New Sub Recommendations

I'm considering buying pair of different subs, any suggestions? I'm looking to be loud with only 2 12" subs, 3 tops but preferably 2. Also I am looking for subs that don't require a crapload of airspace for a good ported box, contrary to the Kicker L7's. I have the Autotek MX-3000.1 amp so the subs can have 1,000 watts rms or so, but something that is compatible to that amp. My price range is preferably not over $600 for a pair, but if you think a sub is absolutely worth it, throw it by me. Also, I'm more geared to SPL, but a tad bit of Sq won't hurt, and I want to hit hard inside the car, as well as pick up low bass notes. I'm thinking about getting new subs because the Kickers seem to blow too easily. If you guys can recommend any brands or models of subs that fit the above description, that'd be awesome. Any suggestions would be appreciated. Thanks in advance.

I was very impressed with these subs if you can even find them. But you should be able to get a pair for less than 6. I heard a pair of 12s BTW. The newer DCX PPIs are supposed to be nice also but I have not heard them.

http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&category=18804&item=5720371468&rd=1&ssPageName=WDVW

You're asking for a bit much, don't you think. It's doubtful that you'll find a sub that can take 1000RMS and still not need much airspace. Just my opinion. Is going sealed an option?

Well it doesn't have to be 1000 rms per se, but definitely not like 300 rms like an Alpine type R or something. I want something with at least like a good 500 or 600 watts rms if not more, because the Kickers had 750 rms and if I drop too much below that than I would just be wasting the power of my amp. Anyone heard anything about the Alpine SWX-1242D subs? http://www.alpine-usa.com/ Would these work with my amp? Are they any good? Any other sub suggestions??

I believe I have about 6cf of space in the trunk, maybe slightly under that.

The Alpine is good, but I generally lean more towards the individual companies like Audio Adire and RE audio. Thier stuff is hand made and very good quality. You could get 2 RE SE's. They would be about $450 for both, if I remember correctly. They are 600RMS but can easily take 750, and they could work with 3 cubic feet ported. You could also look at the RE SX's which are more expensive about $600 for two, again if i remember correctly. They are 1000RMS which would be great, but I'm not sure if they would perform to their full potential in a 3 cubic foot box, although it would work.

I just checked out reaudio.com, how would 2 12" XXX sound spl wise? Is it just me or does their website not have prices or ways to order? Does anyone know where I could order that sub from and how much it would be? Also, I don't see box specs for any of the subs, does anyone know the range of cf needed for a ported box for the XXX12? Would you guys recommend 2 of these subs with my amp(Autotek MX3000.1) and a ported box(I have 6cf total maybe a little less in the trunk), would this setup hit hard inside the car?

2 XXX would be ridiculously loud, especially if you ported them, which you could in 6cf.

No their website doesn't have prices, but I believe the 12" XXX is ~370 plus shipping, you can call them to order

RE prices vary, because if you have a dealer within 50 miles of you, you have to pay retail price. If not then they will sell it to you straight and you will get a much better deal

Prices without a dealer within 50 miles of you...
RE8- $49
RE10- $59
RE12- $69

SE10- $149
SE12- $169
SE15- $199

SX10- $239
SX12- $249
SX15- $269
SX18- $309

XXX10- $359
XXX12- $369
XXX15- $399
XXX18- $429

MT10- $409
MT12- $419
MT15- $449
MT18- $479

Prices if there is a dealer within 50 miles of you...
RE8- $99
RE10- $119
RE12- $139

SE10- $225
SE12- $250
SE15- $290

SX10- $350
SX12- $365
SX15- $410
SX18- $470

XXX10- $440
XXX12- $460
XXX15- $600
XXX18- $660

MT12- $599
MT15- $699
MT18- $799

So just hope there is no dealer near you. Chances are good, there aren't many RE dealers, but you may have to pay much more if there is one.

dang... my sub is worth 600 dollars?

