Kicker New Solo-Classic s12c review

[rexroadj]

Ok, just got the call from the local store that my new sub was in.....My first real system was 2 kicker solo 12s (round) and loved it. I ended up with a total kicker setup resolution seperates, 1 kicker 160ss on each sub and a mcintosh on the seperates. That truck ended up in one of there catalogs somewhere between 96-98. I have not really cared much for the newer stuff, but that is just based on the occasional car I am willing to get into or soundboard. I did like the ss series seperates though. I am hopefully picking up my new qs seperates Monday and hope to get a review of those up next week. Ok, I am not going to do any #s test on this for a few reasons. #1 is because I do not have any equipment for proper testing, #2 I dont usually care to much for them to a degree. (just me, I know tons of you guys live and die by them, nothing wrong with that its just not me)#3 most of whats important are listed on there website or in a manual and I guess you just have to trust they are accurate. Asside from the logo nothing looks like the old solos...... I would be willing to bet the cone is almost bullet proof....If I dont like it I will pull out the 45 and test the theory I am going to try and be as unbiased as humanly possible knowing full well how bad I want it to sound like the old ones, I am however extremely suspect. I took some pics. for all to see, it is nice, not overly heavy and appears well built. It is going in my ram quad cab center console enclosure downfiring. After bracing the sub should have exactly .88 to run with give or take .02+/-
Source unit-excelon ddx-812
sub amp-rockford t600.2 (around 800 watts 4ohms mono. it will be run at 2 ohms, and is fully stable but not sure of actual output at that load)This amp is no joke!
Components today are A/D/S 346is mids, and kicker rd25 tweets active off
Mcintosh 404 and ppi dcx-730 processor.
I am putting it in NOW. so I will evaluate the listening test as time allows over the weekend. Wish me Luck!!

[DIYMA]

[rexroadj]

Ok, I really did not get much listening in, but the first some that was on the radio when I turned it on was......Cant touch this by mc hammer. If that is not a sign that this thing is going to be like the old ones then I dont know what is. I also decided after laughing for a few minutes that I would try some more old school hip hop...out came LL cool J. the track "doin it" starts out with a pretty quick but mild beat and then holy hell breaks loose with a serious base line that drops a few octaves every second or so....My ass actually hurt....The output is easily more then the old ones, no comparison. It also had great attack. I know they say those cones take a good deal of break in time so I will have to be patient. I just played with it for output and low frequency ability. Just like the old ones they are also fantastic low rumblers... I will update as it breaks in and I do more real music testing so I can evaluate just how good or bad it is.

[King Nothing]

I wish these sub manufacturers would get back to using plain cones. The extruded plastic just looks like crap.

[rexroadj]

Yeah they are not pretty

[King Nothing]

The basket side looks great. If the cone looked like the old solos it would be a great looking sub, not that thats what matters

[rexroadj]

well especially for me, its downfiring in my center console.

[rexroadj]

After a little more listening, its not the most musical performer....yet. This could get much better as it breaks in, in fact it kinda sounds like that is the problem. I think even as it is with some eq-ing it might be fine. I do think that to get all you can out of this sub broken in or not you need some HEAVY duty mids. I dont think 6.5"s are going to cut it. But we will see. Maybe something like the 608gti mids or prs720 would hold up. It is fun so far to just crank it and hear rattles I did not know existed or create ones I thought were not going to be a problem. Its got BALLS!
I will update as I get more time on it and some real critical listening with some real music.

[rexroadj]

Well after some more break in time, and some tweaking it is starting to blend in MUCH better. It still sounds a little mechanical but has only got about 4 legit hours of break in time. Not really much I dont think. Anyway it is getting better. I will keep updating if anyone cares.

[fish]

Originally Posted by rexroadj

Well after some more break in time, and some tweaking it is starting to blend in MUCH better. It still sounds a little mechanical but has only got about 4 legit hours of break in time. Not really much I dont think. Anyway it is getting better. I will keep updating if anyone cares.

I'm interested in how these compare to the originals

[rexroadj]

I am planning on picking up an old one for comparison actually. God I loved those, but again it was my first real system so there is some bias there too! I will update when I get some more real listening and get some real quality music to it.

[clbolt]

If you want the classic sound without the ugly cone, you could always go with a Credence "S" series (or maybe the "Classic" series, I'm not quite sure which one is correct)...

[rexroadj]

I used to have the credence series of solos a while back too, there are the exact same sub thats for sure. I have looked on there website recently but its tought to tell now which one is which because the specs dont look the same and they show completely different pics for each size sub. It looks like the 10s are differenct from the 12s etc...... I will think about it but I can always find the original solos around

[clbolt]

THe "C" series are confusing for sure. The 12" doesn't look anything like the rest of the line, and has that stupid blue cone. The "Classic" line looks more like it's the right one, with the baskets and cones matching through the sizes. It also has a stitched surround. I'd just email and ask what's the current name of the "CSS" line.

