sub sizes 8, 10, 12, 15

I keep wondering what are the advantages and disadvantages of various sized subs namely 8" 10" 12" and 15". I've been running 10" subs for years because it's inbetween the two worlds Just trying to verify my logic. Thanks

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Prodigal Son

Um...bigger subs have more surface area...Hell dude really I don't know how to explain it to you.

There are 10 inch subs out there that can handle over 4 times the power 15 inch subs can. Application basically...well thats what I think.

Not really a concrete answer...really only a general one

Woofer sizes, like much of car audio, are about compromise.

Larger woofers play lower and louder.  They generally require larger boxes and transient response tends to be reduced with larger woofer sizes, as there is more cone for the motor to control.  Of course, subwoofer design and box construction play *very* large roles here.

Smaller woofers not only require less space, but they tend not to play quite as low or as loud when plied with the same amount of power.  Again, motor construction plays a huge role here, as well as box construction.

In terms of power required, different size speakers in the same model line tend to require the same amounts of power, as the motor structure is typically the same and things like heat-dissapation and what-not are not really affected by cone size.

aznboi is correct here.. there really aren't concrete answeres without comparing specific speakers and specific enclosures.

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"I'm finished!" - Daniel Plainview

^^^ a little clarification here. A 4" speaker can play the exact same low bass note as a 15" driver can, it just cannot do it with the same amplitude. Smaller woofers are most certainly also capable of some devastating numbers for SPL and for low frequency extension. Your statement of "they tend not to play quite as low or as loud" is far from accurate here. An example of this is the Eclipse titanium driver in a 10" vs. say a basic brand 15". The Eclipse will school the basic 15" for output, tonal response and all things being equal for the box, more than likely in low frequency extension as well. There are many factors at work with subwoofers, generalized statements most certainly do not apply.

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Top Secret, I can tell you but then my wife will kill me.

From what i have experienced it seems to me the 8" sub produces bass that you will hear and lacks the feel of the bass. The 12s and 15s produce alot of bass u can physically feel. The 10s seem to be the best of both worlds. It sounds practical cause larger subs have greater cone areas resulting in in greater air displacement and moving more masses of air you will feel more of the bass. Is this an acceptable explanation?

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Prodigal Son

I pretty much agree with sedate down the line. It is a compromise no matter what. Larger is always better for sub bass as long as you have good mid-woofers to fill in the midbass. So your real decision will be the ammount of box space you can devote to the subs. Larger subs (especially 15" subs) start taking up space quick. If you don't have much space, then you can get a sub with small enclosure requirements, but then you are usually spending more money & are also losing efficiency & thus will require a larger amp. One other thing to note is that if you listen to music just for sound quality & not for SPL, then I'd say that one 10" or 12" with a good 300 watt RMS amp is all anyone will ever need (and that will still be more than necessary). If you're going for SPL, then get the largest that you can fit (just remember some space for the groceries).

As for what forbidden said, he has a point, but I think that he's just nitpicking. If you compare between like series subwoofers, then performance will scale from lowest (8") to highest (15" or 18"). Like I said above, a smaller sub can do what a larger sub can do (within limits), but there will be a trade off of price/power requirements.

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What is normal anyway???