Anyone know their phone number to order? I remember some of you guys sayin the Brahmas or XXX subs were on backorder or something, can anyone tell me if the XXX12's are on backorder? Does anyone know how long shipping takes and how much shipping is, with, and without backorder? Also, how can I tell if there's a dealer by me, I live in Chicago? How should I wire my amp to these subs to push them near their limits but not dangerously to the point where I risk blowing them? Lol and finally, are there box specs for these subs, SR20 you pretty sure I can make a loud setup with 6cf or just under for these subs ported? Thanks for the advise and help.

specs are on their site, and yes, being loud won't be a problem. With that amp and those subs and a proper ported box, you could hit 145-150dB easy

An XXX can easily take 2000RMS just don't go crazy with the gains. I have heard that those subs sound really good sealed at 3 cube's. So if you get two you might not want to go ported, the other option is to get a 15, or maybe even an 18, and port it. That would be insane

3 cubes is WAY too big for a XXX12 sealed, you're probably thinking 3 cubes for a 15, and even that is on the large side.

2.7 cubes for flat response in a car for the XXX15 according to BBpro ;)

Anyone have a phone number for RE that I can order subs from? Thanks

Haha nevermind I found the number. Still having trouble with box specs though, should I give it the full 6cf of space for the port or a little less? I'm going for more spl.

You would need the whole thing, ports take up a lot of room. I really don't know if you'll have enough space for it, each sub would need around 2-2.5cf, and then you add in a port with enough port area to get rid of any port noise, and you're at or above 6cf total (the port doesn't count as part of the volume, but it does increase the size of the box obviously). RE's recommendation is 5cf tuned to 35hz, but when you factor in the size of that port, the box is over 7cf.

I think a single ported XXX15 would be a better choice personally, stick it in about 3.5-4cf with a 33hz tune, and you'll be golden.

Yeah I agree. Go with one 15 XXX if you can fit it. Not only will it sound better with that amount of room, but not many people... well usual people have a 15 inch sub, they all think their 10 inch sony's are better than everything because it's red and says sony on it. I wish I could fit a 15... and I wish I could afford an XXX.

Hmm, now I'm stuck. How would 2 12's sound with 6cf? Would it sound good or like ass? I'd rather have 2 subs as opposed to 1 simply because I like the look of it better? Is the spl going to be significantly different between the 2 setups given my trunk space? If it is then I suppose I can compromise...

CocaCola-
dont you have a prelude? i can easily fit a 15" sub in mine........

Hmm, now I'm stuck. How would 2 12's sound with 6cf? Would it sound good or like ass? I'd rather have 2 subs as opposed to 1 simply because I like the look of it better? Is the spl going to be significantly different between the 2 setups given my trunk space? If it is then I suppose I can compromise...


The thing is you have 6cf going by external dimensions, once you add in sub displacement, the area taken up by the mdf, and the area needed for a port large enough to get rid of any port noise, you only have 3.5-4cf to work with. Technically it would work, but I think you'll have better results going with a single 15. You can give it the space it needs/deserves, you'll get similar output, your electrical system might actually be able to handle the draw, and you'll have the boner factor of owning a 15 (which IMO is at least as big, if not bigger than the boner of owning 2 12's).

pac4eva, you really put a 15 in the prelude, without removing the seats or spare tire? How'd you do it?

oh yeah, forgot, i did remove the spare tire

Regardless if I go with 1 15 or 2 12's, I have an optima yellowtop and a 5 farad cap. Would it be useful to switch to 0 gauge wire? I'm running 4 gauge right now. Would 0 make a big difference in sound and with the electrical system? Is switching to 0 gauge wire worth the hassle or should I stick with 4?

Also, would a 15" be good bass for playing music with. Some people have told me to get 12's as opposed to 15's if I'm playing music. When I say I'm going for spl I don't mean competition style, I only wanna be loud amongst my friends, I definitely still wanna be able to street beat. What do you guys think, how does bass sound compare between 12's and 15's? Your feedback is appreciated since I have no prior experience with 15's and absolutely wanna be sure that I make the right choice before I drop the loot.

