Is This Subwoofer Overpriced Or A Steal? You Be The Judge!

Check out this video: • Pass or Fail? Can thi...
Products in the video:
Kicker Solo X: howl.me/cmxoVI...
Corner Clamp: amzn.to/3VvkKSd
Easy DSP: lddy.no/1jzc4
DSP Plate Amp: parts-express....
Subwoofer Plate Amp: parts-express....
Cheap Components: amzn.to/3KKC68H
In this video we play another game of deal or no deal and try to find out if the new Kicker Solo X is goo deal, plus we look at subwoofer plate amplimers, and a Kreg corner clamp.
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Chapters:
0:00 Introduction
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[@DIYAudioGuy]

Check out this video: kzbin.info/www/bejne/oGOudouQhbhom9Esi=1Ob9gr4LkEARR6q8

[@billy3650]

No deal.

[@kylevanwinkle2081]

Is it a steal? No but is it a decent deal? Yes. You have to start comparing it vs it's other mainstream counterparts. Memphis MOJO Rockford t2 Jl w7 Dd9500 Just to name a few. But it can be beat by smaller companies and even a few larger ones. Sundown, soundqubed, American bass, incriminator, b2, stereointegrity, fi, ssa, and a few others can be either competitive or better at the price. Yes I agree that $150 is just the kicker name but that name comes with excellent customer support

[@DIYAudioGuy]

Comments like this is why I'm posting these kind of videos. It's impossible for one person to know all of the little details and know about every single brand. This is one of those cases where some crowdsource wisdom is helpful for everybody, so thank you for your input.

[@namegoesherenone6449]

I bought a bunch of screw type red corner clamps from harbor freight for $2/ea years ago. Still using them

[@hughjass545]

I buy gear on marketplace bc I KNOW I can talk them down. It’s the thrill of haggling.

[@craighathaway4640]

How much??

[@darksu6947]

I've got 2 old school MTX 12's in a truck box. How many doll hairs is it worth? I really don't have a clue. The subs are in good shape but it's just a normal ol' behind the seat truck box, nothing special.

[@Thumper68]

This sub can have great SQ as well though when most subs in the same space are just spl.

[@SoberBassHead]

No deal on the solo x. Great sub, however the price should be around 600 each

[@johnnyditommaso6807]

I love kicker but 800 for a sub no thanks. Great sub but I can't justify it in my budget.

[@DIYAudioGuy]

Not many people can.

[@mullinperformanceaudio5902]

If i can justify spending $1000 on something like a Sundown zv6, I can spend $750 on a Kicker L7X. Some guys just like cheap subs and some guys only buy expensive subs.

[@DIYAudioGuy]

After hearing them at Slamology I think they are great.

[@delvinchandler]

Well said

[@Grimster72]

The easy recones for the Solo X are a big selling point. Can literally recone your sub during a competition. I already have 2 NIB Zv5 12s going in my competition car else I'd probably go Solo X

[@ah4800]

I read field replaceable cones have looser gaps. Go with the DD 9500 series for an extra $250 and have a true legend. Same coils as the DD z3

[@DIYAudioGuy]

I'm sure there has to be some kind of compromise. I've always wondered about the JL Audio w7, The surround is held to the basket with a clamp. But it's supposed to be one of the best sound quality subwoofers on the market.

[@BaddDukk]

RE the SoloX - the problem is, with trash like DS18 and Skar in the marketplace, and their fanboys insisting the garbage is not straight dumpster fodder, reputable products with actual engineering behind them get criticized for asking reasonable prices.

[@DIYAudioGuy]

Damn, that's harsh bro! And people accuse me of being a Skar hater. 🤣

[@BaddDukk]

@@DIYAudioGuy HA! Sometimes the truth hurts my friend!

[@Dominancelogistics]

One man’s entry level is another man’s dollars being used for a hobby. Perspective is important to keep in mind. Kicker has ALWAYS been on the cutting edge of the technology in this hobby we love so much. I don’t understand why people have problems with what others buy. Everything runs well if it is connected and ran within is capability. Except for Pyle… fuck those guys! However, I have to qualify this by saying: I really like the Lanzar Heritage line. Those amps are tougher than people give them credit for. I have the 6 channel hooked up to a pair of CDT 2ohm 690-sex. They run at 1 ohm. Bridge 1&3 and 2&4. Played it for over an hour. Never shut off. And it sounds phenomenal!

