10 Best 12 Inch Sub For the Money In 2023 | GUIDE UPDATED
There are thousands of subwoofers in the market these days, and it’s quite tricky to choose between them. That’s why you’re probably here to get the best reviews on 10 Best 12 Inch Sub For The Money.
So I’ve provided unbiased reviews on the Best 12 Inch Sub For The Money, consist of features and specifications, pros and cons, final verdict, and buying guide, to make this buying process easier and smoother for you.
First of all, you need to decide your budget in which you want to have your best 12 inch sub for the money. If you really want to crank up the volume, you definitely require some better quality subwoofer, which means you need to increase your budget.
These days, subwoofers are an essential part of car sound systems as everyone wants to listen to a low-frequency sound that bass
And if you crank up the volume without having subwoofers in your car, then you might blow your speakers up because they’re not made for this and will not handle such tension for longer playtimes.
And an aftermarket best 12 inch sub for the money is placed because built-In subwoofers don’t provide such a pleasant and relishing experience while driving or get damaged soon. Because of the cheap quality, they’re not durable.
1) Boss Audio CX122 – Best 12 Inch Sub For The Money
Boss Audio CX122 is the best 12 inch sub for the money, which is designed to work in a compact sealed enclosure. It has 1400 watts of maximum power. It has a 2-inch single 4-Ohm voice coil.
It has got custom tooled high-efficiency injection cone. It’s the best car subwoofer for the money that provides value for money, and it’s easy to install.
They call it chaos extreme, and after looking at it, you will get to know that why they say so. It’s a great budget product that really provides some serious low-frequency sound, which will not break the bank.
It’ll give your car sound system an extra bang with boosted performance. It delivers with its heavy stamped steel frame. It has got an efficiency of 82 dB at 1W/1m and a frequency response from 25Hz-3kHz.
Features and Specifications
- SPL (Sound Pressure Level) is 82 dB
- Custom-tooled high-efficiency injection cone
- Peak power 1400 Watts
- RMS Power 700 Watts
- Single voice coil
- Dual 4 Ohms impedance
- Resonance frequency 28Hz
- Weight 9.8 pounds
- Mounting height is 5.4 inch
- Mounting hole diameter is 11.1 inch
- Product dimensions 12.3 inches depth, 12.3 inches width, 5.3 inches height
Final Words
Boss Audio CX122 is the best car subwoofer under 100 that will boost your car stereo system by providing ultimate performance on low-frequencies. It offers more than its value, but you still need to expect according to price as it’s the best budget subwoofer for your car.
2) Boss Audio CXX12 – Best 12 Inch Sub For The Money
Boss Audio CX12 is the best 12 inch sub for the money, which is designed to work in a sealed or ported enclosure, sealed enclosure of internal volume 1.2 cubic feet, and internal volume of the ported enclosure should be 1.8 cubic feet. It has 1000 watts of maximum power. It has a 2.5-inch single 4-Ohm aluminum voice coil.
It has got a polypropylene injection cone surrounded by rubber. It’s the best car subwoofer for the money that provides value for money, and it’s easy to install.
They call it chaos extreme, and after looking at it, you will get to know that why they say so. It’s a great budget product that really provides some serious low-frequency sound, and that will not empty your wallet.
Boss Audio CXX12 gives your car sound system an extra bang with boosted performance. Boss delivers with its heavy stamped steel frame. It has got sensitivity of 82 dB at 1W/1m and a resonant frequency 32Hz.
You need to do a little process before running it under harsh conditions. If you don’t do the process, then you’ll blow it up. You’re supposed to do the break-in process that means subjecting your subwoofer to no more than low to medium volume levels.
Only 3-4 hours will be sufficient for your subwoofer, and after that, a subwoofer will be durable and provide an even better experience.
