Rockford Fosgate

In late October 2023, we had the opportunity to give the Rockford Fosgate R2-1200X1 subwoofer amplifier a thorough Test Drive Review (https://www.bestcaraudio.com/test-drive-review-rockford-fosgate-r2-1200×1/). We were very impressed that this entry-level amp had features and performance that dramatically outperformed entry-level and mid-level products from other brands.

Power Testing and the Importance of Supply Voltage

The original test had one hiccup. When running a 1-ohm load, the amp produced 1,155.3 watts, which is a few watts (44.7) shy of the rated 1,200 watts the amp should produce.

Why did this happen? Is the R2-1200X1 not a real 1,200-watt amplifier? The answer lies in the power supplies we used to feed the amplifier. The supplies, a pair of Stinger SPS80 units, don’t have an output voltage adjustment. We’ve used their high- and low-voltage settings to show how different amplifiers perform at different supply voltage levels. The problem is, amplifiers tested to the ANSI/CTA-2006-D specification must be supplied with 14.4 volts. We only fed the R2-1200X1 13.61 volts. So, making just 44 watts shy of the rating, with 0.79 volt less than is expected, is actually impressive.

We typically explain that minute differences in output power are inaudible. The difference in output level between 1,155.2 and 1,200 watts is only 0.16 dB. You can’t hear that difference. Nevertheless, car audio enthusiasts want to see the largest numbers possible regarding power ratings … for some reason.

New Power Supplies Fix Everything

After months of research, we have purchased two new 100-amp, 15-volt power supplies for the BestCarAudio.com test bench. The new supplies have an adjustable output, so we can fine-tune them to produce precisely 14.4 volts to ensure that the measurements we provide fully comply with the ANSI/CTA-2006-D specification. We use our QuantAsylum QA403 audio analyzer to measure harmonic distortion and noise and adjust the output level to be within a tenth of 1% THD+N.

Repeating the Rockford Fosgate R2-1200X1 Test

With the new supplies wired up and a few wires re-terminated, it was time to repeat the power measurements. As you can see from the chart below, the impressive R2-1200X1 does indeed produce every bit of power that Rockford Fosgate claims – and more. If you’ve been paying attention to the other products we’ve tested from them, that should be no surprise.

We picked up 27.3 watts at 4 ohms, 36.5 watts at 2 ohms and an impressive 109.9 watts when driving a 1-ohm load.

Distortion Versus Output Graphs

While the amp was back on the bench, we generated THD+N versus power output graphs for each load. The graphs show total harmonic distortion and noise on the vertical scale and power output on the horizontal scale.

Different amplifier designs have different characteristics regarding how they add harmonic distortion to the signal. The R2-1200X1 behaves well, with moderate THD+N increases as output levels rise. There’s nothing bad or unexpected in any of the measurements.

Why Does More Power Supply Voltage Increase Maximum Power Output?

Before we close, we should discuss why increasing the supply voltage increases an amplifier’s maximum power. In the case of this amp, the power supply is unregulated – or, at the very least, loosely regulated. In terms of practical explanation, the voltage supplied to the amp is multiplied by a fixed amount to create the rail voltages that drive the output.

If we had to guess, the R2-1200X2 takes the supply voltage and multiplies it by roughly 2.25. This gives us positive and negative rail voltages of approximately +32V and -32V. The audio signal can swing between these voltages, giving us just over 44.3 volts RMS available to drive the subwoofer. At 4 ohms, that’s just under 500 watts.

At lower impedances, the limiting factor in how much power the amp can produce is the power supply’s current delivery capabilities. We measured 41.4 volts into a 2-ohm load and 35.57 volts into a 1-ohm load. Once again, this is entirely normal behavior for a high-quality amplifier.

Check out the R2-1200X1 for Your Car Audio Subwoofers

If you’re shopping for an affordable subwoofer amplifier that sounds good, offers fantastic efficiency and includes all the features you need to make your car audio system sound great, drop by a local authorized Rockford Fosgate retailer and check out the R2-1200X1. Be sure to tell them the gang from BestCarAudio.com sent you!

This article is written and produced by the team at www.BestCarAudio.com. Reproduction or use of any kind is prohibited without the express written permission of 1sixty8 media.

Rockford Fosgate has entered the Jeep audio system upgrade market with solutions like no other. If you have a 2018 through 2023 Wrangler four-door or a 2020 or newer Gladiator, the new Stage 5, 1,800-watt all-in-one audio kits are the only premium solutions on the market. Let’s look at what makes these sound system upgrades unique.

Jeep Wrangler and Gladiator Stereo Upgrades

Let’s start with the components common to the 18WRNGLER-STG5 and 20GLADR-STG5 kits. Both kits include a pair of Element Ready Rockford Fosgate M5-series amplifiers. A four-channel M5-800X4 amplifier provides up to 100 watts of power to each front and rear speaker, and an M5-1000X1 can crank up 1,000 watts of power to the system’s subwoofers. The kit includes a mounting plate that securely locates the amplifiers under the driver’s seat.

