scofolo

The 13TW5-3 was delivered yesterday. Serial number 20. It looks great. It was a lot heaver than I would have imagined. It's definately a well built speaker. Made a quick box for it, with .852 cu.ft. After listening to it for the last hour, I'll say its a very smooth sounding subwoofer. Anyone looking for sound quality will probably like it. Compared to a JL Audio 12w3v3 in a sealed enclosure, it played slightly louder at the same volume level. I tried it with jazz, rock, and a few bass tracks. It responded very well to all of them.

boardroomjimmy

How much for the jl? I've been looking into the thin subs for my upcoming install. My leftover infinity perfect 10 is too big for the job, been looking at the pioneer premier but I'd rather use the jl if the price is comperable.

scofolo

Suggested retail price is $549. Authorized dealers will probably be anywhere from $400-550

Kale

Yikes.

boardroomjimmy

Hmmm, that's a lot more than the pioneer. The pioneer can be had for under 200.00, which is a little worrying. You usually get what you pay for, I'll have to think on this one. So does it sound like $500.00?

Kale

I doubt any sub sounds like $500...

boardroomjimmy

A sloppy sub can ruin an otherwise good sounding system, my point was, do you feel it is worth $500.00? I'd be interested in other subs you've used, and how this one compares. thanks.

scofolo

Well, the price will definately keep some people away. But that seems to prove true with many JL Audio products. If you are trying to specifically compare it to the Pioneer, it sounds much better imho.

Spkrboy

Subs aren't sloppy by themselves. It's usually a poor enclosure choice that causes that problem.

The price of this driver is a function of the manufacturing consistency JL is known for. Pioneers is not anywhere near as consistent in specifications, and many times lots are produced by different companies. When you're stuck having to buy a slimline sub (as I am considering for my truck) you have few good choices. The JL as far as I can see to this point is the best (most consistent) model available. Paying a premium sometimes buys peace-of-mind.

bgreen83

wow, I havent even noticed this before. I wanted a 13.5w7 but it's just too big. I will check this out.

Kale

I wonder what the linear xmax is on it. Even if limited, should still be fairly loud just from cone area.

0TheRadioFlyer97

Do you have a link to more information? I can't seem to find it on JL's website.

bgreen83

http://mobile.jlaudio.com/jlaudio_pages.php?page_id=213

Kale

9mm xmax... pretty low for a 13, on the other hand, pretty decent for a flat sub.