Thats a tough call due to the HO box in the mix. But I would go for the 13. "No replacement for displacement." And research that spec box, It may not be optimal. Companies tend to down size the boxes to make it more appealing. Nice choice.
i can tell you the JL13W7 is incredible. the SPL they produce is amazing. I built the ported box for one that was in the JL manual and had it in my small hatchback and my entire hatch would raise up and down from the flex. the wing on my car would flap like wings on a bird. the subs are very well built, just be sure to feed them with plenty of clean power.
The H.O. box for the 12 is so large that it already restricts what applications it can be used in, so I assume the 13.5 H.O. box would just be ridiculously large and impractical in most installs. Basically, I guess JL figured it wouldn't sell because it would be fuggin' massive.
im a nobody, just like everyone on internet forums... haha, i wasnt talkin sh*t i just read both posts and the 2nd was funny cuz you said it like 3 times in one post...
i believe peak RMS on the JL13W7 is 2000. they do a graph on their website showing from weakest to strongest rms they can hold. 1000 is ideal, 1500 rms would really rock them. and yeah the box for just one is rather large. not to mention the weight. i had just one in a ported box and it must have weighed over 100 pounds. have you ever seen a 13W7 in person? theyre massive.
The 12W7 weighs 45 pounds, 12W7 HO box weighs 119, the 13W7 weighs 52 pounds, a 13W7 HO box would weigh roughly like 137 pounds. That's a little unreasonable to ship/make/install/etc. I've heard a 13W7 sealed, 13W7 ported, and a 12W7 HO and I can say that the 13W7 ported gets louder than the 12W7 in the HO for sure, but the HO box helps the 12W7 to hit every single frequency perfectly. I talked to the JL techs and they said the 12W7 is equivalent to about 4 12W3V3s while the 13W7 is equivalent to about 5 12W2V3s (SPL wise) so the 13 is not remarkably louder, soooo.... haha long story short, if you have the room, go with the 12W7 unless you're going for numbers in which case, you might wanna head a different route bc the W7 is not your budget spl woofer.
Like I said the 13w7 require a smaller box than the 12w7 HO. Grab the 13w7 build it .5 cube larger than JL specs tune round 30 and slot port that baby and be happy. Mine you the 12w7 ho hits the notes but dont hit the low lows plus if you make your own box I think it looks a whole lot bananas than a over the counter box that everybody can purchase. My opinon.
Well im trying to put it in a Montero Sport. I really wasn't looking much for SPL, but more SQ, that's why I was going with JL. My budget is around $2,000. I went to Tweeter (a local audio shop) and they gave me a price quote for $1,600 for a 12 in a H.O. box with a 1000 watt amp and about $1,900 for the 13 in a custom ported box. Does this sound resonable?
Yea, but that also includes installation box and wiring. The only reason I was perfering JL because I heard it was top of the line at this moment. Do you have any other suggest on a set up then?
for sound quality, get a Fi Q for about 250 shipped or so, have fisher or phil from woodlawn build you a custom box, and someone can recommend a good 1000 watt amp for ya...maybe a RD1000.1 or somethin a lil less expensive
then go get it hooked up at a good shop, guarantee you thatll be under 2000
JL is good, and theyre W7 line is their best sub, yes, but take it from me, i've been there. i thought i was going to have this amazing system when i bought 2 13w7's for my small car and ended up not being very happy with them. i too want SQ rather than SPL and w7's are SPL subs. if you want SQ or if u want loudness and SQ, SQL, go with some Fi's, like i'm going to be getting a FI Q. they make those in many sizes according to your preference or if u wanted to stick with JL and go cheaper plus get SQ check out their w6 line.
