Quote:
Originally Posted by
cel4145 /forum/post/21276032
Well, your analogy fails anyway. Sure. If someone wants to talk about the difference between a Malibu and a Corvette, they can talk to their GM dealer, just as someone who wants to discuss the difference between two HSU subs can call them. If someone wants to discuss buying a new Malibu and a Fusion or Mustang GT, they run into the same problem that we have here. Talking to a dealership won't help.
But your analogy still is an issue because with speakers, one should expect to be able to get a fairly linear response across the rated spectrum. This is the
frequency response of the BIC PL-200 (the F12 is generally accepted to be no better). And here is the
distortion for it. Below 30hz, it can make "sounds" and generates subsonic effects, but does not accurately reproduce them--that's all assuming that the room gain and acoustics actually boost the lower end enough that one can feel and hear them. And this is pretty much how the low budget 12" subs act, as I'm sure you know if you have done your research.
So when people recommend the 12" ID subs, they are trying to recommend a sub that performs
as a sub should to best match the full range speakers one will pair them with: a fairly flat response and low levels of distortion in the claimed frequency range (not to mention increased SQ in other ways and greater SPL). Not a 12" sub that essentially fakes the performance at that below 30hz range and may not even be able to supply a useable volume in that range. That's not the same difference as a Malibu and a Corvette. It's more like comparing the weak sound output of a Coby mp3 player to a Sony Walkman mp3 player. Ultra cheap vs. decent (but not top) performance. If you don't get that distinction, then yes. It's the blind leading the blind to object to recommendations people make for better subs beyond an OPs budget.