2 12's with the same paramaters of one 15 with the same input power will be louder and slightly more precise than 1 15....good quality 15's such as DDaudio or RE or barahma (sp?) will have very little difference in sound quality betwen 12's and 15's....where as mainstream woofers such as audiobahn will actually sacrifice motor sencitivity for power handleing which, in most cases, causes a 15 to sound sort of muddy compared to a 12 of the same line...in theory a 15 should be more sensitive @1wx1m than 1 12 with the same motor and suspension design because there is more surface area for the woofer to push with the very little power previded....but mainstream companies, for some reason, think that if they make a 12 with an 88dB sensitivity @1wx1m and can handle 400w RMS then the 15 of that same line should be able to handle more...like say 500w RMS...but in order to do this they must sacrifice sensitivity....and sicne a 15 is already more sensitive than a 12 then they can afford that and have the 15 have an 88dB sensitivity also and make it sound like the 15 is better all around...when in actuality the 15 may be muddy...go to DDaudio.com (http://www.DDaudio.com) and look at any one of their woofers...a 10" woofer will have the same power handleing as a 15 but the 15 will be more sensitive...why? because the 15 has more surface to push wit hthe same motor and suspension...i have seen SQ set ups with a single 15....ive heard of SQ setups with a single 18....ive seen SPL set ups with 8's....basicly the more power, cone area, and sensitivity you have the louder your speaker will be...and 15's are fine for music...18's are fine for music....its not the sizeof a woofer its the company who makes it that determines whether or not a woofer is responsive enough for everday music listening....

what do u guys think of the kicker solox?

hmmm its soso....moves alot of air when you feed it the power it asks for....

2 12's with the same paramaters of one 15 with the same input power will be louder and slightly more precise than 1 15....good quality 15's such as DDaudio or RE or barahma (sp?) will have very little difference in sound quality betwen 12's and 15's....where as mainstream woofers such as audiobahn will actually sacrifice motor sencitivity for power handleing which, in most cases, causes a 15 to sound sort of muddy compared to a 12 of the same line...in theory a 15 should be more sensitive @1wx1m than 1 12 with the same motor and suspension design because there is more surface area for the woofer to push with the very little power previded....but mainstream companies, for some reason, think that if they make a 12 with an 88dB sensitivity @1wx1m and can handle 400w RMS then the 15 of that same line should be able to handle more...like say 500w RMS...but in order to do this they must sacrifice sensitivity....and sicne a 15 is already more sensitive than a 12 then they can afford that and have the 15 have an 88dB sensitivity also and make it sound like the 15 is better all around...when in actuality the 15 may be muddy...go to DDaudio.com (http://www.DDaudio.com) and look at any one of their woofers...a 10" woofer will have the same power handleing as a 15 but the 15 will be more sensitive...why? because the 15 has more surface to push wit hthe same motor and suspension...i have seen SQ set ups with a single 15....ive heard of SQ setups with a single 18....ive seen SPL set ups with 8's....basicly the more power, cone area, and sensitivity you have the louder your speaker will be...and 15's are fine for music...18's are fine for music....its not the sizeof a woofer its the company who makes it that determines whether or not a woofer is responsive enough for everday music listening....

So, your advice is to go with 2 12's? SR said that one 15 would be a better setup. Since both sizes have the same rms and what not, is it at this point that the size/design of the box and port kick in? If I'm not mistaken, SR said I'd be better with the 15 because I'd have the proper cf needed for 1 15 as opposed to 2 12's. I just want the subs to hit hard and not sound like crap, seems as though I can achieve this from either 1 15" or 2 12", correct? How good/bad would 2 12's really sound with my space available? If the difference is slim to nill, then I won't be as concerned as I am now. Also, what do you guys think about 0 gauge wire?

