What Are The Best Car Competition Subwoofers? (2022)
If you love reverberating bass as you cruise the circuit, then you’ll need something a bit more substantial than the factory speakers that came with your vehicle. Upping your stereo to the competition class subwoofers will give you the best sound for your money.
When choosing the best competition subwoofer for your vehicle, consider models which have:
- Voice coils larger than 2.5 inches.
- Spiders larger than seven inches.
- Power handling more than 1000 watts RMS.
- Xmax excursion of more than an inch.
The voice coil is the spool of wire in the motor attached to the cone and spider in the subwoofer. It is made up of a former or bobin and a coil. Formers are often made of mylar, aluminum or fiberglass. Coils are composed of copper, aluminum or copper clad aluminum wire. A larger voice coil produces more bass.
Spiders are the part of the speaker that allow the voice coil to move linearly and control the cone movement. Typically they are made of cotton, poly-cotton blends, or conex and come in a variety of sizes. For a competition subwoofer, you’ll want one that is more significant than seven inches and is a flat spider rather than a cup spider for longer overall speaker duration.
RMS determines the average power output of the speakers over a measurable time. It’s often listed as watts RMS in the product details. This measurement differs from peak power, which is the measurement of the power output in microseconds. A higher RMS means your sound system can play longer without superheating the components and risking burnout.
Xmax is the amount of the voice coil can move in one direction before it leaves the magnetic zone. It is measured in millimeters. If this limit is exceeded, sound distortion is the result. The larger the Xmax, the higher the sound pressure level is.
Other considerations to consider when deciding what are the best car competition subwoofers:
- Ohm
- Frequency Hz
- Sensitivity dB
Ohm is the International System of Units measurement for electrical resistance. A 2 Ohm subwoofer can be driven by your amp at a much higher power level than a 4 Ohm speaker. Therefore, a 2 Ohm will give you a cleaner and more powerful bass sound.
Audio frequency is measured in vibrations classified as hertz (Hz). The higher the hertz, the higher the sound. Subwoofers can produce rates between 20 to 200 hertz. The lower frequency as measured in hertz the subwoofer can create, the more bass sound it makes.
Subwoofer sensitivity is how loud the speaker will get with a certain amount of power measured in dB (decibels). A high sensitivity rating requires less power. A sensitivity rating of 90 dB or more is excellent.
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What Are The Best Car Competition Subwoofers?
Now that you know what to look for let’s see what are the best car competition subwoofers.
Top Picks: Compare Best Car Competition Subwoofers 2022
Massive Audio SUMMO XL 104 Competition Subwoofer
The Massive Audio SUMMO XL 104 competition subwoofer has 1500 Watts RMS, Dual 4 Ohm, and 3000 Watts Max with a three-inch voice coil.
Pros
- Double stacked 250 oz strontium magnets.
- Industrial textured cast aluminum basket
- Dual poly-Nomex spiders
- Dual impedance black anodized voice coil former
- Kevlar fiber-reinforced non-pressed paper cone
Cons
- One-year warranty only if installed by an authorized Massive Auto retailer.
- 4 Ohm instead of 2 Ohm
The Massive Audio SUMMO XL 104 competition subwoofer will not rattle due to its black anodized one-piece pole-plate giving it added motor force. It also has direct input wires and reinforced fiberglass woven dust cap. The Summo XL comes in 10, 12, and 15-inch diameters.
The three-inch voice coil has 4-layer Hi-temp to prevent overheating. The T-yoke design provides enhanced cooling. The dual poly-Nomex spiders have a mirror image layout to reduce heat with high volumes. It has a 10-gauge power cable with a direct lead connection. The non-pressed paper cone recreates excellent high and low pitches.
Rockville W10K9D4 K9 Series Subwoofer
The Rockville W10K9D4 K9 Series is a 10-inch dual 4-Ohm subwoofer with a peak power of 3200 watts.
Pros
- Peak Power 3200 watts
- Double stacked 164 oz magnet
- Non-pressed paper cone
- Dual 4 Ohm voice coil
- A vented hole on the T-yoke
Cons
- CEA rated RMS power at 800 watts
The Rockville W10K9D4 K9 Series Subwoofer has a three-inch 4-layer aluminum OFC copper wire voice coil. Its cast aluminum basket is lightweight. The non-pressed paper cone is ultra-stiff and surrounded by thick foam for minimal sound distortion. The Rockville K9 is CEA 2031 Certified at 800 watts.
