2 12 inch subs or 1 15???????? Whats better??????? (2024)

New member

Username: Ztevenz

Post Number:

2
Registered: Jul-05

Posted on

ok this is my dilemma. i am purchasing my system and don't know what to go for.

my friend has power acoustiks, and i like them alot for a small price tag. i know many of you don't likre them, but i have made my decision.

i am trying to decide wether to go with 1 of the power acoustik mofo subs in a 15 inch or 2 12.
i can get 1 15 for 150, or 2 12 for 250.
so price isnt that big of an issue.
although to power the 2 12 i think i would need a much bigger amp. each 12 is 1200 watts rms, and the 15 is 1500 watts. i am trying to decide what to do. i am pretty sure 2 12 will be louder, but it seems like it would cost me double. and honestly all im interested in is being heard in the next town over.

i have heard that 15's give that farther traveling bass, so that is why i am considering them. i dont even think ill be able to turn the 2 12 subs up all the way anyways without going deaf.

ultimately my question is. to get the farthest traveling bass which should i do.

also what amps would you guys recommend to power either 1 12 or 2 15's?????????????
sorry i wrote so much, but thanks for your time

Bronze Member

Username: KickerSlave lake,AlbertaCanada

Post Number:

38
Registered: Jun-05

Posted on

i would say 15s cause 8s dont go any were 10s get to the out side a little 12s well you here them coming a block or two away 15s got to be beter one would think

Silver Member

Username: TboltCollipark,GAPost Number: 103
Registered: Dec-04

Posted on

I say go with the 2 12s. More surface area than 1 15. So that makes 2 12 louder than 1 15.

Bronze Member

Username: KickerSlave lake,AlbertaCanada

Post Number:

41
Registered: Jun-05

Posted on

juelz he wants travel more then loud though?

Silver Member

Username: TboltCollipark,GAPost Number: 104
Registered: Dec-04

Posted on

Bass travel is another saying for loudness. If your subs are louder the bass travels farther.

Bronze Member

Username: KickerSlave lake,AlbertaCanada

Post Number:

42
Registered: Jun-05

Posted on

i had 4 tens hooked up with a 850.2 amp and 4 12 and the 12 goes way futher it is deeper wich travels futher thats why you dont see 8" to often in comps

Bronze Member

Username: KickerSlave lake,AlbertaCanada

Post Number:

43
Registered: Jun-05

Posted on

thats way you here the thump before the music

Silver Member

Username: TboltCollipark,GAPost Number: 106
Registered: Dec-04

Posted on

true, but he's talking about 2 12s and 1 15, not 1 12 and 1 15. Say if you had 8 tens and 4 12s the 10s will be louder. Both subs will hit just as low if they're in the right box

Silver Member

Username: TboltCollipark,GAPost Number: 107
Registered: Dec-04

Posted on

The reason you dont see 8s in comps is because, by the time you fit 4 8s in a box, one 18 will be just as loud.

Silver Member

Username: 54danny54

Post Number:

616
Registered: Nov-04

Posted on

thanx god sum1 agrees with me that mofos r good lol

Silver Member

Username: Kd7nfrMontpelier,IDUnited States

Post Number:

304
Registered: Apr-05

Posted on

Man, what's with this bass travel? I'm trying to help my friend deaden his car so you can't hear the bass outside as well. Why do you want people to hear you coming? Just more attention to you. Get a hair cut or something. Most people don't like it. If you want to get the same reaction, and still piss people off, run down the street naked. And the ticket is probably a lot cheaper than the subs.

Bronze Member

Username: KickerSlave lake,AlbertaCanada

Post Number:

72
Registered: Jun-05

Posted on

"although to power the 2 12 i think i would need a much bigger amp. each 12 is 1200 watts rms, and the 15 is 1500 watts. i am trying to decide what to do. i am pretty sure 2 12 will be louder, but it seems like it would cost me double. and honestly all im interested in is being heard in the next town over."

ban for the buck would be 15s right you would hear him coming thats for sure

Gold Member

Username: InvainMichiganUnited States

Post Number:

3079
Registered: Aug-04

Posted on

Jake, your exactly right. Your system is gonna sound much much better if you deaden your car, and keep all the sound inside. It's gonna be LOUDER inside aswell, if your car is deadened properly. Honestly, other people don't wanna hear your music blaring from down the block, and even though I love bass, it does get annoying after a while.

Bronze Member

Username: Audiobass10Cape Coral,FLUnited States

Post Number:

82
Registered: Jul-05

Posted on

"have heard that 15's give that farther traveling bass"

That's false.

"i would say 15s cause 8s dont go any were 10s get to the out side a little 12s well you here them coming a block or two away 15s got to be beter one would think"

Obviously you haven't heard a loud 8" setup. Cone size has nothing to do with how a sub sounds.

"I say go with the 2 12s. More surface area than 1 15. So that makes 2 12 louder than 1 15."

No, not necessarily.

"true, but he's talking about 2 12s and 1 15, not 1 12 and 1 15. Say if you had 8 tens and 4 12s the 10s will be louder."

