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Last Updated on March 7, 2024 by Rifthy
Hey Guys, Are you in the market for a new car subwoofer? Might be wondering what the best 12 inch subwoofer is on the market. Well, I’m here to help! I’ll go over the pros and cons of various 12 inch subwoofers, as well as give my recommendations.
But before we get started, let me just say that there is no one “best” subwoofer. It all depends on your individual needs and preferences.
As a car stereo upgrader for over 5 years, it’s more than just a job to me. I’m crazy about it. Here’s what I’ve got for you. I’m taking care of all the work for you. Pick any sub from this list and you’ll have a great ride.
With that being said, let’s get started!
Discussed Topics
My Personal Choice
Skar Audio EVL-12 D2 12″
- Peak Power: 2,500 Watts | RMS Power: 1,250 Watts
- 3″ High-Temperature Dual 2-ohm Voice Coil with Black Coating
- Competition Grade Paper Cone & High Roll Foam Surround
- Premium Suspension Featuring the EVL Series Signature Red Two-Layer Spider
- Deep, Low, Extremely Responsive Bass | Sensitivity: 85.1 dB
- Frequency Response Range: 25 Hz – 250 Hz | Xmax: 23.5 mm (one-way)
List of 12 inch Subwoofer we tested.
- Skar Audio EVL-12 D2 12″
- Rockford Fosgate P3D4-12 Punch P3 DVC
- Pioneer TS-A300D4 12-Inch Subwoofer
- American Bass XFL-1244 12″
- JL Audio 12″ – 12W0V3-4
Having a great sound booming from your speakers usually requires some compromises you may have the best setup in the world, but your 8 inch woofers will only pack so much punch.
Well, I have some extraordinary news to share with you if your rider has enough room to store a 12 inch sub.
All the compromises you need to make are practically out the window but as you can probably guess different woofers coming from different manufacturers also feature different qualities.
So let’s take a look at these seven best entries currently on the market and try to find the best 12 inch subwoofer for your car speaker.
Skar Audio EVL-12 D2 12″
Skar Audio is a brand that still needs to prove a lot of things in the world of audio equipment.
You don’t need to worry about that though the company with the name Skar they call its flagship lineup of woofers EVL doesn’t lack attitude to compete with the industry heavy hitters.
Does the question remain how well that excessive edge translates to real life quality?
It doesn’t take more than a look to see the EVL tries very hard to leave a good impression from the get-go.
Indeed everything about its look edgy and ambitious.
For example instead of the traditional closed cone setup this time we get an advanced cooling design that allows the woofer to explore some completely new power grounds without getting toasted.
Throw into the mix the high-temperature 3-inch voice coil designed to make the most of this design and you’ll get a sub that promises good sound reproduction at low frequencies.
Finally, I have to mention that all the used materials be that high-grade paper cone or high roll foam Surround are pretty solid and well put together.
When it comes to the actual performance EVL 12 D2 is unfortunately a completely different beast.
I have to point out not for lack of trying. All of the building blocks of an excellent subwoofer are here.
For a start EVL 12 D2 packs some very serious power the units RMS power clocks at 1250 watts. The peak power climbs to a pretty impressive 2,500 watts and frequency response range goes as low as 25 Hertz.
Trust us when we say this sub will make the bed shake. The real problem is the way this unit handles the admittedly impressive specs.
Namely the more power you try to put through the woofer you’ll see the sound quality dropping like a brick.
The same can be said about the system’s durability there are a lot of users who’ve reported problems after pushing the subs to peak power.
However, the speaker works like clockwork the bass is deep and precise and even the mid-range volume produces a satisfying tremor in the vehicle.
Rockford Fosgate P3D4-12 Punch P3 DVC
Rockford Fosgate is a name that requires no introduction in the world of automotive audio systems. We’re talking about a genuine industry powerhouse that has in one way or another touched millions of vehicles around the world.
With things as they are it’s only natural that my expectations are always set to extremely high whenever I get the opportunity to open some of their packages.
What’s really impressive in this whole story is that these expectations are almost always met Rockford Fosgate p3 d4 12 punch p3 is no exception.
The quality this Rockford puts on the table can easily be observed even if you take a slight look at the unit.
From the start the cone is made from solid anodized aluminum pieces that feel pretty solid but remain very light.
The other components are equally satisfying. The dust cap is made from the same material as the cone and feels rock-solid.
While the vertically mounted surround is capable of increasing the cones efficiency by a full 25%. This whole foundation is only made better by the fact that the p3 d4 12 punch p3 looks very good.
The woofer features some beautiful chrome elements that look rather nice in a sport sedan.
There’s also something the people from Rockford Fosgate like to call flex fit design.
What this intrigued name describes as a slotted mounting system that allows you to easily adjust the angle of the sub once you mounted.
Believe me this small inclusion makes all the difference in the world.
