Thought about it at one point .. instead, bought the Yorkville Unity system. The Unity sub is a nice horn loaded 15" .. one of the most musical subs I've heard. Just couldn't keep dragging 118# in and out of my SUV.
In your opinion Is 2 12 inch subs better than a single 18?
- Thread starter DJ Ricky B
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As a young man I had considered horn loaded subs, as an old man, I don't! Now, weight is the #1 factor, with performance being #2. My DIY 15" subs are not Growlers, but they weigh less than 1/2 at 40 pounds. I again want to emphasize when I talk performance, I am not necessarily talking loud. I just like that effortless feeling a good sub gives to the music.
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I'm with ya .. I sold the Unitys a few years back. The EVOX 8 bass unit (not quite a sub since it goes up to a couple hundred Hz) is sufficient for what I need .. as are my Yamaha DXS12s. The RCF SUB 705AS II are lloming though, since they outdo the Yamahas and are almost 20 pounds lighter.
Whatever you get, be sure to purchase the best quality subs you can. I just used three of my RCF ART 705AS subs for a high school dance with 308 students in their gym and it sounded oh so good!
At 53 lbs, I think this is about as close to under a 50 lb 18" sub you will get. I've never heard of this company until now, but they look legit in quality and the sub has professional features and high end speaker driver. It looks very interesting for that incredibly light weight and high spl. Not a cheap sub.
Barefaced Bass - LF1400 Ultra high output active subwoofer
In my opinion...and I had a double 10" Yorkville subwoofer, the 18" would be my choice. Granted the double ten's would probably be louder, but the 18" would give you the robust resonance. However, weight would by my main consideration. The Yorkville LS801P is 137 lbs. and 1500 Watts 18".
I would like to hear DJ Freddy's recommended sub FWIW.
I would like to hear DJ Freddy's recommended sub FWIW.
I care more about the SPL output, frequency response, and enclosure size more than the actual driver size. To me it's about what your compromises are and the application you are using them for. Not all 12", 15", 18" subs are the same. As mentioned earlier, a well designed 15" sub box can exceed the performance of a mediocre designed 18" box. The quality components of the drivers, amps, DSP, and total integrated system affects the sound, bass extension and output. More than likely a 15" box that outperforms an 18" box will cost more because it will be better designed with better components and probably weigh less and take up less space. It may also require more power to do so.
I disagree when people say an 18" sub can't produce punchy bass like a 12" or 15" sub. If that were the case, companies that make high end concert speakers wouldn't make boxes with 21" drivers. A very good quality 18" sub can produce "punchy" bass. You can also EQ them to taste. EQ out more of the "rumble" frequencies or raise you high pass filter. Many of the newer powered subs now have nice presets and the bass sound can be easily tailored to your choice. You can always lower the sub gain too. Just make sure whatever size sub you get, don't send them frequencies they can't handle. Have realistic expectations. There are DJs out there that don't mind clipping and boost their bass EQ trying to get the lowest frequencies and output that their subs were not designed to handle and they don't realize the wear and tear and distortion they create. If you play a lot of EDM music, unless you are willing to fork out a ton of money for a very high end high output 12" sub, it's better to get a decent 18" sub. If you compare a 15" sub to an 18" sub and they both have the same rated max SPL output, in general the 18" sub will be perceived as louder if it produces lower bass extension than the 15" sub. You will lose headroom faster raising the volume and/or boosting the lower frequencies of the 15" box to equal the output of the 18" box.
I personally have subs with 18" drivers - the kind I can move by myself up and down stairs and another kind that I can't do the stairs alone. To me I would rather move 1 sub box that is a little bit bigger than moving 2 smaller sub boxes that together will take up more space. I understand a lot of people who prefer smaller boxes for easier mobility and symmetry. You don't have to have "club" expectations at every event and a 12" or 15" sub is plenty for their application.