Product Comparison: Kicker Hideaway (11HS8) vs Kenwood KSC-SW11

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Best Pick

Kicker Hideaway (11HS8) Compact 8" Powered HS8 Sub Box

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

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General Specifications

Brand

Kicker

Kenwood

Model

Hideaway (11HS8)

KSC-SW11

About the Product

KICKER's legendary subwoofer technology continues to lead the way for clear-sounding, ground-pounding bass in a vehicle.

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.

Key Specs

Driver Diameter

8 in.

8.25 in.

Power RMS

150 watts

Driver Diameter
Power RMS

Size & Weight

Height

3.13 in.

2.76 in.

Width

14.25 in.

11.02 in.

Depth

9.5 in.

7.48 in.

Weight

14.8 lbs.

6.17 lbs.

What customers say about "Size & Weight"

Kicker Hideaway (11HS8) Compact 8" Powered HS8 Sub Box

This is an outstanding value and the compact size means it doesn't take up much space. In many vehicles, it can just sit under the seat or in some other out of the way location.
I was skeptical due to the size but man it is a fantastic sub that even at 8" rattles my mirrors if I turn it up and I love it.
It makes some serious noise for it's size.
It does it job for that small size woofer.

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)

Audio

Enclosed

Yes

Max. Frequency Response

120 Hz

150 Hz

Min. Frequency Response

25 Hz

35 Hz

Sensitivity

95 dB

Amplifier Class

Peak Power

150 watts

What customers say about "Audio"

Kicker Hideaway (11HS8) Compact 8" Powered HS8 Sub Box

For a 8" sub it thumps pretty good. Being able to change crossover frequency and gain control + remote bass control makes this sub great for fine tuning. I
At the lower bass frequencies it does not quite match the 10" sealed for volume. But considering its ridiculous small size....I just cant believe how good this unit is.
Love to keep the frequency at its lowest setting and maybe less than a quarter on bass boost and half way on gain. Makes my stock speakers work less since it’s low range wouldn’t sound great
No it doesn't hit as hard as a 10" high output subwoofer in a large enclosure with a ton of power, but it has about 1/2 the output and for me that was plenty.
Don't think just because of the frequency response being in the 25 Hz range that this guy is going to hit those super low drops. I know that I did and was sad to not get the full range of bass with this speaker.

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.

Features

Controls

Input level control

Frequency, Volume, Phase switch

Extras

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

What customers say about "Features"

Kicker Hideaway (11HS8) Compact 8" Powered HS8 Sub Box

The remote gain control is a very nice feature , not all music is mixed down the same and this allows you to adjust the level of base to your individual taste.
The sub has great control, with a variable crossover control
Adds just enough base for what I want and I like the remote adjuster so I can add or turn down the amount of base for the music I am listening to.
The biggest drawback to this is that I can not use my head unit to control the sub independently.
Wish it had a cover for the switches and controls.

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.

Connectivity

Inputs

Spring loaded

Speaker Level Input, Remote control

What customers say about "Connectivity"

Kicker Hideaway (11HS8) Compact 8" Powered HS8 Sub Box

Install was no problem, remote bass works well, has all the wires you need.
Comes with everything you need to wire the car but because my receiver has amp outs I ordered the Kicker KISL adaptor for lo-pass inputs.
I was surprised when I read the installation instructions that there are no RCA inputs
Only complaint is that I wish that it came with the kicker speaker wire to Rca converter.

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

Warranty / Certifications

Manufacturer Warranty

1 year(s)

Certifications