For those of you that do not know or quite understand what subwoofers are and the role they play in audio output, the following statement is going to make it a little easier to comprehend. Subwoofers are not fancy equipment that only make the slightest difference in the sound quality. In fact, it is quite the opposite. Subwoofers are almost essential for a good music experience that is why you need to know about the best 12 inch subwoofers.
They make the music sound more bass laden which might not seem like much on paper but it really does make a massive difference. Normal speakers tend to experience sound cracks when the sound is either too low or too high. What the subwoofers do, is that they keep this in check and help maintain a sort of equilibrium.
As for the people who do know what they are, there might be some things that you missed out on too. A lot of people while looking for better audio output options, look over minute details. One of the many is the size of the equipment. There is only so much a 6 inch subwoofer can do to improve the audio output. No matter how much you spend on 6 inch or 8 inch output devices, you will never be able to get to your desired level of bass. A direct factor that influences the bass and a lot of other essential audio output factors is the size of the woofer.
Now that you know why 12 inch subwoofers while being a little inconvenient, are an integral part of having your car booming with music, we can move on to some of the best 12 inch subwoofers you can find in the market today. Size and design equal power, therefore given below is a list of some of the loved and trusted 12 inch subwoofers that are about to blow you away(quite literally).
Top 5 Best 12 Inch Subwoofers
Pioneer TS-W126M
When we are strictly talking about a budget friendly subwoofer, there are a handful of subwoofers that beat the Pioneer TS-W126M in the game. Pioneer as a brand of audio output devices has been around for quite some time now and it has been sort of a crowd favourite as well. The people pleasing is owed to its affordable product pricing more than anything else.
The price of the product might make it seem a little too good to be true but you definitely get what you paid for and more, with this subwoofer by Pioneer. The subwoofer can give a lot of overpriced products a run for their money. The power on this might be on the lower end of most 12 inch subwoofers but when compared to 8 inch ones, there is a significant hike in sound and bass quality. It can have an output power anywhere between 350 watts to 1300 watts, which is enough to make the entirety of your car buzz along with the music.
Durability is a sector in which this subwoofer wins, by a really big margin, that too. The product is made using high quality polypropylene which is probably going to make this subwoofer sustain forever. It has a sensitivity of about 96db which is just enough to produce a crisp sound without it faltering or cracking.
So a basic summary would lead to us drawing up the following points:-
- Strong make
- Affordable
- Optimal sensitivity
- Decent amount of power (Could be a con for some)
So if power is not all that you are looking for in a subwoofer, this is probably your best bet at an affordable, good quality product.
Rockford Fosgate P300-12 Punch
When it comes to audio output devices, in all of my years an enthusiast, I have only noticed Rockford Fosgate make headlines because of positive reviews. This brand is one of the leading sound output brands and rightfully so. There are so many reasons why buying literally any Rockford Fosgate product is always going to be a good decision.
Speaking of this product in particular, a shorter way of saying it would be, BUY IT! If power is what you are looking for, look no more. This product might seem a little pricey but the design and functioning makes it worth every single silver penny spent on it.
One way of looking at the price is actually looking at what makes it expensive. This product is literally a two in one, dual product. The subwoofer has a built-in 300 watt amp. Which means you do not have to worry about making sure that the amplifier and subwoofer combination work and that the two complement each other.
This, however, also limits modifications for you because if you do plan on making upgrades in the future, you will have to switch both. Not that you would need to, as it comes with a one year warranty. It is made of plastic however it is quite a beast and can take a lot. It has a low pass crossover of about 19db and the bass can be adjusted according to your need. There is an auto turn on and off features that helps with power consumption and heat generation.
All in all, the sound quality and power of this subwoofer is insanely difficult to beat.
A trustworthy product and a must buy if you do have the money to burn.
CT Sounds Strato
As we are on the topic of subwoofers that might burn a hole through your pocket but simultaneously might as well give you an out of the body experience, we cannot not talk about the CT sound strato. This has been in the game and winning it for years now. The power, the sound quality, the make, all of it is just premium, class A quality.
