SKAR Audio IX-12 | $50 Subwoofer | Objective Review

[@ErinsAudioCorner]

If you do plan on purchasing this subwoofer please consider doing so via my Amazon affiliate link below. It costs you no additional money but does help me with a small 4% commission which helps me pay for more test subjects and hardware to keep this channel going. amzn.to/3iT8Pdc

[@Wafflemaker-qn2yu]

How much more

[@hiddenpotentialproject806]

Amazing that you have all of this equipment and knowledge. Very impressive.

[@ErinsAudioCorner]

Thank you very much!

[@aundraymitchell609]

You’re on to something big here. Great content. Thanks

[@SubwooferKing100]

Keep up the high quality videos! You’re hard work will payoff. Quality over quantity! Love how detailed your videos are

[@ErinsAudioCorner]

Thank you, man. I appreciate it.

[@TheJuddlar]

Good info. I like seeing the true actual performance measured parameters of the speaker drivers. As you said, virtually no one is doing this. Thank you...

[@Azzy_Mazzy]

please keep these coming as even databass stopped making them, also maybe the community could send you drivers to test like how they do it at ASR.

[@danielmiller469]

i would love to see how the evl-12 compares to this sub than i can compare 4 ix-12s to 1 evl-12 for the same price point that would apples to apples. keep up the good work.

[@dennycote6339]

Great review. First time actually seeing Klippel testing.

[@ErinsAudioCorner]

Glad you liked it!

[@jasonw6993]

Sure hope SKAR will see this and push them to improve their products

[@ErinsAudioCorner]

You never know...

[@JaMarvelousjmar]

@@ErinsAudioCorner and credit you for your guidance would be a redeeming move for Shane with all of the shade he's been facing over the past few years

[@jasonw6993]

@@JaMarvelousjmar who's "Shane"?

[@ErinsAudioCorner]

@@JaMarvelousjmar I am honestly ignorant to the SPL world and its goings-ons. I assume Shane is the owner of SKAR?

[@SeanOMatic]

@@ErinsAudioCorner Kevin Schlenker is the owner of Skar and he's a pretty awful person.

[@myboy051]

This sub is not of my interest to purchase. but doesn’t mean that it’s not in my interest to see what its capable of doing at the given price range. I believe this video will get more views then usual. Another good one Erin👍

[@ErinsAudioCorner]

Thanks for watching and the feedback. Yep, it ain't for everyone but it's nice to have that 'reference point' for what $50 gets you.

[@RedBeardRebass]

If anyone is wondering, i've got two of these on an RP-1200.1D and they SLAM. They sound very happy even in the old school prefab vented enclosure.

[@tramccoy2490]

Of that 1200.1 watts how many watts are they handling?

[@RedBeardRebass]

@@tramccoy2490 All of it. I tune to -0dB with a DD-1, and those things ate up every bit of it wired at 1ohm. After impedance rise, i'm sure it's honestly a good match. The SDR series isn't worth it, the SVR's are nice as hell, and the EVL 15"= are pretty solid but at that point a DDX or VXF would personally be a better option. I sold the IX's after about 6-7 months of daily banging. I got a pair of Audio Legion Armada 10's and DAMN i'm impressed. Still on the 1200.1 and i did a 138dB average on the glass on music over 3 min. If i had to guess, the IX's were probably pushing close to 135dB in the oldschool Skar prefab. Not too shabby.

[@tramccoy2490]

Thank you 👍👍

[@atmosphericpressure3560]

I love these! 2 in a 3 cube sealed box and 600 watts.

[@noncog1]

A lot of channels that used to do great things like this sold out. Please never sell out. I've donated to you before and I'll do it again, as I'm sure others would as well. Thank you for your great content.

[@ErinsAudioCorner]

Thanks. I will say that is the one great thing about data... it keeps you honest. (assuming the data is taken in an honest way). Even if I might be somewhat biased toward a brand for personal reasons, the data will always be presented and people can make their own judgements about the performance.

[@noncog1]

@@ErinsAudioCorner I have a HAT L8SE-DC just sitting in box if you ever do want to test it. Changed my build plan, wont be buying the scan. I could send you an SI HST-15 durning a small window as well, shipping cost be damned lol

[@ErinsAudioCorner]

@@noncog1 I'm going to be taking a break from testing drivers for a while. I'm switching back to loudspeaker testing again. I tend to cycle back and forth.

[@noncog1]

@@ErinsAudioCorner like I said, if you ever

[@icandreamstream]

Bikini Punks don't sell out bro

[@Will2DoesStuff]

Very cool to see an affordable 12 inch tested!

