Rockville VS8K52 8" Car Subwoofer vs American Bass DX 10" Subwoofer

The Rockville VS8K52 is the easier buy for most people: it comes pre-loaded in a braced 3/4-inch MDF vented box tuned to 37 Hz, so you get bass without building or buying an enclosure. The American Bass DX is a bare 10-inch driver with a bigger 90 oz magnet, a 2-inch voice coil and higher 300 W RMS handling, but you must supply a ported box of about 1.25 cu ft. Owners rate the Rockville 4.4 out of 5 across 22 ratings; the DX has a long reputation as a solid entry-level sub. Buy the Rockville for a simple all-in-one setup, the DX if you already have a box and want more cone area and power headroom.

• Choose the Rockville VS8K52 if you want a complete, pre-built vented sub box that drops into a small space and runs on modest power.
• Choose the American Bass DX if you already have a ported enclosure and an amp that can feed a 4-ohm 10-inch driver more power.