However, buying a subwoofer is a more complex process than picking one at random, throwing it in your car, and wiring it up. Some research is highly recommended so that you can choose the perfect subwoofer for your system. When choosing car subwoofers, you also need to keep in mind things like the amount of space in your vehicle’s cab or trunk and what kind of music you listen to. Most car audio enthusiasts take particular pride in their woofers.

When buying a subwoofer there are a couple of things you may want to consider before pulling that “Checkout” trigger. Read on!

Choosing The Right Subwoofer Size For Your System

Before you purchase a new subwoofer, it is important to note the physical size of the subwoofer you want. As with everything in car audio, space is not always readily available, and subwoofer sizes can vary from slim fit subs to 18″ behemoths. The size of your subwoofer (the diameter) is important to know for installation processes and if you are planning to purchase or build an enclosure. The most popular subwoofer sizes are 10″ and 12″. Other common subwoofer sizes are 6.5″, 8″, 13″, 15″, and 18″.

It is also critical for you to be aware of the mounting depth space you have to work with and the mounting depth of the subwoofer that you are planning on purchasing. If you buy a subwoofer that has a mounting depth greater than you have to work with, you’ll either have to get a different subwoofer or do some serious modifications.

Knowing What Type of Subwoofer You Need

The next thing you have to consider is whether you want an enclosed subwoofer or a component subwoofer. An enclosed subwoofer contains an internal amp. This makes this option much easier to install. This option also saves space and is easier to install as opposed to component subs. Component subs rely on an external amp to power them. These take up more space and can oftentimes be more costly. However, there is a noticeable difference in overall sound quality. This option is far more customizable to your needs. They are also more tedious to install because you have to build the enclosure and properly wire them.

What Are Voice Coils?

A voice coil is the coil of wire attached to the cone. Driving a current through the voice coil produces a magnetic field, which in turn moves the cone. The number of voice coils allows for different wiring configurations. The type of voice coil setups includes single, dual, or quad voice coil. Dual voice coil subs have more wiring flexibility than single voice coil subs; however, single voice coil subwoofers provide easier hookup options for wiring multiple subwoofers in parallel or series. You may run a dual voice coil (DVC) sub in parallel, series, or combination. A quad voice coil has four voice coils and is equal to two dual voice coil subwoofers (in terms of wiring capabilities).

What Materials Are Used In A Subwoofer Cone?

Paper cones produce natural-sounding bass, but are the least durable cone material. This is why you commonly see materials such as polypropylene being used for cones. Polypropylene tends to be more durable than paper, but also retains some natural sound. Finally, you’ll find titanium cones and other materials in some premium woofers. This is all used for specific reasons depending on the manufacturer and can provide different-sounding bass.

Do I Need To Purchase An Enclosure?

Component subwoofers should be mounted in an enclosure for optimal performance. You can choose a sealed, ported, bandpass, or truck & shallow-mount box based on your subwoofer specifications and available vehicle space. We also offer premade package deals under Subwoofers with Enclosures. These Enclosed Subwoofer Systems include subwoofers prebuilt into a box.

If space is at a premium, consider installing a powered subwoofer, which is essentially an enclosure loaded with an amplifier and a woofer. We also offer vehicle-specific subs that are specially designed to save space and match the interior of your vehicle.

Is Getting A Big Subwoofer Better?

In the case of car subwoofers, bigger is not necessarily better. The best subwoofers have high sensitivity ratings. These measures how effectively a speaker converts power into sound. Subs with a higher sensitivity rating will play louder, given a set amount of input power.

To demonstrate, consider the following example. If “SUBWOOFER A” has a relatively lower power rating than “SUBWOOFER B”, but “SUBWOOFER A” has a relatively higher sensitivity rating, then “SUBWOOFER A” will play louder (assuming the sensitivity differences are substantial). Therefore, a smaller subwoofer with higher sensitivity ratings can boom louder than a larger subwoofer with lower sensitivity.

Taking Power Into Consideration

The RMS power handling rating refers to the amount of power a car subwoofer can handle on a continuous basis. Pairing your amps and subs with incorrect RMS power ratings could cause harm to the amplifier or subwoofer. It is ideal to match the combined total RMS wattage of the subwoofers to the amplifier.