[@LeoEnigma]

its ok we cant all grab a hooligan X

[@ceciljones1248]

I'm running dd fi psi and sundown use to run kicker a long time ago until I met Dd audio 😂😂😂

[@jasonnelson6624]

Changeable recones just never stay. Tc sounds had them years ago among other. The issue tends to be a sub for $700 and a replacement top assembly will go for around $400 if they even continue stocking or making them. Or just build your own for less than $150.

[@DIYAudioGuy]

Only time will tell.

[@ricardomolina4605]

$400 where? It's $220 on Kicker's own site.

[@jasonnelson6624]

@@ricardomolina4605 I wasn't saying specifically that was what kicker charged. I was saying this was the strategy used before. Such as tc sounds, and how the high price for a top section outweighed the convenience. I didn't look up or even know kicker offered a module sub till this video.

[@fortyfukinseven]

For $750 there are a lot better subs out there. No-glue recone just tells me they expect it to blow, and for roughly ⅓ the total cost, no thanks.

[@michaelzernie7092]

When a company makes drop in soft replacement parts, that worries me. Says it's prone to cooking itself and they made it easy to replace.

[@Toothless69420]

i dont agree with that at all, Kicker made soft parts becuase they know theyre bass heads, we love to fix our own things, ive seen people push those new woofers hard, they do not cook easy

[@Mr.NpK143]

I think it's a deal. I couldn't imagine a USA produced solo x. If so, it'd be the same as your DD, FI, and other American made sub with a compatible engineering

[@m3rk201]

Kicker sub is pretty expensive for 700 bucks.. I think its pretty kool... but in the spl segment its outmatched by way cheaper subwoofers. I think for that price, a sql subwoofer, like say kicker Q would make more sense.

[@gilbertforman8500]

I think the BASH plate amps are a better choice for a plate Amp I've used the 300 watt on 4 of the 6.5 tang ban drivers it was out of this world, everything in the house was moving and grooving. Keep it up brother love the feed

[@DIYAudioGuy]

@@gilbertforman8500 I like the BASH amps

[@ForPremium-zn3jr]

I had a 300watt bash amp out of an energy subwoofer. I had a set of x type alpines 12s, and set of high end Kenwood 12 all wired to .5 ohm hooked up to that little amp, and hola fack that rock the trailer park I used to live in back then. Them old BASH plate amps were no joke.

[@Bassotronics]

I mean.. you get what you pay for. There are subs that can cost $1500 like DC Audio. So if that $750 Kicker sub can perform as expected from a $750 sub then it’s a fair deal. But always take into consideration buying a reputable brand and not some Pyle Audio crap that says 2000 watts and can only take 100.

[@travismartin5455]

My problem with alot of house amps is that they do not list the rms rating. Im kinda new to the audio game, but i do know that having the rms is super important

[@kilgoretrout4461]

Not sure what amps your looking at, but the vast majority of plate and home amps disclose the RMS rating.

[@larrymontgomery4902]

I believe the solo x is a beautiful subwoofer and i would love to have a couple but not for 750 bux damn that to many other options

[@nathanv9562]

Yes to the Kregg corner clamp vs amazon knock-offs!!!

[@SG-Cichlids]

You have to look at it as what are you getting for your money? A sub that's engineered and designed to be absolutely insane or one of these slapped together with posts anyone can buy of the web subs from all of the hyped up companies flooding the market. The solox in my opinion is better than all of the sundown, skar, sound cubed, ect. Most of which are the same thing different logo. The solox is a beast and will take far more clean power than what is rated. For all the kicker haters. Lol what a solox 15 did against all the 18's in the one sub challenge. On half the power of the leading 18. For real world results I'll use my setup for an example. One L7X 12 in a custom enclosure posted by a rockford fosgate t1500-1bdcp. Under powered it does a 147db on music in my suv. No burp. Kicker4Life

[@scamchan]

Keep making these they are info packed!!

[@20hztremor]

Compared to a price of JL W7 it's a steal lol... yes the JL sounds great I do appreciate quality and Kicker is a good deal and quality as well

[@kcha03]

Need help with finding power source for portable car audio DIY system.. lithium ? Battery banks ? Jump boosters ?

[@DIYAudioGuy]

I would go with a lithium battery and a charger.

[@bob_mosavo]

Look into Lithium Iron Phosphate batteries.

