One of the more popular lines in the Alpine company, the Type-R series is also the largest: it has seven subwoofers compared to the three or four the other lines have. The Type-R series is composed of 10-inch, 12-inch, and 15-inch woofers. Alpine has really packed a whole lot into those inches, because there’s power, yet it doesn’t hurt like other subwoofers that sacrifice sound quality for strength. The two 15 inch products in the Type-R line are the only ones priced over $300, but that’s not to say they aren’t worth it. The entire line is priced as it should be, because high quality 15-inch subwoofers are actually quite difficult to find; most tend to stick to 10 and 12 inches. An owner of an SWR-1242D subwoofer (12 inches, part of the Type-R series) said that sound could be heard from the car from 2 miles away. He parked his car in a gas station and even made the shelves shake. You can get the 10-inch Type-R series for $200, the 12-inch for $220, and the 15-inch for $400.

It’s probably true that the second most popular Alpine is the Type-S series. It features two 12-inch and two 10-inch woofers. Combined with Alpine’s most famous products, their head units, the Type-S subwoofers are really something to deal with. As long as you supply these subs with the right power needed, you’re going to get clear cut sound that blasts straight through the air. The Type-S series is priced a bit lower, ranging from $150 for the 10-inch to $170 to the 12-inch.

Alpine surely delivers not only on quality, but just plain affordability. While leaders like JL Audio might charge over $400 for their 10-inch W7, Alpine maintains a high standard of sound quality at half the price, and sometimes even takes the jump and goes for sound pressure level as well. Nearly all of the Alpine series are absolutely worth the cash because they blast really well. They match up to Kicker and MTX any day, just at a lower price that won’t burn a hole in your wallet.

Mitsubishi recently began using the Fosgate sound systems in their new models, despite the lack of industry status that Rockford Fosgate as taken on. In any case, this just proves that their products have not fallen off of the shelves in any way, and that they will continue to be a reliable brand.

The Rockford Fosgate T112D4 belongs to the Power series of the company. There are three series available: Prime, Punch, and Power. Prime is made for the casual consumer, while Punch and Power are there for those more enthused about car audio. The Power series ranges from $400 to $850, depending on both the size of the subwoofer and which miniseries (T1 or T2, T1 in this case) the subwoofer belongs to, and there’s no reason why these subs shouldn’t cost that much.

The T112D4 packs a whole lot of punch, but the size seems to be a bit of a shocker. An interesting thing to note inside the Fosgate Family: subs get bigger and bigger from Prime to Power, not in inches but in depth. You’re going to want a pretty big box for this one, but it’s going to be worth the awkward size. A single T112D4 sub sounds like two when plugged in (unbelievable, huh?). One guy even removed his own mirrors because they rattled so much when the subs were booming.

These 12 inches of subwoofer cost $450 apiece, which is quite expensive when compared to their Prime series (ranges from $90 to $100 apiece), but if Rockford Fosgate even considers prices under $100, you’re going to get your money’s worth. If you find the right deals, though, you can pick up a T112D4 for around $400.

Rockford Fosgate really hasn’t lost its touch, even though they aren’t the first ones to be mentioned. Their products are still good, and they’ll continue to be good. If you want big, strong, hefty subwoofers and aren’t afraid to push the bank, the Fosgate Power series will be ideal. More specifically, drop a few hundred dollars for a T112D4. One will work fine, because it sounds like two anyways. Again, look around for some deals on these subs. The suggested retail price is around $450, but some are willing to cut it lower to around $400, some to even around $350. It all depends on where you look, but it’s definitely worth it.

Team Maxxsonics, as mentioned, consistently places in the top rankings for their sound pressure levels. They have won so many competitions using their strategies and products. As Hifonics has fallen into the hands of the Maxxsonics team, the company will absolutely continue to produce better car audio equipment aimed to pack as much power into a consumer model (rolling around in a competition car wouldn’t be too fun, some of them can’t even drive!) as possible while maintaining a low cost to make things affordable. Mr. Stieglitz certainly picked the best team to hand over his creations to, because we’re going to see some good things come out of Hifonics in the future.