Features and Specifications
- SPL (Sound Pressure Level) is 85 dB
- Polypropylene injection cone
- Peak power 1000 Watts
- RMS Power 500 Watts
- 2.5-inch Single aluminum voice coil
- Single 4 Ohms impedance
- Resonance frequency 32Hz
- Weight 7.8 pounds
- Mounting height is 4.8 inch
- Mounting hole diameter is 11 inch
- The mounting depth is 4.88 inch
- Product dimensions 13 inches depth, 13 inches width, 5.4 inches height
Final words
According to ratings and reviews, Boss Audio CXX12 is the best car subwoofer for the money under $50. It has excellent ratings on the store and mostly useful reviews that helped it making it top of the list as it’s a cheap subwoofer, so you’re supposed to expect according to the price, but it’ll provide more value than its worth.
3) Rockford Fosgate P300-12 – best car subwoofer for deep bass
Rockford Fosgate P300-12 is the best 12 inch sub for the money that boosts your driving experience to another level. It was created to be the perfect match among enclosure, subwoofer, and amplifier.
It allows you to have all components of a good sound system in this one unit, and you’ll avoid the complexity of matching all different things to match appropriately to work efficiently.
It’s an all-in-one hassle-free solution to a sound system. A 12-inch subwoofer in a custom sealed enclosure with a powerful class D 300 Watt RMS amplifier. This enclosure is created with ⅝ inches MDF that provides a brilliant acoustic enclosure.
This is a great budget all-in-one product to buy that is resistant to bumps while placed in the trunk, and it’s covered with industrial heat-activated vinyl that makes it smooth and durable.
Features and Specifications
- Enclosure constructed with ⅝ inch MDF(Medium Density Fiber-board)
- Covered with heat-activated vinyl
- Variable low-pass crossover 12 dB octave
- Remote bass level control
- Built-in adjustable bass boost EQ
- Built-In 0°/180° phase switch
- Thermal and over-voltage protection
- High-efficiency low current design
- Large AWG input terminals
- Dimensions Wedge height 15 inches, width 19.8 inches, depth 1 is 11 inches, and depth 2 is 7 inches
- Item weight is 16 pounds
Final words
Rockford Fosgate P300-12 is an all-in-one best 12 inch sub for the money that allows you to avoid some complex decisions of matching your whole sound system to perform well. It’s a bit expensive, but it still provides value for money. However, users have been told that controls aren’t that good.
4) Rockville W12K9D4 – Best 12 Inch Sub For The Money
Rockville W12K9D4 is K9 series 4 Ohms best 12 inch sub for the money. It has a peak power handling of 4000 Watts, and CEA rated RMS power is 1000 Watts.
It has 3 inch 4-layer aluminum voice coils. These voice coil windings are made in the USA and are wound with OFC wire made in Japan. This voice coil is stable up to 240°C.
A black non-pressed paper cone is thicker and more robust than regular subs, making them able to handle more power. It’s surrounded by thick foam that provides better sound quality with minimum distortion.
Red stitching cone reinforcements make it more durable. A Vent hole on T-yoke enhances heat dissipation. Double-stacked 190 Oz high-quality magnet. Custom rubber boot magnet covers make the subs look nice and also protect the magnet.
Features and Specifications
- Peak power handling 4000 Watts
- Program power handling 2000 Watts
- RMS power handling 1000 Watts
- Frequency response 33 Hz – 1500 kHz
- 3 inch 4-layer black aluminum voice coil
- Double stacked 190 Oz magnet
- Two chrome-plated binding post terminals
- Ultra-stiff polypropylene dust cap
- Impedance Dual 4 Ohms voice coils
- High BL magnet motor gap
- Cutout diameter is 11.13 inches
- The mounting depth is 6.85 inches
- Sensitivity 83 dB
- Sealed enclosure volume should be 0.8 – 1.25 cubic feet
- Ported enclosure volume should be 1.75 – 3.0 cubic feet
- Weight 29 pounds approx
Final words
Rockville W12K9D4 is the overall best car subwoofer under 200, and it has got brilliant ratings and reviews on the store. It provides a great user experience and will definitely boost your sound system, and you’ll enjoy your ride after installing it. And you’ll never regret installing it as it provides value for money.
