A subwoofer can turn a good sound system into a great sound system by adding depth to the sound by filling in those low frequency sounds that most car stereos miss. When looking for a subwoofer there are several factors that you need to take into consideration that cap make a big difference on what system is right for you.

One of the first things that you need to look at is what kind of space do you have available. There are subwoofers that can fit in almost any space but location and size can affect the quality and volume of the sound. If space is limited we recommend a powered sub that have built in amplifiers or a sub that is specifically fitted to your vehicle. It is a good idea to measure the space you are going to go put your sub in before looking at subs so you don’t get set on a sub that will not fit into your car.

Enclosure type – there are several factors that go into choosing which type of enclosure is right for you such as what kind of sound are you looking for, available space and power . The different types of enclosures are sealed, ported and bandpass. Sealed enclosures produce the deepest most precise sound and require more power but ported and bandpass enclosures are louder with bandpass being the loudest.

Sensitivity – also known as efficiency is the woofers ability to convert power into sound. The higher the sensitivity the more effectively it converts power into volume; so a sub with less power but a higher sensitivity could be louder than its more powerful counterpart with a lower sensitivity.

Available power – when looking at the available power of a subwoofer it is important to look at the RMS value rather than the Peak power value. Power is an important factor in how loud your subs are, the higher the power the louder the sub will be (if the subs are the same efficiency.

Size – larger subs can generally reach lower frequencies then smaller subs because the larger the cone area the more air the sub can send sound waves through. A larger sub will be able to produce lower sounds then several smaller ones but the smaller subs will be able to produce more high quality sound because of their combined cone area.

Frequency Range – this is the range of sound that a sub is capable of producing. The range that is listed does not factor in the effect of enclosures and other factors.

Number of Voice Coils – there only three options when it comes to voice coils, single (SVC), double (DVC) and quad (QVC). Having a sub with multiple voice coils gives you more wiring options when installing your subs but isn’t necessary and single voice coils often offer a simpler set up then the DVC or QVC subs.

Impedance – also known as resistance, this is measured in ohms. The majority of subs are rated at 4 ohms but they can range anywhere from 1 ohm to 8 ohms. It is very important to match the impedance of your subwoofer(s) to the impedance of your amplifier. Subs with lower impedance will have a higher output then subs with higher impedance.