I can’t think of many name-brand car audio manufacturers offering more subwoofers than Rockford Fosgate. They have everything from affordable entry-level drivers with the Prime R2 series to competition-ready monsters in the Power series T3 Superwoofer. Near the middle of the pack are the impressive Punch P3 drivers that serve as the flagship of that series. Let’s take a close look at the P3D2-10 and P3D4-10 10-inch subwoofers.
Rockford Fosgate P3D2-10 and P3D4-10 Subwoofers
The P3-level 10-inch subwoofers in the Punch line are available in two voice coil configurations. The P3D2-10 has dual 2-ohm voice coils, which your installer can wire to be a 1- or 4-ohm load. The P3D4-10 has dual 4-ohm voice coils to be a 2- or 8-ohm driver. Many will wonder which is better. There is no better. The options exist to allow your installer to pick the right combination of voice coil impedance and driver quantity to optimize the power production capabilities of whatever amp you choose. Other than some minor variances because of the different mass of the voice coils, the two driver options are otherwise identical.
The Punch P3 subwoofers include an aluminum trim ring to conceal the mounting hardware.
Punch P3 Subwoofer Moving Parts
Let’s start by looking at the moving parts in the Rockford Fosgate P3D2-10 and P3D4-10 subwoofers. The drivers feature an anodized aluminum cone and dust cap. The cones are low in mass and rigid, and the aluminum helps extract heat from the voice coils wrapped around the anodized 2.5-inch aluminum voice coil former. A spun-laced Nomex reinforcement collar supports the joint between the former and the cone. Many overheated woofers fail at this joint, so this is a worthwhile upgrade in terms of longevity.
The tinsel leads from the voice coils are sewn to the oversized spider to ensure silent operation. At the top of the cone is a custom-tooled Santoprene rubber surround. The surround is bonded to the cone and then attached to the basket using Rockford Fosgate’s Vertical Attach Surround Technique, which optimizes the cone surface area. As a result, the P3 10-inch subwoofers have an effective radiating area (SD) of 360 square centimeters. Drivers rated similarly from competing brands are down at 345 or 327 square centimeters. When efficiency matters, so does cone area.
The VAST surround design increases the effective cone area to improve efficiency.
Basket and Magnet Assembly
The Punch P3 woofers have a unique deep-draw StampCast basket design. This basket design is stamped but looks like a cast basket, with to its geometry and crinkle-paint finish. The deep recesses on the sides of the four spokes add significant strength and rigidity to the design. Venting under the spider mounting plateau has also been included in the basket to improve power handling and make the driver more linear at high excursion levels.
The top edge of the basket features the FlexFit mounting slot design that allows for perfect alignment of the pad-printed artwork on the cone. The upper surface of the mounting lip is rubberized for a tidy appearance. A foam gasket is installed on the mounting surface to ensure an airtight seal to the enclosure. Finally, a machined aluminum trim ring gives the driver a tidy appearance and serves as the mount for the optional P2P3G-10 stamped mesh grille.
At the base of the basket is a massive magnet protected by a custom-tooled rubber boot. The pole piece includes a sizeable radiused vent in the center to relieve pressure under the dust cap and allow the inside of the voice coil to cool. Eight holes are drilled into the bottom plate to provide additional cooling under the voice coil.
Electrical connections are made by heavy-duty binding posts mounted at right angles to the basket. The wires enter the terminals from the bottom, keeping them out of the way when your installer is trying to load the driver into its enclosure.
The StampCast basket features a deep-draw design that provides excellent rigidity and strength.
Rockford Fosgate Punch P3D2-10 and P3D4-10 Specifications and Applications
In terms of specifications, Rockford Fosgate rates the P3 10-inch subwoofers as being capable of handling 500 watts continuously with peaks of 1,000 watts.
The drivers have a low-Q design, with the Qts being at 0.49 for the dual-two driver and 0.56 for the dual 4-ohm. The resonant frequency (Fs) is also low at 26.6 and 28 hertz, respectively. Finally, the equivalent compliance is relatively soft at 27 liters for either model. The Xmax specification is 15.2 millimeters for the D2 and 15.9 for the D4.
The Box Advisor tool on the Rockford Fosgate website suggests an acoustic suspension (sealed) enclosure volume of 0.59 cubic feet (net). This application results in a Qtc of 0.815 for the P3D2-10 driver with an F3 frequency that’s nice and low at 39.13 hertz. The suggested bass reflex (ported) enclosure has a net volume of 1.4 cubic feet with a vent tuned to 40 hertz. This enclosure, shown in red below, has an F3 frequency of 30 hertz and a nice bump centered around 45 Hz to give you a serious kick in the back. If you prefer a little rumble instead of boom, have your installer tune the enclosure to 32 hertz, and you’ll pick up about 6 dB of output at 25 hertz. None of the above enclosures have any power handling issues through the mid-band, though the vented enclosures would appreciate an infrasonic filter, as usual.
Predicted enclosure response: yellow, acoustic suspension; red, bass reflex.
Upgrade Your Car Stereo with Rockford Fosgate Punch Subwoofers
As two reviews on the Rockford Fosgate website note, these drivers are indeed little monsters. They have an impressive feature set that ensures reliability and linear performance. The electro-mechanical characteristics are optimized for impressive output, even from a small sealed enclosure. Finally, your installer can recommend any combination of Rockford Fosgate P3D2-10 or P3D4-10 subwoofers to optimize the output capabilities of almost any amplifier on the market.
If it’s time to add high-quality bass to your vehicle, drop by a local authorized Rockford Fosgate retailer and ask about the Punch P3 subwoofers. You can find a retailer using the locator tool on their website. Be sure to follow Rockford Fosgate on Facebook, Instagram and YouTube to learn about their new products and the amazing events they attend each year.
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.
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