound like. People need to learn what sounds best to them individually, so they have a target to aim for when building a box. That way people know what a Q .707 sealed, or sbb4, or ebs sound like. Play the same songs for each alignment.
JL has capitalized on this. They found the sound most people like. Model any of their car subs, they have extremely similar response curves. Their ported enclosure responses are very similar to their sealed, just louder. They definitely have a target curve/sound.
I would have been interested to see the Recoil Audio Echo series RW12D4 included in this list. Its only $54.
If people like this video enough, I might do another cheap subwoofer shoot out. There are several good subs that missed that $50 cut off, maybe it's time for a $75 subwoofer shootout.
@@DIYAudioGuy I mean, I think the $75-$100 range is going to catch the most of what people are willing to spend for an entry level sub.
Cheep is good!!!
@@DIYAudioGuy On Amazon, I found the Pioneer TS-A30S4 for 70€ with 400W RMS. I'd like to see that one tested sometime because my car audio setup isn't optimal, I wanna see how much power it handles :) . Thank you for your videos Justin
Agreed
The first subs i bought were pyramid super pros. I dropped one and the motor shifted lol. Magnet is just glued on no screws
Would be cool to get Klippel data for these drivers, because that says more they frequency response by itself. But I know the test gear isn't cheap.
I have a boss audio cxx10 chaos subwoofer after break in warm up ive had it 5 years and it is in a pyle pqblw10 square bandpass box and still sounds good so i really can't complain about that it is used as home audio subwoofer, Kenwood excelon kc av505 home theater surround sound receiver 500 watt
LMAO ... Just watched this video two weeks AFTER I bought two pyle 15s 😂. I broke them in and pushed them quite a bit hooked on a Yorkville power amp rated at around 5-600w rms to each. They did hold up fine for now but they might be on borrowed time. No worries its just for fun and testing since I usually run pro p.a. subwoofers 😋
My first sub in 1992 were the super pro plus and they actually sounded good. Back then Pyle, MTX were actually respectable subs. The big dogs were RF, KICKER, JL. You had money if you them.
I have a super pro I've been running a rf punch 500 on it for 20 yrs. And I've ran twice the rated power with a Ppi Pc amp on a Pyramid Super Blue subs. IT'S ALL ABOUT CLEAN POWER AND BOX DESIGNED FOR EACH SUB
I have those gold infinity 12s. They hit hard. Highly recommend especially for small enclosures.
Cool!
Do the best SQL subs in its recommended box size ported and sealed.
For something like that, I wouldn't do a shootout video, I would do a video on each individual subwoofer. Especially when you consider the time and cost needed to build the enclosure.
Something like that will probably take six or seven videos. Definitely something I'd like to do one day.
recommended boxes? awful, ive only seen a few which are decently tuned. And they wont be anything more than a simple ported box
So the buyer of subs like these can enjoy. A master builder isn't buying $50 or less subs 😂
Pyramid vs Pyle. Rockford Fosgate vs Kicker. The early 90's was a very interesting time. MTX Blue Thunder was and still is my favorite of all time.
My first subwoofer was a Blue Thunder.
I would like to point out that the NVX NSW-1xx-V3's release is imminent. The V2 of this series was quite impressive for a 45.00 subwoofer. The V3 is sure to impress.
Don't drop the infinity from the test, retest the Infiniti to confirm the results.
I've got some other stuff planned for the infinity.
@@DIYAudioGuy I cannot wait. I would like to know if the Infiniti really did outperform the others. I understand it's probably a data error due to the fact that the curve is exactly the same as the curve on the others, but it would be super cool to know for sure
@@nighttow8780 the most logical explanation for the massive difference is an error on my part.
