Any audiophile will tell you that you need an aftermarket sound system. No matter what you drive, the manufacturer placed the audio components at the bottom of the priority list when designing your vehicle. It’s not a life or death decision, rather a luxury we all deserve. Why punish yourself; pursue the perfect aftermarket system and reap the benefits every single day of your life. You’ll need a head unit, amp, speakers and of course everyone’s favorite component a subwoofer. However, many people are discouraged because of the few bassheads that ride around with music so loud you can hear them coming from a few blocks away. Luckily Sonic Electronix is going to give you a variety of options so you can enjoy your favorite music.

And realistically no matter your music taste low frequencies are an integral part of any song. Without bass you are leaving out a portion of the frequencies that will ruin your favorite music.  The size of your woofer, RMS power rating, enclosure type and a few other factors all contribute to how powerful your bass will be. And when you have quality parts like a 15″ NVX VCW woofer powered by a NVX JAD series amplifier, with NVX XSP6ACT component speakers in the front and NVX VSP coaxial speakers in the rear powered by an NVX MVPA series mini amp; you will be playing your music so loud that you will become one of those bassheads you’ve always despised.

Enhance your Music

Bass is apart of any music genre. Whether it be a double bass in an orchestra, electric bass in a rock band, or the bass line in your favorite House track, low frequencies are apart of your music. However it would be foolish to say bass is incorporated evenly across all music types. Choosing what size subwoofer works best for you is going to depend on the music you listen to. 8  inch subwoofers make for an easy install and often will fit into factory locations. This is an excellent choice for punk, metal, alternative, rock, country; genres that aren’t focused on low frequencies. A 10 inch woofer would also be a fine choice for these types of music because it will not overwhelm your system with bass.

12″, 15″ and beyond are going to produce dominating bass, but you can always alter your settings on your amp so a woofer this size doesn’t have to drown your music with bass. These woofers are large, heavy and effective. If you are an avid rave goer or Hip Hop enthusiast this is the size for you. The best part is that if your girlfriend talks too loud while in the car, look no further because a subwoofer this size will deny her any chance of being heard. Essentially if you are looking for bass, these are the sizes that will satisfy your needs.

Power

RMS Power Rating should always be incorporated when considering what subwoofer you want. Peak power is not sustainable and will give you sound for only a few seconds. Make sure when constructing your system that you match the amplifier’s power with the power handling of your subwoofer. Often times people think underpowering their sub is a safe bet if they aren’t sure what the power specifications are but this is a bad idea and will fry your woofer. Before making any purchase always ensure the power handling fulfills your audio need and that you have the right amp to power your investment.

Four subs two amplifiers custom build

Enclosure

The two most common enclosure builds are ported and sealed. Choosing which is best for you really comes down to personal preference and music taste. Ported enclosures create a more powerful bass line. Genres focused on bass like rap, trap, dubstep, house, etc. will be best served in a ported enclosure. A sealed enclosure has more defined low frequencies contributing to overall sound fullness. This is recommended for genres focused on all frequencies. In addition, a lot of manufacturers are releasing complete packages that include, enclosure, subwoofer, wiring kit, and sometimes even speakers and an amplifier. If you aren’t looking for obnoxious bass that’ll be heard three blocks away, it is a safe bet to choose from one or our awesome bundles.

Brands

Not all brands are created equally and anyone that says otherwise is wrong. Sonic Electronix is known for expert customer service, wide product variety, and insane bundles. These two brands are among some of our favorites.

  • A lot can be said about NVX. At an affordable price you get the components you need without breaking the bank. The revolutionary design of the Q Bus box fits right under your seat! The install process is pretty simple as well. Connect the power to your car’s battery, ground to steel chassis, grab a set of speaker wires for input and you’re done. Once it’s installed you will never see the Q box again but it will deliver clean and accurate bass.

NVX QBUS8v2 Quick Install, Under-the-seat Subwoofer Enclosure with Integrated Amplifier

  • Belva’s BPKG212v2 gives you bass on a budget. This package comes with two 12″ subs in a ported box, with a monoblock amplifier and wiring kit. This bundle has simplified the entire buying process for you because it comes with everything you need. Not to mention the affordable price enables almost anyone to have great bass without breaking the bank.

Belva BPKG212v2 - Complete Amplifed Bass Package

Budget

Your budget will be a major influence in deciding which size, brand, and power specification you choose. Competition grade woofers can run at a few thousand dollars and require an extremely powerful amplifier at also a high cost. A more realistic method of choosing what subwoofer you want is to evaluate what your audio needs are. What are you looking for? Those wanting a little bass to supplement their speakers will do just fine spending a couple hundred dollars on a subwoofer that is already built into an enclosure. But if you’re one of those people that like to be heard three blocks away, which I love personally, you’ll want a larger sub with more power typically at a higher price.

Conclusion

In a studio, your favorite music was recorded with frequencies ranging from 20-20,000hz. And although there are really about 80hz of low frequencies incorporated into these songs, you still need bass or else your music will sound horrible. Never skip a subwoofer when constructing an aftermarket system because you can choose just how powerful you want the bass to be. As long as each component is properly installed and used; you will have concert grade music while driving to work every single day.

CES A Team Van