best 15" subs for value - questions

**u571** · 07-12-2002, 02:05 AM

Im looking to put a 15 in my car, maybe 2. The problem is pretty large too. I dont know a thing about what to look for. Any help would be appreciated. Id like to know what is the best 15 for under 200$. Also Id like to know what kind of amp ill need for the 15, and if its different if Im gonna have 2 15s. Any help or a web site where I can find help would be nice.

-Thanks

**MX racer** · 07-12-2002, 02:12 AM

check out

http://www.sounddomain.com/

there are more people there that know about that stuff.

About the amps though...the watts you need depends on each sub...every sub can handle different amounts. As for having more...yeah, the more more subs you have, the more watts you will need to push them.

**mercedesfanatic** · 07-12-2002, 12:41 PM

Originally posted by u571

Im looking to put a 15 in my car, maybe 2. The problem is pretty large too. I dont know a thing about what to look for. Any help would be appreciated. Id like to know what is the best 15 for under 200$. Also Id like to know what kind of amp ill need for the 15, and if its different if Im gonna have 2 15s. Any help or a web site where I can find help would be nice.

-Thanks

Ok. You`ve got a lot to learn about. I can help you some. First off, you were like me when I first got into subs. Size doesn`t mean sh*t! You can make 2 8`s sound louder than 2 15`s. It`s all about the enclosure. When you get big speakers like 15`s they take up a lot of airspace so you can`t fit as many in your car. The only advantage is they have more excursion than the smaller subs. Excursion is how far the sub will extend out and in when the bass hits.

Next, you don`t want a 15 for under 200 dollars, much less 2, they will sound like crap. I`m talkin` about retail prices, which I think you are too. Now you can get on ebay and other stuff and get some really good speakers cheap that cost a lot. The brands that I would recommend that are good are Audiobahn, JL, and Memphis. I think you can get an Audiobahn that`s next to the top of the line on ebay for 225. I would recommend Audiobahn more than anything. I currently have 4 Audiobahn 8`s and they are LOUD! The main thing I look at when I buy a sub is the magnet weight. The magnet determines the power of the sub. It is also called the driver. You also want to look at what the cone material is made of. Look to see if the speaker has a bumped yoke or other features. A bumped yoke helps to keep the sub cone from bottoming out when its playing. Also check to see if the magnets are double stacked or more.

Now for the amp. You want to go with a good amp. Don`t go cheap on amps cause cheap amps fry very easy and are pieces of sh*t! When looking at an amp you want to check the voltage it puts out rms and max. Oh, I forgot to mention look at the wattage of your speaker. You can always put more voltage than what your speaker can take max, just don`t go crazy. Check to see if the amp has fans, that keeps them from overheating. Also see if it has fuses to keep them from frying if they are getting too much signal.

That`s about all I can think of now, I`m sure I`ve left out a lot of stuff, but I hope I`ve helped you a little bit

**u571** · 07-13-2002, 03:58 AM

ok well i did some minor researching tonight. id like to know now if it would be better if i would just get 2 12" shivas and then maybe a JBL 600.1 amp. would this be better and please give me any suggestions if you have them. thanks.

**mercedesfanatic** · 07-15-2002, 10:49 AM

I`ve never heard of shivas before. I would stay away from jbl.

jbl = crap

jl = nice

**picorrect** · 07-15-2002, 11:38 AM

Originally posted by mercedesfanatic

I`ve never heard of shivas before. I would stay away from jbl.

jbl = crap

jl = nice

Never heard of the Adire Shiva?

Originally posted by mercedesfanatic

You`ve got a lot to learn about.

Check out http://www.ampmanaudio.com or http://www.teamamp.com to read up on Adire Audio. Also check out the Brahma.

**mercedesfanatic** · 07-15-2002, 12:08 PM

There are really too many subwoofer brands to keep up with. I know the ones that I`ve personally heard and am impressed with. Oh and by the way, I`ve heard of Brahma. I think it`s supposed to be an spl woofer. If you`re goin` that direction go with Digital Designs.

**samiam513** · 07-15-2002, 12:40 PM

if you can install them yourself go to www.thezeb.com. all radio equipment is discounted deep, and it`s all brand new.

**eldawg4100** · 10-07-2002, 09:36 PM

Originally posted by mercedesfanatic

There are really too many subwoofer brands to keep up with. I know the ones that I`ve personally heard and am impressed with. Oh and by the way, I`ve heard of Brahma. I think it`s supposed to be an spl woofer. If you`re goin` that direction go with Digital Designs.

LOL the uneducated entertain me

you said magnet weight determines power and cone material yada yada. thats all complete bull that i used to believe when i was younger (now i am installing at a car audio shop)

the brahma has world class SQ, comparable to an IDmax and JLw7. so, it has more than just the longest mechanical X-max ever dumaxed.

JBL is crap? wow, thats funny, because the bp 1200.1 is the best damn value. 250 dollars for a solid 1200 watts?

YOU HAVE so much to learn you are like a 1st grader in the world of car audio.

everyone bear witness that he said "voltage" in place of watts.

yea guys, my amp puts out 500 volts RMS, 1000 peak volts LOL

**chevyguy28** · 10-07-2002, 09:40 PM

I guess you want booming bass, but personally the largest I would go for a car is 12". I actually prefer double 10" for tight, clear bass. Just personal preference. Bigger is not always better. Good luck man.

**eldawg4100** · 10-07-2002, 09:52 PM

that is one of the biggest car audio myths, that smaller subs sound "tighter"

if you want 15`s.

go to www.adireaudio.com

get a pair of 15" tempests factory direct for 150 each 3 year warranty.

www.ikesound.com get a jbl 1200.1

this combo will yield amazing sound quality, and with the right box, 150 db easily.

**chevyguy28** · 10-08-2002, 12:15 AM

I`m not much of a car audio buff, but I do know what I`m talking about when it comes to home audio. Generally, if I`m using an 18" sub, I make sure the rest of my speakers can fill the frequency range effectively. This has always been the case for HT, and I would think it would hold true for car audio.

What am I missing?

**eldawg4100** · 12-06-2002, 01:46 AM

you arent missing anything. people who say "10`s sound the tightest yada yada" are the worst LOL..... any size sub can sound just as good as a 10. its all the install. there are loads of woofers in 15 inch sizes that will give you the quickest tightest cleanest bass you have heard.

**chevyguy28** · 12-06-2002, 03:48 PM

I see. In HT, you already have a predefined speaker box behind the driver. So now I understand why the install is so important in car audio. The best sub I have been able to use was an 18" tied to an 8" in the crossover.

**Mindflux** · 12-06-2002, 03:51 PM

Originally posted by NSXNEXT

Never heard of the Adire Shiva?

Check out http://www.ampmanaudio.com or http://www.teamamp.com to read up on Adire Audio. Also check out the Brahma.

I second the Adire Audio comment. Their Brahma is spectacular.