Best Competition Subwoofers

When it comes time to buy a new subwoofer for your car, you’re presented with a slew of options. And chances are, you’ll need to pick from a variety of subs that seem to come with the same basic specs and similar performance, but aren’t necessarily better or worse than the others.

That complexity becomes even more of an issue when you’re consider buying a competition subwoofer.

Finding the right competition subwoofer and putting it to use might not be so simple. And trying to weave your way through the maze of these subs’ specs can take some time.

Additionally, with all the different big-name brands like DS18, Massive Audio, and JL Audio offering every type of subwoofer you could possibly imagine, the waters can get a little muddy when it comes to choosing the right competition subwoofer for you.

So, to help you with that, we’ve compiled the following guide to help you pick the best competition subwoofer for you. The following subs all come with a compelling mix of performance and affordability. And they’re made by companies you can trust.

Best Competition Subwoofers – Reviews

1. JL Audio 12W7AE-3

From a name well-known to audiophiles, and deserving of their stellar reputation, JL Audio offers the 12W7AE-3, one of the best 12 inch subwoofers in the market built to deliver unrivaled bass performance.

JL Audio products don’t really need an introduction. This audiophile brand makes some of the best subwoofer in the market, albeit usually at a price premium.

The subwoofer at hand is no exception. If you want to go balls to the wall and purchase this beast, you’ll be looking at over a $1,000 price tag. Is it worth it? Let’s find out…

This subwoofer boasts an impressive frequency range of 18 – 200Hz. It can handle a whopping 1,000 watts RMS, and up to 2,000 watts at peak to give you the deep, thundering bass range you need to be heard miles away.

This JL Audio 12W7AE-3 sub is featured with a dish-shaped outer cone supported by a second W-shaped inner cone attached to the sub’s voice coil structure. This design allows for a super-rigid, yet lightweight cone that responds rapidly for accurate and distortion-free bass.

By taking advantage of space wasted in conventional subwoofers, JL Audio’s ground-breaking Polyester foam OverRoll surround controls this sub’s impressive excursion without sacrificing precious cone area, therefore providing that rich JL Audio bass.

To dissipate heat away from the internal components, this sub sports an elevated frame and cross-drilled pole-piece.

This beast is optimized to operate in a 1.375 cu. ft. (38.9 l) sealed enclosure, or a 1.75 cu. ft. (49.6 l) ported enclosure.

2. Skar Audio ZVX-18v2 D2

Skar Audio ZVX-18v2 D2

• Competition grade pressed paper cone
• Stitched high roll foam surround
• Massive triple-stacked magnet
• 3 inch high temperature copper voice coil

Buy on Amazon

While Skar Audio might be one of the younger companies in the car audio industry, it has been able to carve out a place for itself as a viable competitor.

Skar Audio offers a wide variety of subwoofers of different types and sizes. Their subwoofers are reasonably priced for the most part, and the ZVX-18v2 D2 subwoofer at hand is no exception. It strikes a perfect mix of power and price while still retaining that famous Skar Audio punch.

If you have enough space inside your vehicle to accommodate this beast, you can’t just simply skip on it, as it’s one of the best 18 inch competition subwoofers you can buy.

This 18 inch SPL subwoofer was engineered to withstand brutal everyday use while performing efficiently at the highest levels of output power.

It comes equipped with a competition grade paper cone bonded to stitched high-roll foam surround to deliver serious performance. Additionally, this sub uses a 3-inch high temperature voice coil and a massive triple-stacked magnet.

With 1,600 Watts RMS on tap and a long-throw driver, this ultimate powerhouse driver can deliver all the dynamic punch a bass-heavy track can throw at it.

This model has a frequency range of 20 to 400 Hz for an impressive, riveting lows you can feel as well as hear.

3. Massive Audio HippoXL124

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Massive Audio HippoXL124

• Kevlar fiber reinforced non-pressed paper cone
• Pressed foam surround
• Red stitched edge adds strength to the cone
• Oversized mirror-image poly/nomex spiders
• Heavy duty, cast aluminum basket with rugged industrial texture
• Direct-wired terminals
• Dual impedance black anodized voice coil former with kevlar spunlace
• Double-stacked high energy strontium magnet structure

Buy on Amazon

Massive Audio is another pretty big name in the car audio industry. It’s been making speakers since 1999, and you could say they know a thing or two about sound.

The HippoXL124 is one of the best 12 inch competition subwoofers Massive Audio has to offer. This beast is built like a tank, and can handle an outrageous amount of power.