I had a skar SVR 10inch and it was better than the EVL in all honesty because the EVL tore itself apart. The SVR got real low and was strong asf for one single 10 (I beat the hell out of it and still looked brand new…after breaking it in ofc) it was in a band pass by itself and ppl thought I had 2 10s. was on a 1200w amp
Belva makes a Marine rated 12" sub with 100 oz. magnet and 400W RMS for $80. Belva is the Sonic Electronics "House Brand" and is pretty solid. Personally, I think Skar makes the best "entry" level sub for under $50 depending on pricing and sales. Which Skar has had an extra 15% off everything sale going on for over a year now.
ua-cam.com/video/9xTCAtZOD9Q/v-deo.htmlsi=-bEG6C8PK6nmFVYg
The best $50 12s i have tryed is the belva 2 ohm 12. And the recoil audio echo 12 . The recoil is i think $54 now but most the time goes uunder $50
I tested a Belva in the $35 shootout video, I must have missed the Recoil when I was buying these.
@@DIYAudioGuyI like these budget shoot outs. Thanks for the video I have bought and played with every one of these over the last few years just messing around.
For a budget sub option I went with the JBL basspro 12(was 200$ shipped on sale)
Is that an all-in-one set that includes the amplifier?
@@DIYAudioGuy yep
I was pretty bummed with the Pyle 15" dvc 2000wP 1000wR. I put it on my 3200.1D Cobalt Orion. After break-in, it started popping at about the 4 hour mark. The Orion I purchased in 2015 with 2x 12" Kicker comp which lasted about 6 months and they locked up.
This was fun to watch! You didn't kill those subs Justin... you just put them out of their misery. :)
...and I don't think the box type had much to do with any of them blowing... I don't think any of them died due to over-excursion did they? Just too much current in the voice coils as you approached their "rated" wattage. A different box isn't going to change that.
40 hz test tone, so well above the tuning frequency of the enclosure.
My friend has four of those 12" Infinity Primus ported and they shake his whole room. He has them not even on a lot of power 600w RMS total / 150w RMS per sub.
Junk
Junk
Junk
Junk
Blaupunkt
Infinity
Choice looks straightforward to me
Yep.
I put 2 of the Infinitys in my son's car with a 800 watt SSL amp, and i think they sound at par.
That is what I expected.
You can never go wrong with Infinity.
I noticed that there's another version of this subwoofer that does not have the crazy cone. That one's retailing for double the price of this one. Looks to be the exact same driver other than the color.
I had a feeling Skar would win. They suddenly provide a good product for the price and the marketing has been amazing.
The infinity is probably a better sub, but the Skar has more features.
Blaupunkt (in my experience) had some nice amps back in the 90's....
I remember those days. Completely different company now.
Hey. Ever thought about PA systems? Specifically, folded horn enclosures?
Had to give that 1st woofer an early 2000's "DAAAAAAAAAMMMMNNNN"
Makes me feel young again... "damn man you got that golden subwoofer?"
Now I'm like "Damn son prob cost 20 bucks at the wally world and will smoke with 50 watts"
I've been wondering why the NVX N-series wasn't included in this test. It has been on sale for a while. I even bought a set based on your recommendations.
I hope that you're enjoying the sub.
Justin quipped somewhere a little while ago that he no longer supports/endorses NVX. There were no further details and he is not obligated to provide any but it left me quite curious why.
I caught part of that, and I'm sure in time we may know why so.
I haven't installed mine yet due to some personal matters that came up. I hope to have them bumpin by summer. If they are a bust, at least I have the two budget Pioneers that came on sale earlier this year.
Happy Easter yall!
@@BaddDukk wasn't SB Acoustics making drivers for NVX at some point? Maybe they aren't anymore.
Pioneer, Kenwood, JVC, ect...
very glad I found your channel here, you are very informative. Appreciate you, and I am now subbed. Thanks
Do you mess with NVX. They're on the same level as SKAR. IMHO.... But I would love it if you could include NVX in your testing. It seems like er'one is ignoring a quality brand. I'm working on my 2nd NVX build. The 1st, a Nissan Rogue w/2-12's. Now I'm going ALL NVX including the epicenter, w/ 4-8's in an F-150. '04. I just want to see how they fare next to their peers.