5) Rockford Fosgate P3D2 – Best Car Subwoofer for deep bass
Rockford Fosgate Punch P3D2 is the best 12 inch sub for the money and delivers brilliant bass quality in your car. It is a dual 2 Ohm subwoofer having a maximum power of 1200 Watts and 600 Watts RMS power. Custom 10-AWG nickel plated push terminals.
It has an anodized aluminum cone and dust cap and a unique spider venting design to keep the motor cooler. Hybrid stamp-cast baskets provide super strength, making them durable.
It’ll provide the best experience if used in a sealed enclosure with a volume of 1.02 cubic feet, and in a vented enclosure volume, it should be 1.79 cubic feet. Mounting depth 6.66 inches, cut out 11.25 inches diameter.
It also features VAST technology to increase the cone’s surface area up to 25% and a FlexFit basket for extreme installations. Punch subwoofers have shown the world such intense bass that doesn’t cost a fortune.
Features and Specifications
- Peak power handling 1200 Watts
- RMS power handling 600 Watts
- Anodized aluminum cone and dust cap
- Sensitivity 85 dB
- Voice coil diameter is 2.5 inches
- Woofer displacement 0.094 inches cubic feet
- Diamond cut cast aluminum trim ring with optional grille
- Custom 10-AWG nickel plated push terminals
- Extended pole piece and bumped vented backplate
- Protective PVC textured magnet cover
- High-temp voice coil with spun-laced Nomex reinforcement collar
- Stamp-cast basket with integrated spider venting
- Soft-touch rubber over-mold for more outstanding grip
- Item weight 20 pounds approx
Final words
Overall, Rockford Fosgate Punch P3D2 has tremendous ratings on the store and is the best car subwoofer under 300. You can see great user experience in reviews from different people having it. It’ll definitely boost your entire sound system to another level and provide a relishing experience while driving.
6) Rockford Fosgate P3D4 – Best 12 Inch Sub For The Money
Rockford Fosgate Punch P3D4 is the best 12 inch sub for the money delivers brilliant bass quality in your car. It is a dual 4 Ohm subwoofer having a maximum power of 1200 Watts and 600 Watts RMS power. Custom 10-AWG nickel plated push terminals.
It has an anodized aluminum cone and dust cap and a unique spider venting design to keep the motor cooler. The hybrid stamp-cast basket provides super strength, makes it durable.
It’ll provide the best experience if used in a sealed enclosure having a volume of 1.02 cubic feet, and the invented enclosure volume should be 1.79 cubic feet. Mounting depth 6.66 inches, cut out 11.25 inches diameter.
It also features VAST technology to increase the cone’s surface area up to 25% and a FlexFit basket for extreme installations. Punch subwoofers have shown the world such intense bass that doesn’t cost a fortune.
Features and Specifications
- Peak power handling 1200 Watts
- RMS power handling 600 Watts
- Anodized aluminum cone and dust cap
- Sensitivity 85 dB
- Voice coil diameter is 2.5 inches
- Woofer displacement 0.094 inches cubic feet
- Diamond cut cast aluminum trim ring with optional grille
- Custom 10-AWG nickel plated push terminals
- Extended pole piece and bumped vented backplate
- Protective PVC textured magnet cover
- High-temp voice coil with spun-laced Nomex reinforcement collar
- Stamp-cast basket with integrated spider venting
- Soft-touch rubber over-mold for more outstanding grip
- Item weight 20 pounds approx
Final words
Overall, Rockford Fosgate Punch P3D4 has tremendous ratings on the store and is the best car subwoofer under 300. You can see great user experience in reviews from different people having it, and it’ll definitely boost your entire sound system to another level and will provide a relishing experience while driving.
Higher impedance will result in less amplifier output. Rockford Fosgate Punch P3D2 will provide more amplifier output than Rockford Fosgate Punch P3D4 because they have 2 Ohms and 4 Ohms impedance, respectively.
7) Skar Audio EVL-12 D2 – Best 12 Inch Sub For The Money
Skar is not a huge brand in the music world and has much to prove to the world still, as it’s a new company started at the beginning of the current decade. And let’s see how well they have made this sub to compete in the market and make people buy it.
