[Iamsecond]

I agree about jl. They are innovators for sure and jl stuff is and always been amazing. As a matter of fact I still run 2 jl 10w0 4 in my 4Runner at the moment on a sundown 1000. I have had sd3, sa,e etc but we keep selling them so I just put these in. I bought them for my son but am using them until I finish his install. I like them. but I am also waiting for the si be mkiv to come out. That being said you can get great sound when your dealing with good stuff. They all have strengths and weaknesses perse but it comes down to budget and space and power available.

 

[jaandrade79]

I was just having a little fun. I love my sub. I looked at sundown but they didn't have a shallow enough sub. As far as I can tell the JL is the best 12" I could find with that shallow a mount. It barely fits under the back seat and my kids still have a little leg room. But dad pounds!

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[Iamsecond]

Also to op you can get 2 x12 for less than 1jl 13w7.
That being said the sundown really needs at least the 2000. It can handle 3000 but you have to be careful.

 

[Icecube91]

So what are the main differences I am gonna see between a JL 13W7 on a JL HD 1200 amp and a Sundown X 12 on a Sundown 2000D amp? Im looking sounds wise on rap music. Will the X kill just the lows and not be good in the higher range like 50-60hertz? and will the JL be good all around sub that can hit any note lows and especially the higher notes better than the X?

 

[diy.phil]

I was a huge JL fan, got up to the W6v3 amongst others. ... Living in the UK, since the Brexit decision last year the price of JL gear has jumped up. .... In terms of competition, I think JL priced itself out of the market a long time ago. I love some JL gear, but ...
Sorry JL, but until you bring out something that can equal or better the competition, and for a reasonable price, I'd chose Sundown all day every day!

(sorry, many post trimming here, hopefully it didn't mess up your message)
hey there, over here the JL stuff is appropriately/reasonably priced. If it's in the UK due to the Brexit and geopolitical/exchange rate situation, that will certainly make it quite nasty as you have mentioned!

 

[DavidRam]

So what are the main differences I am gonna see between a JL 13W7 on a JL HD 1200 amp and a Sundown X 12 on a Sundown 2000D amp? Im looking sounds wise on rap music. Will the X kill just the lows and not be good in the higher range like 50-60hertz? and will the JL be good all around sub that can hit any note lows and especially the higher notes better than the X?

I can't speak for JL, but the Sundown will do very well in the higher range, too. There is now reason why it wouldn't...

 

[captainscarlett]

(sorry, many post trimming here, hopefully it didn't mess up your message)
hey there, over here the JL stuff is appropriately/reasonably priced. If it's in the UK due to the Brexit and geopolitical/exchange rate situation, that will certainly make it quite nasty as you have mentioned!

You could say that I've jumped to conclusions and that the price hike is just a natural part of JL's pricing strategy, but in conjunction with the Hertz price hike and Brexit i think they're all to close not to be linked. commentators said that the cost of living would go up from food to Pertrol (gas) and you could say it's only a 30% for us UK enthusiasts. But when said widget cost £150, 30% starts to look a bit costly. If it were a can of Baked Beans, I might not have noticed ... because i can't stand baked beans

So what are the main differences I am gonna see between a JL 13W7 on a JL HD 1200 amp and a Sundown X 12 on a Sundown 2000D amp? Im looking sounds wise on rap music. Will the X kill just the lows and not be good in the higher range like 50-60hertz? and will the JL be good all around sub that can hit any note lows and especially the higher notes better than the X?

I would say both output and SQ. I've never been that impressed by the W7, i've not heard the 13 in particular.

As for amps, I don't think quoting a figure is all there is to amps. I found the Alpine amps i had, whilst sounding good and looking good on the spec sheet, left me wanting when it came to using them for my sub-stage. I found my JL amps gave a more meaty sub-stage in comparison my Alpine amps. But i would say the same when comparing the HD to a Sundown sub-stage. Don't let the huge 'Tire Inner-tube' surround of the Sundown and the huge looking garish amps fool you into thinking it can't do a bit of SQ. And when it comes to both SPL and SQ, again I've yet to hear a JL better Sundown.

 

[Icecube91]

So you think both will be loud. Im coming from 2 12" JL Audio W0 on a Alpine 500watt amp. So i want a single sub now. Do you think the 13 W7 will have a bit less output than the Sundown X but will have better SQ? And for the Sundown it will kill the lows over the W7 but might not have good upper bass?

 

[captainscarlett]

SQ is subjective, loudness by ear is also somewhat subjective. I find a that your average enthusiast has a problem distinguishing between low bass and loud bass and more often than not will choose the latter. It's like those who can't distinguish between Loudness and SPL (Drag comps)

Not saying anyone here is 'average'. Of course the alignment is near top priority. Stick the Sundown in a .60 cu ft sealed enclosure (if it could fit) and you stuck the 13W7 into a perfect alignment then the JL will come out on top. All things being relatively equal however, which more or less what i did with the W6v3 and SA-12, and the SA was a clear and streaks ahead winner over the JL. But of course that's my experience.

