Best and Worst: Car Subwoofers

I get a great deal out of enjoyment from driving in my car, something that doesn’t necessarily appeal to everyone. Recently, I drove from Los Angeles all the way to Seattle, Washington, a three-day trek I completed entirely by myself. I’ll admit this endeavor took a fair amount of patience on my part, but the trip was made quite nice by a steady supply of good music. I’m lucky enough to have some nice speakers in my car, so the quality of sound is always nice while listening to music on the drive. Today we’re going to compare two different subwoofers, the MTX Audio TR4512-04 and the Audiobahn AW121T Flame Excursion. Both of these subwoofers are designed for optimal car use.

BEST: MTX Audio TR4512-04
The MTX Audio subwoofer provided the best sound quality of the two. While installation and wiring for car stereos is best handled by a professional, unless you really know what you’re doing, the quality of this unit is well worth the price of installation. Crisp bottom end provided loud and deep bass lines, with lower frequencies penetrating the audio mix but never overwhelming the trebles. On a variety of different styles, from rock to rap, the MTX Audio subwoofer was solid and clear. The 12 speaker can handle up to 400 watts, and it’s stylish polypropylene cone was free from volume-related distortion at some serious noise levels. ?Priced at just over $100, it’s a great deal, meaning you won’t have to break the bank to have quality bass from your in-car audio system.
Worst: Audiobahn AW121T Flame Excusrion
Audiobahn touts their flame-casing design as being one of the highlights of this subwoofer, which is a 12 cone with some nice chrome finishing. While it’s less expensive than the MTX model, priced around $80, the difference is very noticeable.  At low volume levels, the Audiobahn unit performs adequately, providing a more staccato sound than the MTX that is a bit treble-heavy for a subwoofer. ?However, once the volume starts turning up, this subwoofer loses ground quickly. Distortion at moderate volume levels becomes a big concern, and the unit begins to rumble in a way the MTX woofer did not. ?At levels where the MTX was performing perfectly well without distortion, this speaker was buzzing and vibrating, making it detrimental to the overall sound. ?Some reviews offer up complaints of blowing the speakers at a 300 watt load, meaning you have to be careful with it at higher volume levels.
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