Skar Audio EVL-12 D2 is the best 12 inch sub for the money, having a peak power of 2500 Watts and an RMS rating is 1250 Watts. It has 3-inch high-temperature CCAW(copper-clad aluminum wire) dual 2 Ohm voice coil with a black coating over it.
It has competition grade paper cone and high roll foam surround it. And a premium suspension design features the EVL series signature red, two-layer spider. Frequency range response drops as low as 25 Hz and max at 250 Hz and deep, intense, extreme bass.
Features and Specifications
- Peak power 2500 Watts
- RMS Power 1250 Watts
- 3-inch high-temperature CCAW
- Dual 2 Ohm voice coil
- Competition grade pressed paper cone
- Heavy-duty high roll foam surround
- Sensitivity 85.1 dB
- Advanced cooling design
- Frequency response 25 Hz – 250 Hz
- Xmax 23.5mm
- Mounting depth 7.75 inches
Final words
Skar Audio EVL-12 D2 is one of the best car subwoofer under 200 that provides an excellent sound experience. It may not be the best option in such a budget so that you can move on to more options. But if you don’t want to push the subs to their peak limits, you can probably own it for soft classical music.
8) Planet Audio AC12D – Best 12 Inch Sub For The Money
Planet Audio is not a huge company, but they have shown the world that car audio products do not need to be expensive to be powerful, efficient, and appealing.
Planet Audio AC12D is the best car subwoofer for the money, with having a peak power of 1800 Watts and RMS power is 900 Watts. It’s a 12 inch 1800 Watts dual voice coil subwoofer. And voice coils can withstand high temperatures.
It’s surrounded by very flexible foam that makes it even more efficient. The stamped basket provides a rigid platform that allows the listener to experience clean and clear music output. And the cone is made from polypropylene, which makes it durable and offers excellent sound.
You need to do a little process before running it under harsh conditions. If you don’t do this process, then you’ll blow it up. You’re supposed to do the break-in process that means subjecting your subwoofer to no more than low to medium volume levels. Only 3-4 hours will be sufficient for your subwoofer, and after that, a subwoofer will be durable and will provide an even better experience.
Features and Specifications
- 12-inch dual voice coil subwoofer
- Peak power handling 1800 Watts
- RMS power handling 900 Watts
- Cone is made of polypropylene
- Surrounded by foam makes it flexible
- Stamped basket
- Sensitivity 88 dB
- Resonant frequency 32 Hz
- Dual 2 inch high-temperature voice coil
- Impedance 4 Ohms
- Mounting depth 5.8 inches
- Cutout diameter 11 inches
- Customizable trim ring
Final Words
Planet Audio AC12D is one of the best car subwoofer for the money. It provides value for money. As it’s under $50, you must expect according to its price, and so you’ll not get disappointed when you get it. And do not forget to do the break-in process; otherwise, you’ll blow it up, or they’ll not provide efficient sound output.
9) Skar Audio SDR-12 D2 – Best Car Subwoofer For Deep Bass
Skar may not be a huge brand in the music world and has much to prove to the world still, as it’s a new company started at the beginning of the current decade, but still, they have a great user experience. So, let’s see how well they have made this sub to compete in the market.
Skar Audio SDR-12 D2 is the best 12 inch sub for the money by providing peak power of 1200 Watts and RMS power of 600 Watts. It’s a 12 inch dual 2 Ohms car subwoofer. It has a 2.5 inches 4-layer high-temperature copper voice coil attached to a Skar Audio signature red spider with a resonant frequency of 32 Hz.
This subwoofer is designed to hit hard. It has low note capabilities and excellent sound reproduction. It has a high roll foam surround that allows it to produce a low-end bass response.