We recommend slightly over-powering your subwoofer based on its recommended RMS power rating. This will help prevent accidentally over-powering or blowing your sub. You should select a subwoofer based on the amount of power output generated by your amplifier, the sub’s impedance, and the voice coil specifications.

For ease and convenience in finding the right amplifier for your subwoofers, check out AmpliFinder: An Amplifier Finder Tool designed and tested by Sonic Electronix. Just select your subwoofer’s manufacturer, model number, and how many subs you’ve got, and wait to discover the best amp that matches your setup. 

Series vs. Parallel Wiring

Another thing you have to consider is series vs parallel wiring. Subwoofers come in SVC (Single Voice Coil) which means it has two wiring terminal posts: one positive and one negative. 

There are two ways of connecting these two terminal posts to the amplifier through Series and Parallel wiring to properly manage the overall impedance load. 

Wiring in Series will double the impedance load and reduces RMS power.

Wiring in Parallel cuts the impedance load in half and increases RMS power.

Subwoofers also come in DVC (Dual Voice Coil), adding another pair to the positive and negative terminals to give more options in wiring the sub. 

The impedance measures the load value (in ohms) that the speakers present to the amplifier, or the amount of resistance to the current flow. Car subwoofer impedance can be rated at a 2 ohm, 4 ohm, or an 8 ohm load. When you are trying to match up a subwoofer’s power rating with an amplifier, be sure the power ratings are estimated at the same ohm load.

To help you in setting up the connection routes for your two audio devices, check out our subwoofer wiring diagrams to show you the proper, exact way of connecting your subs to your amplifier.

At Sonic Electronix, we’ve got the X-factor in providing top-notch car audio products and installation services. Boost your bass with our selection of subwoofers, subwoofer boxes, bass packages, and subwoofer installation accessories. Our customer service and technical support teams are available to you five days a week, and we’re always happy to help!

The post Car Subwoofer Buying Guide: Finding The Bass For Your Vehicle appeared first on Sonic Electronix Learning Center and Blog.

We are frequently asked by people new to car audio: how much does it cost to install a subwoofer? They want the extra bass for their music, but they really don’t know where to start. In this article, I am going to break down a few separate audio upgrades at varying prices.

Easy to Install & Affordable

The first option I want to discuss is an under-seat subwoofer with an integrated amp. The NVX QBUS8v2 is an 8-inch subwoofer that is a great option who wants to quickly upgrade their factory sound system. It is incredibly compact and easy to install even for a beginner. As I stated before, it also has an integrated amp along with it. This means that you won’t have to wire your sub to an external amp because it is all housed in one convenient enclosure. Plus, you’ll need a wiring kit. One reliable wiring kit would be this NVX XKIT82. This is a 100% copper wiring kit meant specifically for a monoblock or a 2-channel amp. Your total would be $154.94. You could also consider getting a second enclosure which would just double that price and put you at just over $300.

Mid-range

For a more noticeable upgrade in sound quality for a bit higher price point you should look no further than the JL Audio 12W0v2-4. This is by far one of our highest rated subs that we sell. Currently it is rated 4.9 stars on 624 customer reviews. This sub offers great sound quality for the price and it can handle power up to 300W RMS. You could pair this with this Single 12″ Sealed MDF Subwoofer Enclosure. This is also a very well-reviewed product with 4.7 stars on 154 customer reviews. For an amp, a great Monoblock option would be the NVX BDA7501. At 4 ohms it will output 450W RMS. Finally, you’ll need an amplifier wiring kit to wire everything together. You could utilize the wiring kit I discussed earlier. That brings you to a total of $324.96.

Superior Sound Quality

Obviously, there are higher quality sound options available, but the cost will reflect that. The most difficult thing about upgrading your subwoofer to a $300 or $400 plus price point is the expense of the amplifier that will ultimately output that amount of power. If you were to get a 4-ohm subwoofer that can handle 1000W RMS, it may only cost $400. However, an amp like the Alpine PDX-M12 could end up costing you $600 on top of that. It’s a very high quality amp, but the price tag displays that as well.

