JBL GT1241D

Price Paid:  $50.00 from Ebay.com

Year / Model Reviewed:
1999 JBL GT1241D Subwoofer

Strengths:
Looks good. Good sound quality and efficiency. Affordable.

Weaknesses:
Bottom out @ lower frequencies faster. This means that specially in high volumes playing low notes, it's voicecoil will sound like it's hitting the bottom of the magnet. That's not good. But if you are one of those people who just wants clean unabused bass, this subwoofer will do it for you.

It's boomy in the 50-60hz, depending on the box as well. The only solution is to use an equalizer.

Through time, the upper surround suspensioin will unglue.

Maximum watts is 1200WPeak. Be very careful though I blew one giving it just 300W for 7 hours and melted in a car show!

Summary:
I made a 134.7db on dash and 137.8db on floor pushing three of these @ 2 ohms powered each by a JBL BP300.1 with Monster Cable and a AudioControl EQX Processor using a single ported custom box on a 1994 Lincoln Towncar.

"Wow....." said the owner of the organization of the Sound Pressure Level Club.

Push it with 300Watts or less. I don't recommend you with more power, specially if your new in the car audio world.

Similar Products Used:
JL Audio 12W3v2

Price Paid:  $50.00 from ebay

Year / Model Reviewed:
1999 JBL GT1241D

Strengths:
Tremendous Sound Quality Excellent Sound Pressure Level Awesome Material Increadible cheap price Very long eXcursion 1200 Watts Maximum Dual 40 oz. Magnet Famous World Wide Known Audio Company!

Weaknesses:
To be very honest, it will bottom out around the 0-18 hertz (I used Bass Mekanik Tones and Sweaps), BUT it depends on how well the box is constructed, cause when my father made the box it sounds like the voice coil is hitting the bottom really hard in the 0-18 hertz which is the magnet, which this shouldn't happen at all. Other than that this subwoofer can compete with any "same" wattage subwoofer. Once again like the JL Audio 12W6v2. Upper bass is kinda soft.(but keep in mind that this is a low frequency driver only)

Summary:
I recommend this subwoofer to anyone who just wants clean,loud output bass on their vehicle or either to compete on eXtreme, (keep in mind that since they are 300W R.M.S., you need at least 8 to beat everybody outthere, even the JL Audio 12W6v2). Trust me I know with eight of these powered with two JBL BP1200.1 will have an SPL of 168-173 decibels. This subwoofer is the best bass sound I ever heard as of right now. It sounds more like "pro subs" that are used in live sound. This subwoofer has a very cheap price. Although when they first came out, it retailed $210. But I think the price went really down because since people use JL Audio more since it's supposely the best leading company in car audio, they go ahead and buy them, since more people have them and sound really good to be honest. That's why JBL isn't popular that much in car audio, only on pro audio. I'm telling this to everyone outhere because I was like that too, people would say to me that JL Audio was the best and when they told me this I wanted two JL Audio 13W6v2's (500W R.M.S each), and that JL Audio can't compare with JBL, some others tell me Kicker kicks JBL's ass, and there was also this guy trying to be all cool who would tell me that "Bazooka" blows out JBL, which makes me laugh. But in my opinion I think the best is not the best. It's all about the type of wires you use, the type of construction the box is made, the appropiate power and last but not least the installation. Having all this nearly perfect, I'm quite sure that's all you need to accomplish a 1-class sound system. One thing is because the subwoofer just moves "air" up and down, but also reproduces sound on the woofer though. JL Audio has more technologies than other woofers like for example cooling the voice coil more than any other sub. This probably makes the JL Audio expensive because of their technologies. Anyways, JBL, Kicker, Rockford Fosgate, Alpine, Pioneer, MTX, Bazooka, Sony Xplod, DB Drive e.t.c. have their own "stuff". This is just few main things about high quality subs. That's why best is not best. The loudest sound system was a grey 1990 XL Ford Van, in McAllen, TX. This guy had around eight 12 inch Crossfire subs (500 watts each)and 8 Crossfire amplifiers, and made an SPL of 166.5dB. And Iv'e seen JL Audio Subwoofers with only 5 JL Audio 15W3's (400 Watts each) and made a record of 174.3 dB!! I couldn't imagine how good quality subwoofers does do make difference. Going back to the JBL GT1241D, this is to me the best cheap priced high quality subwoofer outhere. JBL GT1241D is just too increadible. OVERALL in GENERAL as in my OPINION and I have 17 years old guy that goes to McAllen High School, Believe that sound was not built to abuse it. There are consequenses, one of them is hearing loss, second is breaking windows, and the other one is that others might not like bass or super loud music that'll distract them. I do have four JBL GT1241D subwoofers and 2 sets of MB Quarts BUT I don't abuse them at all, like a crazy man. I only play the four JBL's loud in competition only! Plus I wear hearing protection. I play only two JBL's that will sound steady to my MB Quarts on street, I just play to a volume at my listening level. And that will not distract others of coarse. I'm proud humans made or produced sound, my question is how increadibly did they do that. I wish I could be like them.

Similar Products Used:
Pioneer, Polk Audio, Kicker, Realistic, Fisher, Cerwin Vega (It's All About the SOUND everyone) Just ask Gary Briggs, IASCA Champion with kicker, JBL, etc.

Price Paid:  $70.00 from www.crunchfield.com

Year / Model Reviewed:
 1991 Honda CRX Si

Strengths:
Accurate bass, hits every note just right, you can pretty much play any type of music with these subs, the matrial JBL uses is very nice, this sub can be taken to the limit (JBL says it's a high excursion woofer), great db's (93), I can be heard one block way, these can compete with any sub even the "ALL MIGHTY" himself JL Audio 12W6.

Weaknesses:
Nothing.

Summary:
After having 2 Rockford Fosgate series subs, that would always seem to disspoint me because everytime i would play Metal music or electronic music, they would just dogg out on me and make so mad. I'm not going to give a history lesson here, but i chose JBL because they do have history dating back all the way to the 1940's. JBL makes concert speakers, home theater systems, car audio speakers (all types of sizes from 3 inch - 15 inch). Well i bought the subs at crunchfield.com for $70.00 each, and what a deal i got. When the JBL's arrived to my house in the mail. I ripped out my Rockford Fosgate Punch HX 12 inch DVC in a heartbeart. I drilled in those JBL's and hooked my 1400 Watt 2 Channel Legacy Sapphire amp and popped in a CD and i couldn't believe for once in my life i did something right, i have bought the perfect subs. I have these bad boys bridged at 1400 watts each (yeah i know i'm overloading my amp, but so what!) and believe me I CAN FEEL THE BASS! These JBL's have made my life so happy that people are always saying "man, you gotta tell me what kind of subs you got?" This speaker is rated at 1200 watts each (I never used the RMD watts for a sub), rated at 93 db's (RF uses 87 or 88 db's on there subs). If you want a quality sub that will deliver the goods (JBL is the way to go), if you think good looks and a bigger price tag is you thing and all you don't care about the specs of the sub (the Rockford Fosgate is your salvation, not for me).

Similar Products Used:
Rockford Fosgate Punch Z series, Punch HX 12 DVC series (BUT THOSE SUBS SUCK!!!!) JBL!!!!!!!!

Price Paid:  $41.00

Strengths:
i got an incredible deal for 2 of these and im running the only at 175 rms for both of them at 2 ohms and they still dome in a ported box i made i just wish i had 300 rms a side because thats how much they want, they are also very durable

Weaknesses:
nothing really..

Summary:
i recommend they because they recently had a great price drop abot 99 per just make sure u can fix this in your car

Similar Products Used:
audiobands cerwinvega pioneers