The Hifonics Zeus series seems to be focused on efficiency and volume. Hifonics aimed to increase the sound pressure levels as much as possible without sacrificing the durability aspect of the subwoofers. Well, this Zeus series has certainly drawn the positive reviews. It takes volume to a whole new level. There have been very little reported problems with the sound qualities of this line, so Hifonics seems to have succeeded in not only preserving durability, but also the sound quality. The Zeus line comes in two sizes: the 10-inch and the 12-inch. On sound emission, the entire Zeus series is reported to produce soft yet stable and powerful booming bass lines. Maybe this is why they call it efficient. The Hifonics Zeus series is one of the most inexpensive on the market, yet all models can produce sounds that match up with the best in the industry when it comes to sound pressure levels. Sound quality might be questionable, but SPL is definitely there.

You can pick up the cheapest Hifonics Zeus model sometimes for under $100. While other brands are charging over $500 for not even their best subwoofers, Hifonics and Maxxsonics decides to charge under $100 for something of equal quality. How amazing is that? Many are actually recommending the inexpensive Hifonics Zeus series as a great way for beginners to play around with tweaking the subwoofers before they jump into the more expensive brands.

The top companies you’ll want to look for if you want to upgrade your car subwoofer are JL Audio, MTX Audio, and Kicker. These three are leading the car audio industry, all with early origins. JL Audio’s W7 line is one of the most advanced and most powerful subwoofer lines available on the market (pricey, but well worth it if you care about the quality). MTX Audio has released an amazing 60-inch subwoofer that holds the record for the size. They also have the largest consumer subwoofer that measures at 22 inches. Kicker’s L7 seems to be the best from the Kicker lineup, and there’s no reason why it shouldn’t be.

Cars usually carry their subwoofers in the trunk or back parts of the vehicle because of the lack of space. Subwoofers and their enclosures tend to take up more space than is expected. As such, fitting them into dashboards and doors is extremely difficult.

An interesting thing subwoofers are used for are volume competition, also known as SPL wars. SPL (sound pressure levels) get extremely high in these battles, and some companies decide to produce subwoofers geared extremely towards the SPL rather than the sound quality. Companies like JL Audio have focused on both SPL and sound quality, as shown in JL Audio’s W7 series.

When installing a car stereo subwoofer, it sometimes requires modifications to the vehicle itself. Obviously, each car is built differently, and that includes the space allowed for upgrades/changes like the subwoofer. If you want to shoot for a larger one or one with a different shape (although mostly circular, some subwoofers are square), it’s important to make sure you have the right size available; otherwise, its time to bust out tools to make it so that you have the right size.

Never assume that a smaller subwoofer is weaker. For example, JL Audio’s 8-inch W7 subwoofer is more powerful than some 12-inch subwoofers from other companies. Because of this, you must always read reviews on the subwoofer you’re looking at before buying it in case that smaller subwoofer is indeed weaker. If you keep with the more popular brands, though, you shouldn’t have many problems, because these have been reviewed many times over and won’t fail to deliver.

Car stereo subwoofers sound like enthusiast-only business, but they dig deeper than most people think.

Anyway, the latest state to surface in this national debate is Massachusetts. In some ways, this state is also slightly nonstandard because of the dominance of the local agents who handle about 80% of the insurance business. Agents have more to lose if the markets are opened up to competition (and sites like this offer a direct line to insurance companies without having to go through an agent). Not surprisingly, they have been the fastest to the courts in the fight to protect their income. We have just had the decision of the Massachusetts Supreme Court on two rule changes made by the state’s Insurance Commissioner Nonnie Burnes (she has since retired to a university post). Let’s start with the effect of the move to open up the state to competition. Before the rule changes, there were nineteen insurers writing auto insurance policies. Twelve more companies have now entered the markets. In most cases, premium rates have been stable as insurers cut their costs and accepted a reduced profit. But agents have been hit because the opportunities to earn commission have been reduced.

The Massachusetts Supreme Court has supported the reforms, finding the effect of managed competition is sufficiently beneficial that it should represent the prevailing public policy in the state. Put another way, the judges think the many consumers should pay less rather than the few corporate officers and stockholders earn excessive profits. Because one of the agent’s automatic rights to a commission has disappeared, they will be looking to recover their losses in other ways. There are two morals to this story. The first is that, if you want to find cheap auto insurance, support the lawmakers in those states who promise to introduce more competition into the car insurance market. Secondly, always get your auto insurance quotes through a site like this and avoid agents who earn commission.