Again, if expensive subwoofers are not what you are looking to invest in right now, this might not be the one for you. But it is highly recommended to save up a little more and go for quality over something that meets your budget right now. This product excels in both quality of the make (durability) and audio output quality.
The double stitched paper cones make all sounds come out soft. However, the 800 watts to 1600 watts of sheer monster power make each beat come out crisp and strong. You can expect your whole car to dance along with whatever it is that you plan on playing on this absolute beast. It can be installed in both sealed and ported enclosures, which makes it really versatile.
A thing to keep in mind however, is that you need to make sure your vehicle as well as the amplifier can power a subwoofer that can translate such huge amounts of energy. If everything is in order, there is literally no reason why you should not buy this subwoofer from CT Sounds.
Trust me on this, you will hear and feel every single beat and discover parts of your favourite songs that you never even noticed before. If Gods used subwoofers, this would probably be what they would pick. You can’t really argue with that now, can you?
Planet Audio AC12D
If you are looking for a high power subwoofer that fits right into your sealed enclosure, you have officially found your fit. This is debatably the best subwoofer ever and as far as sealed enclosure subwoofers go, this is indefinitely the best. Moderately priced and extremely high quality are two describing adjectives, anyone who has gotten their hands on these, will be using.
Looking at it solely from the power perspective, you will find that not a lot of subwoofers can beat this product. Its constant power stands at a whopping 900 watts and the peak power stands at 1800 watts. But the power is just the highlight feature of the product. There are so many other things that influence the appeal of the Planet Audio AC12D. Some of those things include a dual voice coil and an impedance of 4 ohms.
The sensitivity is a little lower than what most people prefer however this only works in favour of the subwoofer. The sensitivity sits at 88 db which is not necessarily too low and it consequently eliminates any high pitched noises that may come off as too sharp.
You might want to get an amplifier with a subsonic filter for this subwoofer. If you have one, perfect, if you do not, this might not work too well. This is because a low pass filter will only further the sensitivity and cause the bass laden parts of the music sound too low or make those parts break completely. This might not be that big of a deal for some people but it is just something you might want to consider before getting your hands on this subwoofer.
The resonance frequency of the subwoofer is 32 hz which makes it pretty versatile in terms of the cars it can be installed in. No matter the size of your car, this subwoofer will fit it perfectly. All things considered, if all of the above mentioned things fit the profile of your car audio output system, you really could not have found a better match for it.
Rockford Fosgate R1S412
This one is for all of my small car folks out there. With a car smaller than most conventional cars, it might be a little intimidating to have a subwoofer that is 12 inches and that comes with the amount of power that these kinds of subwoofers usually do. Which is why, I have put down this listing, specifically for you guys.
I do not think I could ever praise Rockford Fosgate enough, so I am not going to. We will be jumping straight to the specifics of this subwoofer in particular and you will know why this is absolutely perfect for your car. First off, this subwoofer can be mounted into a 5.5 inch enclosure which makes it ideal for smaller cars. The price of Rockford Fosgate audio output devices have always been affordable and a total steal and this one is no exception.
The RMS Power of this subwoofer is significantly lower than the ones mentioned above at 200 watts. This could be very well considered a pro when it comes to small cars. Subwoofers with too high a RMS power can be quite overbearing on electrical systems of small cars. This subwoofer provides a decent amount of bass and energy while still maintaining an ideal amount of energy consumption rate. Besides, you do not really need a lot of power when it comes to small cars as there is not a lot of space for it too go around.
In terms of durability, this little thing is going to last you a while. It is made of tough polypropylene which can take a lot of beating, so you can buy one of these and forget about getting another one for a very long time. It does have an impedance of 4 ohms owing to the single voice coil. The impedance can sometimes pose as a problem, it can cause a system overheating. This is a problem that not a lot of people face but which is still quite plausible.
Overall, if you have a small-ish car and are looking for a subwoofer, you should probably looking into buying the Rockford Fosgate R1S412.
Conclusion
With the amount of choices available in the market today, it is only natural to be confused and overwhelmed. So to help you make the right decision and destroy any possibilities of you having buyer’s remorse, you have got all of the features and facts laid out in front of you. All you have to do, now, is pick based off of your personal preferences, budget, electrical system of your car, etc.