2 subs vs. 1 ... or 3? differences

[Hamsterman]

Hey guys... in my short life of car audio sub love, i have always been with a single 12" sub...

At first i had a kicker cvr12" hooked up with an MTX amp, it was like 300 watts RMS... in a selaed box, not enough bass for me

I moved up to a kicker s12L5 with a kicker 600.1 amp, which was doing around 700watts RMS on the birth sheet... that was a nice set up and i thought it was decently loud and i was happy with it, but there is always room for more

So my question is now i have an offer to jump on some diamond audio stuff, it is 2 10's and an amp, and i will be pushing around 800RMS...

1) Is there any sound difference, that the normal ear will tell, between 2 10's and 1 12 at the same RMS wattage?
2) When would you like to use 2 subs vs. 1 or maybe go for a multiple sub setup?

The reason i ask, is i like to have more room in my trunk, and save some weight, so if i can get all i need out of a single sub, i would rather use that > 2 subs

any info guys?

[OHWJaJae]

The sizes are as important as the subs themselves. The 12" will probably play deeper, but you'll have more cone area with the two 10"s... which models are you referring to?

[xtrememan]

the 10's will hit faster than the 12...depends on the genre of music you listen to

I've always favored a (2) 12" sub setup

[Meperezs]

12'' subs have a lot more "hmm" sound tothem and will be less precise in the bass they produce. 10" subs will be more accurate, but 3 of them will hit just as hard or even harder then 2 12" subs with more accuracy.

[cam2Xrunner]

Depends on the output capacity of the subs you're comparing. For example one 12" IDMAX will hit harder then 2 10" IDQ's with the same amp(500 watts or more rms)

I say you jump on that deal you got with the Diamonds, those 2 10" subs will be accurate and plenty loud with the amount of power going to them. You could always sell that combo quick like if you're not happy with it.

[Hamsterman]

right on guys, yeah ^^^ i am defin. buying the subs from that guy and if i don't like them, the turnaround $$$ will be nice

[DMDrew812]

Yeah I was studying the matter of 12 vs 10 on my alpine type S (I got the 12")
It would seem that the 12's have a wider freq range (of a few Hz, so no biggie)
though I have no idea what difference it makes, the 12's have about double the Equivalent Suspension Stiffness (VAS) maybe that has to do with the response timing, you know higher stiffness, the longer it takes to respond, though once again im sure thats negligable
The 10's had higher inductance (around 30% higher)
The 10's had a sensitivity two dB/W/M less than the 12's (what is that, like a deciwattmeter?)
They were rated at the same wattage
I never took the time to figure out just how much these differences would impact my system, and could only afford one sub or another, so I went for size (and I've always had 12's in the past.) I'm looking to go for a dual sub setup, and might ditch the 2x12 idea for the 2x10.

[cbrjay]

in my past experience, the hardest hitting subs I had were 3 10" JLW3v.1's in the trunk of my accord. The way they were wired definitely hit harder and cleaner than most of my friends' systems who were pushing minimum of 1000 watts rms. Go for the Diamond's and let us know how they turn out.

[DMDrew812]

Originally Posted by cbrjay

...The way they were wired definitely hit harder and cleaner than most of my friends' systems who were pushing minimum of 1000 watts rms...

What is it, specifically, that was done differently? did your friends have multiple subs? sizes?

[mauibuilt59]

If youre looking at purchasing a 10" or 12" woofer of the same brand the 12" is always going to be louder, simply because of the cone surface area. The 12 has about 40% more surface area than the 10, thus moving more air, thus creating more sound. So in theory, two 10's with the same sensitivity will outperform (in terms of volume) a single 12 of the same brand. the same goes for 15's and etc. you get the point...

[eddiem67]

Originally Posted by xtrememan

the 10's will hit faster than the 12...depends on the genre of music you listen to

I've always favored a (2) 12" sub setup

Not true, my two ID max 12's move very quick and respond just like my 3 10W3's did when I had them installed before.

[eddiem67]

Originally Posted by Meperezs

12'' subs have a lot more "hmm" sound tothem and will be less precise in the bass they produce. 10" subs will be more accurate, but 3 of them will hit just as hard or even harder then 2 12" subs with more accuracy.

Again not true, technology is so good these days that 12" sub can have the best of both worlds, play hard and accurate and yet still play deep. Depending on your install and type of enclosure, car, and amps your going to run, your output may differ.

Now if you run a 1000 watt amp and you use the same sub just different sizes ie 3 10's vs 2 12's, 3 10's will have more output, thats a no brainer.

[bigdaddymike745]

i have a kicker cvr12 and it sounds crazy

[Trnd Chemeleon]

I really have to agree with Eddie, IDMAX's are basicly the perfect all around sub. You could use it for SQ or SPL. And without going over $500 (retail) too. They are build with such intelligence, ID knows what they are doing. Nate, look at Elite Auto Sound on Gravois, Talk to Chris. He'll give you the low down.

[Knailgun]

you need to focus on how much power you feed it and how hight the rating is for the sub, numbers of subs don't matter so long as there is adequate power to them.