The Wrangler and Gladiator kits include two sets of TMS65 6.5-inch Element Ready speakers in Jeep-specific enclosures. The front speaker pods are a drop-in fit for the lower part of the dash, while the rear speakers are in a new soundbar overhead enclosure. The kits also include a set of M2-TS 1-inch tweeters on mounting plates for the dash.

Both systems include a digital signal processor with a pre-loaded tune. The processor can detect the type of vehicle it’s installed into (Wrangler or Gladiator) and load a calibration optimized for that particular Jeep. The DSP integrates seamlessly with the factory-installed source unit and detects which radio is connected through its CAN bus communication. When combined with the Jeep-specific settings on the amplifiers, your installer doesn’t have to spend any time configuring the system, worrying about load resistors or measuring voltage or frequency response. The Rockford Fosgate R&D team has done all that work for you!

All of the upgraded components mount to the factory fastener locations. The R&D team at Rockford Fosgate 3D-scanned every part of the vehicle and created the pods, brackets, wiring and enclosures to fit perfectly with no modifications. Integration wiring features factory-style connectors and T-harnesses, so no cutting or splicing is required. Each kit has a fuse holder on a custom bracket and all the power wires for the amplifiers. Finally, a remote subwoofer level control mounts in the dash and looks like the controls on the radio. How’s that for classy?!

2018-2023 Jeep Wrangler Subwoofer System

Now, let’s talk about what’s unique to the 18WRNGLER-STG5 kit. This system includes a pair of subwoofer enclosures that fit by the rear windows in the cargo area of the Wrangler. Each enclosure features a T1S2-12 12-inch subwoofer. These aren’t dainty little shallow-mount subwoofers. The T1-series slimline subwoofers are top-of-the-line drivers that feature technologies like the IDHS copper cap heat-sinking shorting ring and VAST surround design. The cones are a matrix of carbon fiber, PMI and glass fiber, so you know they will sound great, even with the volume cranked!

The design of the subwoofer enclosures and the overhead soundbar match the cosmetics in the vehicle while looking cool. All enclosures feature Element Ready materials and designs, so they won’t fade from UV exposure, melt in the hot sun or crack in cold winter climates. Anyone who sees your Wrangler will know you’re serious about sound and quality at first glance.

If you have a Wrangler Unlimited with the premium audio system, Rockford Fosgate created the WRNGLR-TRIM to return the cargo area to its original condition so the new subwoofers fit perfectly.

Jeep Gladiator Subwoofer System

The Rockford Fosgate subwoofer system for the Gladiator fits under the rear seat and features a pair of 10-inch T1S2-10 Power Series subwoofers. The enclosure is made from an Element Ready material that will face all the challenges you or Mother Nature can throw its way. In the enclosure, you’ll see metal inserts for mounting hardware and a spot for the OEM bolt holder. There are no worries about keeping the hardware for the doors safe. The 20GLADR-STG5 includes a jack relocation bracket behind the rear driver’s side passenger seat. The Rockford Fosgate team has indeed thought of everything!

World-Class Jeep Audio System Upgrades

Whether your Wrangler or Gladiator came with the base-level sound system or the premium option, the Rockford Fosgate Jeep audio upgrade kits are perfect for people who are serious about their music. From flawless radio integration, seamless mounting and premium audio components to perfect fit and finish and professionally tuned sound, there is nothing like the 18WRNGLER-STG5 and 20GLADR-STG5 on the market. You even get your own Rockford Fosgate Jeep rubber duck with the system. We doubt you’ll give this one to a fellow Jeeper, though!

If you’re ready for serious sound in your 2018 to 2023 Wrangler four-door or 2020 or newer Gladiator, drop by a local authorized Rockford Fosgate retailer and ask about the Stage 5 Jeep audio upgrade kits. You can find an authorized retailer near you using the Dealer Locator on the website.

For more information about Rockford Fosgate audio products for your car, truck, motorcycle, side-by-side or boat, follow them on Facebook and Instagram and check out their amazing videos on YouTube.

This article is written and produced by the team at www.BestCarAudio.com. Reproduction or use of any kind is prohibited without the express written permission of 1sixty8 media.

Without investing in an understanding of the technologies that improve speaker performance by reducing distortion, choosing one driver over another based on features and specifications alone can be challenging. The 12-inch Rockford Fosgate T1D212 and T1D412 are good examples of premium subwoofers laden with modern tech that outshine competing products. Let’s take a deep dive into the 12-inch T1 Power Series subwoofers from Rockford Fosgate.

Rockford Fosgate T1D212 and T1D412 Features and Specifications

The T1D212 and T1D412 are identical subwoofers, aside from their voice coil impedance and some minor variances because of differences in moving mass. The T1D212 has a pair of 2-ohm voice coils, while the T1D412 has dual 4-ohm coil windings. Both drivers are rated to handle 800 watts continuously, with peak power ratings of 1,600 watts.