Speaking in terms of heat dissipation the semi vented design allows an excellent level of breathability and make sure the woofer won’t overheat No matter what kind of bass sound you put through it.
As for the performance the first thing I noticed is that the subwoofer punch sounds incredibly loud.
So much so that its some instances the deep bass was overwhelming even for me but for the most part 600 watts RMS produced a pretty consistent performance and loud reproduction even at the lowest frequencies.
The rest of the specs are solid as well.
The frequency response of 28 to 250 Hertz, the sensitivity of 85 DB and the peak power of 1200 watts will allow for a very strong and versatile performance.
That doesn’t have a problem precisely reproducing bass lines even if you turn the dial to 11.
All in all a pretty well-rounded product whose only flaws are slight balancing issues.
Pioneer TS-A300D4 12-Inch Subwoofer
Although not as highly regarded as Rockford fosgate pioneer is known for continually releasing the products that manage to stir the water in the often stale car woofer market and keep the game interesting.
Pioneer TS A300 D4 is definitely one of these products and its primary purpose looks like giving Rockford Fosgate a run for its money.
Are we dealing with a genuine surprise that’s able to knock the King off the throne? Let’s find out
There’s no denying this pioneer is one incredibly sleek and well-built piece of hardware.
The main star of the show here is definitely a quality black cone made of mica injected molded resin that allows consistent airflow and produces deep and satisfying bass.
However, keep in mind we’re talking about a shallow mount sub so your power expectations should be set to reasonable.
If on the other hand you own a smaller vehicle and need a punchy unit to fit a small sealed enclosure then you’ll hardly find a tighter unit than this.
I was pleasantly surprised with a somewhat oversized double stack magnet and a vented pole yoke that do a fantastic job in power handling.
Overall the unit has some inherent limitations but everything I’ve seen so far works to push these limits to the breaking point.
As you would expect all these rock-solid building blocks produce equally as satisfying performance.
The unit does a great job compensating for a somewhat limiting RMS of only 400 watts.
With incredibly tight and precise bass reproduction however don’t think for a second this bad boy is underpowered.
The peak power of as much as 1500 watts make sure you’ll be able to produce teeth shattering noise when the opportunity requires.
Throw into the equation, incredibly good frequency range 20 to 125 Hertz and excellent sensitivity at 93 DB.
You’ll get a great piece of sound equipment with very few shortcomings. Well except for the inherent ones.
American Bass XFL-1244 12″
With over 35 years in the industry it can be easily said that American bass is a long-standing and reputable brand with a loyal army of followers.
It’s also very tough to deny that the company has seen some better days and in spite of all the goodwill mostly competes in the entry-level car audio market.
Still the potential for greatness is here and it seems the company only needs one right product to get back in shape.
Is American bass USA that faithful product?
Judging by the look, hardly as a matter of fact except for the almost leather like dust cover. The unit looks like as by-the-numbers as it gets.
Still as much as I like my subs looking cool. I have to admit that I always considered build quality way more important. And in this regard XFL 1244 excels.
All of the components used for production feels solid and durable.
For instance the basket is made from die cast aluminum, the cone from carbon Kevlar reinforced non press paper and you also get a very pleasant inclusion of high-density foam surround.
All these things speak on the behalf of the dedication the American bass put into the product and I have no choice but to give a nod to the company for the effort.
When it comes to the actual performance American bass USA XFL 1244 who’s not too shabby either.
The unit features dual voice coils incredible frequency response range of 15 to 250 Hertz solid sensitivity of 89.6 DB.
RMS power handling of a 1000 watts and peak power handling of 2,000 watts what’s even more intriguing is that unlike the previous product all these specs are pretty well used.
The sound quality remained quite good even as I went beyond the usual 32 Hertz mark and the blast I managed to put through the speaker literally shook my ride.
You’ll also be excited to know that the bass reproduction and bass response is very precise so even if you’re an RHCP fan you won’t miss any of the faster lines.
The only thing I found off-putting was the system’s endurance when you expose it to more power and push the sub to its limit.
Although I haven’t experienced any severe issues the noticeable tremors are a good indicator that you should keep the sub on the reasonable settings.
JL Audio 12″ 12W0V3-4
The JL Audio subwoofer is proven to deliver the appropriate performance for medium power applications
the brand is known to incorporate several exclusive techniques that enhance reliability and linearity also the rms power handling is up to 300 watts of power.
In addition the peak power handling can reach up to 600 watts.
The exterior of this subwoofer is also impressive it features a mineral filled polypropylene upper cone as well as the metallic silver frame finish that makes it look more sophisticated. It also offers the nitrile butadiene rubber or MBR surround.
One major advantage of getting the JL Audio subwoofer is the patented cooling technology it allows minimum compression thus preventing the possibility of burnin up.
Best Car Subwoofer Buying Guide
There are several factors to consider when purchasing a subwoofer for your car audio setup. That includes technical details as well!
