Rockford Fosgate Prime R2 12 vs Savard Rap 12!! Budget Subwoofer Elite 8

[@HifiVega]

Savard Rap Subwoofer (15 inch because the 12’s are out of stock) amzn.to/3AvqIrs (affiliate link) Rockford Fosgate Prime R2 amzn.to/3TrlIx0 (affiliate link)

[@willsavard3696]

Back in stock by Christmas! Ty Vega!

[@davidmarles9409]

HifiVega great video as always! I have a suggestion for a video I would like to see. Most videos show how loud a sub can get with as much power as it can take. Nothing wrong with that! I though run a 500-600 rms amp which I feel is fairly common. How about a video on which sub gets the loudest and sounds the best on only 500-600 watts rms? I was impressed at how much louder the P3 12s were on the same amp power!

[@mullinperformanceaudio5902]

I'm not used to Fosgate being the "budget option". Those two words were never used in the same sentence growing up.

[@HifiVega]

Right!

[@travisabrahamson5092]

Every brand has budget gear now. The brand used to be super important.. Mostly it is what series/category from the manufacturer now that is most important. The lower end stuff tends to need larger enclosures no matter the brand. Pay attention to enclosure requirements and power requirements when purchasing subwoofers.

[@lambertleigh2724]

I had the old grey Series 1 subs...in 90s.. with a Punch 75...That was no budget back then...😂🤣🧐💣💥

[@motoman22atgmail]

The ‘series 1’ were pretty cheap Rockford offerings. Better than Pyramid Phase III lol

[@jaydawg116]

I used to sell Rockford fosgate in my store. I gotta say, they are definitely more budget oriented then they used to be. Swapped for gladen subwoofers and never looked back.

[@DIYAudioGuy]

I am loving these videos man!

[@HifiVega]

Thanks man!

[@wal]

Very cool and informative vid! Excited to see da next round 👍

[@HifiVega]

Thanks man! I’m excited to see which sub everyone picks.

[@julesbruchez-outperformtra2020]

A lot of budget gems out there. Can’t wait to see the other bracket. I remember running for Savard 8” in my Ranger in high school. Later I ran RF 10” XLC series three in a sealed box in an Eclipse. DEAR LORD IT SLAMMED!!! All on a Kicker Zr amp at 320 watts . Those were the days.

[@Vegas_Baba808]

Very nice! Love these shootouts. Gives the masses the chance to see the performance of multiple brands to help make us better informed consumers. 💪🏼🔥

[@HifiVega]

I like doing them!

[@TsunauticusIV]

You should have two identical boxes. Do a setup where you can quickly(without exiting the vehicle) switch between the two subs you are testing. That would allow you to get a better “in person” feel for the small differences between whatever you’re testing.

[@skydyverjym]

I don't care who picks the winner, I really really like this format. I am definitely a basshead (old-school) and living on a fixed govt income so yeah budget. Not even budget, more like economy class. Been digging around for budget bass videos for weeks. Sorry I missed out on this series. Definitely want more like it. Maybe a budget 15 showdown?

[@TRONMAGNUM2099]

Probably go with the RF sub. You said the SQ on it was really good and that is what I really look for in a sub these days.

[@HifiVega]

A solid budget pick for sq imo

[@julesbruchez-outperformtra2020]

Great video, more Savard videos

[@JAM-ur8tj]

Nice shootout man, these vids are awesome and really entertaining. Keep up the good content!💯👍

[@HifiVega]

Thanks!

[@adventuresofhess1058]

Lovin these budget vids.

[@HifiVega]

Thanks!

[@recon440]

Thanks for the review. The thing with showing raw SPL scores is somewhat limiting to a certain extent. Yes, in terms of absolutes it gives a nice idea, but without knowing power (and power factor to a certain extent, as you get with a Termlab), it doesn't reflect the full technical picture.

[@joeyholthusen6495]

Efficiency is key on a budget. 93db vs 90db requires 1/2 the juice to reach the same SPL.......