Features and Specifications
- Peak power 1200 Watts
- RMS Power 600 Watts
- 2.5 inch 4-layer high-temperature Copper voice coil
- Dual 2 Ohm voice coil
- Impedance 2 Ohms
- Competition grade pressed paper cone
- Heavy-duty high roll foam surround
- Sensitivity 84.7 dB
- Advanced cooling design
- Powerful high flux ferrite motor
- Frequency response 22 Hz – 300 Hz
- Xmax 13.5mm
- Mounting depth 6.47 inches
- Weight 18.3 pounds approx
Final Words
Skar Audio SDR-12 D2 is overall the best car subwoofer for the money. And it doesn’t get heat up on longer playtimes. It’s the most efficient subwoofer in this budget as it’s the best car subwoofer under $150. Skar Audio SDR-12 D2 is definitely a sub to invest in.
10) Pioneer TS-A300 D4 – Best 12 Inch Sub For The Money
Pioneer TS-A300 D4 is the best car subwoofer for the money. It’s a 12 inch dual 4 Ohm voice coil subwoofer with peak power handling of 1500 Watts and RMS power handling of 500 Watts. Cone is made with mica interlaced IMPP (injection-molded polypropylene) and 12-inch glass fiber.
Butyl rubber surrounds and dual cotton spider for strength and linearity during high excursion. They placed a 60 Oz double stacked magnet and vented pole-yoke for increased power handling. Smooth and seamless integration is provided with pioneer A-series full-range loudspeakers.
Final Words
Pioneer is overall a best 12 inch sub for the money and provides value for money, but one thing you consider after buying that, you’re not supposed to push it to the limits for longer playtimes. Otherwise, you’ll break it. And it works more efficiently or is designed to work great with A-series loudspeakers.
Best 12 Inch Sub For The Money
Buying Guide
You can rush into a store, grab some subwoofers for your car and place it in with your stereo system. In such a case, you’ll probably not like the output of your subwoofers because matching is the most challenging part of having a good sound system.
Nowadays, people visit different websites because they want to have the best for their cars that will work brilliantly and relish their moments. It’s not that easy to grab the best from this gigantic market out there, having thousands of products.
Even when you visit different websites, you get to know that there are still numerous different products better than each other and you can’t choose from them.
At this point, you need to read a buying guide of best 12 inch sub for the money in which you’ll read things to consider to grab the best for your car, so you might have to relish moments in your car like, if you’re traveling with your friends or having a long romantic drive with your partner.
In this buying guide, first of all, I’ll tell you the things that you must consider before buying some product. Here you’re…
Things To Consider
Consider several things to have an efficient subwoofer that plays well and relishes experience while driving.
Price
You need to set your mind on a specific budget. In this way, you’ll narrow down options for yourself, and it’ll help you out in the buying process. If you want some advanced bass, you need to have an advanced subwoofer, which means you need to increase your budget as you’ll see higher prices.
Power
It’s essential to determine how many watts your subwoofer can accommodate. Usually, 1000 Watts peak power is effective in order to get efficient output from a subwoofer.
Sometimes, brands advertise wrong in competition, and you don’t get what you want or ordered for, so in such case, you should go for reviews on the store and see if someone complained about less power.
But one more thing that you must know is, “value for money” you’ll only get what you’ve paid for and no more than that. Here it would be best to look at the price of a product that can match such a standard.
Sensitivity
It’s one of the most crucial specs of a subwoofer, it’s described as the sub’s ability to convert power to output. Sensitivity is expressed in dB, and you’re supposed to get higher sensibility. Anything below 80 dB isn’t preferable.
Frequency
Frequency is the range of sounds your subwoofers will be able to reproduce. As I’m talking about subwoofers, you’re supposed to get the subwoofers that can efficiently reproduce the lowest possible frequencies.
Subwoofers with great response are somewhere at 20 – 30 Hz lowest frequency. But you should know that frequency isn’t everything to have a bombastic sound. There are several more factors.
Factors are given below:
- Types of Enclosure:
There are two types of enclosures: sealed subwoofer enclosure and vented or ported subwoofer enclosure.
And sealed enclosures reproduce better low frequencies than vented enclosures as the air in them acts as a shock absorber and allows efficiently controlled back and forth movement of the subwoofer.
- Voice coils:
Dual-coil subwoofers provide more configuration options than single-coil. A number of coils have nothing to do with the output of a subwoofer, but it makes a subwoofer more efficient in terms of usability and versatility.