[@kcha03]

@@bob_mosavo now with lithium… if I’m running 1000w system 2 6.5s component and 10in sub all within power ratings with 1000w amplifier … how do I know or calculate how much “ AH” or amp hrs for the system to run 4hrs of playtime medium to high volume?

[@kitcat2559]

The L7X isn't really meant for those who wanna use it for there daily driver, its more for competition range, kicker has the regular L7s as well, these are more of there competition based subwoofer that can be serviced out in the field not for daily drivers, its like getting a sundown ZV6 and complaining about it being expensive and it needing a big box for it

[@DIYAudioGuy]

Yes, these subwoofers are massive, heavy with huge magnets.

[@GamerBoy-zu5pd]

Yes It is. I would get a skar vxf 15 for the price.

[@cjon24s69]

The L7x will 💩 on a VXF and ZVX. Its right on par with the Sundown Xv3.

[@cjon24s69]

Now considering you can get 2 VXF 15s for less than 1 L7x 15, its probably a better value.

[@reverend11-dmeow89]

Dayton Audio's DATS 3 is a must-have for DIY speaker builds.

[@DIYAudioGuy]

Yes.

[@slowbrezze]

to sum it is some its not depends on your life and income. lol i buy seasons my black pepper i buy and herbs ppl say on hell no but thats what i like

[@20smgreen]

I've got to go No Deal on the plate amp as well. I have the newer version of that plate amp and I only paid $160 for it shipped. The D4S DSP I'm on the fence about. If all you're after is basic DSP functions, maybe? It has a very lacking feature set. So if you compare DSPs that have a similar feat.set, it's about average. But to get more you'll have to pay more. The Cadence DSP4.8 from 7 years ago was a deal, (similar feat.set) at $250. But it is no longer made and very hard to source.

[@DIYAudioGuy]

Right now the best entry-level DSP is the Dayton Audio 408. This seems to be a notch above and targeted at JL, Helix, and Audio Control. I'm running a mini DSP 8x12. These are in our face is a pain in the ass but nothing else has 12 channels of output. Eventually I'm going to use them all.

[@20smgreen]

@DIYAudioGuy after looking closer into it, it really does look like a decent piece, esp for it's price point. The 31 band EQ doesn't state from what I saw if it was overall or per channel output. My only other gripe is its sampling rate of 24bit/48Hz. I'd like to have a few extra outputs myself (Arc Audio PS8-50 amp/DSP), but I'll upgrade to the Blackbird at some point, but I'll stick with Arc or go back to a Mosconi. But to compare the D4S to a Helix is apples to orange to me. The Helix is leagues above the D4S. But truth be told, I might have my son look into the D4S DSP if he chooses to move forward with his build.

[@johnhumphreys9732]

You can make your own corner clamps with some scrap wood and they work great. I believe Mathew Peach did a video on how! I’ll double check.

[@DIYAudioGuy]

I will have to check it out.

[@johnhumphreys9732]

@@DIYAudioGuy yes it’s a video on tools for woodworking.

[@RyanBassForLife]

Is about $100 overpriced but it's a beautiful elegant subwoofer that's probably going to be a collectable someday so no it's really not overpriced.

[@turtlemancometh1652]

I'd like to see some installer tools comparisons

[@TheGodofSEO]

When you see what RS or FI or DeafBonce or other competition grade companies put out for $500, it’s hard to justify SoloX at $750

[@DIYAudioGuy]

That's probably why the vote was nearly split down the middle. There are a lot of other big SPL subwoofers out there.

[@ah4800]

Dd 9510 is $1000

[@Thumper68]

Yeah but the drop in replacements are priced right and that adds to the value of the sun imo.

[@JesusCeja-vq3kd]

Hello, I got a question I recently purchased a fox audio single 12 ported box for a ram 1500 quad cab. I’m running a kicker comp R with a 6000watt power acoustic gothic class d I’m looking to upgrade the subwoofer will you recommend me the 750w sound down 12inch sub or the 1000watt 10inch sub ? And by the way better amp ?? I recently find your channel and I like your videos a lot It helps me a lot

[@DIYAudioGuy]

The problem is the limited airspace. You can go with a beefier subwoofer that can handle more power and get more output, but you'll be crippled by the fact that you just don't have much air space for the subwoofer. The other confounding factor is report AirSpeed velocity. You bump up to a bigger subwoofer and throw more power at it and you're going to get chuffing. I would say that you're at the point where you're about to hit the diminishing returns and hit it very hard. Throwing more money at it isn't going to give you a lot more output unless you're able to find a way to put a bigger box in the truck. I've got a 1500 quad cab and my was my solution was to yank the back seat out. That's a little bit extreme when I only did it because I'm always trying out different subwoofers and enclosures so I can make videos for y'all.

