Smooth rich sound. Never bottoms out at high volumes using the adequate power. Good dynamic range from 20-300hz. Provide Dual Voice Coils for different connectivity. Require small parameters for the box. Which is really good.

I use to own three JBL 300W (93db effeciency)subwoofers and where louder than the three JL Audio subwoofers (87db efficiency)I have, but JBL is not even close to the sound quality of JL.

Well maybe some of you guys don't consider this to be a weakness but to me it is.

Guess....

It's The Looks!

I wish it looked like the W7.

I respect those beasts.

I own three of these. I used to push them each by a JBL 300watt amplifier on a ported box. Results.....It was underrated power. Couldn't enjoy the music because it was too too loud but clean at the same time. Too much that in fact I thought it sounded much safer in my room. This really sounds better than most manufacturers that engineer their subwoofers for the home.

JL Audio should engineer subwoofers for the pro audio world. They probably would sell more than JBL or EAW. Imagine!

Similar Products Used:

JBL GT1241D, Cerwin-Vega L37

It hits hard at most bass.

I noticed that it doesnt really hit as hard at the acoustic bass kinda stuff, it seems like it doesnt like it. Also it doesnt seem to like radio as much as cd's.

I was shoppin around for subs everywhere. I went to pretty much every car shop, and went to car toys. I had a bad experience with my deck, but tahts another story. This sub shakes my whole car. I was driving home and it was shaking the guy in front of me's truck canopy. Im usin a rf amp and this w3v2 freakin kicks.

Similar Products Used:

None

-Awesome extension hits a very wide array of notes and hits super low. -Nearly unparallelled clarity that is hands down the best for the money. -JL Audio quality and a sleek design that incorporates top notch cooling technology.

-Like any JL sub short of the W6v2 or the W7, these appear the be cheaply made and overpriced from a glance. Most noticable is the terminals. Don't let this fool you, the components and technology are truly ahead of the curve.

OK, I had a pair of Infinity Kappa Perfect 12.1's in my car, and they blew out in less than a week running only 300 watts a piece. I was mad, but now I'M GLAD that I threw 300 bucks down the toilet for them, because it gave me the opportunity to go out and buy a pair of 12W3v2's. These subs are incredible. Anyone that tells you that Perfects are the clearest subs on the market haven't heard these. I'm sure the W6v2 and the W7 beat it out, but at more than double the price. My pair is being pushed by a Rockford 601s with a stock Bose deck and component set. I wouldn't trade these stock speakers for anything, as they are CRYSTAL CLEAR, even at maximum volume. My search for a sub that can keep up with my speakers while driving 80 down the NJ Turnpike with all the windows down is over. The 12W3v2's are INDOMINABLE, even in my pre-fab box.

Similar Products Used:

-Infinity Kappa Perfect 12.1 -Profile Baja

EXCELLENT POWER AND OUTPUT. NICE DESIGN. TIGHT BASS IN A SEALED BOX. VERY ACCURATE RESPONSE FOR A 12.

THE ONLY WEAKNESS IS I HAVE THIS SET UP IN A DAKOTA EXTENDED CAB AND WANTED THE 15. IVE GOT ALPINE CD DECK, MB QUART 6.5's IN FACTORY SPOTS, RF P3002 AMP BRIDGED GIVING MY 1-12 JL W3V2 @350+ WATTS. ENOUGH TO SHAKE MY TRUCK.

POWERFUL SUB. IF YOU LOOKING FOR JUST ONE SUB JUST PUT ABOUT 300 WATTS TO ONE OF THE W3V2's AND YOU WONT BE DISSAPPOINTED. FOR THE $$$$....ITS A GREAT DEAL.

Similar Products Used:

FOSGATE SUBS

Loud. Even though I'm driving the sub with about 100 watts less than recommended and have it in a sealed enclosure, I've got all the bass I need. Note that, at this wattage level, you won't be entertaining your neighbors or even the people in the car next to you at a red light, to do that you'll need to dedicate an entire class D amp to the sub. However, if you're simply into awesome sound this is a great way to go.

I'm mentioning these in the weaknesses section because, well, they're not strengths, but these are nitpicks (especially for a sub in this price range): Somewhat 'plastic' tone doesn't lend itself well to acoustic instruments. Sounds great for electric/electronic instruments, tho. Not the most accurate sub you'll ever hear. In fact, not quite as accurate as the pair of 10w0s that it replaced. If accuracy is of primary concern for you, go with a smaller speaker. The 10W3v2 may even be a better choice...I didn't try it just because I was tired of changing my gear around. Anyway, its not to say this sub is inaccurate, you can definitely hear the difference between a stand-up bass and a kick drum, but you can't necessarily tell the difference between Dave Holland's stand-up bass and William Parker's. The 12 just sounds a little 'looser' somehow.