[@HifiVega]

I love an efficient system

[@theejoeylee]

I don't know about Rockford Fosgate for budget.. had three Rockford Fosgate Punch xlc 12 back in the 90s that were pretty decent. Sealed box made to spec. I had a pair of JL Audio W4 is also in a sealed box, that had a lot more output below 40 Hertz, than the 3 fosgates. I will say though I had one of the JLs come apart at the triple joint and never had any manufacturing issues with Rockford Fosgate

[@nikolaswukasch8424]

Thx for all the info brother. Great job

[@HifiVega]

Thanks for watching!

[@adampaffrath4299]

Would love to see the hifonics Brutus woofer against savard or skar. It’s a great looking sub and def a carbon copy of a American bass with the ribbed surround

[@stuskustomshop]

Great vid once again! Your comments on the Savard make me really wonder about a head to head with a Kicker CompVR 🤔 Especially since they’re rated 400rms @ $159.95 retail 😉

[@HifiVega]

It would be a good one for sure

[@marathonbaker]

Missing one thing, where’s the Hifivega big 3 under the hood?

[@HifiVega]

It’s there you can’t see it tho!

[@enochdrozda2148]

Thanks HV...!!!

[@HifiVega]

Thanks for watching!

[@djronthemechanic3695]

Savard Subs we’re ahead of their time when they first came out in the early 90’s. Back in the days there never was anything budget about Fosgate, you want Fosgate you had to pay.

[@girthquake9655]

If you gave that savard 4x the power, it would blow that RF out of the water with the sound output. That's a great spec box for the testing btw.

[@HifiVega]

The Rap couldn’t handle much more than it got in this test for very long anyways

[@girthquake9655]

@@HifiVega that excursion test looked like it could take a lot more power. Were you not giving them the same amount of power for that test?

[@HifiVega]

@@girthquake9655 all in vehicle tests are on the same Soundqubed u3000 @4ohms. The free air test on the other hand was on a Kicker Q class 500.2 @4ohms so half the power

[@girthquake9655]

@@HifiVega That fosgate took it like a champ then...

[@gregkrueger331]

I blew my 15” PPI and needed at least SOME bass so rather than building a new enclosure for the r2d2 12 i had laying around, i made an adapter plate for the 12 and i was incredibly surprised and impressed with it. The box is almost 3cf, I wasn’t expecting to run it very long like this but I won’t be disappointed if my new sub takes too long to get to me lol. Definitely not bad for a budget sub. It’s so weird referring to RF as “budget” 🤣.

[@HifiVega]

I know o felt weird saying it even lol

[@travisabrahamson5092]

15 in 3 ft³.. That's what I have and believe me the box is to small... And my port (sigle 6 inch aero port isn't enough..

[@digginglow]

R2 D2 12 Rockford has a great sense of humor

[@HifiVega]

Right!

[@2010HarleyDynaFXD]

How about the MTX 5512 and Pioneer Pioneer TS-D12 they are in the same price bracket. It would be neat to see a SQ test with a mic to see how flat the response is on all the test subwoofers.

[@1mshook]

Where did you find the savages rap sub? I had some way back I the day. Had 4 12’a

[@johnwilson7799]

I wouldn’t put the Rockford in my car but I bet in home theater replacement sub it would fit the bill. Any thoughts?

[@joshholden8561]

I use a r1 4 ohm svc for my home audio in a 1.75 slot ported box

[@HifiVega]

Almost any decent car audio sub would do well in a HT situation

[@jameslucas3161]

Robert! Where did you getthat cool little rotating table from? Thanks!

[@HifiVega]

Amazon! amzn.to/3CHicIH

[@johnalenwork53]

Final thoughts..... How much do each one of these woofers cost? What kind of Warranty

[@davidmarles9409]

I have liked the sound of pretty much every Rockford Fosgate sub I have ever owned. That being said the lower priced Rockford subs don't have the excursion to keep up with some other subs. If I'm not mistaken that R2 only has like 6-7mm of xmax which will definitely hinder it's overall ability to be loud on low notes with lots of cone movement. It's pretty incredible if you put 2 subs with the 250 rms power rating against each other when one has half the xmax of the other.

