5 Best 12 Inch Subwoofers in 2024

By Robin Owens 2 days ago, Speakers

Affordable and high-quality 12 inch subwoofers.

best 12 inch subwoofers

Even though a car sound system can offer decent quality, you can get much more out of it by purchasing a few upgraded components, with the most important of them being a proper subwoofer.

Top 5 Best 12 Inch Subwoofers

  1. Skar Audio SDR-12 D2 - Our choice
  2. Kicker 43CVR124 - Powerful
  3. HIFONICS HFX12D4 - Affordable
  4. Skar Audio SVR-12 D2 - 1600 Watt
  5. PIONEER TS-A3000LS4 - Shallow-mount

The post below will help you find the best 12 inch subwoofer for your automobile or home, as it goes over 6 highly-rated products that come at different price points and offer different specs, making it easier to choose a model tailored to your needs.

1. Skar Audio SDR-12 D2

Our choice
skar audio sdr-12 d2 12 inch subwoofers

Dimensions: 12 x 12 x 8 inches | Weight: 18.26 pounds | Maximum output power: 1200 Watts | Frequency response: 22 Hz - 300 Hz

  • ✚ Awesome bass
  • ✚ Powerful
  • Damaged packaging
Rating

The main thing about the Skar Audio SDR-12 D2 subwoofer is that it is known for their durable and reliable designs. It comes in a variety of different colors and you will be able to choose one that best suits your car. You can also use this subwoofer with other brands out there and if you wanted to you could even convert the entire car to surround sound. There is not much of a hassle when it comes to installing these car subwoofer because it come with mounting kits and manuals.

2. Kicker 43CVR124

Powerful
kicker 43cvr124 12 inch subwoofers

Dimensions: 14.8 x 7 x 14.5 inches | Weight: 4.4 pounds | Maximum output power: 800 Watts | Frequency response: 25-500Hz

  • ✚ Can get very loud
  • ✚ Ridiculously powerful for its price
  • ✚ Very affordable
  • Not as nuanced as high-end subwoofers
Rating

The Kicker 43CVR124 subwoofer comes with a shaped to fit a smaller car, making it a little more difficult to find one.

The built in Kicker spider web design allows for a tight fit in even the smallest spaces making this subwoofer one of the best for someone looking for a discreet way to add bass to their car. Some of the downsides of having a small subwoofer like the Kicker are low outputs and a bad sound. It is said to be as accurate as some larger speakers but that could be due to the small size and not being designed for high output. It does have a decent range though.

3. HIFONICS HFX12D4

Affordable
hifonics hfx12d4 12 inch subwoofers

Dimensions: 14.8 x 7 x 14.5 inches | Weight: 4.4 pounds | Maximum output power: 600 Watts | Frequency response: 39 Hz

  • ✚ Clear sound at lower power ratings
  • ✚ Great for daily driving
  • Weaker voice coils
  • No box included for dual speakers
Rating

Hifonics HFX12D4 subwoofer is known for its supreme power output and excellent features. Subwoofer provides superior sonic clarity, powerful high power output with refined build quality, rich exotic look and high detail.

Hifonics subwoofers don't come cheap, but considering that you get everything you need in one piece, it's a very wise investment. If you're a serious fan of bass, you'll love the idea of upgrading to a set of Hifonics HD12Ds. After all, that's the only way to go from mediocre to great!

4. Skar Audio SVR-12 D2

1600 Watt
skar audio svr-12 d2 12 inch subwoofers

Dimensions: 15.5 x 15.25 x 10.75 inches | Weight: 25.4 pounds | Maximum output power: 1600 Watts | Frequency response: 22 Hz - 300 Hz

  • ✚ Powerful sub
  • ✚ Dual 2 ohm
  • Price
Rating

It is one of the best car audio subwoofers in the market today. While it is relatively new, this car speaker is already getting good reviews from most audi enthusiasts and car experts.

Its features, which includes an aluminum woofer with a poly surround with a high performance spring, an optimized voice coil and a powerful amplifier, all contribute to the smooth and refined quality of sound produced by this subwoofer. Although its design is modern, it still follows the basic functions of a car sound system. And since it can fit into almost any car type, it is quite easy to install. So if you want to get the most out of your car stereo and you want to be sure that you get the best 12-inch subwoofers then you should definitely consider this car subwoofer.