[@perotross]

Sounds like a good value for the price. Great review. Its interesting to see real data on these cheap subwoofers. Cant wait for the test of the next tier up. Thanks!

[@ErinsAudioCorner]

Thanks! 👍

[@johnviera3884]

This is a great video. You should do a shootout of cheap subwoofers.

[@troybateson]

I’ve got 8 of these 12s in a custom wall style enclosure in my bedroom. Very hard to beat for the price.

[@JaMarvelousjmar]

Quite sure your time and equipment is worthy of some companies sending you a check with a few of their products for a third party review as many are starting to do with amplifiers. Thank you and keep up the good work

[@ErinsAudioCorner]

I appreciate it.

[@markbushinski1198]

Thanks for the explanation Erin. I've always wondering why compression graphs sometimes go positive and today I learned that it's due to distortion.

[@awsomenesscaleb]

This looks like a good sub to annoy the neighbors.

[@atmosphericpressure3560]

It is. It seems like a bunch of repurposed recone kits. Never seen a woofer built like that for $50

[@baguettedoggo9821]

for sure. I have one in a slot box with a 32 in long port, pushing it with a rockville singmix 5 (2000 watt max) thing is insane for the price. im thinking about buying an SVR-12 though

[@jace_Henderson]

@@baguettedoggo9821 svr 12’s are nuts. I got 2 in my corolla being driven at 750rms each. They’re brutal. And the zvx is even more insane considering that just one would equal my double set up 😬

[@JeffAdairKTM530]

please test the sundown sd4

[@hitechrr]

I have AudioSource SW four 12" subwoofer and I would like to update the driver. What would be a good driver for around $100?

[@elchino835]

The most important test is: does it handle 250W RMS? Other specs are meaningless if does not withstand pumishmemt. What a waiste of time other specs.

[@HifiVega]

Love this video man! You really break it down so even a dummy like me can understand it.

[@fdexter01]

You're too smart for the interwebz Erin. Fascinating information, even if I'm not in the market for subs. Better results than I expected out of a $50 sub.

[@ErinsAudioCorner]

Forrest! Man, so nice to hear from you. Hopefully we can get together at an NCSQ meet soon. And, yea, this sub is honestly better than I expected, too. Even though I didn't know what to expect. LOL

[@hiresaudiocosta873]

I have a question. When I was subjectively testing my Acoustic Elegance 18" IB Subwoofer with the Apollo upgrade powered by 6 different amplifiers in rotation, I found that with each amplifier swap there was varying levels of audible distortion and tonality changes. I found that different amplifiers could control the drivers movement more precisely than others. The results were quite incredibly surprising, from an extremely accurate bass note to muddy and sloppy noise. Same track used at same volume level. So is it possible that all the results and data that you collect while testing various drive units may only be accurate to the specific amplifier that you are using? Especially with regards to distortion measurements. How much of that distortion is drive unit related as opposed to the amplifiers grip it has with regards to control over the cone movement? Is it also possible that an amplifiers grip over cone movement with regards to transient response and overhang may not only vary from amplifier to amplifier, but also vary from frequency to frequency due to both the amplifier specs as well as the drive unit? Something to ponder....

[@ErinsAudioCorner]

First of all, I'd question your results based on your biased/sighted listening. You made no attempt at controlled experimentation. You plugged and chugged. Psychoacoustics are a big deal and given you're a "meta" kind of person, I'm honestly surprised you are so dismissive of how the brain can fool you so easily. To be to the point, your sighted experiment is not weighted in evidence of any sort. It was an experience. Not a fact. Of course, you and I always disagree on the matter of sighted "listening tests" vs objective data so it's not like my reply should come as a surprise. Not to mention all the other variables beyond (same volume level sure but what about clipping, headroom, etc). Secondly, you can find out how the Klippel analyzer operates by reading about it on their website if you care to get in to the details of it. But, namely, the analyzer uses a loopback feature where it knows the signal coming from the amp and separates that from the measurement. IOW, "hey, you've got this distortion so I will not factor that in to my results". That said, amplifiers' distortion products are

[@johnwanamaker358]

Great presentation and review. As always, good video.

[@ErinsAudioCorner]

Thank you, sir.

[@ferdinandbardamu3945]

Since you're getting into subwoofer drivers, may I suggest testing a Seas L26ROY sub-woofer. And since you're an American, an Acoustic Elegance woofer with and without the Apollo motor upgrade would also be great.

[@ErinsAudioCorner]

I do plan to test an AE subwoofer at some point but this is the last drive unit I am testing for a while. I am about to switch back over to loudspeakers for a while again.

