i dunno about that....i have a friend with a kicker system and it doesn't compare at all to my jl box. we both have two 10" (i have jll w3v2's)and my box is a lot louder and clearer. but that could also be due to the head unit as mentioned, that plays a big role in how things sound. i'm running a pioneer unit, i think he's got a sony (crap).

you're really running subs from over 10 years ago and they still work? lol wow that's some good quality there!!!!!!

 

yes, alot of folks seem to forget that the subs are the only part of a system that matters. (cuz they really only want to thump and be heard). but the qulaity plays a huge factor. SQ over SPL is how I feel about it. especially among many 'youngsters' in their first cars, have pounding bass with no mids or highs to match. i admit, my first 'system' consisted of a cheap jensen head unit, factory mids/highs, and then some subs to pound away. wasnt till i got to college that i started realizing there was more to car audio than trying to vibrate your car to pieces.

 

Yes, believe it or not those subs are over 10 years old and not only still work but they still sound great and provide loud, big bass. I bought them after blowing out 5 or 6 other subs. These never ever had a problem, and the other subs that I blew out were rated for higher wattage than my amp. I do believe that new Kickers are not quite as good as the old ones, but some of those Solobarics sound really nice. Theoretically, a speaker should never blow out unless it is overloaded and distorts. This causes the voice coil to overheat and therefore ruin the speaker.

With subs it is of utmost importance to have a proper combination of enclosure, amp, and wiring. The electrical wiring to the amp powering the sub is probably the most often overlooked component and also the achilles heel of any system which is made up of otherwise good quality components. The headunit plays a role too. I've always been partial to Kenwood for the combination of features, sound quality, build quality, and price. Pioneer's always sounded good to me too. I agree, Sony is crap. Also, the stock system in the SRT-4 is a pile of crap, andfeeding speaker leads to an amp's input nevergets the same results as using RCAs. The stock speakers are crap too. And your friend is probably using a cheap crappy box, amp, or has inadequate wiring. Also the subs could be out of phase (polarity incorrect going to one speaker) resulting in a thin, powerless sound.

So please, kids, get that electrical wiring right when you hook up your subs(and other power amps). Don't spend money ontitanium Monster Cable RCAs and speaker wires and then use crappy 8 or 16 gauge wire to run power to a 1500 Watt amp. And invest in a good box to mount your subs in.It's all about the enclosure.

My setup: Kenwood Excelon head unit, Alpine 4 x 90W RMS power amp powering a Polk dB component set (front) and Polk dB 6x9s (rear), Kenwood 5 band EQ/crossover (in-dash), Infinity Bass link 10" powered sub (inside the car), California Profile 2 x 300W MAX power amp running 2 Kicker Comp 10s in a bandpass box (trunk - I remove it when I need the space - pretty much every weekend), Street Wires 4 gauge Distribution Block (4 way), Street Wires 4 gauge and 8 gauge cable.You can hear it from 3 blocks away lol.

 

how much do you want for it. i want to add another one to my car. ill buy it for a good price but im not gonna pay more then i would to add an aftermarket system

 

$150 + shipping. They retail for $330ish @ the dealers

 

Insane...how many decibiles are you pushing AWH?

 

it depends on what kind of music you listen when it comes to buying a box, a bandpass box will sound louder but it will not hit a crisp as a sealed box, it sounds like it is under water. if you listen to primarily rap then a bandpass is the way to go cuzyou dont have to worry about the doudle bass pedal. if you listen to rock then your gonna want a sealed box so you can hear/feel every hit of the bass pedal.I am running 2 12 inch boston g3's in a sealed boxand 2 1500 rockford amps and it makes my head hurt

 

Just bought a new system soo my stock setup is up for sale. $100 plus shipping pm me if you are interested.

 

I'm not sure but my friend has a dB meter I should measure it. I'll put it this way, it's louder than I need it to be!

 

LOL smash that sh*t with a hammer! The stock radio sucks nutz!