Are spl subwoofers any good?

Do SPL subwoofers lose clarity?

• I hear people saying FI and Power acoustik Mofo's serious suck people they don't have clarity because they are SPL subs. But is that true? Because I have 2 12 mofos and I think they are pretty clear. And that guy steve meades FI's are SPL subs and they sound amazing. I guess it's just up to the person? Whether you want it loud or to add just some bass? Anybody use SPL subs that would agree or disagree? Anybody with non SPL subs that would agree or disagree?

• Answer:

  What people fail to realize sometimes, is that SPL and SQ is not mutually exclusive. Just because you have a SPL subwoofer does not mean that it can not be quite musical. Also, just because you have a sound quality sub , does not mean it is not capable of producing high spl. When you get right down to the overall mechanical and and electrical logistics of a subwoofer, some are optimized to function at peak on certain notes. This is where the sound pressure level sub and the sound quality sub differences may happen. From my understanding, sound quality sub woofers play almost all hertz levels that it is designed for equally well,. Also ,the frequency response on the sound quality woofers tends to be a little longer. Spl subs tend to have a shorter frequency response,and are optimized to play certain lower notes quite well. I have owned both types. I currently have a spl subwoofer in my car, and it does play higher notes ok. It does not play them as well as my sq sub woofer did, but my sq sub was a low end monster. It was nowhere near as beastly as my spl sub though. I have heard those MOFOs you have and they can be down right ugly when wired up correctly and in the proper enclosure. They don't sound bad, but what I think people are talking about is the muddiness of the bass they tend to throw on certain notes. The FI subs are of a higher quality build, and the bass tends to be a lot tighter, but is a little muddy on certain notes. The people who say they"Suck" may be sound purist, and want to hear the subtle nuances of every note. What it all boils down to is buy and use what you like. So I guess I disagree. No speaker really is to bad for some one to buy and love.It is like wine, some people love Cabernet Sauvignon while others love Mad Dog 20/20, but in the end they will both get you drunk.LOL