rotwiler's Full Review: Jl Audio 10W0 Car Subwoofer
For the last 3 years I have been through more sub woofers than I can even remember. I always get the extended warranty(due to speakers are subjected to so much abuse),you never know how long one will last. I had a kicker Solabaric 12 in a custom box, 6 months later the surround foam just ripped apart. So I decided to get a MTX 7000 12 and I went through 3 of them in 6 months. Two of the MTX 7000's actually were sending smoke out of the enclosure. I then decided to with a Boston Competition 12 and blew the voice coil and my amp 3 times, so finally I went back to the dealer and requested a different brand. Lucky for me they said yes, so I bought 2 JL Audio 10W0s in a JL box.
My System:
The 10W0's are both 8 ohm, they are set up to run with a amp at 4 ohms mono. I decided to get a .5 fared capacitor to keep my headlights from dimming and I connected it to my MTX 2150x(bridged mono watts 460, per MTX testing sheet that was with the amplifier). I used a converter in the trunk off the stock amp in my Monte Carlo, to give RCA outs to the amp. I also have a bass control knob that comes with the MTX amp under my dash. So far I have used the dual 10W0 combo in my car for a year and a half, here is what I have experienced with the 10W0's.
The 10W0:
The 10W0 doesn't look like anything special, compared to all the competition speakers I had. So I wasn't sure if the 10s could hold up to the abuse I always throw at my subs. I like heavy bass and the 10s throw out plenty for the average bass head. The speakers are also very efficient and the .5 f capacitor was all it took, to keep my electrical system in check and keep it from dimming. The distortion that I experienced with the other speakers I had, completely vanished(yes there is always distortion), but none that I could clearly hear. Car audio companies have come a long way in recent years and there is no way to get a accurate watts rating or handling capacity, due to every company tests using different ways to get the watt number. That is how $50 swap meet amps can say 300 watts, when they are really putting out around 25 distorted watts. A lot of high end car audio companies also under rate the amps and speakers to let people gain more power in competitions.
With all the abuse and daily bass booming in my trunk, the 10W0's have held up for a year and a half now. That is a accomplishment in it self, being I went through 1,000s of dollars worth of different speakers. The sub woofers are rated at a maximum 250 watts and 125 watts continuous. They can be used in a sealed, ported, or bandpass enclosure which makes them a ideal all around sub. The speaker only requires from .50 - .90 cubic foot sealed enclosure, which very small and easily adaptable in almost any install situation. A nice feature of the 10W0 is it has a feature called VCR system, which cools the voice coil and locks the critical joint between the voice coil, which results in better reliability.
I would recommend the 10W0's to anyone that wants efficient bass and the reliability that goes along with these speakers. They are worth the $250 that I paid for the pair in the box and JL Audio has a new customer for as long as they continue to make quality speakers like these. I wouldn't go as far to say these are competition speakers. They sound excellent and are great for every day use in a mid to semi high end system. But, don't try to win SPL competitions with these speakers. They sound great, can handle a lot of power, but the 10W0 isn't made to take a huge beating. For the average person, that likes enough bass to let the next door neighbor know your home, these are great. For the person that likes wear earplugs while driving and replace bolts under your car every few months, this is not the subs you want.
Updated 10/2004
I did have a problem in 2002 with the surround of the 10w0. The glue came apart and the place I bought the sub at replaced it under warranty. In 2003 I bought a new car, so transfered all my stereo equipment to my 02 Z28. When I took the subs out of the JL audio box I discovered the place I bought them at put one 4ohm and 1 8ohm sub in. To be honest the setup sounds way better than with the 2 8ohm subs run into a 4ohm load. Now the it is run into a 3ohm load. I have had many people say this is not good to mix subs, but 2 straight years of use and they are holding up great. My amp has never overheated and they sound as good as the day I bought them. The new box I had made for my 02 Camaro sounds better than the JL audio box and they are holding up to around 500 watts of true power on a daily basis.
Update 1/2006:
I finally blew the 10w0's in November 2005. My battery went bad and so much distortion was going to the subwoofers the voice coils melted down. I used the 10w0's and pushed them hard over the years. If you can get some now, do it, they no longer make them and you should be able to get some great deals.
Save $25 off orders of $250 or more. JL Audio 10W0v2-4 Black 10 Subwoofer Driver - 10W0V24/ 300 Watts/ 4 Ohm/ DMA Optimized Motor System/ Elevated Fra...More at Abt Electronics
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