5. PIONEER TS-A3000LS4

Shallow-mount
pioneer ts-a3000ls4 12 inch subwoofers

Dimensions: 14 x 14 x 5.5 inches | Weight: 13 pounds | Maximum output power: 1500 Watts | Frequency response: 22 Hz - 300 Hz

  • ✚ High sensitivity and great efficiency
  • ✚ Accurate, smooth bass
  • ✚ Small installation space
  • May need modifications before installation
Rating

For those who love to upgrade their car audio system PIONEER TS-A3000LS4 subwoofer is just the right choice. The latest product from PIONEER company is a full-range car subwoofer. The new model incorporates the latest technologies in car subwoofers and makes sure to give a good quality performance with all the features that the car owner needs. Features include optimized surround effect that produces a realistic sound and gives a real feeling while listening to your favorite songs.

With a PIONEER TS-A3000LS4 subwoofer you get power that makes it possible to upgrade to high-end performance. The latest technology of the pioneerts - oversized cone structure along with optimized double spiders that produce more power and result in crisp and clean high end performance.

IMAGE NAME FEATURES
skar audio sdr-12 d2 12 inch subwoofers
Skar Audio SDR-12 D2
Our Choice
  • Awesome bass
  • Powerful
CHECK PRICE
kicker 43cvr124 12 inch subwoofers
Kicker 43CVR124
Powerful
  • Can get very loud
  • Ridiculously powerful for its price
CHECK PRICE
hifonics hfx12d4 12 inch subwoofers
HIFONICS HFX12D4
Affordable
  • Clear sound at lower power ratings
  • Great for daily driving
CHECK PRICE

How to Choose the 12 Inch Subwoofers?

best 12 inch subwoofers

This guide also goes over the most important aspects and characteristics of a subwoofer to ensure you'll be making an informed choice.

Difference Between a Passive and Powered Subwoofer

Subwoofers are divided into 2 main types: passive and powered.

Let's start by discussing passive models. A passive subwoofer comes with enclosed woofers that require a power supply from an external amplifier. On average, passive models produce cleaner audio and offer more flexibility when it comes to wiring.

On the other end of the spectrum, we have powered subwoofers with woofers that supply the power to the device by themselves. Even though this type is easier to set up and control, it usually can't match passive subwoofers in terms of audio quality.

Sealed vs. Ported Enclosure

Subwoofers are enclosed by either being sealed or ported.

Sealed Enclosure for Subwoofer

The main benefit of picking a sealed subwoofer is that it will provide a cleaner, better-controlled bass compared to ported models. Since the air is so tightly locked, the produced audio is nuanced, has oomph to it, and offers great responsiveness. The downside of this option is that it demands a lot more power.

Single vs. Dual Subwoofer Voice Coils

Voice coils represent the wires that surround the woofer's speaker cone. They are connected to amplifiers, and serve to power and operate the device itself. The vast majority of options on the market offer 2 kinds of voice coils: single and dual.

Single voice coils usually cost less but are incompatible with many amplifiers. This can be a serious issue if you don't have access to an appropriate amplifier. That said, finding an amplifier that is fully compatible with a single voice coil is very easy and shouldn't be a deal-breaker if you're looking to save costs.

Subwoofers with dual coils come at higher prices but offer more potential wiring configurations. As a result, you can connect a much broader range of amplifiers, making it substantially easier to build your dream audio system setup.

Power Handling

In regards to subwoofer power handling, you have to choose between RMS (root mean square) and Peak. The former is determined by the amount of power the device can sustain consistently over time and is among the most important factors to look at when choosing the best 12 inch subwoofer. The bigger the RMS value, the more volume and power it will produce consistently.

Sensitivity

The sensitivity of a subwoofer describes the amount of power required for it to produce volume. The bigger the sensitivity value, the more volume you can receive with less power The best 12 inch subwoofer should ideally offer sensitivity in the 80dB to 99dB range.

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