The specifications of a subwoofer, including power handling, frequency response, sensitivity, and impedance, can help you determine whether it’s compatible with your system and your requirements.
The material of the subwoofer cone can also give you an idea of the unit’s sound quality.
Do not worry if you are unfamiliar with technical terms. These are my simple explanations of what these technical term means.
Subwoofer Power Handling
Subwoofers receive more power when you increase the volume on your stereo or amplifier.
The woofer cone then moves faster and with greater force, resulting in louder sound waves.
Subwoofers and speakers, in general, are limited in their power capacity. Subwoofer internal components can be damaged by heat if you exceed this limit.
Conversely, if too little power is supplied, the output will sound weak and inaccurate.
Power-handling tells you how much power a subwoofer can handle (in watts). Peak power and RMS (Root Mean Square) are the two specifications you should pay attention to.
It tells you how much power you can supply to the sub on a regular basis, while the latter sets an absolute maximum you should never exceed.
In my opinion, RMS is a more useful metric since it takes into account day-to-day use.
A subwoofer’s RMS should be greater than or equal to your amplifier’s power handling specs, since your amplifier’s power handling specs indicate power output, not power handling.
Sensitivity
A subwoofer’s sensitivity describes how loud it will sound with one watt of power (in decibels).
Let’s say you have a subwoofer with a sensitivity rating of 85dB. 85dB is a fairly loud volume, so if you supply it with one watt of power, you’ll get a decent output.
Each additional watt you send to the sub will increase the volume by 3dB.
Choosing a sub with high sensitivity (above 85db) is a good idea if you have a low-output amplifier. You wouldn’t have to supply a lot of power if your amplifier is highly sensitive.
Subwoofers with a lower sensitivity will require more power.
Impedance
Impedance is a measure of the subwoofer’s resistance to the current supplied by the amplifier. A lower impedance rating means that the subwoofer will draw more current from the amplifier, while a higher impedance rating means that the subwoofer will draw less current.
However, low impedance is not always a good thing. If your subwoofer has a low RMS rating, it may not be able to handle the extra current. Additionally, if the amplifier has to work harder to supply the extra current, it may overheat.
On the other hand, high impedance ratings can also be problematic. If too little current is drawn, the sound output may be weak.
Typically, you will see subwoofer impedance ratings of 2, 4, or 8 ohms. When choosing a subwoofer, it is important to consider the impedance rating to ensure that you are getting the best sound quality possible.
Frequency
Subwoofers are a type of speaker that are designed to reproduce low frequency sounds, typically below around 250 Hz. The frequency response of a subwoofer indicates the range of frequencies that the speaker can reproduce.
Full range speakers have a frequency response of 20 Hz to 20,000 Hz, which covers the entire range of human hearing. In contrast, subwoofers typically have a frequency response of 20 Hz to 250 Hz.
This means that they are designed to reproduce low frequency sounds, such as bass, rather than the full range of frequencies that humans can hear.
Certain subwoofers may have cutoffs that are higher than 20 Hz. This means that they will still be able to reproduce some low frequency sounds, but they won’t be as effective at reproducing sub-bass frequencies, which are very low frequencies that are difficult for humans to hear.
Easy Subwoofer Installation
Choosing a subwoofer depends greatly on how easy it is to install. An obstacle-free sub-enclosure would make the installation process significantly easier.
Subwoofer Size
In addition to considering how easy it is to install a subwoofer, you should consider its size. A 10′′ subwoofer is a smart choice if you’re limited on space.
Price
The price of a subwoofer influences its overall level of bass. Generally, you get what you pay for when it comes to bass power. For example, a budget subwoofer may be suitable for someone just starting out, but not if you want more power or are an audio lover.
Conclusions for the best 12 inch subwoofers for 2023
After all, you should’ve already picked your favorite, and I’ve only listed the winners in this 12-inch subwoofer award show.
Skar Audio EVL-12 D2 12″
- Peak Power: 2,500 Watts | RMS Power: 1,250 Watts
- 3″ High-Temperature Dual 2-ohm Voice Coil with Black Coating
- Competition Grade Paper Cone & High Roll Foam Surround
- Premium Suspension Featuring the EVL Series Signature Red Two-Layer Spider
- Deep, Low, Extremely Responsive Bass | Sensitivity: 85.1 dB
- Frequency Response Range: 25 Hz – 250 Hz | Xmax: 23.5 mm (one-way)
Summary
We’ve considered a variety of factors when picking the best 12 inch subwoofers, including power handling, frequency response, sensitivity, and price. We’ve also looked at a variety of customer reviews to see what real people think of these subwoofers.
Those who want to feel real bass should invest in the best overall 12-inch subwoofers.
Now it’s your turn. Take your pick from above, knowing you’re getting a winner. So hurry up while supplies last.
We’d love to hear your questions or tips. Comment down.