Thanks for your time. ✌🏾
Skar DDX12-D2
Around 2007 I picked up a bunch of Blaupunkt amps and subs from Crutchfield on clearance. Loved the equipment, and used it in a couple different cars. My oldest son then used two 150 watt amps for one of his projects a few years ago, no problems. By 2018/19 we had finally burned up everything, and decided to pick up more from them. All junk. Im not sure when they changed/ merged/ or sold out, but it isn't the same quality for sure. Oh, I figured the Pyle would blow around 50 watts! 😁 ✌️
It's one of those old school brands that just ain't what it used to be..
The Black Friday deal of the JBL CX 1200 is hard to top at $40.
!! But How can you Forget to get an Audiopipe sub for Testing??
I did not see it for sale online when I bought these.
Soundstream BXW-124 @ $59 imo is the current budget king, Deaf Bonce machete lite s also close in performance and cost.
Looks like I need to do a $60 or $75 shootout next.
I'm running one kfc-xw1241hp for the moment
the two 12's @ 2ohm I wanted are on backorder
The Infinity sub also has the added advantage of the folded edge around the cone - this makes the cone significantly stronger, reducing cone flex and resulting distortion. It's been a feature of Infinity subwoofer drivers for years (I still have my Infinity Kappa 122.7Ws from a previous build in storage).
Cool!
That infinity I believe is an old design. Very similar to a sub called the 120.3es or something like that. Used to be rated 250w though. Blew one up on my other channel for fun because nobody bought it lol
Wilson audio labs youtube channel tested the blaupunkt GBW120 it blew at 950 watts being hooked up to a 2000 watt amp. It was a few years ago so quality definitely could have gone down.
In this particular case since I was using a smaller amplifier I ended up with less power.
The Infinity is the best by far in this group. Infinity put the cost of Push Terminals into making a better sub. At this price point, Push Terminals are a gimmick.
I've needed push terminals as I only connect my subwoofers ONCE when they go into the box.
Fair point.
@@CarsandCats LOL
Im about to run a 3 12" system. 2 RF P3s and a P2 in the middle. Gonna run the P3s off an MTX RT500D and the P2 off a monoblock P300X1. Im hoping this shit hits
You ever test mcm electronics subs? 15 inch 4 ohm model pro 55- 3234. They are 200watt rms 92db
0:45 that is a stamped steel frame (not a cast frame).
Yes I misspoke. It even says steal in my script
Total Power = Flames shoot out the hole of the magnet, the cone shoot 3 ft in the air and the speaker manages one last BRRZZZRRT!! 🤣
I haven't seen any thing pyramid sense the mid to late 90s didn't even know that they were still around as long as you don't put a hole bunch of power to them they were to bad better than stock lol😊
Gothic audio power acoustic should have been talked about. It’s one of the best budget subs in the game
I was not able to find one of those that met the $50 threshold for this video.
So what are the sounds quality and DB rankings? I rarely mess with the terminals and don't care too much about what type they are.
Sound quality is subjective and you can see the SPL # in the video.
I don't like to run ANY audio below 4-Ohms.. When you get down to 2 or 1-Ohm. I believe the sound quality dissipates rather quickly even in bass ranges.. Plus the AMPERAGE draw gets MORONISH @ 2-Ohms or lower.. FOR THE PRICE, I love my Rockville PBG-18 subs @ 8-Ohms.. Rated @ 2000-watts.. F.R is 35Hz.-4Khz.. 98db sensitivity.. 130-oz. mags.. I tested them @ 20Hz. and they responded by shaking my windows all over the house.. I run my 4 PBG's with 2 RPA-16 class H amps.
I would bet that in a double blind test that nobody could tell the difference between 8,4,2 ohms, especially after you level match the amplifiers.
“Who the hell builds an all plastic subwoofer”
*Hexibase has entered the chat*
I thought infinity was a subdivision of Harmon karmen . I do miss my infinity perfect 10 that thumped and bumped all day no issues
It is.