[@JesusCeja-vq3kd]

@@DIYAudioGuy thank u so much for the info and your time to answer my question i decided i want to buy the adapter from 12 to 10 inch sub i feel that the sub SA-SERIES V.2 10” 1000rms I fell is goin to sound better can’t really take the seats out cuz my kids lol but maybe in the future i upgrade my box for a custom made i will keep watching your videos appreciate it

[@chichidouglas5078]

@@JesusCeja-vq3kd you can get a lift for the back to get a few more inches of clearance. If you lift the seat you can fit four 8 inch subs under it or you can build a new box that has enough air space for a bigger 12 inch sub but without a lift you can't go bigger

[@derekborow4121]

The plate amp on my old paradigm pw2200v2 subwoofer just fried. I think it's 750 watts RMS. I just replaced the speaker, so I am looking for a cheap, Chinese, plate amp, but one of the ones that r almost a complete copy of high end plate amps n performs similar to the real one, or a cheap brand that actually makes ok stuff. Anybody have any ideas?

[@DIYAudioGuy]

I'd go for one of the Dayton audio ones.

[@bishop2355]

It feels like I'm watching those old kung fu movies where the voice doesn't match the mouth.

[@DIYAudioGuy]

I'm trying to figure out what's causing that. It seems worse in some videos than others.

[@reverend11-dmeow89]

Bluetooth has ~200ms of latency.

[@reverend11-dmeow89]

do any of these car DSPs work with REW?

[@DIYAudioGuy]

@@reverend11-dmeow89 As far as I know this is the only brand that will let you do that: parts-express.sjv.io/3PD91A

[@DIYAudioGuy]

@@reverend11-dmeow89 It is something wrong with my editing software, it is mis-aligning by a few frames. They are gaslighting me, telling me that it is not caused by their software.

[@danrussell9357]

I want a video on statistical analysis to explain the meaning of a null hypothesis. I think it would be a great topic, but I cannot prove or disprove this theory 😮

[@DIYAudioGuy]

I can only reject or fail to reject your comment. I can't actually disprove it.

[@ceciljones1248]

I ran kicker for years use to get a good deal don't know now?

[@blue95stang1]

I like your videos of box building

[@DIYAudioGuy]

I have several of those planned for July and August!

[@bojow8102]

I like the deal or no deal series 👍 Seeing the bass head community's opinion on stuff is helpful instead of trusting iffy reviews on sites. Thank you for keeping this going 🫶🔊🔊

[@PhiMobileSounds]

You should have included certified refurbished gear in the one survey.

[@DIYAudioGuy]

That is a good idea.

[@keithjones455]

$250 can buy a used Crown XLS, get 4x the power and some DSP.

[@DIYAudioGuy]

That is the problem with plate amps, don't get much bang for the buck.

[@fusion82]

Cone area isn't always king

[@craighathaway4640]

@@fusion82 lol I been getting a giggle out of it takes power to make power……yes it definitely does! I agree w the statement but they throw it out at folks putting batteries in! As an electrician, I would like to ask these fellas how far they could get in a Tesla without a battery!!?? Tesla’s might look cool w two 320a alts sitting in the hood but batteries make power to create the demand.

[@ScottGrammer]

The JBL 2262HPL is a 12" professional woofer with the Differential Drive system - not just two voice coils, two separate motors. 700 watts AES, 1,400 watts program power, and you can buy TWO of them for what this SoloX woofer sells for, and have money left over for dinner. So yeah, they want way too much for this woofer.

[@DIYAudioGuy]

I had to Google that. Not sure what you mean by push pull/ two separate motors. That's still unclear to me. I'll keep doing some reading. But on the surface That looks like a pro audio driver for things like concert speakers as opposed to a car on USBL subwoofer. But that JBL is beefy M'fer and I'd like to get my hands on one.

[@ScottGrammer]

@@DIYAudioGuy so essentially there are two voice coils mounted to the same magnet structure, however each voice coil is in its own separate magnetic field that has the opposite polarity to the other one. Then the two coils are wound in series opposing, which cancels out much of the second harmonic Distortion created by the voice coils and magnet structures.

