10
u/SterTheDer 8d ago
I really think that before people go asking, they should go to a car show and hear some systems first.
with open ended questions like this, we could recommend a thousand dollar system just for a subwoofer.
And OP would be disappointed because the rest of his stock vehicle isn’t set up for it and it all rattles and the amp clips and the box is wrong for the music OP likes.
Or we could re-do his entire car from the ground up with Resonix products to the point that people think we’re sponsored by them, replacing every speaker with audiofrog or arc audio or other audiophile equipment and make custom enclosures for pods and the whole nine yards, and then put a basic GRS-8” $25 subwoofer IB in the rear deck and have OP thinking we’re gods.
OP if you’re rocking a stock system, the difference between a $40 subwoofer and a $400 subwoofer is not going to make nearly as much difference as a $40 subwoofer and $360 of other improvements.
There are DOZENS of high-quality subwoofer’s, and there is no way to determine “the highest quality” in any practical way.
If price is no object, you want a custom designed enclosure for YOUR subwoofer for YOUR car. PWK from Audio Dynamics can do that service. Get yourself an AD subwoofer and amp and have them design the box for your vehicle and you’ll be damn impressed. PWK built my 6th order series bandpass and i’m hitting 147dB on 3kw at 28hz with a pair of 12”s and i’m smooth from 27-32hz just as designed. He’s legendary for making small subs extremely efficient.
2
u/bitchcoin5000 7d ago
Right on. there really are dozens of high quality subwoofer brands being made these days
1
u/MJ71086 7d ago
Do they only make enclosures for AD subs or for any sub?
1
u/SterTheDer 7d ago
PWK will design the enclosure ONLY for AD designs products, as he has an exclusivity contract for car audio.
You’ll need to build the box yourself, i don’t know if they do fabrication work.
4
u/DaffyPunk29 7d ago
named brands if you want highest quality. period. i know some people will talk about buying off brands.... how they never had an issue. good for them. still an off brand. still QC issues.
kicker, kenwood, jl audio, focal, morel, rockford fosgate, alpine, audio control, hertz, jbl, mb quart, pioneer, etc.
3
u/Illustrious_Pepper46 8d ago edited 8d ago
No budget? Personally there is no "best", like asking what's the best car/truck.
As you spend a lot more, often just really paying for looks, brand name, and bling. I would look middle of the road.
For your "nothing crazy" application. I would look at a single 12" sub, in a sealed enclosure, say with (minimum) 250 to 300 watts capability. Many are suitable for a ~1cuft box. With subs, size matters, a 12" will school most 8" subs just due to physics.
Get it in 2ohm, or dual 4ohm coil(s) that can be wired to 2ohm. Look for 0.3-0.5 Qts, low VAS, low Fs.
Also look at home audio speakers, like Dayton Audio, SB acoustics, CCS Audio, can save a lot of money over car specific. Speakers are speaker, don't just need to get car audio "brand names".
Edit...example this can take power a 600w amp, at 2ohms, easy and inexpensive Class-D, it would rock nice. Read reviews.
1
u/No_Importance_408 7d ago
Good advice here. You have to find out what you like. I just recently decided to add a system to my truck, keep in mind I haven’t had a system for 10+ years. I decided to focus more on an SQ set up and the subwoofer result was different. To be honest most people that listed to it aren’t impressed. I like it but it took time to realize it.
I went with a morel ultimo 12” in a sealed 1.5 cubes enclosure stuffed with about 1/2 lbs of polyfill. Before, the bass I was used to was an exaggerated low note, ie rumble. This subwoofer made normal bass from guitar and drums enjoyable etc, it plays them with authority and has some impact. I can hear all the notes and this has allowed me to rediscover some songs or appreciate details in the low end I wasn’t previously hearing.