Pyle has turned into an unfortunately accurate name for that brand’s products.
It's been that way for decades.
They always were a Pyle.
@@Bradimus1 not at the very beginning in the 80’s. I owned a set then that performed very well but they began their decline soon after.
@@2011joser I have never in my life saw any product from Pyle I'd call good. Always - Budget or bad. But that's true of all the brands in this test other than Infinity.
@@Bradimus1 I’m old enough and have been in the hobby long enough to have seen most of these brands at their peaks . Pyramid was always cheap even though they tried briefly to step up.
Instead of dropping infinity I would have tested it again to confirm
Justin, that looks like the BassWave ported box by Recoil Audio. Is that the case?
Hey Patrick! It's an old Skar box that I tested out several years ago. Hope you are doing well.
Is these rating per coil, or do they mean in total between both coils?
$49.99 is still more than a tank of gas for my 2008 Subaru Forester. But still a very low price.
Did any of the subs have a higher recommended tuning range than the box is tuned to?
Not that I'm aware of.
Would not have been enough of a difference to really matter for these tests.
A Kicker CompC would have easily passed these tests with flying colors and kept on bumpin.
At 3x the price they should. You aren't too bright are you? I don't know why anyone would buy this junk either, just save a bit more and get a proper sub from any of the major brands.
Me personally would rather have performance over features any day. Good video, nothing like watching cheap ass subs blow up. I haven’t had the balls or finances to do it on my show yet. It’s coming though ;)
Good point.
The infinity looks a lot these 35 buck pioneers from Walmart and the bluapunkt looks a lot like the gothics I have my spark
That “1200 watt” boss sub probably pairs well with the “1100 watt” boss mono amp. 200w rms sub best case scenario lol
No doubt
IS that made of real GOLD?. 😎
I wish!
Well Mission makes plastic chassis....no magnetic interference!
That's wild my friend I have the exact same pile speakers I'm running a 2000 watt crunch amp never had an issue like that they hit hard I have them in a pyramid enclosure.
Great video..... If the amp itself was clipping then that's a speaker killer
@@MotoAtheist dude actually said the amp was clipping 😅👌🏻
@@MotoAtheist 12:30
@@cheeky50862 I still find it unlikely that amp was clipping enough to matter, it's a 500 watt amp at 4 ohms and it hit 508 for like a second then stayed plenty under that. The SMD didn't even show clipping either, so not sure what exactly was going on there, but no way clipping was the fault for that sub failure, it was clearly just the overpowering. Skar is not known for handling all that much power over RMS.
@@MotoAtheist and do you truly understand what clipping is and how it affects the sinewave and what happens at the clipped portion of it?
And what clipping does to a speaker coil?
@@cheeky50862 Yeah, but that amp didn't clip long enough to matter and do that kind of damage. That sub blew simply to being overpowered.
What about the gravity 12 sub
I have no experience with it.
of course you know that you're wrong on the first woofer, it's NOT cast but stamped metal basket..😊
You are correct, I misspoke. I went back and looked at my script. I typed out the word stamp but for some reason I said cast.
@00:46 Stamped Frame 🙂
Emmm for testing subs like this.. I think a sealed 1 cube net box would be more appropriate..
i think it's unrealistic to expect ANY sub to perform it's best in a random enclosure. i know it'd be a lot of work, but putting each sub in it's recommended enclosure is the only fair comparison.
I'm going to disagree with you, the realistic thing to do is to put it in the type of enclosure that the end user is most likely to put it in. Most people are not going to build a custom enclosure for a $50 subwoofer. They're looking for a $50 box and a $50 amp to go with it.
that is an odd response from someone who calls himself the DIYAudio guy. i suspect people who watch this channel are also DIYers (as i am), and would want to build the box that would get them the most bang for the buck.😃@@DIYAudioGuy
Most 12's all support very similar enclosures, it's close enough not to matter whatsoever. People who believe .25cf makes or breaks a subs performance are totally delusional.
