I was asking this question a few days ago and was told to look into Elemental Designs...I did some research on them and they got nothing but good reviews everywhere...I think they are a internet only company so you won't find their stuff in a retail store. They have 2 or 3 different lines of subs, and I think one of their lines is under $100. Their website is here:

http://www.edesignaudio.com/edv2/index.php

I just picked up one of the K series subs. As soon as all my stuff comes in, I'll be installing it and I'll try to give a little review.

You can order their stuff straight from their website or try to find something on ebay....I got mine off of ebay. A guy was selling 4 brand new ones that he never got a chance to install,so I got one for a good deal.

Another option would be to pick up a JL Audio w0...it's their bottom line, but if I recall that amp you have is only going to push about 100 watts rms...and this sub has an RMS rating of like 125 watts...so that's about as close as you'll get with the amp you chose. Here is a link to one for sale on ebay.

http://cgi.ebay.com/JL-Audio-12inch-...QQcmdZViewItem

 

What's a key spec for a sub?

Like for the amp, I was told it should be bridgable, built-in crossover, & 50x4 or more

 

it varies...and can get really technical. Your best bet is to pick something that has a good rep....and for the "most" part, you get what you pay for in Mobile Audio. One thing I will tell you to look for is the recommended enclosure type for the sub and the recommended volume range for the enclosure. Generally if you want "tighter" bass that's "punchier" and generally more accurate for faster beats such as rock music...you'll want a sealed enclosure. If you want "boomier" bass you need to go with a vented enclousre of some sort. Your easiest bet is to go with a sealed enclosure. I believe that 12" JL audio w0 is recommened to have a sealed box with 1.0 cu. ft. - 1.25 cu. ft....or somewhere in there. So for the tightest bass, you'd want to get a 1.0 cu. ft. enclosure. Sealed boxes also generally have a flatter response throughout the frequency range...meaning a 40hz note will be just as loud as a 50hz note. It gets alot more technical, and isn't really necessary for your purposes

Vented boxes are generally have what I call a sweet spot. They're usually tuned to a certain frequency, which means notes at or around that frequency will be louder than notes above or below that chosen frequency. Vented boxes are also usually much larger than sealed boxes because they require a larger amount of air space to operate.

Anyway, that's a basic explanation of your 2 main catagories of enclosure.

 

Elemental Designs vs. TC Sounds

pros? cons?

comparisons?

anything?

 

Can't help you on that one...I've never heard Elemental Designs for myself, but I will be soon when I get all the pieces for the little system I'm doing for my tII...I'll try to remember to give a little review on them after I've got it done.

 

I used to troll the audio forums quite a bit and I've never heard of TC Sounds. My ED stuff is great though, I'm actually thinking about stepping up to the 13Ov2's, "just to see." My 13Kv2's are great though, they pound and can hit every song I've played on them so far.