Speaking of which, this sub provides 2,000 watts of continuous power and 4,000 watts dynamic, with oversized surround supporting a 12″ kevlar fiber reinforced non-pressed paper cone.

Additionally, this sub is fitted with 350oz high energy double stack strontium magnet structure, heavy duty direct input wires connection to voice coils, high voltage tinsels leads, and reinforced fiberglass woven dust cap for solid performance.

Furthermore, this subwoofer uses a heavy duty, rugged industrial textured cast aluminum basket which provides a solid base for the subwoofer and reduces weight and resonance.

This subwoofer has a 17.5mm X-Max and 87.6dB SPL sensitivity. It’ll work equally well in a sealed or ported box.

4. Massive Audio Hippo84

Massive Audio Hippo84

• Kevlar fiber reinforced non-pressed paper cone with industrial textured finish
• Stitched edge to the cone for added strength
• Heavy die-cast alloy baskets
• Over sizes mirror image dual poly / nomex spiders
• Push pin banana style terminals
• Black anodized one piece pole-plate for added motor force
• Reinforced fiberglass woven dustcap for high power applications
• Flux Ferrite Y40 Magnet

Buy on Amazon

If you’re on a budget and looking to scale down from the Massive Audio HippoXL124 (mentioned above), Massive Audio has plenty of other choices available. One of the more popular options available is the Hippo84.

Massive Audio Hippo84 is designed similarly to its bigger cousin, the HippoXL124. However the former is on the small size. It’s only 8 inches.

Despite its small size, the Hippo84 is a legitimately powerful 8 inch competition subwoofer that can handle up to 500 watts of mind-blowing bass thanks to its Kevlar fiber reinforced non-pressed paper cone bonded to large foam surround.

To not drag this review any longer, and whilst extremely small, the Hippo84 retains the same build quality and reliability as larger Massive Audio Hippo subs.

5. Power Acoustik MOFO-122X

On a budget but still want that boom in your toom? Check out the MOFO-122X. It’s not expensive, but you still get a lot for the money.

Power Acoustik MOFO X subwoofers come in two sizes 12 inch (MOFO-122X) and 15 inch (MOFO-152X) version. Each size is available in a dual 2-ohm or dual 4-ohm voice coil configuration. The 12 inch model is rated at 1,500 watts RMS, while the 15 inch model is rated at 1,700 watts RMS.

These cheap competition subwoofers use beefy non-pressed pulp paper cones coupled with high-density polyether foam surround for long lasting performance and spruce pulp backing for smooth low bass.

Additionally, these subs use aluminum heat sink dust caps that couples to the voice coil former an extends over the cone. The unique system is designed to brace the cone and eliminate cone flex during high excursion. As an additional bonus, since the material is aluminum, it doubles as a heatsink or heat extractor.

We never expected to get a decent competition subwoofer this good for under $200, but Power Acoustik MOFO subs more than delivered. That said, if you want to give your car a kick up the backside, this is where you should start.

6. Rockville Destroyer 12D2

Rockville Destroyer 12D2

• Black non-pressed paper cone
• Triple-stacked 300 oz y35 magnets
• Large 8 gauge chrome-plated binding post terminals
• Extra thick foam surround
• Shiny paper dustcap
• Rubber mounting gasket
• Nomex spider
• Cast aluminum basket

Buy on Amazon

Rockville isn’t as well-known as some brands but they know how to build solid subs. While the brand makes a wide range of subwoofers, their Destroyer line of competition subs is consistently highly rated.

The Destroyer 12D2 subwoofer features a long-excursion 12-inch non-pressed paper cone coupled with extra thick foam surround for incredible sound quality with minimal distortion.

As with most quality competition subs, the Rockville Destroyer 12D2 is built with high-grade components including 3 inch 4-layer black aluminum voice coils wound with aluminum wire, triple-stacked 300 Oz Y35 magnets, and beefy 8 gauge chrome-plated binding terminals.

Additionally, this sub uses a cast aluminum basket with black sanded finish which provides a solid base for the subwoofer than can handle a ton of power.

Speaking of power, this powerhouse driver is rated at 2,000 watts RMS. It has 37Hz to 1kHz frequency response and 86.2dB sensitivity. It’s designed to work equally well in a sealed (1.41-1.77 Cubic Feet) or vented (2.12-2.83 Cubic Feet) enclosure, so you can choose the kind of bass you want for your system.