[@bbfoto7248]

@Ferdinand Bardamu 👍 I was going to suggest that SEAS L26ROY subwoofer as well, or one of the Scanspeak low Fs/low inductance subwoofers as a good contrast to this inexpensive Skar model.

[@ferdinandbardamu3945]

@@bbfoto7248 I've always had a soft spot for the little Scanspeak 23W but the Seas is better value.

[@sagerman6779]

Outstanding video. Much appreciated. It felt like I was watching a channel with over a million subscribers and years of videos in the library. I've never gotten so much information. I would be very much interested if you continued up the Skar lineup and revealed what each price increase brings. I know they have an $80 slim sub with aluminum basket that looks promising; They go up from their to $100, $130, $160 and $200. I would very much like to know what improvements each step gives me. I'll watch anything you put up in the future regardless of subject matter and will appreciate every minute of it. Thank You.

[@cocomaster3755]

Super cheap .... But I got 4 subs for 115 around January from Walmart. Boss CX subs have not let me down yet have allowed me to test things I would not have wanted to with other subs and apply them to the models I wanted to. From building a box for them to making sure they rail at what I tuned the amp to for a beefier sub, these are like my trailblazers and I'm thinking about adding a scar to the line of test subs before I get better. I just see it as one step up from boss

[@JoelHernandez-tz3vk]

I wonder if he could eventually test a budget 15 and 18 as well for a cheap home theater setup.

[@KidCoyle]

phenomenal video erin

[@patrickseitz2473]

I'd be really interested in seeing distortion measurements on a JL Audio W6v3 or W7. These are nice sounding subs, but why are they so expensive? Lol. Would love to see how they compare objectively to cheaper car audio or even DIY market subs like the Dayton RS series, SEAS LROY, Scan Speak Rev. Just my personal wish list. =)

[@ErinsAudioCorner]

Noted!

[@ABNHW]

Trying to understand fs with regard to car door speakers. What does it indicate? I am looking at the audiofrog GS60 which has a higher fs than other similar sized speakers.

[@fidstang]

Great content and information. Keep them coming. Would love to see some good quality drivers tested for HT and Pro Audio. Most car audio drivers are going to be the same. Low Xmax, but great Xmech and suspension control, because they know the car audio crowd will drive them into extreme distortion levels in favor of spl.

[@billyhill2488]

Looks like a droning machine in a ported box. Oughta make most people who just wanna bang pretty happy. BTW, I'm putting that Air Supply song on my next demo cd when at Al's in April;)

[@hippo-potamus]

Hey Erin, adjusting the amp gain so that the power output given to the subwoofers is the same , would a dual 2 ohm subwoofer voice coil get hotter when wired to a 1ohm vs a 4 ohm final impedance? There was a guy who did a video and his results showed that all things being equal the subwoofer that was wired lower got hotter. How would you explain this result? Thanks mate. -Cheers

[@Edward135i]

Aaron could you do a video on subwoofer impedance, why do car audio subs have such a lower impedance than home subs, why can they suck down so much more power than home subs.

[@shaunonverwacht9626]

I somehow feel that the test fixture should not be vibrating as much as can be seen at 1:59. Is this a true representation of the setup?

[@ErinsAudioCorner]

The video is sped up 6x and the camera is on the ground right next to the stand so any vibration is going to seem more egregious due to those factors.

[@scopeside]

If I’m going with a 5 Chanel amp Up to 450 W X 1 RMS 5th Ch @ 2 ohm Up to 225 W X 1 RMS 5ht Ch @ 4 ohm Would one of these be my best option? And should I get the 2 or 4 ohm version please help

[@AntoineFinch]

A GOOD HONEST REVIEW HOW REFRESHING

[@wesjacobson6675]

Good job on the video man! Thank you

[@drrckhamilton]

I have a question. The results are not what are advertised or maybe what were expected by a potential buyer but should we expect any different from a $50 subwoofer or no?

[@ErinsAudioCorner]

That's a good question and one I asked myself. See the conclusion here: kzbin.info/www/bejne/jpSUkIVofJ6FfJY Thing is, without additional tests like these from myself or from other independent outlets, we just don't have a frame of reference at this price point. I've tested other subwoofers at higher price points but none (so far) at the $50 mark. Namely because there just weren't any at this price. As I said in the video, though, I think the performance is pretty good and better than I expected. With some slight modifications to the driver the performance could be increased quite a bit at a relatively minor cost.

[@drrckhamilton]

@@ErinsAudioCorner Yeah I stopped to ask the question when I got to the conclusion.

