Kickemus Gluteus Maximus
Written: Mar 15 '01 (Updated May 01 '01)
|
Product Rating:
|
|
| Sound Quality: |
 |
|
| Ease of Use: |
 |
|
| Durability: |
|
|
|
Pros: Quality Construction, tight sound, power handling, sensitivity
Cons: Single voice coil, foam surround, cork gasket (2000 model)
The Bottom Line: Since Kicker corrected all the flaws in the 2000 model with the 01 version, this is a great sub!
|
|
|
| cspu's Full Review: Stillwater Design 10" Subwoofer CompVR |
I got the CompVr C10D because the MTX Thunderform (1.1 cft) I got for my truck is dead center of the enclosure requirements for this sub. The MTX sub that came in it was too "boomy" for me and really lacked frequency response above 50hz. The Kicker CompVR reproduced everything from my crossover point(80Hz) on down very accurately.
First things first, NO SUB will sound good if your enclosure is not within specs. At the upper end of the enclosure volume, your sub will usually play lower or "boomier", the smaller the enclosure, the "tighter" the bass will sound. It boils down to personal sound preference, what sounds good to me does not sound good to my brother. The best bet is to listen to any sub for yourself (in your car preferably) to see if YOU like the way it sounds.
The Kicker CompVR (2000 Model)
Specifications
Sizes - 6.5" to 18" subs
Impedance - 4 or 8 ohm, single voice coil
Max Amp Power - 150 to 1000 watts
Frequency response - 20 to 500 Hz
Cosmetics
It shouldn't matter how a sub looks, aren't we buying it for sound anyway? The truth is, it matters a lot! Especially if you are going to show off your installation (not wise). My sub can't be seen so it really doesn't matter what it looks like to me, but the CompVR is a very nice looking sub. From the back, it has a good looking rubber encased magnet with the Kicker logo and model number displayed prominently. The steel basket has "Kicker's distinctive swooped windows". The CompVR looks well made from the back!
Most people won't mount their subs so the back can be seen, so how does the front look? Kicker chose to use a cork gasket and a grayish foam surround that makes the sub look kind of cheap. Other than the foam and cork, the sub continues to impress. The surround is double stitched to the cone, it looks really nice. The dust cap is inverted and has the trademark Kicker "K" along with CompVR written in red and white. The cone and dustcap are made of a rigid poly material that should last a long time.
Installation
The CompVR C10D dropped right into the cutout in my Thunderform. The cutout and all of the screw holes are "standard" 10" sizes. The speaker terminals are located 180 degrees apart on opposite sides of the voice coil. + is labeled on the magnet so you have to pay close attention when you connect the wires. The connectors are standard spade type. That's all there is, since the CompVR only comes in single voice coil configuration, connect two wires and you are done.
Sound Quality
SQ is purely subjective, you may have to experiment to get it to sound like you want. It has a lot to do with the vehicle AND the enclosure.
My CompVR gets 200 watts of continuous power crossed over at 80Hz. The sub reproduces everything below the crossover point beautifully. For my kind of music (hard rock) it is a perfect match in that enclosure. The bass drums and guitars are tight and accurate, no mushy sounding rumbles at all!
If I listened to rap and other "boomy" music on a regular basis, I would put the CompVR in a bigger enclosure. It reproduces the low frequencies, but they don't BOOM like some people like.
What I dislike
FOAM Surrounds?! Come on Kicker, use a modern poly for the surround! Nobody uses foam anymore, especially not on a sub designed for this kind of power and in this price range!
The Cork gaskets... they won't last, all of the demo subs in the showroom were missing part or all of their gasket.
The CompVR only comes in single voice coil. It really decreases the wiring options for people that only have room for one sub.
Summary
Kicker has earned a reputation for quality products. I expected a little better quality from a $130 sub. I bought the kicker because it fit the pre fab enclosure I had. I do like the sub and I plan to keep it, but if I had gone with another enclosure option, the CompVR would probably not be in my vehicle. There are subs available that will fit in smaller enclosures for under $100 and they are built just as well (or better) and will sound just as good as the CompVR(Image Dynamics IDQ).
I recommend the Kicker CompVR because it is a well built(except for the foam and cork), nice sounding sub. It would not be my first choice if were sub shopping, there are definitely better values in the sub-woofer market
____________________________________________________________
Updated 5/1/01
Kicker has unveiled the new CompVR, it has Dual voice coils, a "New extra thick Santoprene surround", and a "New one-piece front and rear gasket". If only I had waited 2 more months, I could have gotten everything I wanted! It looks like the corrected all of the flaws I found with the sub. I haven't heard the new model yet, but if it sounds as good as the one I have then Kicker may have made the perfect sub!
Recommended:
Yes
Amount Paid (US$): 120
|
|
|
|
Epinions.com ID:
cspu
|
 in Electronics |
 - Top 500 |
|
Location: The Island of Misfit Toys (Alabama)
Reviews written: 116
Trusted by: 97 members
About Me:
Sarcastic car audio enthusiast, motorcycle rider, and hunter... and I make NO apologies for it!
|
|
|
- Add to My Yahoo!: 
- Add to Google Homepage: 
© 1999-2009 Shopping.com, Inc.