Mitsubishi recently began using the Fosgate sound systems in their new models, despite the lack of industry status that Rockford Fosgate as taken on. In any case, this just proves that their products have not fallen off of the shelves in any way, and that they will continue to be a reliable brand.

The Rockford Fosgate T112D4 belongs to the Power series of the company. There are three series available: Prime, Punch, and Power. Prime is made for the casual consumer, while Punch and Power are there for those more enthused about car audio. The Power series ranges from $400 to $850, depending on both the size of the subwoofer and which miniseries (T1 or T2, T1 in this case) the subwoofer belongs to, and there’s no reason why these subs shouldn’t cost that much.

The T112D4 packs a whole lot of punch, but the size seems to be a bit of a shocker. An interesting thing to note inside the Fosgate Family: subs get bigger and bigger from Prime to Power, not in inches but in depth. You’re going to want a pretty big box for this one, but it’s going to be worth the awkward size. A single T112D4 sub sounds like two when plugged in (unbelievable, huh?). One guy even removed his own mirrors because they rattled so much when the subs were booming.

These 12 inches of subwoofer cost $450 apiece, which is quite expensive when compared to their Prime series (ranges from $90 to $100 apiece), but if Rockford Fosgate even considers prices under $100, you’re going to get your money’s worth. If you find the right deals, though, you can pick up a T112D4 for around $400.

Rockford Fosgate really hasn’t lost its touch, even though they aren’t the first ones to be mentioned. Their products are still good, and they’ll continue to be good. If you want big, strong, hefty subwoofers and aren’t afraid to push the bank, the Fosgate Power series will be ideal. More specifically, drop a few hundred dollars for a T112D4. One will work fine, because it sounds like two anyways. Again, look around for some deals on these subs. The suggested retail price is around $450, but some are willing to cut it lower to around $400, some to even around $350. It all depends on where you look, but it’s definitely worth it.

Team Maxxsonics, as mentioned, consistently places in the top rankings for their sound pressure levels. They have won so many competitions using their strategies and products. As Hifonics has fallen into the hands of the Maxxsonics team, the company will absolutely continue to produce better car audio equipment aimed to pack as much power into a consumer model (rolling around in a competition car wouldn’t be too fun, some of them can’t even drive!) as possible while maintaining a low cost to make things affordable. Mr. Stieglitz certainly picked the best team to hand over his creations to, because we’re going to see some good things come out of Hifonics in the future.

The Hifonics Zeus series seems to be focused on efficiency and volume. Hifonics aimed to increase the sound pressure levels as much as possible without sacrificing the durability aspect of the subwoofers. Well, this Zeus series has certainly drawn the positive reviews. It takes volume to a whole new level. There have been very little reported problems with the sound qualities of this line, so Hifonics seems to have succeeded in not only preserving durability, but also the sound quality. The Zeus line comes in two sizes: the 10-inch and the 12-inch. On sound emission, the entire Zeus series is reported to produce soft yet stable and powerful booming bass lines. Maybe this is why they call it efficient. The Hifonics Zeus series is one of the most inexpensive on the market, yet all models can produce sounds that match up with the best in the industry when it comes to sound pressure levels. Sound quality might be questionable, but SPL is definitely there.

You can pick up the cheapest Hifonics Zeus model sometimes for under $100. While other brands are charging over $500 for not even their best subwoofers, Hifonics and Maxxsonics decides to charge under $100 for something of equal quality. How amazing is that? Many are actually recommending the inexpensive Hifonics Zeus series as a great way for beginners to play around with tweaking the subwoofers before they jump into the more expensive brands.

The top companies you’ll want to look for if you want to upgrade your car subwoofer are JL Audio, MTX Audio, and Kicker. These three are leading the car audio industry, all with early origins. JL Audio’s W7 line is one of the most advanced and most powerful subwoofer lines available on the market (pricey, but well worth it if you care about the quality). MTX Audio has released an amazing 60-inch subwoofer that holds the record for the size. They also have the largest consumer subwoofer that measures at 22 inches. Kicker’s L7 seems to be the best from the Kicker lineup, and there’s no reason why it shouldn’t be.

Cars usually carry their subwoofers in the trunk or back parts of the vehicle because of the lack of space. Subwoofers and their enclosures tend to take up more space than is expected. As such, fitting them into dashboards and doors is extremely difficult.