[@Bassotronics]

Both win. 50% like one; 50% like the other.

[@lambertleigh2724]

Maybe a p1 or p2.. wudda been a better comparison....

[@kswis]

The Rockford is dope for the little power it's rated.

[@HifiVega]

For sure

[@ericcockrel7154]

Great shoot out!!!

[@HifiVega]

Thanks

[@paulcoleman3972]

I use a set of the R2D2 10’s with a Power acoustic Razor 2500 in a reg cab S 10 truck,they surprise everyone that hears them

[@julesbruchez-outperformtra2020]

😂 since you won’t answer my original question Vega can you answer this one? I plan to run three 8s in a sealed box. I like the flat puncher sound of a sealed box better. What sounded like it had a punchier or tighter response in your opinion out of both? Also the RF P2 has the same 250 rms rating as the RF P1. Just the simple advances in design would make a difference in sound. That’s Something I would like to hear against higher wattage subs.

[@HifiVega]

The RF

[@julesbruchez-outperformtra2020]

@@HifiVega thank you. Not a budget at all but in the future I would love to see the Savard HiQ vs Sundown SA or CT Meso. Any size . That’s a great show down. I really really enjoy you and big D’s channel. Even though I am a father of three kids at age 45 I still have a huge passion for car audio. All those old amps and subs y’all talk about I was around for all of that. Something that just Allwaste interest me since I was 15 years old. Both of y’all’s channels are so awesome because you’ve never feel like you were being swayed by manufacturer it always feels honest.

[@michaelflowers6048]

I love how people try to compare unequally comparable speakers. Real comparison would be the Rockford P2D4-12 as it is 500W RMS

[@adampaffrath4299]

Going for the savard win on this one

[@Popeye-nj5ki]

I have a quick question for the wrap what is better 2 ohm or 4 ohm i’m looking two get into 15th

[@HifiVega]

No impedance is better than the other. What’s important is that you get the right impedance to match the amplifier you’re using. If you amp cannot go below 2ohm mono you’ll just need to make sure whatever subs you get do not present lower than a 2ohm load once they’re wired up.

[@beetleprepper1518]

Try Utopia & JL anniversary?

[@johnalenwork53]

I think the P2 is a better comparison BROTHER?? AWESOME VIDEO AS ALWAYS BROTHER

[@julesbruchez-outperformtra2020]

What’s your opinion on Rap Series vs RF P2? I am about to get three Rap 8s but I can’t help but wonder if three P2s instead. What’s your opinion on the best 8” sub in the 300 watt range? (JL w3 $300 a piece is definitely OUT)

[@HifiVega]

I believe those subs would be pretty evenly matched as far as output. For the sound of them I’d maybe lean towards the RF.

[@tcorley7477]

Love the shootout vids. I had never used one before recently but I blew my daily sub just wanted a quick somewhat cheap replacement. And in saying that I feel like you need to have an audio pipe sub in the shootout.

[@HifiVega]

I didn’t get Audiopipe this time, but I definitely wanna review one.

[@tcorley7477]

@@HifiVega I'll be honest I was skeptical about getting one. But got a deal I couldn't pass up on a bdc4. I have to say I'm impressed. Now I have to fix my box because I've blown the sub out. Got another piece of mdf just gotta get the chance to double it up and some other things so it won't happen again.

[@HighVybeTribe]

Either way , I think my ears are more partial to subwoofers that have a polypropylene cone ( or whatever the plastic looking cones are nowadays ) such as kicker style . As opposed to the treated paper cones . They just seem to sound cleaner and more musical. But dang , I also like the aluminum cone subs also !! So many choices out there nowadays . And I'm loving the content Mr Vega , keep it up 💪😎👌

[@HifiVega]

So many options!

[@HighVybeTribe]

@@HifiVega Yes sir . Do yoy have a video on your 12" box specs bud ?? I really need to build that same/ similar box . Many thanks 💪

[@HifiVega]

@@HighVybeTribe I had this one built so I didn’t do a video on it unfortunately

[@almartinelli5054]

60 dollars is a big difference in price. I have R2 10s and i like the way they sound and they produce plenty of bass. I paid 80 bucks for both from walmart a year ago and aside from a small tear in the surround have had no trouble with them. I have them powered by a skar rp 800.1.

