Dayton RSS265HO-4 10" Reference HO Subwoofer 4 Ohm

I have tried many different subwoofers over the past few years, from many different manufacturers.
Most recently I have had a Phoenix Gold RSDC, an MTX 8500, a CDT HD12, and I have had the pleasure of listening to an Image Dynamics IDMAX in a friends vehicle.

So how does it compare to those four subs?

The MTX 8500 is a beast. While it is a very musical subwoofer it is more bass than I would ever want again. (CA&E rated this the best sub of 2007)

The Phoenix Gold RSDC is a very similar speaker to the Dayton, although the Dayton has a slight edge in responsiveness.

The CDT HD12 was superb and probably the best sounding of the five subs I'm comparing. However CDT discontinued that sub for the far more expensive and TRUE SQ sub the QES12.(Which is simply amazing.)

The Image Dynamics IDMAX is also a superb sub. It's sound quality borders on as good if not better in some respects than the CDT HD12, and can almost keep up with the MTX 8500 in bass output. Worth a listen if you can get one.

So what does it all mean?

Well, the beauty of the Dayton is that it only requires .37 cubic feet of airspace (for the 10 inch) to do it's thing (which is the same volume as the RSDC and the QES by the way). The 8500 needs 1.37 cubes and the IDMAX takes 1.1 cubes.

Bottom line:

The Dayton RSHO10 is a great sub that requires minimal space and modest power. It's a great sounding speaker which is well suited to a variety of music. It is not as stout as the MTX, and not quite on the level of the IDMAX or either CDT's, I do think it is a step better than the Phoenix Gold though.
Small foot print, great sound, and a really good price. I have already recommended this sub to a few friends.
Thanks to Dayton Audio and Parts Express.

I've been running one of these in my trunk for about a year now in a .775 sealed box. Driven by about 950 Arc Audio watts, it hasent even whimpered a bit and sounds very nice.

In a recent car installation, the customer had a 300WRMS amp and the woofer was begging for more. So we connected a 600W amp. You could feel heat coming off the cone (it IS aluminum!) and the bass just kept on coming! His buddy that was touting JL Audio just sat speechless as waves of thundering bass massaged the seat. The owner had a great, wide smile that just wouldn't go away - he is hooked on Dayton RS subs!