Product Comparison: Kenwood KSC-SW11 vs Pioneer TS-WH500A

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Kenwood KSC-SW11 150W Low-Profile Amplified Car Subwoofer Enclosure+Amp Kit

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Pioneer TS-WH500A Hvt Sealed 8.25" 150W Active Subwoofer

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General Specifications

Brand

Kenwood

Pioneer

Model

KSC-SW11

TS-WH500A

About the Product

The Kenwood KSC-SW11 is a compact low profile powered subwoofer system that can be added under car seat, in tight spaces or just in your trunk.

The Pioneer TS-WH500A amplified subwoofer system is a truly groundbreaking approach in loudspeaker design. HVT technology uses a unique linkage mechanism, which allows the magnet and voice coil of the dual motor structure to be positioned horizontally to the left and the right side of vertically moving dual speaker diaphragms.

Origin

China

Key Specs

Driver Diameter

8.25 in.

Power RMS

150 watts

50 watts

Impedance

4 ohms

Driver Diameter
Power RMS

Size & Weight

Height

2.76 in.

4.6 in.

Width

11.02 in.

17.2 in.

Depth

7.48 in.

11.6 in.

Weight

6.17 lbs.

10.3 lbs.

What customers say about "Size & Weight"

Kenwood KSC-SW11 150W Low-Profile Amplified Car Subwoofer Enclosure+Amp Kit

Easy to install and very small; about the size of a 12-disc CD changer.
great sound under my seat that adds a lot of bass and lower frequencies to my stereo. And it is only 8" x 5" in size.
I was also surprised at the weight. It's heavy (which is good).
Compact and feels solid (i.e. heavy, not sure which part of it contributes to the weight)

Pioneer TS-WH500A Hvt Sealed 8.25" 150W Active Subwoofer

This sub is perfect. My friends can't believe how good it sounds and hard it hits for it's size.
This unit is adequate, and I guess as good as you can expect for its compact size, but not great.
Amazing for its size and simple install
Superb bass quality for its size! Good value for money! Installed on a Suzuki Grand Vitara 2016.

Audio

Amplifier Class

Enclosed

Yes

Max. Frequency Response

150 Hz

200 Hz

Min. Frequency Response

35 Hz

20 Hz

Peak Power

150 watts

Sensitivity

98 dB

What customers say about "Audio"

Kenwood KSC-SW11 150W Low-Profile Amplified Car Subwoofer Enclosure+Amp Kit

Its very handy for various music samples as depending on the quality the bass frequencies are either too high or severly attenuated.
This thing functions best on the very low frequencies. That's where it shines.
Hits the higher frequency bass well so it works exceptionally well for reggae
Does not do a good job with sub - frequencies. Does okay with low-mids. Doesn`t even compare with a small powered Bazooka tube I own, but considering the space issue, it`s probably the best option out there for a very limited application.
Does not hit real low frequencies Distorts easily if power is cranked up.

Pioneer TS-WH500A Hvt Sealed 8.25" 150W Active Subwoofer

Very clean bass down to 30 hz or lower. Nice sensitivity level, meaning this 50 watt unit will compare nicely to 150 watt units from other manufacturers.
I am truly amazed at the volume and the clarity this little thing puts out. highly recommend for people with A TJ wrangler add it fits under the back seat.
This is a great little powered sub for someone who isn't demanding punchy bass.
The sub is connected to a Custom AutoSound USA-66 aftermarket radio with iPod input. It is incredibly easy to pick a bass frequency and set the volume to your taste.
O.K., but not powerful enough to fill my Suburban with good bass. Bought an Infinity BassLink sub/amp unit. It'll shake my mirrors if I crank it up!

Features

Controls

Frequency, Volume, Phase switch

Input level control

Extras

Die-cast aluminium frame, Noise-less sound, Wired remote control

Easy Installation, Clear Sound, Less Noise

What customers say about "Features"

Kenwood KSC-SW11 150W Low-Profile Amplified Car Subwoofer Enclosure+Amp Kit

The remote comes in handy as well, you can adjust the bass level and frequency.
The remote for adjusting the level and crossover frequency does a good job. It can add bass when I'm listening to music, and take it out when I'm listening to talk radio.
Thank goodness it has a remote to control the frequency and volume.
I drop one star because it's impossible to control it without installing the wired remote control unit supplied with it: there are no controls for its settings built into the machine itself, and without the remote, it operates simply on defaults -- the wrong defaults.

Pioneer TS-WH500A Hvt Sealed 8.25" 150W Active Subwoofer

Plug-in remote controller is under the seat with this unit because my head unit does all the same stuff.
I highly recommend this unit for areas that are space challenged. The remote controller does the job and I am very pleased. Highly recommended!
And for anyone who is wondering, since the information is not provided here or on Pioneer's website, it DOES come with the power/ground/remote wiring harness and plenty of cable, along with speaker taps for tapping off of rear speaker outputs from aftermarket radio decks
The ONLY other thing you will need to connect this to the S/W RCA outputs of an aftermarket deck is a set of RCA cables. The included harness has a set of female RCA plugs to connect to.

Connectivity

Inputs

Speaker Level Input, Remote control

Spring loaded

What customers say about "Connectivity"

Kenwood KSC-SW11 150W Low-Profile Amplified Car Subwoofer Enclosure+Amp Kit

You can splice it into a speaker line for signal, or wire it into a head unit's sub/preamp outs. it even has a +/- swap switch, in case it (or your speakers) are wired in backwards.
Installation was a breeze. I did choose to buy an "add-a-circuit" for power from the fuse box. but it was well worth the 10 dollars for the time it saved me
The unit comes with a long length of wires all connected to the sub's wiring harness. It includes a fuse. You may need to purchase connectors or splice tubes if you need to cut the wire.
The controller comes with a ton of extra cord. Other than that, you can adjust it's activation frequency and gain (volume).
Didn't come with the mounts it was supposed to have. Looks really cheap as well as the wiring. Bad instructions

Pioneer TS-WH500A Hvt Sealed 8.25" 150W Active Subwoofer

The supplied power, ground and remote wires are plenty long enough. All you need to add is a pair of RCA cables.
Comes with a power harness to make it work but you'll need rcas.
Everything is included to hook up to a stock head unit, but if you have an aftermarket unit with a sub out then I suggest getting a good lengthy RCA stereo cable.
Oh The only bad thing is it doesnt come with RCA cables so you will have to buy those as well.

Warranty / Certifications

Manufacturer Warranty

1 year(s)

Certifications