7. American Bass XFL-1244

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American Bass XFL-1244

• Non-pressed paper cone
• High-roll foam surround
• Cast aluminum basket
• 3 inch voice coil
• 220 oz. Magnet motor structure

Buy on Amazon

Some of the subwoofers on this list cost hundreds of dollars, and they’re worth every penny. But if you’re looking for a budget-friendly 12 inch competition subwoofer to punch up the low end on your car audio system, the American Bass XFL-1244 is where price and performance meet.

With 1,000 watts of power to play with, the American Bass XFL-1244 is a legitimately powerful subwoofer that hits so hard and delivers solid and chest-thumping bass response thanks to a non-pressed paper cone reinforced with Kevlar fiber and supported by over-sized 1.4″ 3-layer foam surround.

Additionally, this sub uses Hi-temp 4 ohm 4-layer voice coil and double stacked hi-energy magnets. Continuing with the great build-quality, the black powder finish heavy-duty stamped basket with perimeter venting provides a solid base for the subwoofer and keep the voice coil running cool for consistent and reliable performance.

With its rock-solid structure, clean power output, and frequency response that dig down into the depths of 20Hz, this beast will add plenty of non-auditory rumble in your car.

With all of that being said, it’s safe to say that this monster is better than the competition for much less than the competition. You just can’t beat this sub for the money.

8. Sundown Audio X-12 V.2 D2

Sundown Audio X-12 V.2 D2

• Black aluminum 3 inch voice coil former for superior heat dissipation
• High temperature round-wire CCAW voice coil with high-temp black adhesive
• Large aluminum faraday ring (magnet id)
• Spring loaded terminals
• Stitched-on double-xl tinsel leads
• Mega-roll v.2 surround technology
• High strength, custom tooled & patented cast aluminum frame
• Optimized for small ported & band-pass enclosures

Buy on Amazon

Sundown Audio may be a new name in the car audio industry for some people, but their reputation is on the rise. The company offers a wide selection of subwoofers of different sizes and configurations. Their subs are quite pricey for the most part, however, they’re very-well put-together and the X-12 V.2 D2 at hand is no exception.

This 12 inch subwoofer was designed from the ground-up to offer ultra-high excursion thanks to its exclusive suspension and frame designs. It can handle up to 1,500 watts of power on continuous basis.

It uses a triple stacked 8.66″ diameter motor structure featuring a hyper-extended pole and extreme clearances. This motor drives a beefy 3″ diameter 4-layer CCAW coil wound on a thick aluminum former for impressive excursion.

This beast is optimized for the lowest level of bass extension possible in a small enclosure while maintaining extremely low levels of distortion. It’ll also tolerate 30%-50% larger enclosures if you desire even more low-end extension.

What is SPL competition?

SPL stands for “Sound Pressure Level”. SPL competition (also known as dB drag racing) is a competition rewarding the person who can produce the loudest sound inside a vehicle.

Please note that being constantly exposed to high SPL can damage your ears irreversibly.

Competition Grade Vs. Conventional Subwoofers

There isn’t much of a difference between regular subwoofers and competition subs except for the fact that the latter are designed from the ground up to be able to handle a ton of power and produce more impactful booming bass.

To achieve that kind of performance, these subwoofers are fitted with huge magnets, large cones with massive surround, and extensive venting and cooling features to shunt heat away from the sub’s internal motor structure for long term durability and reduced distortion. Additionally, these subs come at a price premium compared to their regular counterparts.

Best Competition Subwoofer Brands

There’s a subwoofer for every use case and budget. And while some bassheads search for the best subwoofer, whether it’s for regular use, SPL competition, or a free air setups (Infinite baffle), there’s also brand loyalty that comes into play.

There are not only two or three brands in the market nowadays, but many brands have stormed the market and several others have improved on their quality and reliability as well.

For some products, brands may not matter much. But when it comes to purchasing a competition subwoofer, you want to ensure your investment to meets your expectations and lasts for many years to come. Moreover, when you’re dropping upwards of $500, you want to make sure, you’re getting the best bang for your buck.

By diving deep into each brand’s strengths and weaknesses, we distilled the options down to what we think should be the most worthy of your consideration. From customer reviews, to design, to brand alternatives, and more, these are the best competition subwoofer brands to shop from in 2021.

• JL Audio
• Sundown Audio
• Skar Audio
• Massive Audio
• DS18

SPL Vs. SQ? : Settling the Debate

What is the difference between SPL (Sound Pressure Levels) and SQ (Sound Quality)? Which is better? And what do you prefer as a music lover?