- Size and Dimensions of a Subwoofer:
You must know that as the size increases, the deeper the bass you’ll be able to experience but one more thing is to consider, the space you’ve in your car. Usually, 10 and 12 inches subwoofers are placed in cars for casual or maybe a bit above casual bass.
A 15 inches subwoofer can also be placed in the trunk if you’ve got the space there.
So, in short, 10 and 12-inch subwoofers are preferable in cars as they can provide a relishing experience in terms of bass and take less space, They can also be placed below the seat, but in the trunk also they will not take much space.
- Impedance:
Impedance is described as a level of resistance it derives to the system. Higher impedance will result in less amplifier output. There are 2 Ohm, 4 Ohm, and 8 Ohm impedance variety in a market. But 2 Ohm and 4 Ohm are preferable, and 2 Ohm is the best.
You can also find a subwoofer or a unit that can allow you to switch between different impedances.
Additional Features
There are some options with the convenience of a full package, and you can just grab them and place them in your car without any hassle of matching different things to each other like enclosures, amplifiers, speakers, etc.
And I’ve provided such an option in my list that is Rockford Fosgate P300, which is a brilliant option if you don’t want to get in a hassle.
Materials
The material should hold up in heat, cold, and moisture, so it doesn’t get torn or blown. Cone is usually made of paper or polypropylene and mixed with mica, while the rest of the product is made of aluminum or steel to make it durable and efficient in providing sound quality.
Reviews
If you’re still not getting how to choose the product in the store so you should go for reviews where you’ll be able to know if the advertising is correct, the pros and cons of a subwoofer, and its features. There you’ll get to see the user experience that could help you a lot to choose the best 12 inch sub for the money.
Frequently Asked Questions
What are the Benefits of Subwoofers for Cars?
If you’re also a person who wants to hear a high sound, then subwoofers are obviously good in sound quality, and speakers are not intended to play such high volumes. If you do so, they’ll get damaged. So, it improves your speaker’s lifespan and provides better powerful sounds.
And a regular car stereo comes with a smaller sound system and doesn’t provide quality sound, so that’s why most car owners prefer aftermarket sound systems and especially subwoofers.
How much power a 12 Inch sub needs and can handle?
And the amount of sound any subwoofer produces is determined by two things RMS power and sensitivity rating.
RMS power handling is the continuous power a subwoofer can handle, and that power of about 500 Watts is kind of good.
Sensitivity is described as the sub’s ability to convert power to output. Sensitivity is described in dB, and you’re supposed to get higher sensibility. Anything below 80 dB isn’t preferable.
How to choose an amplifier for a 12-Inch sub?
You need to know the RMS rating of your sub or subs in case. Then you need to look for an amplifier that provides the same RMS as your sub or subs collectively require.
How much space is needed to install a 12-inch subwoofer?
Coming to the point, in short, for a 12-inch subwoofer, 1.25 cubic feet is probably enough.
What is a Break-In process?
A little process before running a subwoofer under harsh conditions. If you don’t do this process, then you’ll blow it up. You’re supposed to do the break-in process that means subjecting your subwoofer to no more than low to medium volume levels.
Only 3-4 hours will be sufficient for your subwoofer, and after that, a subwoofer will be durable and will provide an even better experience.
How to max out bass from a subwoofer?
Conclusion
So here we’re, and I have provided this unbiased review on 12-inch subwoofers by telling their features, pros and cons, most importantly, and then a final verdict.
I’ve tried my very best to make this whole process easier for you. And buying a guide is the most significant thing for you if you’re trying to figure out the right subwoofer for yourself or the loved ones.
In this buying guide, I’ve told you what must be considered to buy the best from the store.
Before giving my opinion, I would again like to remind you that you can check anything as I’ve told you how to choose the best subwoofer out there.
So, my best choice is the Rockford Fosgate P3D2, and I’ve given a detailed review on that, and you can also check its reviews and ratings on stores that are fabulous.
Thank you!
