JBL CS1215 Subwoofer [Honest Review] for Car and Home audio

bhvm

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Hello Friends,
Today we will be reviewing a Simple, Budget Subwoofer that goes by the name of JBL CS1215 or CS1215B. I was looking for a Pocket friendly, Sealed Woofer for my car and home use. I found this JBL woofer for quite a bargain at around INR 4k. The Woofer came with Factory designed Sealed box which is quite good. I hunted the Net about for a week but could't find any decent reviews for this product, so here I am posting my own review to help others decide.

The Spec-
Type 12 inch (300 mm) Subwoofer
Series CS
Peak power 1100 W
RMS power 275 W
Sensitivity 90 dB
Frequency response 35Hz-200Hz
Impedance 4 ohm
Voice Coil Diameter 50 mm
Mounting Depth 153 mm

The Build-
The Subwoofer Comes with a Sealed Box. I always prefer sealed boxes as they deliver tighter, More accurate Box. The Box design is Sturdy and is Covered in Black Carpet. There are 2 Steel bars to protect the subwoofer cone. The Look is very classy although I sometimes feel worried that Bags/Luggage Placed in Car could damage the Woofer cone. A full Grille would be welcome here.

The woofer box is deeper than I would like and hence eats up the last row seats which could be a problem for some of you.

Connection-
The Screw type Quick disconnect Connections are Located at the Back of woofer. Being a Single voice coil, Connections are as simple at it gets.

Woofer Quality-
Being a budget woofer, I won't be very critical about the Quality. The Woofer cone is made of Fiber. The surround Is made of Rubber. The Excursion capablity is Medium. This is not a woofer that could blow your ears off. Rather, its a simple product to augment the low end of your system. Its the perefct woofer to causual listeners who love deep, accurate Bass. SPL and volume lovers should look elsewhere.

However, In comparision to my SONY GTX 150LE 15 inch sealed monster sub, the difference is quality is noticeable. The Sony 15 inch has better quality, High roll surround, Stiffer cone, and overall Better build quality than this one. Obiviously It costs over double this JB CS1215 woofer. However, for the price, The build quality leaves nothing to fret about.

Woofer Performance-
The Performance is satisfactory. I have connected it to my JBL GTX 646 4 channel amp. The AMP is wired in Bridged Mode and Pushes in the likes of 200W RMS to the Sub. The Volume is good enough for my needs and the Thump is decent. The woofer has adequate output in Low end spectrum like 35~50Hz.

I Have also tested the JBL CS1215 on my home Amp and performance is still very good. My home amp is rated just at 24W RMS and the higher sensitivity and Lighter cone of the woofer helps gain decent bass at Low RMS. I would highly suggest people go for this woofer for their home audio compared to puny 5 inch and 6.5 inch woofers you usually get with Home Theater systems or 5.1 Systems. At the Same RMS and volume, this SUB is Insanely better in Sound quality and volume.

I love the TONE of woofer which has low,growling and deep bass rather than the DOOF DOOF shallow bass that some people like. If you want DOOF DOOF or Boomy bass, please look for a ported woofer.

Price-
The Woofer was brought for INR 4k from Bombay.

Links-
JBL - CS1215B - 12 inch Subwoofer Box Enclosure (1100 W) - Buy Online @ Snapdeal.com

?Thunderbolt? XUV 5OO Detailed Review (Decals, Audio, LED, Mods++)
 

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Thanks for the good review. Can it be just unplugged and taken off when you need to use the last row of seats ? (Apologies if the answer is self evident, have no experience with car systems). Will go through your xuv review as well.
 
Thanks for the good review. Can it be just unplugged and taken off when you need to use the last row of seats ? (Apologies if the answer is self evident, have no experience with car systems). Will go through your xuv review as well.

Glad you asked.
The woofer has Thumb screw terminals at the back. You can unscrew these by hand.
Just Make sure you insulate the wires coming from AMP before putting away. The woofer can then be taken away. Simple.