[rexroadj]

Cool, let me know. I had just glanced before. Yeah that blue stuff isnt helping anyone!

[rexroadj]

Well I got some more listening on sunday. I chose to listen to the Van Morrison cd (a night at the movies) I like his stuff because it is always quality recording and various types of bass lines etc..... fast, deep, etc..... This sub played that album as well as any other sub I have heard. It was very very articulate, blended nicely and for the first time showed great musical qualitys. I now have a very large list of songs I will try and actually grade the sub with. I will probably end up selling it sooner then later because I have others on the list I want to try.....or I might hold onto it and still try out others. But it is showing some promise. I would love to hear the 8s!

[rexroadj]

Got some very good listening in today, and yesterday. Here is what I listened to and my thoughts on the performance.

Michael Bubble` For anyone that does not know of who he is......He is kind of a throw back from the old rat pack days. He has a great voice, I would say perhaps a female Diana Krall of sorts. The performance consisted of mostly rat pack cover songs, with the full big band effect. With all the great jazz percussion, and upright bass the sub needs to be articulate and realistic without any BOOM. Well I must say this sub kept up great, sounded right, and was actually transparent in the system (a quality I look for) It carried every nuance with ease and was gracefull in doing so. I was really impressed when I put this disc in.

Next up......
A compilation of Eric Clapton, some acoustic, some live, and some just classic. It was a hole lot of the same. It was no one note wonder that people tag kicker with, it still has a little extra oompf in the real low gut wrenching sections of the music. It is the only time it stands out in the truck, its been so long since I had a sub capable of that its still kinda fun for me. My eq is dead flat (as it usually is, I almost always have great luck with placement and xover and dont really require any) I am sure a few cuts here and there and you are all set. I think the bulk of the world would have the sub much more exposed (cranked) then I would. I have cranked the sub output a bit here and there to get my kicks. I have been changing out components a few different times throughout the whole demo session with this sub, which I thought would be bad but turned out I got to really see what this sub could do with different setups. I have had it crossed as low as 50 and as high as 85. It was actually not bad at all at 85, I did not expect it to be that capable. I usually keep subs crossed pretty low.
I was going through some random songs that I had to demo. One of the greatest treats yet was.........brace yourself.................dont smirk............................................. ...
Michael Jackson's Billy Jean This song has one of the best synthetic bass lines out there. It was awesome. I think I will hold on to this sub for a while.
You have to show some real patience with it. The day I hooked it up, I almost pulled out the 45acp to see if it was really bulletproof. It sucked!!! After a while and lowering the gains a ton, it really settled in and became quite a nice sub. For the price I am sure the will be listed at online I would say it is a worthy candidate especially for someone wanting SQL. Again this is all my opinion, check one out for your self, but I do think you will be suprised. I can not however call it a clone of the old ones. Way more output, and I cant take my old solo's off my favorite old school sub pedistal

[fish]

The new version has more output?

[fish]

Sorry, nice review by the way. I was a little skeptical how these would turn out.

[rexroadj]

I would say a good amount more output capability, but when it gets louder then the old ones is where it starts to own the newer reputation if you know what I mean!

[Erik4Danielle]

I was running the same sub and it sounded great.

[olly01]

I had a 10" Solobaric in my MK3 Golf and have never found a better sub that plays in a tiny enclosure. Thanks for a great review and bringing back the memorys.

[typericey]

Originally Posted by King Nothing

I wish these sub manufacturers would get back to using plain cones. The extruded plastic and ribbed surround just looks like crap.

Fixed

[wdemetrius1]

Very nice review. I am glad that I held on to my brand new Solos from 14 years ago.

[rexroadj]

Thanks for the responses about the review. It really is not as detailed as I normally do but I have been really busy and with the long breakin time as well as it being a sub I just didnt have the motivation. But just to semi update. I am really enjoying it! I have started to put in a oz audio 3way set and it has a killer midbass so I have it xover really low. This really helps the solo do what it does best.... Low freq. beefcake, and it now blends really well. Best of all I really (as well as passengers) cannot locate the sub in my truck (aside from the fact that I am the one that put it where it is)
I will plan on doing a very detailed review on the oz 3way at some point. First I have to have time to do the quality instal, then really put it through the paces. Right now I just put it in place where the last dozen 2 way sets were. They are running active off a ppi dcx-730 and lovin it. Cant wait to put in the midrange, the only potential problem is that I will be using the passives (something I have not done since the late 90s)

[danssoslow]

This is the old solo line, isn't it?