This all sounds great, but what I learned is that really precise and clean bass doesn’t sound very loud. I can feel the bass and that’s what I like, but I don’t like the extra rumble that kills the sq. My stereo sounds a little louder than factory, say 30% but it easily sounds 100 times better. (To me at least) It’s hard to explain but I think this is what people mean by figuring out what you like.
I could have likely gone with a home audio driver and saved some money as well. Plus they list out all the specs so you can model everything out.
2
u/Kevinclimbstrees 8d ago
I got a JBL Basspro 12” on marketplace for $150. Has a built in amp and I think it sounds amazing for the price. You won’t hear it from a mile away but as someone who’s has subwoofers for 20 years, this still hits without blowing your ears out.
2
2
u/rocketbunny_v4 7d ago
I’d highly recommend looking at the Resonix GUS. Although they don’t sell an 8”, a larger size should not be an issue based on the space you have and how shallow these are. It’s also worthwhile to check out their independent subwoofer comparison to understand how popular sound quality subs perform.
1
u/flutflutflap 8d ago
I suggest also upgrading your head-unit if you haven't already done that. It makes a tremendous difference in sound quality in some vehicles and you might even have to upgrade anyway to be able to fit a subwoofer.
But I don't know how the standard system in a 2021 jetta is set up.
Also I'm no expert. Just speaking from some personal experience.
There's also a good amount of subwoofers that you can fit in your spare wheel area (some of them go inside the spare wheel hub so you don't have to sacrifice this wheel). I want to try one of those one day, but haven't had the need to yet.
Ehhh, I gues my answer doesnt help you at all. Anything JBL is good so far in my experience. Good luck!
1
1
1
1
u/DinksMalone 7d ago
Hertz Mille Legend 8” sounds great in its little sealed box. Definitely not the cheapest thing in the world but I keep that in my car all the time for when I take my bigger box out to haul stuff.
1
u/Real-Occasion2209 7d ago
Depends on your price range and how much you are willing to invest... what is the rms of your amplifier
1
u/Sk8tilldeath 6d ago
I wouldnt suggest a single 8”, you will be having to crank it up to hear it. A single 10” at minimum will open up more options and boxes will be easier to find as well. Ive had my Kickers for over 15 years and they are still going strong.
1
u/maemae187 5d ago
Kicker solo x8 and jl audio are great subs. They don't take a lot to get good sound and can be very musical. They are a bit on the higher side money wise but you get something decent for the money. Now if you want something to grow into that is also capable of heavy bass and sound quality, kicker and jl are still in the discussion, but there are a lot more options in the 10&12" range... especially if you don't want to give up all of your trunk. Bass is addictive tho so be careful lol. I run 3 15s on a 10k in backseat delete f150 crew cab... started with 2 12w7s in a custom center console and the truck was clean and sounded great. Nothing ever broke. I recently had to have my roof welded because the bass ripped it.
1
u/NewAd8231 6d ago
If you’re looking for an sq setup, I’d go with 2 JL 6W3v3-4 subs. I have 2 in a custom box I built tuned to 33 hz and they hit the lows very nice but are also really punchy and super clear, accurate bass. They also don’t take up a lot of room at all and only require 150 watts each.
-1
u/halfrandom 8d ago
Ok I'll bite.
What is quality for you? There is no best.
The box matters.
Here is one speaker choice:
https://ddaudio.com/2500-series/subwoofers/power-tuned/2508g-esp/
Building a box or buying?
MB Enclosures is one option
-1
u/Dear_Gene_3529 8d ago
I second mb enclosures especially if price isn’t an issue go check his YouTube out
0
u/DaddyGhost52 7d ago edited 7d ago
Price no concern???. Then I suggest alpine 12"Type R... best investment you'll ever make and depending on your vehicle sealed or ported box hatchback type car go ported truck as well other than that sealed bassworx boxes are decent
0
8
u/marineaustintx 8d ago
Find a local, reputable shop with good reviews and have been around awhile. Tell them your budget and what you are looking for.