Kicker DS12LS - Bass Depot

by CAE , Oct 01, 2007     40    3    17  

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ListeningSo how did the Kicker sound? Pretty darn good, in most cases. I found that the DS12L5 was most at home playing pop/rock/rap/R&B types of music, but didn't fare as well on classical, acoustic recordings or hard rock.

As soon as I turned on my system, my first thoughts were "man this thing is much louder than my regular pair of 10" subs." I was listening to the Eagle's DTS recording of "Dirty Laundry" and the bass kick was much louder in level. After a couple of adjustments I returned to listening to the track. The bass image was notable up front - never did I hear any indication that the subwoofers were behind me. The DS12L5 provided solid impact and good detail; however, it appeared to have a hump in its frequency response in the 40Hz range, right before it falls off on the low end.

On most pop, rock, R&B and rap tracks I was presented with a well-rounded performance, but when I played Metallica's "Enter Sandman" the bass sounded one-notish. It was simply less detailed and not as well defined as I'd like.

I really enjoyed the DS12L5 when I played jazz tracks such as Herb Albert's "Passion Dance" and select Diana Krall stuff. The bass notes stayed tight and punchy throughout and were a lot of fun too. But, as I stated, the DS12L5 came up a little short when the notes dropped to the very lowest frequencies.

When I dialed the Zapco 9.0x up to full broadcast volume levels, the Kicker kicked me up and down the block! I never heard any cone cry, port noise, chuffing or break-up from the subwoofer system no matter how much power I pumped into the system. It just got louder and more physical. With that a big ol' port and the twin square subwoofers - just goes to prove the old racing adage that, "There's no replacement for displacement." And having big subwoofers and large ports displaces a massive amount of air when you hit them with 2,000 watts!

As a testament to how well Kicker builds their subwoofers, it isn't uncommon when I do these massive power tests to smell the voice coils cooking in the subwoofers. I know that the speaker is at its limits and beyond when this happens, but the Kickers never gave me the first hint of giving up, burning out, bottoming out or quitting no matter how much punishment I poured out on them. Not even a sniff of voice coil smell. Very impressive indeed.

ConclusionI enjoyed listening to the Kicker DS12L5 on many types of music. My neighbors may be less enamored with them, being that they can pump out massively loud bass and do it all day and night long. At $800, it might be a bit to expensive for the target audience of big boom fans but if you're in the market for a quick fix to weak bass, then give the Kicker DS12L5 a listen. If you power it properly, I know that it will impress just about anybody who wants to get it on.

SCORE CHART Sound Quality **** Boom and Output ***** Installation **** Overall Value ****

InstallationBecause of its weight and size, you'll want to firmly mount the DS12L5 in your vehicle. Kicker, being the kind of caring company that they are, supplies solid mounts for just this purpose. Thank you, Kicker!

The owner's manual has been done very well. It spells everything out in three languages, showing multiple installation applications and styles. One of the most important tips that the manual provides is the admonition to keep the port clear of obstruction and to mount the enclosure with at least 4" of space from the port. Blocking the port will affect the overall sound quality of the subwoofer system, so make sure you pick a spot that keeps the port clear.

The manual also contains thoughtful reminders for mounting the enclosure and the warranty story. If you purchase your Kicker products from an authorized Kicker dealer, you receive a full one-year warranty for parts and labor, but if you buy it from a non-authorized source, the warranty is limited to just three months.

Once you have positioned the enclosure and mounted it to the floor, the last part of the installation is the wiring hook-up. The DS12L5 is as simple as they come. Black and red buttons clearly mark the spring-loaded terminals. Strip the insulator back on your wire, press the proper button down, slip in the wire and you're done.

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