You CAN NOT make a 12XXX sound good ported with 3 cubic feet of space. You have to consider port area, woofer displacement, AND the wood. It won't happen. Go with one 15 considering the ammount of space. 0 guage wire would be good, but it probably isn't required.

i had the same decision too. i went with one 15" brahama because
1. its the best sound quality ive ever heard for a 15 and still fuckin loud!
2. its a 15!!!! not too many people have 15s
3. its much cheaper to go w/ 1 15, then 2 12s
4. you can port a 15 and still have more room
5. its a 15!!! did i mention that already?

2 12s would hit a little harder but the 15 is all you need

Well, whether you need 4 gauge or 0 gauge depends on whether you get 2 12's or a single 15. If you get a single 15 you'll only be taking 1500rms out of the amp, and 4 gauge should be fine for that, though it is on the upper limit of 4 gauge. If you got the pair then the amp would be putting out 3000rms, and you would definitely need at least one run of 0 gauge for that amount of power, not to mention an extremely large alternator.

Seriously, your electrical system can't handle a 3000rms amp, it doesn't matter whether a pair of 12's on 1500rms each would be louder than a 15 on 1500rms, because your electrical system simply cannot handle the draw required to actually get all 3000rms out of that amp.

Man, I don't mean to beat a dead horse but I'm still confused as to why 2 12's won't hit hard or sound good in my car. I know you guys said I didn't have enough cf of room but what is the range of cf needed to build a ported box for an XXX12? With my 3 12" L7's for instance, for maximum spl, each sub needed 3.25cf, the minimum space needed to build a ported box was 1.75cf. The 3 that I had in 3 separate ported boxes each were getting either 1.9 or 2cf, so a total of 6cf or near there for 3 subs, and it sounded pretty good, it hit hard, mid 140's I'd say, and wasnt too distorted even though I was nowhere near the max recommendations for cf space. What is the range of cfspace needed to build a ported box for an XXX12? Can I not have the same results if not better with 2 XXX12's that I had with the 3 L7's if I don't give the XXX12's the entire amount of cf needed per sub? I don't mean to come off as hardheaded, I just wanna get all the facts before I go out and buy something that I've never heard in my life.

http://www.reaudio.com/ has the specs for a single ported. Also try giving them an email. I don't know how it would sound compared to your 3 L7s, I have never heard L7s, but I personally love the sound of the XXX. Some say it is something you either love or hate.

Man, I don't mean to beat a dead horse but I'm still confused as to why 2 12's won't hit hard or sound good in my car. I know you guys said I didn't have enough cf of room but what is the range of cf needed to build a ported box for an XXX12? With my 3 12" L7's for instance, for maximum spl, each sub needed 3.25cf, the minimum space needed to build a ported box was 1.75cf. The 3 that I had in 3 separate ported boxes each were getting either 1.9 or 2cf, so a total of 6cf or near there for 3 subs, and it sounded pretty good, it hit hard, mid 140's I'd say, and wasnt too distorted even though I was nowhere near the max recommendations for cf space. What is the range of cfspace needed to build a ported box for an XXX12? Can I not have the same results if not better with 2 XXX12's that I had with the 3 L7's if I don't give the XXX12's the entire amount of cf needed per sub? I don't mean to come off as hardheaded, I just wanna get all the facts before I go out and buy something that I've never heard in my life.


you keep forgetting to count port displacement....if each of your L7s had 2cf, then your final box was not 6cf, it was 6cf plus the port, sub, and building material displacement. Assuming you had the significant amount of port area that you would have needed, you box would have easily been 8-9cf or more.

Or going the other way, if by external dimensions each sub had 2cf, you were giving them WAY less space that what you should have, because the actual volume of the box that the sub was seeing was closer to 1cf, which is much much much too small for those subs. If you had scrapped one of those L7s and built a correct box for the other 2, it would have had at least the output that the trio had, and it would have sounded much better in the process.