Again, not necessarily.

"Both subs will hit just as low if they're in the right box"

This is true.

Bronze Member

Username: Audioguy22

Post Number:

32
Registered: Jul-05

Posted on

Two 10s or four 8s.
If your stuck on the two options you gave, than two 12s

Silver Member

Username: Jonez788

Post Number:

129
Registered: Jun-04

Posted on

More Air Movement=louder bass.

15" =/= 24"

Silver Member

Username: Dz43893Chicago,IllinoisUnited states

Post Number:

114
Registered: Jun-05

Posted on

so what did we decide on 2 12's or 1 15?

Silver Member

Username: Dz43893Chicago,IllinoisUnited states

Post Number:

115
Registered: Jun-05

Posted on

and Dave u say this is all wrong then what do u think

Silver Member

Username: Kd7nfrMontpelier,IDUnited States

Post Number:

335
Registered: Apr-05

Posted on

Doug: you have to give us models of subs, or we can't help you! Every sub is different. If your choice is between 1 15" Audioburn and two 12" Eclipse, or vis-vera, then we can help you, but we can't just tell you what would be better, for quality of the sub goes into play here. Personally, I'd prefer two 12s, but that's me :D.

Silver Member

Username: Audiobass10Cape Coral,FLUnited States

Post Number:

113
Registered: Jul-05

Posted on

"and Dave u say this is all wrong then what do u think"

I think people do not take enough time to consider the factors in what makes a system loud and why there are no exact questions to these answers. You have to take in account space, vehicle acoustics, eletrical system in relation to power requirements, etc. For instance, 2 12's seem to meter best in a Jeep Cherokee like mine, even over 2 15's due to vehicle acoustics. That is not to say that 2 12's will necessarily be louder than 2 15's as it all depends on the products used, power, etc. You see, everything various in car audio. Nothing is set in stone.

Bronze Member

Username: MadhopsLos Angeles,CAUSA

Post Number:

34
Registered: Oct-04

Posted on

I'm not sure in which boring little cities you guys live at. Here in Los Angeles, aint nobody getting mad about your cam bumping loud as hell. Here, you'll get props and girls.

Silver Member

Username: Dz43893Chicago,IllinoisUnited states

Post Number:

141
Registered: Jun-05

Posted on

the t2's or the p3's im not sure yet somethin rockford

Silver Member

Username: Dz43893Chicago,IllinoisUnited states

Post Number:

142
Registered: Jun-05

Posted on

and the p3's 12'' and 15'' run at both 1000 watts and theres really not that much differnce in price so would the 15's be better for rap

Silver Member

Username: TboltCollipark,GAPost Number: 197
Registered: Dec-04

Posted on

Because your in LA, well people don't give damn here in GA either.

Silver Member

Username: Dominirica012Charlotte,North CarolinaUS

Post Number:

292
Registered: May-05

Posted on

sh*t it aint about big cities..back in NY(which is the largest city in the US) you start bumpin your music and here comes the police ready to give u a ticket..but back in the day it was another story.......

Silver Member

Username: Dz43893Chicago,IllinoisUnited states

Post Number:

146
Registered: Jun-05

Posted on

ya like the inner city everyone has like 10's but outer city is got the big systems

Bronze Member

Username: LettoMilwaukee,WIPost Number: 80
Registered: Jun-05

Posted on

And to agree with Jake and Joe, I just dampened my car and it sounds MUCH better. Also people, if you don't dampen, they're not going to hear your bass coming, they're going to hear the stupid rattling of your trunk which sounds frickin terrible. God I hate that. Always a bunch of ghetto kids blaring they're noisy a$$ trunks...

Anonymous

Posted on

that's a sterotype. everyone who has a trunk that rattles because of there subwoofers is not "A bunch of GHETTO kids"

Silver Member

Username: RedskinLondonEngland

Post Number:

171
Registered: Dec-03

Posted on

"that's a sterotype. everyone who has a trunk that rattles because of there subwoofers is not "A bunch of GHETTO kids" "

Thats right. It's just a crap install.

Bronze Member

Username: LettoMilwaukee,WIPost Number: 84
Registered: Jun-05

Posted on

Which is usually done by "ghetto kids" ;-). And I'm not stereotyping, they're the ones I see on a daily basis with sh*t stereo systems that makes their trunk rattle like a b!tch.

Anonymous

Posted on

so what exactly do you mean by ghetto kids?

Bronze Member

Username: LettoMilwaukee,WIPost Number: 85
Registered: Jun-05

Posted on

Ridin in their oldsmobiles, hat co*cked, huge pants, huge jersey... you know... ghetto looking. Sometimes its wanna-be ghetto kids from the burbs, sometimes its actually guys from the inner city... I'm from Milwaukee, so I see um all.

Silver Member

Username: Dz43893Chicago,IllinoisUnited states

Post Number:

147
Registered: Jun-05

Posted on

haha theyre real ghetto in Wisconsin lol.try chi town

Silver Member

Username: AraknidBOCA ,FLU.S.