Terminals look like-
Speaker Box Terminal Connector | eBay
 
Glad you asked.
The woofer has Thumb screw terminals at the back. You can unscrew these by hand.
Just Make sure you insulate the wires coming from AMP before putting away. The woofer can then be taken away. Simple.

Terminals look like-
Speaker Box Terminal Connector | eBay

What about fixing the woofer cabinet to the floor of the car? Does this cabinet comes with any provision for the same so that it does not shake while driving and which can also be easily removed when we want to take extra luggage. I am also looking for a sub like this and was in a dilemma which one to go for but your review is making me to go for it in my i20.
 
What about fixing the woofer cabinet to the floor of the car? Does this cabinet comes with any provision for the same so that it does not shake while driving and which can also be easily removed when we want to take extra luggage. I am also looking for a sub like this and was in a dilemma which one to go for but your review is making me to go for it in my i20.

Woofer is not Fixed, Just kept. Due to heavy weight it does not bounce around.
Place luggage/Bags around it to keep the woofer from Shifting.
 
Woofer is not Fixed, Just kept. Due to heavy weight it does not bounce around.
Place luggage/Bags around it to keep the woofer from Shifting.

Hmm with Bangalore's road conditions the sub will definitely gets kicked and yes with the luggage and all it might not shift but yes without any it will definitely gets. Actually I have seen couple of installations here whereby they give a provision by drilling couple of holes to one side of the car which can be removed easily using a screw driver. It actually sticks to the car body and does not shake but yes during the wheel puncture and all it will be a pain to remove on the road side. Let me see and talk to guy installation guys and see the best possible way.
 
What about fixing the woofer cabinet to the floor of the car? Does this cabinet comes with any provision for the same so that it does not shake while driving and which can also be easily removed when we want to take extra luggage. I am also looking for a sub like this and was in a dilemma which one to go for but your review is making me to go for it in my i20.

Hi manni, the sub is heavy enough and wont create problems. If you want a basic plug and play sub, go for it. Ensure smooth and tight bass. Just make sure you get a good amp. for it.
 
Hi manni, the sub is heavy enough and wont create problems. If you want a basic plug and play sub, go for it. Ensure smooth and tight bass. Just make sure you get a good amp. for it.

Thanks yes I already have a JBL 4 channel amplifier and as of now running my front JL audio components thru its 2 channel and planning to use the amp in bridge mode if possible with the sub. I have a Pioneer 3200BT head unit and JL audio coaxial in the back doors. The combo is very good even for lows so planning to cross the sub for 100hz or below.
 
Hmm with Bangalore's road conditions the sub will definitely gets kicked and yes with the luggage and all it might not shift but yes without any it will definitely gets. Actually I have seen couple of installations here whereby they give a provision by drilling couple of holes to one side of the car which can be removed easily using a screw driver. It actually sticks to the car body and does not shake but yes during the wheel puncture and all it will be a pain to remove on the road side. Let me see and talk to guy installation guys and see the best possible way.

I bet the road conditions over here are even worse than Bangalore Roads. The Road is totally dug up for Divider Works. There's no Road actually, Just dirt. The woofer sits comfortably amongst Bags placed around. If alone, yes it may shift a bit. But if your Car is Fabric Carpet It won't shift at all. The Friction is good enough.

I'm totally against ANY drilling to the car. Even my AMP is 'just' placed below the seat. Drilling voids warranty and can cause Problems in Fuel like, electronics and so on.

Hi manni, the sub is heavy enough and wont create problems. If you want a basic plug and play sub, go for it. Ensure smooth and tight bass. Just make sure you get a good amp. for it.
His 4 Channel amp looks decent enough.
Thanks yes I already have a JBL 4 channel amplifier and as of now running my front JL audio components thru its 2 channel and planning to use the amp in bridge mode if possible with the sub. I have a Pioneer 3200BT head unit and JL audio coaxial in the back doors. The combo is very good even for lows so planning to cross the sub for 100hz or below.

