Thread: Looking for a decent sub

So far my GT is completely stock with 2 (almost 3) blown speakers. I think I found a decent head unit but I'm just getting into car audio so I'm kind of in the dark about what is good and what isn't good. I have no idea if i need an amp and why I would need an amp or what it is used for. I don't turn my music up very loud that often, so I don't need top of the line gear, just something that I will enjoy listening to on my way to school and work. My budget for a sub (and amp if I need one) would be around $300, but I can go more if I need to.

Anyways I was wondering how I should go about doing a sub in my car. I have plenty of room in the trunk and was wondering if I should do 2 $150 subs or one $300 sub. I don't know what the advantage of having 2 is so a little help here would be greatly appreciated.

I listen to heavy metal and rock. Some examples are Avenged Sevenfold, Asking Alexandria, Bring Me The Horizon, Parkway Drive, etc. Mostly music with a lot of double bass. I don't listen to rap or any kind of music with electronicly computerized bass crap.

Thanks for reading! If you need any more information about anything I will respond quickly

if you didnt live so far away id sell you my 2 12" kicker comps and amp for cheap. but any way you gunna need a good headunit, a wiring kit, a capasitor(idk if i spelled that rite), and the amp and subs of coarse.

metal for life >

I'm in the process of getting a new head unit, that will be the first thing I get for my system. What is a capacitor? Also do I really need an amp? I don't need to crank the bass up like most people do, I'd rather listen to my music instead of my car rattling lol

a capacitor gives it constant power i beleve.. less stress on your electrical system.

Originally Posted by Explicit_Spade

Ok... For what you're looking for I would get a good mid range speaker. A set of 4 should be around $250-300. No amp requ

As far as a sub goes... Get a good amp first. Subs come and go and if you underpower the sub, it will no doubt about it, blow.

Don't get me wrong, I like my bass a lot. I just don't want it to overpower everything else like most people with subs do. I like to feel the umph of a sub but I don't need something that will break records, you know what I mean? I can't explain it lol

Originally Posted by sd98gtp

a capacitor serves as a sort of reserve. Ever seen a car w/subs that when the bass hits the headlights dim? a cars electrical system is only set up to supply so many amps of current. A capaciter stores up energy so when that big bass note hits and your amp needs that current NOW it's there and doesn't pull current the car would otherwise use for its headlights, tail lights, ect.

So what is the difference of having 2 subs instead of one? Would it be beneficial for me to get 2 $150 dollar subs over 1 $300 dollar sub with better specs?

Originally Posted by 1LoudGrandPrix

Thread has alot of FAIL in it....
1st off forget the Cap its a waste of money.
Seeing as you listen to rock/metal you would want a sealed box.
You WILL need/want a amp. When looking at amps you want to look at the Ohm load and the RMS power ratings.
Getting two subwoofers would be pointless for you unless they are the dirt cheap ones then your just spending more on a box and wasting trunk space.
IMO: i would get a 12 or a 10 inch sub if i was you seeing as both are common and boxes should be easy to come by(assuming your not building your own)
So I'll put a list of what you will need (assuming you have a head unit with RCA outputs with a Sub out)
- A power and ground wire (power from battery to the trunk and the ground you put in the trunk)
- RCAs from the HU to the Amp
- Speaker wire 16awg is fine.
- Class D subwoofer amp
- Subwoofer
- Box that meets the subwoofer(s) specs
- Time to install and enjoy

and a budget of 300 is do able

I agree 100%. capacitor isnt needed IMO. Doing the big 3 will really help you alot, probably more than a capacitor will.

OP just so you know, the SA series subs by Sundown Audio are very underated and Jacob(sundown's owner) is a cool guy and cutomer service is top notch.

well now that we finally got some sub suggestions going i want to ask about kicker subs because ive been looking into those a lot lately and they seem really good. are they overrated?

also what should i look for when buying a sub? obviously i cant hear what it sounds like over the internet so what am i looking for for good sound quality? like i said i dont need the people 2 streets over to here me when i come home from school. I just want it to sound good at medium and low volume and still give me a good punch in the chest

for sound quality, alot of guys use Image Dynamics and have positive things to say about them. I friend of mine has a trio of JL W7( may be out of your price range) for his SQ build and listens to ALL music. His setup is one of the cleanest/clearest I've ever heard, but he spent way more than you're willing to. the install makes alot of difference. proper enclosure, deadening, sound processors, gain settings, and tuning will give you good sound quality.