You cannot compromise and put a sub in a box that's too small for it just so you can add another, especially if you're talking about ported boxes. One sub in a correct box will sound 10x better than 2 subs in boxes that are too small for them, this is why we're telling you to go with the 15 because you cannot get the volume you would need to port a pair of 12's correctly.

Your right SR I'm not sure if the space available is 6cf or more. If I remeasure the trunk and post the specs could you calculate it to cf and then give me a final recommendation, that way I'll be close to having a definite choice on which size I will buy?

Also, any suggestions on what kind of port I should use? Right now I have a slot port for the L7's. Do different subs require different ports? Someone told me I should get arrow ports. Is this a good idea?

A slot port is fine, I'm not sure what an arrow port is.

what is an arrow port?
or do you mean aero port?

different subs don't necessarily require different ports, but the more volume the sub is capable of displacing, the larger the port will need to be so that all that extra air doesn't cause any noise. Also, a sub with a lower Fs can sound better with a lower tune than a sub with a high Fs, just by the way the sub retains its composure at lower frequency. But a 30hz box is a 30hz box, regardless of what sub you have in there.

You could remeasure and see how much room you have, but keep in mind this sub will have to fit through the opening to get into the trunk, so it can't be much wider than the hole or it won't be able to get into the trunk, even if it could technically fit in the trunk if you could somehow get it in there. Or you could build the box actually in the trunk, but you'd have no way to ever remove it without destroying it.

Anyway, going by RE's recommendation, you need over 4cf of space per sub to get a proper ported box (2.5cf plus port, if you do the math on their measurements it comes out to 4.2cf for the SQL box and unknown for the SQ box since they did their measurements wrong). If you look at the dual boxes, it's 6.6cf for SQ and 7.2cf for SQL

Does anyone have any experience or info on the Digital Designs 3500 series subwoofer? How do these campare to an RE XXX? Any recommendations between the 2? I was jut wondering because a friend suggested them and I don't have too much experience with Digital Designs except for another guy I know who has 2 18's which he uses for spl competitions only.

DD are generally more SPL oriented

Do DD subs sound good or do they lack sq? Right now I'm debating between the DD 3500's (possibly 2 12's) or the RE XXX's. Is there going to be a big sound difference both sq and spl between the RE's and DD's?

get one 15" xxx. you will be very happy

Do DD subs sound good or do they lack sq? Right now I'm debating between the DD 3500's (possibly 2 12's) or the RE XXX's. Is there going to be a big sound difference both sq and spl between the RE's and DD's?


the only DD subs with SQ worth mentioning are the 95xx IMO, the rest are really more SPL-oriented. I don't think the 3500 can even think about comparing to the xxx, but I've never heard it personally

Alright guys, hopefully this will be my last question on this topic. My friend offered me a Digital Designs 15" 9500 series sub(DD9500e) http://www.ddaudio.com/dd/caraudio/woofers.asp?series=9500e
for $350. Any thoughts if one of these with my availble trunk space will hit hard? Is this sub comparable the the XXX15? I'm still racking my brain because all I've dealt with is 12's and always more than 1, I wanna be absolutely certain that 1 15" will hit just as hard if not harder than multiple 12's before I make a decision that I can't go back on. Thanks a lot for all your guy's help. So, the final question is 15"XXX, 15" Digital Designs 9500 series, 2 12" XXX's, or 2 12" Digital Designs 3500 series, and why?

I would still get the 15 XXX

believe me output won't be a problem, let me put it this way. A friend of mine has a pair of 12w3v2s on a 500/1, and my single e12a on 800x1 easily smashes them in output (according to both me and him, his jaw dropped the first time he sat in my car). The XXX will have nearly twice the displacement and twice the power of my 12a....