Another option we offer is a subwoofer in the $200 range. If you were to simply upgrade to a $200 12-inch sub like the NVX XQW124 for example, you could use that same NVX amp I talked about before. Plus, you could keep the same box enclosure.

Whatever option you decide upon make sure to check out our website to find which combination would be best for you.

The post How Much Does It Cost to Install a Subwoofer? appeared first on Sonic Electronix Learning Center and Blog.

Are you wondering how to match a car subwoofer and amplifier? Look no further because this blog will answer all your questions. There are three main points to consider when matching a subwoofer and an amplifier:

1. RMS Power Rating
2. Impedance
3. Type of Amp

RMS Power Rating

The RMS power is the measure of continuous power the subwoofer can accept. This is the amount of watts the subwoofer can dissipate in the form of heat and vibration without damaging the voice coil. Although max power might be a more appealing number than RMS power, this only represents the subwoofer’s capability of handling quick bursts of power rather than sustained power. Always utilize the RMS power rating.

If you are wiring two subwoofers to an amplifier, you must combine the RMS power rating of both the woofers to determine the power rating of the amp. For example two NVX VSW124v2 12″ subwoofers have 600w RMS each; 1,200w combined. What this means is that you’ll need an amplifier with a power rating between 1,080 and 1,440 watts. The perfect match is the NVX JAD1200.1 monoblock amplifier. It’s as if NVX planned these products to be used together!

Here is the calculation I used to find the power range of the amplifier:

Take the total watts and multiple it by .9 and by 1.2. This will give you the power range of your amplifier. This formula can be applied to your system and has been confirmed by the experts. It is encouraged you get an amplifier with extra power because this gives you more reserved power also known as headroom. This reduces heat exposure which is detrimental to your amp’s health. If you underpower your amplifier, your subs will output distortion causing excessive heat on the voice coil.

2. Impedance

Definition: The electrical resistance of a speaker restricting the flow of electricity, measured in ohms.

Impedance directly affects the load of the amplifier not the power requirement of the subwoofer. So when you wire your subs at 4 ohms versus 2 ohms, there will be a significant difference in power output. For example the Boss R1100M runs at 550w at 4 ohms or 1,100w at 2 ohms. But this amplifier is unable to accept a 1 ohm load because the amp will immediately go into protect mode or run excessively hot.

Never go against the specifications the manufacturer has listed. For extra help use our Subwoofer Wiring Diagram. This is a comprehensive tool designed for almost any system!

3. Amplifier

A car amplifier ranges from 1-6 channels. A monoblock amplifier is the best choice for powering subwoofers because a monoblock amp is designed to output tons of power at low impedance. You can use a 2 or 4 channel amp but this limits your power output and impedance. When bridging channels you combine the output of the 2 channels and suddenly 4 channels becomes 2 channels and 2 channels becomes 1 channel. Note that a 2 or 4 channel amp bridged usually cannot accept a load lower than 4 ohms.

Monoblock amps can power as many subs as it wants as long as the minimum impedance is not exceeded and the output power matches.

• When purchasing an amplifier ONLY buy products that are CEA compliant.
• If you don’t play your music at high volumes and your car is not massive, than a 300 watt sub will satisfy your needs assuming you have a compatible amplifier.

4. Sonic Secret

The enclosure plays a huge role in the sound quality and output of your system. Note that ported enclosures require a subsonic filter and a sealed enclosure benefits from a more powerful amplifier. Never cheap out on the enclosure build, your system will suffer.

The post How to match Car Subwoofer and Amplifier appeared first on Sonic Electronix Learning Center and Blog.

And realistically no matter your music taste low frequencies are an integral part of any song. Without bass you are leaving out a portion of the frequencies that will ruin your favorite music.  The size of your woofer, RMS power rating, enclosure type and a few other factors all contribute to how powerful your bass will be. And when you have quality parts like a 15″ NVX VCW woofer powered by a NVX JAD series amplifier, with NVX XSP6ACT component speakers in the front and NVX VSP coaxial speakers in the rear powered by an NVX MVPA series mini amp; you will be playing your music so loud that you will become one of those bassheads you’ve always despised.