@@MotoAtheist or world champions🤔
@@davidtimmerman3121 Don't think so! Takes a lot more then that little bit of adjustment to make or break a subs performance in a real world application. Pretty sure people don't go around looking to be world champions with 1 12" subwoofer in a prefab box, they just want some thump. But whatever you say.
Pyle used to make better woffers dont know what happen to them
Back when it started Pyle was the parent company and they made top level stuff. When it sold the first time it become a secondary brand to a parent company and quality went downhill, nobody is going to undercut their main brand. After being sold again, to a DJ company, the car audio stuff just got put on the back burner and so it's all junk now.
I would have liked to see the Recoil RW12D4 or D2. But they're $54.99
My cut off for this test was 50 bucks, some of them are a little more than that, but they were all 50 bucks or less when I bought them.
Should've checked out CT sounds
Plastic might resonate less?🤔
Pyle 10in subs I got 8 of them before covid hit for 120$ sold each sub for 50$ during pandemic times so i have a love and hate relationship with Pyle😅
🤣
@@DIYAudioGuywith a steel basket 😅😂. Great video
Nice experiment 😎👍👍
Thanks!
I have a curious question for you Sir. Can component inline crossovers be wired together for a lower ohm load?
That's a great question, try to tune into the live show on Monday night at 7:30 central time and we will try to answer it.
@@DIYAudioGuy will do!
What a pity that Infinity became a substandard brand. Those Kappa Perfect 12.1 subwoofers were, like the name says, perfect.
Same with JBL (also Harman). Those days with the GTI's and the P1220's. All they make nowadays are junk.
I think this Infinity is a great subwoofer, it is just ugly AF, and for the people that are looking at this price point a SKAR with push terminals is a better fit for the consumer.
@DIYAudioGuy Except the bling bling around the dust cap, I don't think it's that ugly. But that stamped steel basket is really el cheapo, just like the terminals. I would rather buy a used Kappa or a JBL P1220; Oh, wait, don't need to. I have two 12.1 Kappa's of my old install and two new JBL p1220 II (old new stock which i bought very cheap) and one used one also from a former install 😉.
@@DIYAudioGuy By the way, we don't have Skar in the Netherlands.
what is the best 12 inch subwoofer under 120 dolar
amzn.to/3vFhkDs
So is that better than the Orion HCCA???
Good tests
50$ used vs new is what im interested in
Is blast subwoofer american made
I'm looking for a smaller sound system prefer to have 2 main speakers and one sub 8 or 10” with a amp? Any suggestions . Ohh it for my moped. I won't buy a hawk system had 4 and all died within 2 weeks
I don't have any experience with motorcycle or moped systems so I don't make recommendations for them.
Shit iv e got 2 ivx series running an old alpine mrd 1,000 on 2 12 s sounds awesome each vc. Gets about 250 rms a piece
They will do fine on that kind of power.
Awesome content 💪💯✌️♥️🙏
Thanks!
No mention of response frequency or any comparison of specs? Impossible to make a determination based on the few tests shown here.
My money is on the Infinity when all specs are compared.
Did you completely miss the part where I ran sweeps and measured theme with REW?
@@DIYAudioGuy no, I saw them but, I need to know at frequencies each subs roll off at how quickly. For example, my experience with those budget Skar subs is they don't do very well below 40Hz. The Fs of each sub will tell us more about how well they handle deeper bass. SPL doesn't tell the whole story.
@@msh6865 LMFAO! Nobody gives one doodoo about all that crap with low budget subs like these. I don't even know why anyone would by any of this junk other then the name brand infinity and even then you can get better subs then all of them for not all that much more. If somebody has $50 for a piece of doodoo sub, surely they have $80 for a better one.
9:27 based
too bad the blaupunkt prices recently went up too high
In that case get the Infinity.
I would have just ran the more powerful amp and monitored the power, so there is no way you can get clipping
I have found that I cannot resist the urge to crank it all the way up, so I use a smaller amp..
Ordering from US to EE the shipping fee is 550eur😂