[@theinsaneunknown]

Do you think a 3.2cf box is too much for a Trinity M12 D1? The specs says 2.12 but it's a very beafy sub with a 90db rating and a 750oz magnet. Tuning to 32-34 hz.

[@HifiVega]

I would try to stick to the suggested specs unless you’ve done your own enclosure modeling in some box building software

[@c0c0asauce]

The Rockford Fosgate P2 is a lot closer in price to the Savard Rap right now. I've had two P2s for 6 years. Always been good subs. If I had space for 4 I'd go with cheaper subs like the R2.

[@christopherhofheins2763]

The r2d2 should be competing against the kicker comp 12 or the comp c they are closer in class

[@tedtan6449]

The acid test for subs ( how clean it renders bass transitioning) is a double bass instrument. There are too many muddy sounding subs. The law of physics will apply in a given cone mass. Hence in the size category a smaller diameter will sound cleaner, faster than a cone that is double that. It's either you're an SQ or an SPL guy.

[@htarpaulin6793]

grab 4 of those Rockfords??

[@HifiVega]

$400 why not!

[@jasonlund4750]

I have 3 of them in my suburban. It's crazy loud

[@gavinmcclure8047]

I'd love to see the hi-Q vs soundqubed hdx3 there two subs I've been looking at for the past almost 2 years. I'm putting which ever I choose in my first gen trooper as a matter a fact. please help me choose I already have my amps from soundqubed and a 300 amp alternator from Autotechengineering.

[@HifiVega]

I’ve only used the hds, but I’d lean Hi-Q.

[@LivinLoudwithAndy]

I pick C-3PO 😅

[@HifiVega]

Well played

[@firewalker6986]

I spoke to Luke at SAVARD.... The Rap Subs have been out of stock..... They are expecting them in October..... If the stereo God's agree.....Lol... On the SAVARD professional series.... It maybe next spring.... They had to get a new build house for those..... Still trying to decide if I'm going to wait for the pro series or go with the RAPS....

[@enochdrozda2148]

Rap for the Win.....Has that M&M Electronics Godfather Series feel from the late 80's earlier 90's.....

[@tatialo37]

I needs that rap but it's n a sealed box!!!

[@HifiVega]

Hard to find nowadays!

[@20hztremor]

A Cerwin Vega Vega series sub would be a good challenge to that Savard. Of course no one ever does Cerwin Vega sub comparisons 😑

[@tedtan6449]

Well I did. Cerwin Vega sub these days when constrained in a small enclosure like 10 inch in a. 35 ft will sound deeper than even a JL. Though not as cleaner. Sometimes you need to factor in space in the trunk. Two tens in barely a foot cube, sealed has a very good Qts system Q. You are aiming for a. 70 Qts and you'll get a balance of SQ and power handling.

[@joshholden8561]

I would have did the savard vs the skar that's a equal battle.

[@HifiVega]

The Skar lost to the CT Sounds (by community vote) so the winner of this will face the CT Sounds

[@evilinside5984]

@@HifiVega So budget/bang for the buck is not given the Most consideration, as your title, of your show down, states. This has nothing to do with your choice, but people are really missing your point. If they want the biggest magnet, and shiny chrome, then you don't even need to do SPL, or a listening review. Just tell the weight, show the magnet, and all of the flashy bell's, and whistle's, that has very little, to nothing to do with sound quality, or output. But thank you for your video's, fine sir!

[@MAD450r2]

I like the underdog. Rockford

[@thatunknownguy2680]

I'm biased to Savard because I know Will Savard and Lucas Salvato. They're good guys and stand by their products. They honestly have the best customer service of any brand. If you're ever in South Louisiana at a car audio show, they're there and will bullshit with you for hours.

[@MrPSI-w8q]

Savard raps were the shit back in the 80s, best subs i ever owned. But they blew .