For me budget is important and I see know reason to pay more money for less performance on all subjective fronts. You might have a JL fanboy that will disagree, but I'm not a fanboy for anything other than my wallet and getting the most for as little outlay as possible ... and on that level, again, JL simply does not cut the mustard.

The W7 is a nice driver, i'm not here to say it's not. But for me the few 12 W7's that i have experienced just left me thinking ... meh. Someone else might latch onto and scream that it's the best thing since sliced bread. For me it was an average to less than average performer. If one think the W7 is where it's at, I would suggest getting out more. Now conversely I've never tried the 8W7 ... but it's still on my 'buy & try before I die' list

 

[Icecube91]

Im thinking of going to the Sundown X 12. What do you think will run the sub the best a Sundown 2000D or a American Bass VFL 120.1

 

[captainscarlett]

Hands up I don't know much about American bass, but I try and go for quality not quantity

This is what Gordon the amp Doctor told me

The entry level Hifonics stuff for example the BXI1608D is pretty shoddy inside. I'd guess that they spend more on the chrome and LED's than on the circuit board, and a colleague in the US has had similar issues.
The Foil on the board is thin and blows like a fuse so repairs become a major headache.

The XX Maximus is good quality but I'd have thought it was out of his budget range.

The Sundown, DD and DLS are all better built than either HiFonics or Audiobahn. All show, no go...

I don't know if American Bass falls into the the HiFonics & Audiobahn side of things, but it seems like he's pretty ok with Sundown.

 

[DC/Hertz]

American bass is good if you stick to the Big silver VFL amps.

 

[AyOne]

Im thinking of going to the Sundown X 12. What do you think will run the sub the best a Sundown 2000D or a American Bass VFL 120.1

Again, I would go with the Sundown. I have never used an American Bass but I couldn't be happier with my Sundown amp. They would probably be my first choice in a sub amp if I were looking for another one. Great value.

 

[wsvc206]

JL Audio

 

[Iamsecond]

the x12 will make you a happy camper with rap.

 

[Ericm1205]

I would go Jl as well but not the W7. Go for the W6 instead. I had a pair for a few year in a sealed box. They are thight bass and good SQ subs and also will do rap really well my girl loves EDM and they dig down and play all that electronic bass. Plus they only need 500-600 watt rms max. So you done need a massive amp for them.

I did listen to a few sundowns. I am a fan. They are good products. But for me, I need space and 500 watts per is a def win win.
I bought a third W6 and I am building a 4th order box for all 3 via jl audio specs.
Sealed side only needs 2.25 cuft and ported is 2.4 cuft with an 8" port 10" long.
Which will only take up half my trunk.
Don't know many subs can use that small of 4th order..

I'm also a fan of PSI subs. Customize it. But they are power hungry.
And Skar are awesome as well. Cheaper of all and need less watts of most too.

Also Steve mead tested these Russian 12's called Pride Audio. The sheer size and build quality were impressive.

Anything with a good clean amp will sound good.

 

[mmiller]

JL Hands down. if anyone thinks any Sundown sub has better tonality, attack and decay, you need your ears checked. Seriously.

 

[Hoye0017]

I see threads like this and consistently any anti-JL sentiment seems to be based on price. You always see phrases like "not worth it for the money" or "you could get 2 of X for the same price". Typically these phrases go with other phrases like "they will sound great but..." or "they're amazing but..." Often there are price quotes and discussion about how that money could be spent elsewhere. I swear no one ever just flat out says they don't like them.

What does this say to me? JL makes a quality product that can consistently meet or exceed expectations in pretty much any application...as long as you have the dough.

So OP, if you have the means, go JL. My personal experience matches what others have said here: Unless you can build a perfect ported box or give a Sealed W7 more than 1200w, go with the W6 instead. W6's always sound good and get loud. I've owned or heard a lot of them, all the way back to the 1st gen and have never been disappointed.

 

[jaandrade79]

I had my voice altered once by a ride in a friend's civic. He had 2-12s on a JL amp and it just absolutely slammed! I was riding in the back seat and when i got out of the car the first few sentences I said where in a different voice. I was surprised and we had a good laugh. At that point I was sold on JL. We also had 2 old school JL w6 8s on a 1000 Memphis audio amp in a tiny box installed in our kenworth w900 front seat. They didn't have the best low frequency but they hit so hard I was impressed and we loved them. You could hear them slamming when the truck was running and it had a CAT engine. I now rock my thin JL 12" and enjoy it on my 90 mile round trip to work. Was laughing and listening to old Nelly E.I. the other.

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