Post Number:

797
Registered: Nov-04

Posted on

HA i love how poeple forget that the actual environment outside the car plays the biggest role as of how far the bass travels. example- middle of nowhere no buildings trees absolutely nothing say a desert, the low frequency will have nothing to bounce off of and will just dissapate. dont think im wrong yet now theres more... You have say a small shopping plaza with buildings all around the bass will resonate off the walls and thus seem louder and further traveling.

Actual real life proof- your standing outside the movie theater say in line or in my case waiting to be picked up since i, only 14 and cant drive.
You hear a slammin system but no car in sight, the car finally comes around the corner and as it passes you dont hear that same boom as you did before it when it was further away. The reason is because when it was further away it bounced off of more stuff then when it was near you and depending on the situation it most likely will get louder again has it gets further away again.

(havent checked this over for mistakes so w/e)

Silver Member

Username: AraknidBOCA ,FLU.S.

Post Number:

798
Registered: Nov-04

Posted on

But after you considered these factors I say you want to go big and bad with your sub then have it tuned not to high but not to low.

Gold Member

Username: InvainMichiganUnited States

Post Number:

3102
Registered: Aug-04

Posted on

Your right about the bass travel Mike. To add to it, the lower the frequency, the longer the sound wave, and the further it's gonna travl. If you really wanna be heard from a long ways away, your gonna want a system that can go low. A sub with a really low fs will work the best, such as the Ascendant Avalanche.

Silver Member

Username: AraknidBOCA ,FLU.S.

Post Number:

799
Registered: Nov-04

Posted on

Im trying to think of a way to put what im thinkin in words put its kind complex of the whole frequency/distance/how loud it would be
ratio

Silver Member

Username: AraknidBOCA ,FLU.S.

Post Number:

800
Registered: Nov-04

Posted on

oh and surroundings would also have to fit in there somehow.

Gold Member

Username: InvainMichiganUnited States

Post Number:

3107
Registered: Aug-04

Posted on

A sound wave has a length, from the crest of one wave to the crest of the next wave, or from the lowest point of one, to the lowest point of another. The lower the frequency played, in hz, the longer the wave is. When sound waves travel through the air, they need to travel a certain distance depending on the wave length, before they are heard at the maximum level. When your standing close to a car, the sound wave hasn't fully developed and traveled the full distance, so it doesn't sound as loud as it really is. When you walk further away, the sound wave travels further, and reaches the maximum volume.
2 12 inch subs or 1 15???????? Whats better??????? (2024)

FAQs

Is 2 12 inch subs better than 1? ›

Dual subwoofers will greatly increase the available system headroom, providing greater dynamic range, reduced output compression, lower distortion, and less potential for overdrive artifacts. In short, running duals will give you cleaner, more accurate bass at extreme drive levels.

Are 2 subwoofers always better than 1? ›

Because subwoofers work by displacing air, having more than one will do so more efficiently. This displacement of air produces the bass impact and “hard-hitting” performance that many listeners want. The sound given off by multiple subs will provide a more effortless sound than a single large subwoofer.

How many watts can 2 12 inch subs handle? ›

Then determine the amount of power your subwoofers can handle. RMS power handling of a 55 series 12” dual 2 ohm voice coil subwoofer is 400 watts. Two of these subwoofers would mean you need 800 watts of power at to the total circuit impedance.

What size woofer is best? ›

If your system consists of compact satellite or bookshelf speakers, an 8" or 10" sub will pair nicely with them. On the other hand, if you have big floor-standing speakers and a huge center channel, a 12" sub is a better sonic match.

Do subs hit harder in a bigger box? ›

By building an enclosure roughly 20% larger than recommended, and increasing the port size accordingly, the enclosure for the woofer will become more efficient, translating to more output/watt of input signal. In lay terms, more bang for your buck. Simply increasing the volume has magically made this setup louder!

Do higher watt subs hit harder? ›

The power is determined by the wattage of the subwoofer in question, where a higher wattage demonstrates a more powerful subwoofer.

Can a subwoofer be too powerful? ›

When you provide your subwoofer with too much power, it can lead to distortion and potential damage. Overpowering causes the cone to move beyond its intended limits, resulting in issues such as tearing the cone, spider, and surround.

Are two subs twice as loud? ›

Two subs are louder than one

The first benefit of adding a second subwoofer is that it will give you more bass, which means a louder overall sound.

Do bigger subwoofers sound better? ›

Low frequency extension and sound pressure level (SPL) are widely considered the two most important factors of a subwoofer's performance. The laws of physics dictate that a massive subwoofer driver has the potential to produce greater SPL and deeper bass than a smaller subwoofer driver.

Are 15 inch speakers louder than 12? ›

Ans: Subs with larger sizes are generally louder than those with a low diameter. This means a 15-inch sub is considered the best option to produce the best bass and louder high-quality sound than a 12-inch sub.

Are 2 10 inch subs louder than 1 12? ›

If you brings subs down to something even smaller like an 8, it's going to be even punchier. Taking all these variables into account, all things considered equal, two 10s are going to be louder than one 12.

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