[@BassFace1776]

Savard rap 12 not even close imo. I don't think people realize how big of a difference 2-3dbs is.

[@jeremyhearn8941]

Well, this one is a bit biased for me. I know first hand the build quality and what some Hi-q's are capable of. I've also seen plenty of Rap builds with incredible results. And then... I know the build quality of these new Fosgates, but haven't heard one in-car, in person. But I'm sure I wouldn't need to listen to the difference between these two to know that Savard wins hands down. That being said, these subs aren't even close to being in the same class. I'd like to see the Rap up against something much closer to its ratings and box specs. There's probably at least a handful of budget subs that come close to the same parameters that would be worth comparing to the Rap

[@HifiVega]

If it wins this round it’ll definitely face much tougher competition

[@chichidouglas5078]

If you have the best sound quality subwoofer ever made made and put it in the wrong size box that's not tuned for it. It's not going to sound good. So you can't honestly say which one sounds better because you only know which one sounds better in that box and that's always going to be the one that's more compatible with that box. You could build an adjustable test box with an adjustable aero port in it. Make the top removable and put the port on one side and the other side has an insert can slide back and forth in some dados in the front, back and, bottom panels or, some t-tracks.

[@nickstalhood5380]

Id say the Savard rap 12 in this round. Simply because Rockford does have good gear but i think they could have done better with the prime subs an given a little more bang for the buck.

[@HifiVega]

That’s a fair assessment

[@RyanBassForLife]

I like the Rap subwoofer better.

[@1ohmwrecker]

I could tell what was gonna win just from the thumbnail lol.

[@HifiVega]

Not slipping one past you!

[@sermac3246]

👍

[@kylevanwinkle2081]

I mean the Rockford is overpriced and doesn't really line up with the savard and anything but price. The sundown lcs would be a better comparison

[@jerrynierzejewski5612]

Don't care for either sub but putting a sub that requires 1.79 cube in a bigger box and then a sub that basically gets its perfect box isn't a test at all. Love your videos man but that's like comparing apples to oranges

[@HifiVega]

In your mind what aspect of the performance was hampered by the larger enclosure? It wouldn’t be louder in a smaller enclosure. Maybe it would sound better, but I said in the video this sub sounds as good or better than the Rap. And as far as power handling it literally took 4x rated in this enclosure so I’m having a hard time seeing the downside on this one…

[@travisabrahamson5092]

Its all about the enclosure.. The right box with a single 10 will destroy a 15 in the wrong enclosure.. I speak from way to much personal experience.

[@girthquake9655]

I'm 6 seconds into the video and already know which is better.... Savard obviously..

[@HifiVega]

You wildin

[@csj9619]

Before watching, i'd say it's not even a fair fight. My pick for the win: RAP12!

[@BericBuilds]

Savard

[@travisabrahamson5092]

Power acoustic mofo x series subwoofers are awesome. They are overrated power wise.... As long as you understand that a 2.5 inch voice coil is not 1700watts rms in any reality then they are awesome. I have the 152x running 1200 and that's to much power but around 1000 its perfect and cheap 👍

[@johnalenwork53]

Not a fair battle??? For sure true SQ give it to the Rockford. More control. SPL Goes to the RAP! I. M. O.

[@nealhardin6869]

Skar will best em both.

[@jimmymounts9832]

The Rockford fosgate P2 would have been a better sub to go against the Savard. Closer in price and specs

[@smsno1]

This was silly!?!?! If like going a focus ecoboost against an St because "well there both cars". Get 2 150 dollar subs!

[@HifiVega]

But the performance wasn’t far off

[@MisterEE100]

People always want large numbers, so I think RF price themselves out of the game now. They need a redesign and I am a huge RF fan, but it's like they've done nothing for Car Audio people for years, they only seem to care about motorbikes and buggies. The company has slipped imo.

[@TSC-Detroit]

That R2 ain't shit

[@HifiVega]

I thought it did very well

[@skinnyslide]

Rockford p2 would have been a better and more fair contender

[@-hawtzauce-1108]

I got a set in there oem made box⁴free how far can they REALLYYYYY go? lol😅