An interesting thing subwoofers are used for are volume competition, also known as SPL wars. SPL (sound pressure levels) get extremely high in these battles, and some companies decide to produce subwoofers geared extremely towards the SPL rather than the sound quality. Companies like JL Audio have focused on both SPL and sound quality, as shown in JL Audio’s W7 series.

When installing a car stereo subwoofer, it sometimes requires modifications to the vehicle itself. Obviously, each car is built differently, and that includes the space allowed for upgrades/changes like the subwoofer. If you want to shoot for a larger one or one with a different shape (although mostly circular, some subwoofers are square), it’s important to make sure you have the right size available; otherwise, its time to bust out tools to make it so that you have the right size.

Never assume that a smaller subwoofer is weaker. For example, JL Audio’s 8-inch W7 subwoofer is more powerful than some 12-inch subwoofers from other companies. Because of this, you must always read reviews on the subwoofer you’re looking at before buying it in case that smaller subwoofer is indeed weaker. If you keep with the more popular brands, though, you shouldn’t have many problems, because these have been reviewed many times over and won’t fail to deliver.

Car stereo subwoofers sound like enthusiast-only business, but they dig deeper than most people think.

One of the more popular lines in the Alpine company, the Type-R series is also the largest: it has seven subwoofers compared to the three or four the other lines have. The Type-R series is composed of 10-inch, 12-inch, and 15-inch woofers. Alpine has really packed a whole lot into those inches, because there’s power, yet it doesn’t hurt like other subwoofers that sacrifice sound quality for strength. The two 15 inch products in the Type-R line are the only ones priced over $300, but that’s not to say they aren’t worth it. The entire line is priced as it should be, because high quality 15-inch subwoofers are actually quite difficult to find; most tend to stick to 10 and 12 inches. An owner of an SWR-1242D subwoofer (12 inches, part of the Type-R series) said that sound could be heard from the car from 2 miles away. He parked his car in a gas station and even made the shelves shake. You can get the 10-inch Type-R series for $200, the 12-inch for $220, and the 15-inch for $400.

It’s probably true that the second most popular Alpine is the Type-S series. It features two 12-inch and two 10-inch woofers. Combined with Alpine’s most famous products, their head units, the Type-S subwoofers are really something to deal with. As long as you supply these subs with the right power needed, you’re going to get clear cut sound that blasts straight through the air. The Type-S series is priced a bit lower, ranging from $150 for the 10-inch to $170 to the 12-inch.

Alpine surely delivers not only on quality, but just plain affordability. While leaders like JL Audio might charge over $400 for their 10-inch W7, Alpine maintains a high standard of sound quality at half the price, and sometimes even takes the jump and goes for sound pressure level as well. Nearly all of the Alpine series are absolutely worth the cash because they blast really well. They match up to Kicker and MTX any day, just at a lower price that won’t burn a hole in your wallet.

The 8-inch version has drawn numerous positive reviews from car audio experts and leading organizations. Car Sound and Performance calls it the “best damn 8-inch subwoofer ever made”. It’s small, yet powerful, and the 8-inch subwoofer has never been made so well in so long. It’s really no wonder that it’s getting rave reviews. JL Audio has certainly taken advantage of the situation and brought the little ones to own the bigger ones.

It is reported that this 8-inch version almost didn’t make it to the final lineup. The 21st century is thinking that bigger is definitely better, but that’s not the case here. The smallest version, a size rarely seen in the lines of other companies, has proven to be just as powerful as the other, more popular sizes. While the competition is racing to see how big it can make subwoofers without losing power and quality, JL Audio suddenly dropped a smaller size, which broke the stereotype that smaller subwoofers won’t do much good at all.

A feature that seems insignificant at first, the owner’s manual is actually quite important when it comes down to the actual installation and optimization of the JL Audio 8W7. Many consider it’s owner’s manual one of the best, because it not only includes the standard enclosure recommendations and specifications, but also includes recommended amplifiers to pair up with the 8W7 and tips to get the best out of the system through tweaking without busting it.

Overall, if you want to downsize from a 10-inch or 12-inch subwoofer, or want to try something different that’s hard to find on the market, the JL Audio 8W7 is a nice place to start. It takes everything people love about the 10 and 12 inch pieces, upgrades it, and repackages it as an 8 inch. Seriously, if you want something that’s even more powerful than many other subwoofers on the market, you’ll want to choose the W7 line. But if you want something that’s compact and does the same, you’ll want to choose the 8W7.