Lots of bass in a small package. About 50% of the time I listen to jazz, with the other 50% divided up between rock, classical, hip-hop & electronica. Had a great buying experience at Pacific Stereo in the SF Bay Area. Talk to Eddie, he's the man...works in the Fremont store (I think), but spends Tuesdays at the Redwood City store. He lets you try out your new gear in your car for 2 weeks, swapping out equipment per your request until you're absolutely thrilled with your new system. I paid around $1300 for my entire system, including installation, cables, sub enclosure, etc.: Alpine CDA-9807 head unit JL Audio e6450 amp JL Audio XR525-CX (x4) speakers JL Audio 12W3v2 sub ...which, if you price out the indiviudal components, is an amazing deal, and reflected in my 5 star value rating. The e6450 is a 6-channel job. I've got one channel going to each speaker, then bridged the remaining two, sending about 150 watts continuous to the sub. It has a built in crossover: typically I'll send everything above 65 Hz or so to the speakers, and everything below about 80 Hz to this. The amp has a bass boost feature (sends an additional 6db to around 50hz) which I leave off. My head unit has a dedicated subwoofer pre-out, something I strongly recommend, because it gives you a way to adjust the subwoofer level from the head unit. I'm constantly adjusting the sub level depending on the style of music and the characteristics of the recording. The Alpine offers a range from 0-15 for the sub level. At around 4-8 it delivers a fantastic full range of sound (perfect for jazz & classical), and at 12-15 it will shake my seat (better for rock, hip hop, & electronica).

Similar Products Used:

I had a pair of 10W0s before this. They were more accurate, not as loud, and (obviously, because there were 2 of them) took up a lot more space. The cabinet for the two 10s was as wide as my whole cargo area, and required a ported enclosure and bass boost on (on my amp) to get the sound levels I'm enjoying with my single 12W3v2. Mainly, tho, I just like having the extra room...the new cabinet takes up less than half the space, so I can still fold down one seat and get a pair of skis in my car.

accurate. for any kind of music. not too expensive

none so far

i have 4 of these (12's) in a custom box in my truck with 1.4cubic ft air space (sealed) and they hit so hard yet are very clean. i bought 2 alpine type r's and put them in later as i have a box that holds 6 subs and they couldn't hang. i'm pushing them with a 1200 watt mmats amp so thats 300 true watts into each sub and they handle it well without distorting. a very good product!

Similar Products Used:

alpine type r. mmats.

Great for all types of music. A sub with excellent sound quality that can play loud with the best of them. Very musical, with no distortion or cone noise detected. It is also quite an efficient sub, taking only 300 watts rms to be very impressive. Even ported, I have heard these subs and they maintain their sound quality and attention to detal. Great for a daily driver, a show car or even competition. Also, for $12 extra, you can purchase an authentic JL Audio grille that fits into the rubber gasket just inside the mounting holes that ensures your sub will last and survive impact in the world of a daily driver.

None that I can see, other than the fact that it is slightly too big for the custom install that I want to do flush mounting the sub into the storage compartment in my hatch floor. But be rest assured that I am going to run a JL Audio 10W3v2 instead. The 12" will be going into my other car which has a lot more room. Another weakness that I forgot to mention is the fact that stereo theives seem to love JL Audio, so try and keep it as stealth as possible, for this sub is definitely worth stealing.

This is one very versatile subwoofer. When I first heard of the W3v2, I thought it would be just another boomy JL Audio Sub like the old W3's used to be. Wow was I wrong. In the gigantic store, this thing was vibrating my pant legs. The special part is that it wasn't just loud, but tight, fast and accurate also. Very musical. So I purchased it along with an Alpine amp that puts out 350 watts RMS/2ohms. I finally got it installed in the hatch of my 1984 Corvette coupe about a month later, powered it up and wow! I had it sealed in a box of a little over 1 cuft, facing up at the back of the hatch. I put some rock in, tuned the crossover to 50hz and it played it like a champ. Great impact, great extension and an overall musical sound. Next I tried a little bit of pop, techno, metal and even some country. It nailed all of them without even breaking a sweat. Now for the final test, rap. I tuned the crossover to 45hz, put in some ODB and turned up the bass. It played so low and so hard I thought I was going to vomit. I had to turn down the gain, the EQ and the bass boost. This is one very versatile sub.

Similar Products Used:

Orion Cobalt: Good impact, but couldn't hit the lows as well and didn't have near the detail and sound quality. JL Audio W0: The little brother to this beast. A very nice daily driver sub. Will not hit quite as low and will not have the same extension, but is an excellent choice for its efficiency and affordability. JL Audio W7: The top JL Audio subwoofer. Very Pricey in comparison, but words can't describe the amazing sound that comes out of the W7. Detail like no other and an absolutely unheard of extension. If you can afford a W7, look into that one too. Anything JL Audio does is guaranteed to be ahead of the curve.