CoreY2K1

i had 250W going to two 10" JL Audio W0s (at 125W each) and I blew them after two weeks of use... the coil is hitting the cone on both of them.

first of all, why would this happen? i never ran a ridiculous amount volume through them and the sub and amp were both rated at 250W rms...

second, would going with subs that can handle more power be better? For example, two 12" JL W3s which could handle 500W. I only have 250W to work with; which is what my V12 amp is providing to the 5th channel.

thanks.

Mean Gene

Core - First of all, sorry to hear about the problem. Secondly, W0's are rated at 125 watts rms & 250 watts peak but, as I've been trying to tell everyone for a year now, they're notoriously weak & I really don't think they'll handle that much. If they're still under warranty, step up to the W3 series as U mentioned - THEY'LL handle 250 wrms & almost double that peak. Personally, if U're considering switching from dual 10's to dual 12's ( according to your post ), 250 watts won't be enough for a pair. I'm afraid the V-12 will be driven into distortion & that's worse for speakers than high volumes. Even RF advises that U "burn in" their DVC & HX2 series subs with some serious jam for the first few times that U play them - kinda FUN!!

CoreY2K1

so, which of these would you recommend: dual 10" W3s or a single 12" W3? or would 250W not be enough to power dual 10" W3s?

thanks for the advice...

Mean Gene

Corey - I wouldn't feel comfortable running two 10W3's with just a total of 250 watts. Just wouldn't be enough power to really drive them like they should be, IMO. Sure, it'd work but just don't think it'd be worth the effort. 250 wrms on a single 12W3 should be cool for the V-12. Still like to see a little more, especially if ya really jam things but then if U're considering an amp change, THEN let's do the dual 10W3's or 12W3's with a larger amp. BTW - if U can find a pair of 10W1's ( much more durable than the W0 but with a smaller magnet than the W3 series ), those might be worth trying in a small sealed enclosure with the 250 watts. May come down to system goals - SQ ( single 12W1/3 ) or SPL ( dual 10W1's ).

Ear Candy

as for you blowing both of your JL's, make sure you are not feeding them at 2ohms, the v12 can handle a 2ohm load very well, and 250rms is a 12volt underrated reading. So depending on the wiring the subs may have seen close to 450 if not 500 watts. The JL subs you have can handle abuse, but not that much.

It also depends on the enclosure and the types of music you listen to. Pushem hard & long indeed they will die. Pull the subs out, warranty them if you can. and move up to a more solid sub.

The w3 is nice, but a needs a fair amount of juice. A single 12 may be your answer. 2 10's may also tickle you fancy. It all depends on how low and loud you want to get. If you want a little better reproduction go with the 12, a little more spl and a higher low end stick with the tens.

Remember that rms values are a very ruff guide to go by, due to the varying peaks across the low end of the spectrum (20-80 hz). Also the voice coil will be different resistance values from 20-100 hz, put your amp on a oscilloscope and set your gains close to but under clipping. Then measure the actual output and then go shopping for your sub(s) + enclosure.