JL Audio 12w3 v2
The JL Audio w3 line of subs has been popular in the US and all around since their 1998 release. They are well known for their linear excursion/high output capabilities as well as sound quality and durability. The new w3v2 line is an improved version with a rated 50 watts more power handling, a new rubber mounting surround and a dust cap that doesn’t fall off (apparently a lot of the old ones lost their dust caps).
Although they are moderately priced compared to the w6v2 and w7 lines, they are a perfect sub for anyone looking for JL Audio quality in a mid to high power sub. They work well in ported or sealed enclosures, handle high amounts of power and will sound great doing it.
They are rated at 300 watts rms. JL recommends between 100 and 600 watts rms (300 watts being optimal) and anything above 600 watts voids the warranty. They are very efficient drivers and don’t need a lot of power to get them moving but this obviously depends on enclosure type, size etc. I would only recommend giving them 600 watts rms in a very small sealed enclosure and up to around 400-450 watts in a larger sealed or ported enclosure.
Test vehicles:
Vehicle #1
1993 Honda Integra Sedan (boot), single 12w3v2 in a 1.5 cubic foot sealed enclosure running off a Kicker 300.4 (using 2 rear channels bridged) getting a rated 150 watts rms at 4ohm
This car is fairly big, has a big boot, factory 6 x 9’s in the parcel tray and the rear seats do not fold down. This install worried me a little because of the limited power I had to work with (150 watts rms), the fact that the customer wanted a sealed enclosure and because it was going into a car boot with no openings into the cabin for the bass to get through.
After installing the headunit and amp, working on the front doors and setting up the front stage, I built a 1.5 cubic foot sealed enclosure (max recommended sealed size for the 12w3v2) for maximum efficiency and hooked it up. I initially placed the sealed box in the middle of the boot facing the rear seats with about 10cm gap between the sub and the seats (facing front) and auditioned it for the first time. The output amazed me for the amount of power it was getting. It had very clean response, decent spl and the low end extension was amazing! The sound was not overpowering or too loud or peaky, just balanced, very listenable and accurate. Perfect for everyday listening with all types of music. I knew that taking the rear speakers out would just make it better, so I did and also faced the sub backward. The opening into the cabin cleaned the sound up a lot and facing it backward increased spl significantly to the point where it was too much for his liking. We were both impressed.
Vehicle #2
1994 Honda Integra 2door hatch, single 12w3v2 in a 1.1 cubic foot sealed enclosure running off a JL 500/1 getting a rated 500 watts rms at 4ohm
This is my vehicle. At the time, I had a JL 500/1 powering the 12w3v2 and Kicker Resolution 6″ components getting roughly 120 watts rms per side from an Alpine v12 amp. I had a 1.1 cubic foot sealed enclosure and a 2 cubic foot ported enclosure tuned to 32 Hz which I switched between back and forth depending on my music for the week.
The amp is a little too big for that sub so I had to watch the gains on the amp, especially with the ported box.
It is not designed to be an spl sub but is still impressive in a ported box. The spl from one 12w3v2 in a small car with that much power in a ported box is amazing and people wouldn’t believe it was a single sub setup when they heard it.
The 1.1 cubic foot sealed enclosure is a little more accurate than the ported enclosure. I like my music loud (kicker resolutions get loud with 120 watts per side), the single sub in the sealed box kept up no problem with my front stage, while remaining accurate and detailed. Low end lacks a little with this setup but this due to enclosure type, not the sub. Two of these subs would work a lot better with this setup.
Vehicle #3
1995 Honda Accord wagon (US model), single 12w3v2 in a 1.75 cubic foot ported enclosure tuned to 30.8 Hz, built to JL spec, and running off a Caliber CA2000D getting a rated 475 watts rms at 4ohm
This install had similar results as my Integra hatch setup due to similar power and enclosure etc. Output and response was obviously a little different because of the car’s acoustics. This guy loves bass mechanic. SPL is impressive. This sub hits hard and low.
Pros
They have a nice design and look to them, rubber mounting surround makes it easy to screw the sub into the box (if you get one, you’ll see what I mean) and also makes it easy to get the box air-tight.
Cons
Dual 2ohm DVC is the only voice coil configuration available in New Zealand and input terminals on the sub could be less flimsy and breakable. There are four terms most commonly used for rating power output and input.
Overall, it is a good buy for $645 RRP.
Check them out on www.jlaudio.com