Whichever setup I go with, I think I'm gonna need new interior speakers. I have some aftermarket ones right now but they're not the greatest, Sonys in the front and Pioneers in the back (can't remember the models of either). I also have a small Pioneer 4 channel amp(like 300 watts peak I think) for the 4 speakers. My question is should I buy a better pair of front speakers and bridge the amp to just those two and take out the rear speakers? Would I have enough highs and vocals from just two front speakers? Any recommendations for nice front speakers? I need 5 1/4 in the front and am looking to spend no more than $300 for a pair, possibly with tweeters. Also, would removing the rear speakers increase bass response, or is it a bad idea because the music will suffer?

CDT www.thezeb.com
I run the EF61Cfs and have never been happier. You don't have to spend that much money though ;)

Thanks Haibane, I'll look at some CDT 5.25's. Will 5.25 CDT's amped be ok if I remove the rear speakers, or should I leave the Pioneer 6x9's installed in the back?

Make some kickpods if you can and run 6.5s amped. As for if the 5.25s will be fine amped... depends on model. If you are talking coaxial go ahead and leave rears. If you are talking comp, do you want good front stage? if so nix the rears.

the only DD subs with SQ worth mentioning are the 95xx IMO, the rest are really more SPL-oriented. I don't think the 3500 can even think about comparing to the xxx, but I've never heard it personally

Digital Designs itsself isnt SPL oriented...they just give the customers what they want. The 3500 series is a tad bit less than the XXX series price wise...about the same SQ (depends on your ear really) and 1 XXX will be a tad bit louder than one 3500 series of the same size...but since the 3500's are cheaper its expected for them to be a tab bit quieter... both Resonant Engineering and Digital Designs are great companies... IMO they go hand in hand... Neither company brags about how good, just how loud, but both companies are good SPL and SQ companies, both win about the same amount of SPL competitions and SQ competitions...and as for the 2 12's v. 1 15....it all depends on how much room you have....since 2 12's have more cone area they will need more air space and will more than likely handle more power than 1 15....most people will be happy with either.... i personally would like 2 15's lol... takes a good mid and high to keep up with 2 12's lead alone 2 15's....if you only have 3 cuft a XXX 15 or 3515 will be great... but it will take alot of power to feed either.... of corse it would take just as much to feed 2 12's...its up to you...go listen to someones system with 2 12's and then go listen to 1 15.... the 15 will be a lil muddyer but not much if it is a good quality woofer...i think you will be very happy with either ocmpany and either size woofer...but like i said if 3 cuft is all you have then 1 15 will work well...yo uwil lactually ned about 3.5-4cuft of space since yo uwill then need calulate in port volume, enclosure bracing, and the wood you make the enclosure out of....if 3cuft of space is all you have period you mught think of going sealed or only have 1 12'' ported...

Alright guys, hopefully this will be my last question on this topic. My friend offered me a Digital Designs 15" 9500 series sub(DD9500e) http://www.ddaudio.com/dd/caraudio/woofers.asp?series=9500e
for $350. Any thoughts if one of these with my availble trunk space will hit hard? Is this sub comparable the the XXX15? I'm still racking my brain because all I've dealt with is 12's and always more than 1, I wanna be absolutely certain that 1 15" will hit just as hard if not harder than multiple 12's before I make a decision that I can't go back on. Thanks a lot for all your guy's help. So, the final question is 15"XXX, 15" Digital Designs 9500 series, 2 12" XXX's, or 2 12" Digital Designs 3500 series, and why?

a 9515 for 350....either he played the hell out of it and it is about to go, yo uare getting a very great deal, or it is very old...its probably #1...the 9500 sereis is in no way a SQ oriented woofer...thoes are the woofers DD uses in the teams that go to and win world SPL competitions under the monstor class.... it is equivelent to the RE MT series...comparing a 9500 series to the XXX series is like comparing a JL w7 to a JL w3

I have a few problems with some of the things you say like...
"the 15 will be a lil muddyer but not much if it is a good quality woofer"
Not necisarily true. Many people assume that because a 15 has more weight which is believed to slow it's movement down, but I believe that an 15 inch XXX could keep up with a 12. It depends how it is built.