Rockford Fosgate built both solutions around unique die-cast aluminum baskets featuring Flex-Fit. The Flex-Fit feature means the mounting locations for the hold-down screws are slotted to allow the driver to be aligned perfectly with the rest of the installation. Each driver includes an aluminum trim ring with a mesh grille to conceal the mounting hardware for a clean and classy appearance.

The cast aluminum basket incorporates cooling vents under the spider mounting lip. These vents help hot air escape from the top of the motor. They also prevent pressure build-up under the cone and spider at higher excursion levels to improve linearity. The T-yoke includes a vent to improve power handling and release pressure under the dust cap.

These T1-Series subwoofers feature Rockford Fosgate’s Inductive Damping Heat Sink. While this feature looks at first glance like a way to help improve motor cooling, it has a second equally important benefit. When current from the amplifier passes through the voice coil winding, it produces a magnetic field. This field interacts with the stationary magnets in the speaker to push the cone outward or pull it rearward. However, as the voice coil moves through the magnetic gap, that motion creates a secondary magnetic field in the voice coil that can oppose the field created by the amplifier. The result is reduced efficiency and some midbass output attenuation. The IDHS system helps to short out this unwanted current flow. As a result, subwoofers with this technology play louder with the same power as drivers without it. Including IDHS also improves midbass performance, making subwoofers like the T1D212 and T1D412 seem to “hit harder” than those without it. Win, win and win.

These Power Series subwoofers feature 3-inch diameter anodized aluminum voice coil formers wound with copper-clad aluminum wire. While using CCAW seems counterintuitive based on everything we know about connecting amplifiers to batteries, it reduces the weight of the moving assembly in these subwoofers while providing a specific impedance. As such, this conductor choice allows the design engineers to specify a specific impedance and moving mass. The latter improves midbass performance. Good midbass is crucial to getting the subwoofers’ output to blend seamlessly with the midbass drivers in the front of the vehicle.

A Kevlar fiber-reinforced paper cone is bonded to the voice coil assembly. Reinforced paper is ideal for woofer cones as it offers an excellent stiffness-to-mass ratio. A tall rubber surround that uses Rockford Fosgate’s Vertical Attach Surround Technique geometry provides the upper compliance. The VAST design allows for increased cone surface area by moving the outer attachment point closer to the perimeter of the basket. The 12-inch T1 subwoofers have an effective piston area (Sd) specification of 548 square centimeters. Popular comparable subwoofers from other brands have 486 to 510 square centimeter piston area specifications. With VAST, you get a lot more subwoofer for your money.

Each subwoofer uses a pair of progressive-roll poly cotton spiders. A spun-laced, Nomex-reinforced collar strengthens the connection between the spiders, the voice coil and the cone. The tinsel leads from the voice coils are sewn to the spiders to ensure silent operation at extreme power levels. Rockford Fosgate provides spring-loaded push terminals capable of accepting 8 AWG wiring for speaker wire connections. A jumper block integrated into the speaker connection block simplifies selecting between voice coil series and parallel wiring. Rockford Fosgate calls this their SWIFT terminal design.

T1-Level Power Series Subwoofer Applications

Using the Box Advisor on the Rockford Fosgate website, we see a recommended sealed enclosure volume of 1.25 cubic feet for the T1D212 and the T1D412. This enclosure results in an F3 frequency of 43.03 hertz and a Qtc of .745 for the T2D212. The slightly lower moving mass (Mms) and higher resonant frequency (Fs) of the T2D412 results in a Qtc of 0.862 and an F3 of 40.43 hertz. Both would sound magnificent.

The Box Advisor suggests 1.75 cubic feet tuned to 40 hertz with a 4-inch diameter round vent for vented enclosures. This design produces a nice bump at 53 hertz, adding more than 6 dB of efficiency over the sealed enclosures. The F3 frequency for these designs is right around 32.5 hertz. Based on the excursion graphs, an infrasonic filter set to 25 hertz would keep cone excursion under control in the bottom octave. If you want to trade that bump for increased low-frequency output, lowering the enclosure tuning to 33 Hz is an option. However, the difference isn’t significant, and the infrasonic filter remains required either way.

Premium Power Series Subwoofers from Rockford Fosgate

In the land of “bigger is better,” Rockford Fosgate’s T1 subwoofers include features you won’t find on most products with similar ratings. No, these aren’t inexpensive options, but the added features outlined above more than justify their price by measurably improving performance. If you’re serious about bass that sounds great, hits hard and performs reliably, drop by a local authorized retailer and ask about the Rockford Fosgate T1D212 and T1D412 Power Series subwoofers. You can find a Rockford Fosgate dealer near you using the locator on their website. Follow Rockford Fosgate on Facebook and Instagram, and check out the fantastic videos on their YouTube channel.

This article is written and produced by the team at www.BestCarAudio.com. Reproduction or use of any kind is prohibited without the express written permission of 1sixty8 media.