Are Audiomobile subwoofers good? (buy or avoid?)
Automobile subwoofers have been around for a while. Although the brand started as a high-end car audio manufacturer, it has, over the years, specialized in producing subwoofers. Nevertheless, are Audiomobile subwoofers worth buying?
Audiomobile subwoofers have three major categories. These are the Elite Series, GTS Series, and Evo Series. These subwoofers stand out for proprietary technologies like Audiomobile’s patented shaped manifold gap (“SMG”) motors and intercooled conduction aluminum radiators. Audiomobile subwoofer models like the GT Series are peculiar for their power handling capabilities and sound quality even in smaller enclosures, mirroring what you would get from a full-stack woofer.
There is much to know about Audiomobile since its well-publicized rebirth in 2011. How much power can they handle? Do they last? How much should you budget for them?
These are some of the interesting aspects of this subwoofer brand that we will cover in this review.
Who produces Audiomobile Subwoofers, and where?
The brand Audiomobile has been around since the 1980s. Twice they shut down, and twice they resurged back into the market, with the latest revival coming in 2017.
Since then, Audiomobile has relocated its operation center from Southern California to Las Vegas, Nevada, tilting its manufacturing focus from high-end car audio accessories to exclusively subwoofers.
Now owned by AMG Inc, an investment consortium based in Nevada, Audomobile now strictly focuses on customers who love premium sound quality in their cars (with equally impressive power handling capabilities) while unwilling to sacrifice portability.
While Audiomobile runs operations from Nevada in the United States, much is not known about the location of its subwoofer factories or where their materials are sourced from.
Power
When Audiomobile made its comeback into the audio accessory market in 2017, it promised to release a powerful range of subwoofers with continuous power handling capabilities running as far as 3000watts.
Unfortunately, Audiomobile is yet to fulfill this promise. That doesn’t mean the models this manufacturer currently has in circulation don’t have impressive power handling.
Our investigation reveals that the Audiomobile EVO series had an average power handling capacity of 500 watts. It is a bit lower in the GTS Series, which we found to have an average power capacity of 450 watts.
In the power handling dimension, the Elite series was the highest we saw in Audiomobile’s lineup. They could handle as much as 600 watts continuously.
Motor
The latest Audiomobile subwoofers we saw had patented Shaped Manifold Gap (“SMG”) motors. These were unique as they were fitted with a relatively drawn-out magnetic topplate.
We admired the peculiar heat management technology in these motors. Instead of the conventional vented models, these motors leveraged the aluminum frame for cooling.
While here, let us tell you about the conduction aluminum radiator Audiomobile tags I-CAR. This motor design enables Audiomobile subwoofers’ motor assembly to be more compact.
This allows for more flexible mounting, contributing to the portability Audiomobile subs are famed for.
Sound quality
For their small size, Audiomobile did a fantastic job in achieving the quality of bass delivery we got from their subwoofers.
A huge slice of such high-grade bass delivery can be attributed to these subs’ flux stabilization and cone design. Let us talk more about these.
Most Audiomobile subwoofers come with an aluminum flux stabilization device. This greatly enhanced the transient response in these subs, thanks to the stabilization device adding shorting rings (both interior and exterior).
This aluminum flux stabilization device also goes a long way in reducing inductance and upgrading the delivery from the amplifier.
We must also commend Audiomobile for its cone design. Despite being lightweight, their stiffness was top-class.
Audiomobile designed these cones from composite laminated sandwich (CSL) material. Here, at least six layers of Kevlar are sandwiched with natural fibers to produce a firm cone shaped like a parabola.
To further ramp up the stiffness (and consequent strength), a dust cap is attached to the top of the parabolic cone.
Ultimately, you have a richer delivery at lower frequencies with minimal distortion even at high excursions.
Durability
Audiomobile did a nice job in the survivability of their subwoofers. These subs were considerably cooled, preventing the risk of damage from overheating.
Notably, this brand deployed a unique cooling technology in their subwoofers called Forced Air Bi-Radial Asymmetric Convection. This is shortened into FAB-RAC.
What you get is a subwoofer frame girded with six vents. Their build allows air to be distributed around the coil from the moving assembly. The dissipation of heated air accompanies this ventilation exercise (entry of air).
Aside from such technical design, Audiomobile subwoofers are physically protected from damage by impact. Some subs are fitted with robust frame gaskets to store an extra grille.
This ensures minimal vulnerability for the moving components of the speakers.
Portability
We can arguably say that portability is one of the loudest attractions in Audiomobile subwoofers. Most of the subs feature smaller enclosures (compared to other models in the market) but yet deliver incredible bass tones.
The GTS series were some of the most portables we came across in Audiomobile’s subwoofer lineup. They are designed with minimal depth, allowing for more convenient mounting – a critical advantage for car owners who don’t have enough space to spare.
The GTS Series commonly have a low profile that excellently blends with micro-box enclosures. Audiomobile deployed a unique isobaric design that involved deploying identical pairs of drivers, saving on air space, and ultimately reducing the physical depth of the subwoofers.
Price
Generally, Audiomobile subwoofers had a price range of $200 to $3,000. That said, at the time of writing, the bulk of Audiomobile subwoofers we saw ranged from $299 to $480.
Note that prices often vary across dealers. The Audiomobile GTS 2110 was one of the cheapest we saw, coming at $300.
Above this was the Elite Series, which had an average price of $350. The Audiomobile EVO Series was the most expensive, running into $480.
Do Audiomobile subwoofers have warranty cover?
Yes, Audiomobile subwoofers come with a standard 1-year warranty policy. This transfers responsibility from you to Audiomobile for replacing or repairing any of your Audiomobile subwoofers damaged from workmanship error and material defects.
Some dealers offer even longer warranty packages. We have seen dealers providing a 2-year warranty on models like the Audiomobile EVO series.
Best Audiomobile Subwoofers review
Audiomobile has a broad range of subwoofers in the market. This is not unsurprising for a brand that has been around since the 1980s.
To save you the rigors of buying one that doesn’t satisfy your need, we reviewed them and found two to have the highest quality.
Audiomobile EVO 2410 High-Performance 10″ Subwoofer
This subwoofer retains Audiomobile’s characteristic portability. Its low-profile design presents a streamlined cast alloy frame and Audiomobile’s SMG motor technology.
Despite coming below 100mm, this subwoofer yet delivers remarkable linear excursion. Its power handling capabilities in micro enclosures are top of the class.
This means that even at elevated output levels, you don’t sacrifice the bass quality.
Furthermore, the EVO2410 presents a double 4-ohm voice coil (combining several layers). This makes these subwoofers more versatile, working excellently in smaller spaces.
Audiomobile GTS 10″ Subwoofer
For a subwoofer this small, it is rare to find the high-performance levels this Audiomobile GTS subwoofer presents.
Its power handling capacity is impressive, with significantly enhanced accuracy in sound delivery.
This capacity can be traced to the isobaric design of these woofers, allowing them to work in micro-box enclosures.
We also admired the depth of bass they produced even at high excursions. The inductance is well-suppressed thanks to these subs fitted with Audiomobile’s Aluminum Flux Stabilization Device.
Resources
Audiomobile | Power + Accuracy
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Audiomobile EVO 2410 High-Performance 10″ Subwoofer