also...
"since the 3500's are cheaper its expected for them to be a tab bit quieter"
No. I don't expect an XXX to be quiter than a W7 just because it's cheaper

"both win about the same amount of SPL competitions and SQ competitions"
What's that based on, have you researched every compitition they have been to... didn't think so

You contradict yourself a number of times, for example...
"since 2 12's have more cone area they will need more air space and will more than likely handle more power than 1 15"
"if you only have 3 cuft a XXX 15 or 3515 will be great... but it will take alot of power to feed either.... of corse it would take just as much to feed 2 12's"
Pick one big guy, you can't say both
A 10 inch XXX takes 1600RMS as does the 18 inch XXX so obviously, same for the 12 and 15. How can you say it would take just as much power to feed 1 15 as it would to power 2 12's?

I don't mean to argue, well maybe a little, but I have read alot of the things that you write, and much of it is wrong.

your not getting what i am saying...i am saying that 2 12's WILL be louder than 1 15...but a 15 will be pretty loud... comparing JL to DD or RE is retarded... JL is good quality but they over charge...that has been established time and time agian... the guy who asked the question obviously isnt seasoned stereo installer so i was telling him why a XXX is slightly more expensive than a 3500... if i where to tell him that they where the same he would be like WTF and immediatly buy the 3500...but since the 3500 IS NOT as loud as the XXX but is still a very good woofer...and why dont you go look at some dB drag results over the years...4 companies that dominate... Kicker, Audiobahn, RE and DD...kciker and audiobahn only because they ARE SPL oriented and have far more resources money wise than most teams using DD or RE since teams using DD or RE dont get full factory sponsorship....and as far as SQ...when you have herd as mand systems as i have yo ucan tell what woofers sound like what...but my deff of SQ may be diff from yours or anyone elses...i have also said that DD and RE use the same motors on all size woofers and there for have the same powerhandleing where as other companies sacrifice sensitivity in the larger woofers motors for greater power handleing since larger woofers automaticly have better sensitivity since there is more cone area to move with the power provided...the XXX series and the 3500 series will take alot of power...but in order for 2 12's to make the same readings as 1 15 the 2 12's wont need as much power...i dont base how much power to put on a woofer on its maximum power handleing...i base it on what will sound the same compared to a different woofer or number of woofers...its like 1 12 with 1000w will be just as loud as 2 12's with 500w... as far as 15;s being slightly more muddly than 2 12's....this will always be true...the larger surface area makes the woofer more sensitive but also makes the motor have just that much more air to push...the difference will be so minimal in some cases that yours an my ears cant tell at all but it is and always will be there....

kicker and audiobahn dominate? Been to a big car show lately? Most the stuff I see is RF and audiobahn... I rarely see kicker as much anymore.

^^^or kicker used to dominate... :-/ they would be great woofers if they were a tad more sensitive... even the comp CVR's will move some air if you get enough power on them to get past that ultra over rated sensitivity....

cvrs are fun. Bahns Qs sound much better IMO

In refernce to the DD 9500 15". He's selling it because world finals for db drag are coming up and he wanted to get it reconed to an 18" but decided it was more economical to just buy the 18's. The subs are only 2 months old and have only been used for competitions. I want the sub strictly for music and street beating, not competing. So the grand finale of this question, 1 DD 9500 15", or 1 RE XXX 15"? 1 15" won't be muddy or sound like ass right?

neither sub will be muddy or sound like ass...if you have the money to buy the amp to power the 9500 all power to ya....it'll be so damn loud any sound difference between that and the xxx 15 wont matter.... i still vote 3500 but since your final question is 9500 v. XXX... id say the 9500 if you got the cash to buy the power with a clean amp or if yo udont just buy the XXX....i geuss yo ucan say im a DD head.... lol