[@rhkips]

Holy muffins, the Dayton 250w plate amp is $250 now?? I feel like it was $99 recently, but then looking at the catalog I realize that was over 20 years ago... :( $750 is too much for a sub. Don't care if it's square, that's just nuts. Remember those old 5-sided Sony xPlod subs back in the day? A fraction of the price, and you even get an extra side! Then again, a circle is just an infinite side, so... LOL The Kreg corner clamps are great! Get a few! Also look into box-bands or corner-bands. Avoid the goofy little spring-loaded pushy-clampy type corner clamps, as they do not hold up for larger builds.

[@DIYAudioGuy]

A lot has changed in 20 years.

[@bubbawubba2307]

One more thing.... i haven't seen any polls

[@DIYAudioGuy]

That means that KZbin is not feeding them to you. If you go here: www.youtube.com/@DIYAudioGuy/community and vote in a few of the old ones the almighty algorithm might start feeding them to you.

[@BamBamMotorsports]

If you could get it in an 18 for that price? Sure. But for a 15” sub? I don’t think so. Ps: in the video you said the D4s DSP5 WAS a deal, but the poll you show in the video says no deal 68% to 32%???

[@DIYAudioGuy]

I suppose I could have made a mistake, I'll look at it again.

[@ckillac5258]

Of course it is😂 but people have no problem paying for a name

[@RiddledEnigma93]

I heard the SoloX 12in Bronco last yr an was NOT impressed, the tuning was awful, did not get to hear the new SoloX15 as I do not care for kicker anymore due to a falling out we had!~

[@memyselfandi3925]

The price is too much. You can buy many others subs that are better for cheaper. P.s. i dont need a computer to tell the difference of a deal or not

[@xfire54x]

Dont look at crossfire, $700 for theyre XT3

[@DIYAudioGuy]

Yea, they are proud of their stuff.

[@timmypriddy8385]

Kicker is Good but overpriced

[@DIYAudioGuy]

I think their amplifiers are a little bit on the high side, but their subwoofers are just about right.

[@timmypriddy8385]

@@DIYAudioGuy I can agree with that. Of course inflation and Bidenomics have driven up prices on everything 😂

[@clydesharman2053]

Yes too expensive dealer cost 175,…

[@LivinLoudwithAndy]

Overpriced 😂 Nah.. Just right 😉 But … maybe a Kicker L7S is more for less, if all you need is less for more All depends your goals! 🤯

[@DIYAudioGuy]

It's a competition subwoofer. It's not for everybody.

[@krazzykiller1]

Kicker sucks. They have always been a cheaper alternative to the real brands. Complaining with other spl sub woofers it's a great deal. It's not on the level with a lot of other subs but for the money you can get more bang for dollar.

[@DIYAudioGuy]

Maybe I'm just old, but I remember when Kicker literally defined the car audio subwoofer market.

[@johnphilip393]

that's good.😅😅😅

[@ForsakenCrimmy]

I know you have quality content on your channel and was trying to find stuff to share with other people but I'm being bombarded with literal bullshit. Doctors hate him for this 1 little secret...is every title you have for over a year now and it's making it hard to find your actual good content... please stop the click bait titles. It's not good.

[@Marz-px6vx]

The kicker is overpriced so I bought a sundown.

[@DIYAudioGuy]

I like them both.

[@cornbread10378]

Overpriced junk

[@95Sn95]

Yup definitely overpriced! For that money buy a sundown or one of American bass's big boys.

[@PunisherOfDeath101]

Kicker solo x is not a deal. If it was everyone would be copying kicker designs. Do your research, its marketing bs. As for the plate amplifier. I got a jbl 300w rms studio subwoofer new for 180$ from jbl. Think how much parts express is ripping you off if they are selling 250w plate amp only for 180$ on sale.

[@paulgood2218]

Kicker , It's a good product at a fair price

[@geraldmartinez6867]

Is there any stronger plate ampe boss man

[@DIYAudioGuy]

parts-express.sjv.io/qnjMgL

[@JAM-ur8tj]

The SoloX is so good i bought one and the matching Warhorse amplifier. Absolutely worth it, and far better than the usual big name subs out💯👍

[@DIYAudioGuy]

Everyone that has some experience with these says that they're awesome.