For Small cars, I would recommend A smaller, More compact Sub. Kicker Compact 10 Inch series looks decent. I have opted for larged Woofer as my Vehicle is larger and Needs more cone area to fill the car with Bass.

*EDIT-
Added Pics of Woofer in my Home environment, And in comparison to my Sony Monster 15 inch.
 

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For Small cars, I would recommend A smaller, More compact Sub. Kicker Compact 10 Inch series looks decent. I have opted for larged Woofer as my Vehicle is larger and Needs more cone area to fill the car with Bass.

Thanks for the tip and yes I was also looking at a 10" sub and I can make the enclosure myself as I have done enclosures for DIY speakers. How good are the Rockford Fosgate Prime/Punch series in 10", any specific model that you know I need to look at within 5k budget.
 
Thanks for the tip and yes I was also looking at a 10" sub and I can make the enclosure myself as I have done enclosures for DIY speakers. How good are the Rockford Fosgate Prime/Punch series in 10", any specific model that you know I need to look at within 5k budget.

Rockford fosgate prime is very good but I don't think you can manage everything under 5k. prime series is little expensive. also look for kicker solo- baric if available in India.

I'll actually suggest kicker shallow subs that can fit in very cramped places (like unserseat ) so you get full luggage space.

my thread here-
DIY Dual woofer setup (Hidden and Underseat)

also look for svc 4 ohm ones only as you will be running bridged mode. !
 
Hi bhvm,

If i want to use it as a HT subwoofer, which amp would you recommend ? I will take the co axial out from an AVR (the standard for an active sub) and plug it into the amp. Are there any affordable (app. same price as the sub) amps out there ? Also will they run on 240 AC ?
 
Hi bhvm,

If i want to use it as a HT subwoofer, which amp would you recommend ? I will take the co axial out from an AVR (the standard for an active sub) and plug it into the amp. Are there any affordable (app. same price as the sub) amps out there ? Also will they run on 240 AC ?

A sealed box would do pretty well for an HT setup. Also try to research using 2x 10 inchers over a single 12 inch. Placed in each corner of room, these STEREO woofers greatly enhance the soundstage and take bass to whole new level.

For the AMP, using a car AMP will require 12V SMPS capable of decent Output. For 240V use, try to get Plate amps if possible in India. Does your AVR have High level woofer output?
 
Hi all,

Pardon me for the noob question. I had never thought about the car subs getting used in HT.

I have an integrated amplifier - Yamaha AS500. Can these kind of subs be used directly with that. We should need an intermediate amplifier for connecting this na?

Is it like, the JBL subs doesnt have the internal amp which normal powered subs like PSW100 or bic or is having and that is one of reason for comparatively low price.

Currently my amp is having a coax output for sub. So it should go in a plate amp and then to this jbl woofer.

Bit confused :)

Regards,
Antony
 
Hi all,

Pardon me for the noob question. I had never thought about the car subs getting used in HT.

I have an integrated amplifier - Yamaha AS500. Can these kind of subs be used directly with that. We should need an intermediate amplifier for connecting this na?

Is it like, the JBL subs doesnt have the internal amp which normal powered subs like PSW100 or bic or is having and that is one of reason for comparatively low price.

Currently my amp is having a coax output for sub. So it should go in a plate amp and then to this jbl woofer.

Bit confused :)

Regards,
Antony

Once you get hold of Knowledge, There's nothing like car speaker/Home theater or Car amp/ HT amp or This speaker that speaker. You can use any and many combination of these and with some tweaking, you should get satisfactory sound. I have used Car Systems (HU and Amps, Speakers) in Home and installed Computer 7.1 in cars. Of course, a layman will prefer to simply buy the well known stuff and enjoy peace of mind. But it was not the layman who invented something extra ordinary eh?

These Sealed subs do not have an AMP. You will require an Intermediate Amp to drive these. A Plate would serve well here. The Output of Yamaha goes to the AMP, then AMP power goes to the sub. Simple.

A-S500 - Integrated Amplifiers - Yamaha - India
 
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