How can I tell if a subwoofer is good or bad?

I don't have the ability to hook it up to a car stereo, so is there another way I can tell?

Do the "pop" test with a battery. Connect it to a battery for just an instant to see if the cone moves. If it pops you have continuity in the voice coil.

Originally posted by LS1 RULZ
Do the "pop" test with a battery. Connect it to a battery for just an instant to see if the cone moves. If it pops you have continuity in the voice coil.

What kind of battery? Thanks!

I've always been told an "AA," "AAA," or a 9V will work. I've always used an AAA.

-Eric H

assuming that the sub works, you can check how much use it has by pushing down on the center of it to see if it goes down really easily or not....

typically, if a sub is used with lots of power, the foam around the sub will get weaker and become easier to push down...which isnt good.

Originally posted by rage366
assuming that the sub works, you can check how much use it has by pushing down on the center of it to see if it goes down really easily or not....

typically, if a sub is used with lots of power, the foam around the sub will get weaker and become easier to push down...which isnt good.
This is not an accurate way to determine the amount of use a sub has had. The stiffness or looseness of the speaker's suspension (foam/rubber surround and the spider) is different for all speakers. Just becuase one is loose doesn't mean that it's shot.

Originally posted by LS1 RULZ
This is not an accurate way to determine the amount of use a sub has had. The stiffness or looseness of the speaker's suspension (foam/rubber surround and the spider) is different for all speakers. Just becuase one is loose doesn't mean that it's shot.


i didnt say shot...my pioneer 12 used to be really stiff when i bought it 3 yrs ago...but now, it's much looser, simlpy because it becomes more flexible.

newer subs that i've seen dont use the foam...they're transitioned to using the rubber surrounding.

with subs that have the foam type surrounding, i believe this is a simple tool to guide a person in the right direction.

there really isnt a sure way of knowing what a sub has been through. simply because a sub has current right now, it doesnt mean that it will in 5 minutes.

only way to be sure is to know exactly what the sub has been through...and even then, it's a piece of electronics, so it can burn out anyway.

Originally posted by rage366
i didnt say shot...my pioneer 12 used to be really stiff when i bought it 3 yrs ago...but now, it's much looser, simlpy because it becomes more flexible.

newer subs that i've seen dont use the foam...they're transitioned to using the rubber surrounding.

with subs that have the foam type surrounding, i believe this is a simple tool to guide a person in the right direction.

there really isnt a sure way of knowing what a sub has been through. simply because a sub has current right now, it doesnt mean that it will in 5 minutes.

only way to be sure is to know exactly what the sub has been through...and even then, it's a piece of electronics, so it can burn out anyway.

THere are still a ton of subs out there that use foam. Most of the high excursiuon subs have foam because foam is better suited to keeping the VC centered and it is less prone to pucker at high excursion. When you have a high excursion sub it is extremely important to have a linear stroke because of scraping issues.