The T-yoke has a vented hole to improve heat dispersal. Rubber boot magnet covers are designed to protect the double-stacked 164 oz magnets. The Nomex spider is stronger and more reliable than poly-cotton spiders. It has a sensitivity of 83 dB and a frequency response of 33 Hz to 1.5K kHz. The subwoofer comes with 20 inches of 8 gauge tinned OFC wire for connection to the enclosure terminals of your vehicle.
Rockville provides a one-year limited warranty and a 90-day money-back guarantee for its subwoofer. The drawback to this particular model is that CEA rates the RMS power at only 800 watts, which is below competition levels.
Skar Audio DDX-10 D2 Subwoofer
The Skar Audio DDX-10 D2 is a 10-inch competition grade subwoofer that can be used by non-competitors daily.
Pros
- 2 Ohm voice coil configuration
- Double Stack Magnet 2.5-inch copper voice coil
- Competition grade paper cone stitched
- 1,500 watts peak power
- 1,000 watts RMS
Cons
- Not as many watts at high peak power or RMS as other competing models.
The competition-grade pressed paper cone and stitched high roll foam surround provides consistent sound performance. The 2 Ohm power requirements let you run the subwoofer off a lower power supply. It has less peak power performance at 1,500 watts with an RMS of 1,000 watts, but that’s plenty for everyday enjoyment.
The advanced airflow cooling system keeps things from overheating. It has a frequency response of 28 to 300 Hz and a sensitivity of 85.2 dB. The copper voice coil isn’t as large as the Sumo but does the job adequately. Skar Audio provides a two-year limited warranty on its product.
Massive Audio HippoXL82R Subwoofer
The Massive Audio HippoXL82R Subwoofer is an 8-inch super power-packed bass player.
Pros
- CEA 2031 Certified
- 1800 watts MAX
- 2.5-inch voice coil
- Dual 2 Ohm impedance
- Double stacked high energy 120 ox strontium magnets
- 900 watts RMS
Cons
- May not be able to handle the maximum power
- One-year warranty only if installed by an authorized Massive Auto retailer.
If you are looking for a smaller speaker size that doesn’t skimp on the sound, then the Massive Audio HippoXL82R Subwoofer is an excellent choice. It is CEA 2031 Certified at 900 watts RMS with 1800 watts MAX.
The 2.5-inch voice coil is configured for dual 2 Ohm impedance. The heavy gauge cast basket is bolted to double stacked 120 ox strontium magnets for better sound and more extended durability. According to consumers, the Massive Audio HippoXL82R Subwoofer should be matched with a little less than the recommended level for the best results.
Skar Audio EVL-12 D4 Subwoofer
Skar Audio EVL-12 D4 is a 12-inch subwoofer with a three-inch high temperature dual 4 Ohm voice coil.
Pros
- Peak power 2,500 watts
- RMS power 1,250 watts
- Competition grade paper cone
- Two-layer spider
Cons
- It needs adequate power to maintain sound stability.
The Skar Audio EVL-12 has a sensitivity of 85.3 dB and a frequency response range of 25 Hz to 250 Hz for deep and responsive bass. It has an Xmax of 23.5 mm one-way with a peak power of 2,500 watts with an RMS power of 1,250 watts.
It has a double stack ferrite motor with a massive high flux. The 3-inch high-temperature voice coil and airflow cooling basket design allow for extended playtime without overheating. The two-layer spider has a single damper that attaches to the coil former by stitched lead wires. Make sure you have sufficient power to maintain sound stability as it is a 4 Ohm setup
Final Thoughts
Although we liked the Rockville W10K9D4 K9 Series Subwoofer, the fact that its RMS was only measured at 800 watts dropped it from our number one choice in determining what are the best car competition subwoofers.
Instead, we chose the Massive Audio SUMMO XL 104 Competition Subwoofer as our first choice because of the overall durability of the cone, the cooling T-yoke design, and the quality of the voice coil. We also loved that the Sumo XL was available in 10, 12, and 15-inch diameters, making it a possibility for a wider variety of vehicles.
We would have liked it even more if it came in 2 Ohm rating and if the warranty isn’t null and void if someone besides an authorized Massive Audio retailer installs the sound system, but, hey, you can’t get everything, every time.