These are the kind of questions we get asked every now and then. The short answer to these questions is that it all comes down to personal preference.

First of all, SQ (Sound Quality) is about having excellent clarity and impressive tonal or musical accuracy while being able to hear every single frequency of the song nice and clear. Sound quality can not really be measured. In SQ setups, sealed boxes are ideal for subwoofers as they allow for tighter and more accurate bass response.

SQ car-audio systems usually take a lot longer to set-up to get everything sounding just right.

SPL (Sound Pressure Levels) on the other hand is about how loud a subwoofer can play & measuring cabin pressure in dB’s (Decibels). Generally speaking, vented boxes are usually favorable for SPL setups, simply because they allow for boomier and louder bass. However, some serious audiophiles mount their subs in “Burp-Boxes” which are built to offer the highest dB rating possible. These “Burp-Boxes” render a frequency “Burp” which in most cases is between 50hz to 80hz. They’re absolutely horrible for music.

Some subwoofer brands offer SPL subwoofers made for such “Burps” but I am yet to hear one that sounds nice on music!

Bigger subwoofers are more common in SPL setups, as the more cone area a subwoofer has, the more air pressure it will produce. Unlike SQ applications, Sound Pressure Level is measurable. It’s measured in decibels, which means, anyone can tell how loud your system plays with an SPL meter.

Some subwoofer brands out there make quality subwoofers that are truly capable of doing SPL and still sound beautiful on music but this is often dictated by the amplifier, subwoofer and enclosure design!

Which is better – SPL or SQ?

Well, that depends on who you talk to really. Personally, I’ll always opt for SQ over SPL any day of the week. I don’t actually understand why some people would want to “Burp” their set-ups as a “Burp” is not actually Music.

Some other fellas like to have the loudest SPL setup and love to crank it up to be heard miles away. I truly believe that is just for bragging rights.

At the end of the day we all have our own preferences and interests.

How to Pick the Right Subwoofer

Generally speaking, whether you’re considering buying a conventional subwoofer or a competition grade subwoofer for your car, comparing specs can be helpful in making your decision. Here are some key specs to consider:

Power (RMS/Peak)

If you want your subwoofer to perform quite well, there’s no substitute for plenty of power. However, when it comes to subwoofers and speakers in general, you should pay more attention to RMS power ratings and not peak power ratings.

RMS stands for “Root Mean Square”, and measures the amount of power a subwoofer can handle on continuous basis. Peak power rating isn’t an accurate indicator to take into consideration. It only measures the maximum wattage of power a subwoofer can handle as a brief burst during a musical peak.

Sensitivity

Sensitivity refers to the amount of sound a speaker can yield from the power applied to it. It goes hand-in-hand with power handling to achieve high output. That said, a sub that has a higher sensitivity rating requires less power to produce the same amount of sound as a model with a lower sensitivity rating.

Size of the woofer 

Car subwoofers come in various sizes and usually range from 8 inch to 18 inches. So how do you know how big you can go? What size subwoofers play loudest and lowest? Well, these aren’t easy questions to answer — you need to consider sensitivity, enclosure type, and available power.

If you’re into SPL competition and space isn’t an issue, go for the biggest subs. But don’t underestimate smaller subs. Properly powered and in the right enclosure, smaller subs can pump out plenty of sound and make a night and day difference.

Frequency response

Frequency range gives you an idea of how low a sub can play. Keep in mind, though, that the actual performance of a subwoofer depends on a lot of variables including the box type it’s mounted in, your car’s acoustics, amplifiers…etc.

Enclosure type

The type of the enclosure a subwoofer ins mounted in plays a major role in the type of bass a subwoofer renders. In general, sealed boxes render the deepest, most accurate sound, while ported and bandpass enclosures deliver more volume.

SPL Myths Debunked

With SPL competitions becoming more popular day after day, there has been an increase of theories and myths as to what works and what won’t work to increase your SPL.

Here at StereoRise, we get asked a lot of questions regarding SPL applications and sound quality every now and then. What type of subwoofer to use? What is the best type of box to build? What are the best subwoofers to use? These are the kind of questions we get asked. Sometimes some fellas ask even what are the best type of cars should be used in SPL competition.

We understand that this topic can be hard to understand if not frustrating for a novice competitor which most of SPL competitors are.

With all of that being said, we hope that after reading these SPL myths being debunked, you’ll have a better understanding of everything SPL related.

Are a ton of speakers better than just two speakers?

That is the million dollar question, isn’t it? Our brains are hard-wired to always think that more is better. So, naturally, you might think that having more drivers is always better. However, that’s not always true.