Enhance your Music

Bass is apart of any music genre. Whether it be a double bass in an orchestra, electric bass in a rock band, or the bass line in your favorite House track, low frequencies are apart of your music. However it would be foolish to say bass is incorporated evenly across all music types. Choosing what size subwoofer works best for you is going to depend on the music you listen to. 8  inch subwoofers make for an easy install and often will fit into factory locations. This is an excellent choice for punk, metal, alternative, rock, country; genres that aren’t focused on low frequencies. A 10 inch woofer would also be a fine choice for these types of music because it will not overwhelm your system with bass.

12″, 15″ and beyond are going to produce dominating bass, but you can always alter your settings on your amp so a woofer this size doesn’t have to drown your music with bass. These woofers are large, heavy and effective. If you are an avid rave goer or Hip Hop enthusiast this is the size for you. The best part is that if your girlfriend talks too loud while in the car, look no further because a subwoofer this size will deny her any chance of being heard. Essentially if you are looking for bass, these are the sizes that will satisfy your needs.

Power

RMS Power Rating should always be incorporated when considering what subwoofer you want. Peak power is not sustainable and will give you sound for only a few seconds. Make sure when constructing your system that you match the amplifier’s power with the power handling of your subwoofer. Often times people think underpowering their sub is a safe bet if they aren’t sure what the power specifications are but this is a bad idea and will fry your woofer. Before making any purchase always ensure the power handling fulfills your audio need and that you have the right amp to power your investment.

Enclosure

The two most common enclosure builds are ported and sealed. Choosing which is best for you really comes down to personal preference and music taste. Ported enclosures create a more powerful bass line. Genres focused on bass like rap, trap, dubstep, house, etc. will be best served in a ported enclosure. A sealed enclosure has more defined low frequencies contributing to overall sound fullness. This is recommended for genres focused on all frequencies. In addition, a lot of manufacturers are releasing complete packages that include, enclosure, subwoofer, wiring kit, and sometimes even speakers and an amplifier. If you aren’t looking for obnoxious bass that’ll be heard three blocks away, it is a safe bet to choose from one or our awesome bundles.

Brands

Not all brands are created equally and anyone that says otherwise is wrong. Sonic Electronix is known for expert customer service, wide product variety, and insane bundles. These two brands are among some of our favorites.

• A lot can be said about NVX. At an affordable price you get the components you need without breaking the bank. The revolutionary design of the Q Bus box fits right under your seat! The install process is pretty simple as well. Connect the power to your car’s battery, ground to steel chassis, grab a set of speaker wires for input and you’re done. Once it’s installed you will never see the Q box again but it will deliver clean and accurate bass.

• Belva’s BPKG212v2 gives you bass on a budget. This package comes with two 12″ subs in a ported box, with a monoblock amplifier and wiring kit. This bundle has simplified the entire buying process for you because it comes with everything you need. Not to mention the affordable price enables almost anyone to have great bass without breaking the bank.

Budget

Your budget will be a major influence in deciding which size, brand, and power specification you choose. Competition grade woofers can run at a few thousand dollars and require an extremely powerful amplifier at also a high cost. A more realistic method of choosing what subwoofer you want is to evaluate what your audio needs are. What are you looking for? Those wanting a little bass to supplement their speakers will do just fine spending a couple hundred dollars on a subwoofer that is already built into an enclosure. But if you’re one of those people that like to be heard three blocks away, which I love personally, you’ll want a larger sub with more power typically at a higher price.

Conclusion

In a studio, your favorite music was recorded with frequencies ranging from 20-20,000hz. And although there are really about 80hz of low frequencies incorporated into these songs, you still need bass or else your music will sound horrible. Never skip a subwoofer when constructing an aftermarket system because you can choose just how powerful you want the bass to be. As long as each component is properly installed and used; you will have concert grade music while driving to work every single day.

The post Why you should get a Car Subwoofer appeared first on Sonic Electronix Learning Center and Blog.