I have been working on upgrading the audio system in a 2005 Mustang recently. This particular car has the Shaker 500 system in it with 8" woofers mounted in the front doors. I wanted to find a good replacement speaker that would add some strong bass to the front stage. I decided to research shallow mount woofers, as this seems to be an exciting new trend in the car audio aftermarket.



Shallow subwoofers have always had a bit of a bad reputation since they could never produce the low-end response of a conventional subwoofer due to its limited excursion capabilities (the linear amount of movement of a woofer). This no longer seems to be the case now that several well-known subwoofer manufacturers have developed technologies that provide deep bass in some very shallow mounted woofers.



JL Audio has released their new TW5 line of subwoofers. The TW5 woofers use a "concentric tube" structure that supports an oversized voice coil and the suspension attachments. This permits placing the motor of the woofer much further forward in the speaker than with conventional designs, while maintaining excellent linear excursion capability. JL Audio's TW5 subwoofers will be available in 12" and 13.5".



Kenwood has released two new shallow mount subs within its eXcelon series of car audio products. Available in both 10" (KFC-XW1000F) and 12" (KFC-XW1200F), the Kenwood subs feature lightweight, ultra-rigid, carbon-fiberglass honeycomb cones and aluminum diecast baskets with built-in speaker terminals.



Memphis Car Audio is now offering its SClass subwoofers in 10" and 12" models. Featuring a single piece composite cone with an aluminum honeycomb core for extra strength during high excursion.



MTX introduces its Thunder Thin (TT) 65 series subwoofers. TT65 subwoofers are the next evolution in the MTX subwoofer line-up. Measuring only 3.325" deep these subwoofers will fit just about anywhere. Utilizing a patent pending "One Piece Spider Cone," the TT65 subwoofers are able to achieve excursion levels that are unparalled in the "thin" subwoofer market; in fact they can produce the same amount of excursion as our TR55 series subwoofers. The TR65 subwoofers are available in 10" and 12" sizes and are available in single 4 Ohm or single 2 Ohm configurations.



The online line to offer 8", 10" and 12", Pioneer's TS shallow subwoofers use a unique air suspension system to create 70% smaller enclosure. Air is then locked in for a spring-like effect between the main and drive cones. The result is consistently clear, powerful, wide ranging bass response.



RE Audio has incorporated the use of dual inverted cones to reduce the depth of their subwoofers by as much as half. The subs also handle high power thanks to an aluminum dual voice coil and integrated cooling vents in its motor structure. The RE Audio SL Series of shallow mount subwoofers come in both 10" and 12" sizes.



A relative newcomer to the car audio market, Realm Audio prides itself on creating products that focus on performance and fidelity, rather than just cosmetics. The Company intends to prove that with the introduction of its first flat subwoofer, the LFT12-D4F. Realm low frequency transducers are optimized for modest sized enclosures without sacrificing low extension. The flat design was a natural addition for the Realm line. The Realm flat 12" subwoofer offers the deep bass sound of a full-sized low frequency transducer in a compact design. Less than half the depth of a typical subwoofer in its class, the LFT12-D4F has a mounting depth of only 2.87" and handles 600 watts max and 300 watts RMS power through dual 4-ohm voice coils.



One of the first to develop a thin woofer, The Rockford Fosgate P3 Shallow Mount subwoofers deliver the Punch. Rockford's line of P3 shallow subwoofers is available in 10" and 12" sizes and dual voice coil capabilities.



If you've have used a shallow mount woofer, or plan to, please share your thoughts on the subject.