[@jasonw6993]

@@ErinsAudioCorner personally I think that while I'd like to have a specimen that matches the specs, I question whether the issue is more QC related. So the sample that they tested for their specs is "x" and yet your sample is "x". My question is if ALL the samples from the production run match yours or if there is a deeper root cause for the delta. Just my curiosity.

[@Catholic1391]

What about going with two of those sub with this box cause that the only box that fit in my Tahoe. Description: This listing is for a custom built ported subwoofer box for 2 12" or 10" subs to fit behind the third row seats in a 2000+ Chevy Tahoe. Enclosure Details: - 3/4" MDF Construction - Black carpet (charcoal or light grey carpet may be substituted upon request) - Port Tubes - 4 2" aeroports - 8.5" long - Tuned to 34 Hz (frequency is adjustable upon request) - Mounting Depth: 7" - Exterior Dimensions Length - 47" Height - 20" Bottom Depth - 9.5 Top Depth - 6.75 - 3.0 Cubic ft total - Single Chamber - Roughly 65 lbs - Sealed air tight with liquid nails caulk

[@myboy051]

Approximately how long does it take to test a driver start to finish? Also I have a set Hertz ML1650.3 hanging around in my basement. I believe its a fairly known driver. Any interest in testing it ?

[@ErinsAudioCorner]

A full up test takes about 2 days. I’m taking a break from drive unit testing for a while. But I appreciate the offer.

[@dhess34]

KZbin: “Oh, you’re looking videos about cheap car subs? Here’s a ‘Don’t Vape’ ad.” Ad targeting’s pretty on-point these days!

[@ErinsAudioCorner]

LOL. I continually get ads from O'Reilly's Auto Parts. I have only shopped there once. But that damn jingle gets stuck in my head...

[@colbylaro9361]

I would have fallen out of my chair when I saw you were testing an ix 12 but luckily I had my seatbelt on! Seems almost like it could be installed as a midbass speaker?..I have a brand new pair of evl 6.5's that I haven't installed yet. Would love to see your test results on them. I'd be happy to pay for shipping there and back if you're interested?

[@ErinsAudioCorner]

Thanks for the offer but I'm all finished up with drive unit testing for a while. And, yea, the SKAR was an impulse buy. I saw it a couple months ago when shopping for a subwoofer for my nephew but went with something else for him. I came back across it in my cart and decided "might as well test it out". And here we are. 😀

[@luis.angel.miranda]

great video nothing like this on youtube keep doing what you doin

[@Narcolepsykid]

Keep it up bud! Can we see different woofers?

[@ErinsAudioCorner]

I'm sure I will test more subs at some point. Just not sure when that will be.

[@rickc2222]

It would be interesting to see what happens if you put this woofer in place of the poorer performing 12" subs in your 12" sub shootout you recently did.....wonder if they would perform better or worse? I put a 400w MTX thunder 75 series dual voice coil 10" (old school cool sub i scored cheap) in a 100 watt Denon HTIB home subwoofer and while i'm pushing my luck and the thermal limits of the amp, it was a very noticeable improvement in performance, especially at the lower frequencies. Additionally, I really wish you would have popped it into an enclosure and shared what your ears are telling you as well. Measurements are important, but the dont tell the whole story.

[@K_Vang23]

Wow, very informative. You should really look into starting your own SQ woofer line.

[@ErinsAudioCorner]

Well, I dunno about all of that... but thanks for the morale boost! 😀

[@Me-dh4pm]

Awesome bro! I'm new to the SQ game but great content Erin! We fuck wit you in PA!

[@ErinsAudioCorner]

Sweet! PA, stand up!

[@shoof1696]

can you do it on the skar vxf its their sq sub and I wonder how it would do on this test

[@ErinsAudioCorner]

I don't think I will. Not saying I won't for sure. Just not likely.

[@rowboyto156]

you need to do one on the skar vxf. see if you could borrow parker dacchille sub for the test. that should get you a good amount of views

[@ErinsAudioCorner]

I'll keep it in mind. :)

[@DNDCarandHomeTheateraudio]

Very useful review.

[@cartruck1070]

Great info. Thank you.