Sure, you can be very competitive with just two potent drivers. You don’t strictly need to buy a ton of subwoofers as the whole idea behind SPL competition is to drive your subs to there limit.

Opting for a ton of subs doesn’t guarantee that you will hit higher SPL levels, as driving all of these woofers to their limits can prove awfully expensive and difficult.

Don’t get me wrong, you should definitely have at least one extra sub on stand by while you are at a competition.

The advanced speaker engineering combined with perfect box design and a good understanding of acoustics make it quite possible to achieve extreme SPL numbers with a two-speaker system.

Having a two speaker system instead of multiple speakers system allows you to apply the correct amount of power to the speakers.

I mean think about it: adding two extra speakers to a system running off a thousand watts amp(s) won’t do you any good. You’ll to have shell out some serious dough to power the extra subs.

On one side you have the costs of the extra subs, plus the costs of the amplifiers required to power them. The costs will add up quickly.

With all of that being said, it’s safe to say that the answer to how many speakers one can use depends greatly not how much space is available in your vehicle and most importantly on how much power you can afford to drive these subwoofers to their maximum limit.

Sealed or Ported?

Choosing between a sealed and ported enclosures boils to this: If you prefer bass that’s “tight” and focused, opt for a sealed box. If you want your bass to boom and you want maximum volume in your music, then you definitely want a ported box.

Since the goal is to achieve high SPL levels, a sealed subwoofer isn’t by any means the right enclosure type to opt for. A sealed enclosure is meant more for sound quality than SPL.

If you are going to be doing strictly SPL, a large ported enclosure is the way to go. With all things being equal, you’ll always get higher gain from a ported enclosure compared to a sealed enclosure.

The thing that makes the a vented enclosure better than a sealed enclosure is the vent opening that helps achieve more output and high SPL level.

In a ported subwoofer design, a large enclosure size is required in order to achieve high SPL level, and sufficient port area to minimize chuffing artifacts at high drive levels.

Additionally, a larger enclosure also greatly enhances system efficiency in the deeper octaves, with no need for additional EQ boost to achieve naturally deep extension.

The result is 2-4X more peak dynamic output in the 18-36 Hz octave as compared to a sealed subwoofer in the same size/price range.

What about the subwoofers?

Generally speaking, when you’re considering buying a new subwoofer, there are a few things you need to take into account including power handling, impedance, frequency response…etc.

When it comes to choosing a competition subwoofer, there are many other things you need to strictly pay attention to. A large speaker with an oversized surround that looks like a bagel sitting on top it doesn’t make of the subwoofer a competition one.

Well, those massive surrounds might make a subwoofer look cool, but not necessarily powerful. Just by looking at the surround on a speaker doesn’t tell you how much excursion (one way linear motion) it has. Moving the cone up and down doesn’t either.

The only way to figure out a speaker’s excursion is to measure the length of its voice coil, which is not possible unless you take it apart. What you have to do instead is look for “Xmax” the sub’s spec sheet.

Xmax is the amount by which the voice coil can move in one direction without it leaving the magnetic zone. It’s the only thing that tell how much excursion a subwoofer has.

In addition to sub’s Xmax, the actual cone size (referred to as “Sd”) should also be taken into consideration. The maximum amount of linear volume displacement the subwoofer is able to produce (referred to as “Vd”) should also be taken into account. The latter is measured by taking the Sd, which is the cone area, and multiplying it by the Xmax which represents the linear (one-way) travel of the cone (Vd = Sd*Xmax).

Resonant Frequency

Determining the resonant frequency or the standing wave of your vehicle is critical to achieving high SPL numbers. We’ve come across a ton of guys who tune their enclosures to the exact number or frequency of the standing wave of the car, which doesn’t make any sense at all. By doing that, you prevent the speaker box from the gain it needs to naturally amplify that frequency.

What you should do instead is tune your box to about five to ten hertz or about half an octave below the standing wave of your vehicle. This way, you’ll take advantage of your car’s acoustics and thereby get a natural increase in volume.

Final Thoughts

Finding the best competition subwoofers can be a tedious task. The sheer number of car subwoofers in the market is enough to make your head spin.

In the list above, we included everything from cheap competition subwoofers all the way to high-end models and a few in-between to cater for different needs, and budgets.

We also distilled the right specs to take into account before clicking that buy button.

We hope that we helped your narrow down the choices to a few good ones. With any luck you’ll find something that meets your expectations.