[@bbfoto7248]

@Erin's Audio Corner This was a great example of what you can expect to get from a $50 car audio subwoofer. Since Subwoofers in general are such an incredibly popular topic for both car & home audio (as you discovered after posting your 10 budget 10" home audio subwoofers test video), I think that a video dedicated to "Subwoofers: What Specs to look for in a home vs car audio subwoofer & what specs matter most" would bring your channel A LOT of views and subscribers...in addition to being valuable information. i.e. it would be good to outline what specs and properties equate to a subwoofer driver that's prioritized solely to "banggin' SPL" vs ultimate SQ. And since you already have one on-hand, I think that a "contrast and compare" of the specs & performance of this $50 Skar Subwoofer and your JL Audio 12w6v3 would have been (or would be) an extremely valuable and very popular comparison... Or perhaps one of the low inductance/low Fs Scanspeak subwoofers. Another good value/good performance subwoofer driver would be the Dayton Audio 12" Reference HO & HF models. In addition, a quick overview and description of what exactly a "Shorting Ring" is and how Inductance affects speaker & subwoofer performance would be very well-received. How does driver Distortion relate to our quest for deep bass linearity/accuracy vs ultimate SPL. I realize that you plan to step away from individual driver testing for a bit since you've acquired the new measurement rig. But IMO, I think you're missing a HUGE opportunity if you do not post a quick follow-up test with a known "good" subwoofer driver such as your 12w6v3 fairly soon to contrast with this budget Skar model. That would exponentially boost interest in this video, as well as your KZbin channel in general. Either way, great work, and it's satisfying to see your channel grow.

[@aslmx1918]

Great job. I put a cheap Star in my sons car. He’s beat the crap out of it and it’s still going. Any word on Steve? I shot him an email the other day and no response. I assume he’s pretty tied up.

[@ErinsAudioCorner]

I haven't talked to him in a week or so. He's focusing on his home audio cabinet business now I believe.

[@Dannerrrr]

When you first say your TLAs, could you use the full name at least, and maybe an explanation?

[@shining31]

Nice review

[@johnviera3884]

Dude has a Klippel. Damn son

[@garyh2660]

a single random 9 month(?) Old video and you have a new sub (I rarely sub to anything). Would freakin pay to see You and Hexabase talk, plan and design something. Would break youtube.

[@ErinsAudioCorner]

Awesome! Thanks for the compliment! I watch Hexibase's videos as well. He has great content.

[@garyh2660]

@@ErinsAudioCorner so do you man! Your thorough parameter analysis, equipment and your understanding/testing throughout and also after break-in is Much needed and stuff he doesn't do. Could be the yin to your yang. 1 vote for a collab! Unless you're also that meticulous with enclosures? *proceeds to watch your other vids* lol

[@Mark-rn6rs]

Excellent and very informative 👍🏻 I see that QSC Hilarious singing 😭😭

[@ErinsAudioCorner]

That QSC is a beast! Dedicated 20amp breaker. :) What you talking about ... "hilarious"?... man, that's wonderful singing. 😂

[@Mark-rn6rs]

@@ErinsAudioCorner Nice I love my qsc’s have a few dca’s running my theater

[@ErinsAudioCorner]

@@Mark-rn6rs I had the 1644 for a short period of time. Great amps.

[@markbushinski1198]

Keep testing subs Erin! I've been compiling a 12" subwoofer shootout on the DIYaudio forum: www.diyaudio.com/forums/subwoofers/360855-tale-12-subwoofers-distortion-15-dollars.html I've been taking some distortion measurements too but I pale in comparison to your klippel setup.

[@erikpayne8202]

Thank youuu

[@RennieAsh]

If you turn it up, it'll leave your audiophile ears with a skar

[@ErinsAudioCorner]

😂

[@overbuiltautomotive1299]

seems like it be a good home replacement in old big floor standing units that came with garbage woofers them or parts express 59.oo ones are my debate the skars are 2 or 4 ohm the darn P.E are just 4 gerrr .just have to paint over that brand name skar .lol nope

[@DeeMoneyG]

Would u buy these subs

[@ErinsAudioCorner]

No. But just to make sure this isn’t a “gotcha”: I also know that to get the performance I need/want, I’m going to have to spend more than $50. 👍

[@jeradleal2238]

Bro looks super stoned

[@ASSOpid]

So you never actually put the sub in an enclosure and listened to it? How can you do a review and give an honest decision without that?

[@rowboyto156]

he doesnt have to if the klippel shows the graphs. sundown and kicker klippel their subs so they can give you the correct t/s parameters

[@ASSOpid]

@@rowboyto156 So speaker reviews are just measurments now?

[@rowboyto156]

@@ASSOpid yeah on this guy, if you want to see it in a box ask parker dacchille to review it

[@puresesh7985]

@@ASSOpid measurements will tell you 99% of what you need to know when making a choice on a driver.

[@ASSOpid]

@@puresesh7985 .... except how it sounds in a vehicle.

[@Dyhmu12]

What??????????

[@No_Toes.420]

My ix12 hits harder then my JL audio sub glad i decided to get a skar