well, i dont have a budget atm lol

but i was actually looking at "Space" by Vibe i liked those when i looked at them, i was going to redo all the speakers, starting with subs first

 

That's kewl, even tho I have no experience with Vibe products it helps give me an idea of the budget you're looking at. On that note, there's a number of offerings from US based manufacturers that would be comparable such as:
Fi 12" Q
Sundown Audio SA-12
Incriminator Audio 12" Lethal Injection
Sound Solutions Audio - Entire Line
DC Audio - Entire Lineup
Ascendant Audio - Entire Lineup

These are just some of my first picks. Several of the ones listed are designed and hand built here in the USA, pretty much all are competition proven performers. All of them are capable of being reconed in the event of failure, and most can be resized from a 10" to an 18" or anything in between. I'm not sure what kind of power you'll be using, but you don't need a real high powered sub to sound great and get very loud. Subs like the SSA DCON, IA 187, Fi X and the AA Assassins have amazing sound and output capability with a properly built enclosure without the hefty price the higher powered subs run at or the requirement for such large power hungry amplifiers.

This brings to light another point. People should really spend the majority of their time, hard work and budget on their front stage. We listen to an entire range of frequencies (i.e. 20-20,000Hz) of which the subs play only a small part of (i.e. 20-80Hz typically). The speakers and amplifiers we choose for the high's have everything to do with how good the overall sound of the system is because they have the most responsibility. A good set of components with some sound deadening treatment and care at installation to get the best possible staging, imaging and response along with a decent amp will go a very long way to get from a good system to a GREAT system. Although at your age I would imagine the #1 concern you have is just how much louder your bass can be than your friends, I was the same way when I was younger, but it only took a couple of trips to some competitions for me to realize that my goals were misguided.

 

its not really about the loud bass cause i have 2 kids that are in the car sometimes, i just want something "audible" from about half block away =p

im probably looking at about 1000watts each, but who knows yet

 

I can understand that for sure. If you want something that sounds great and can still get fairly loud I would highly recommend the lower powered subs I mentioned in my last post. I've had experience with all 4 and they're really great subs. The best part about them is that it doesn't take a ton of power to get them moving either. My sister's single 12" DCON on ~300wrms is enough to rattle the windows in my house from the driveway and can easily be heard over a block away by itself. Going that route would have less money in the subs themselves, less money in a smaller amp than you would need for higher powered subs AND ultimately less money in the electrical upgrades you would need to successfully support 2kw+ worth of power.

 

well looking at them i was thinking either fi or sundown

or going with what i was originally thinking, vibe

i talked to the guy here at the local shop a few months ago and said the vibes are great, and only had 3 returns because some kid did not break them in right

 

Can't go wrong with Fi or Sundown, both have solid products and some of the best customer service a person can ask for. Vibe's products look fairly impressive, tho a little pricey. I'm going to do some research on them just to satisfy my own curiosity.

I don't put a whole hell of a lot of faith into what I hear at most shops. It's been my experience over the years that alot of them have no idea what they're talking about. One good point on that matter is the myth about subwoofer break in. There's no such thing but there's a vast number of people out there who swear it's real. Subwoofer's DO have a period after they're new where the spiders and surround in the cone's suspension basically loosen up a little, which is as close to a break in as they get. However, there is absolutely nothing about that process that can be done "wrong" and cause the woofer to fail given it was built correctly in the first place, period.

Enough of that ranting. I'm only trying to make sure you have as much information as possible to make as educated a decision you possibly can. Buyers regret is no fun, and it's not easy to buy something that you can't put your hands on and listen to first either, but the more choices you know you have and the more you know about what it is you're buying the better off you are.

 

oh wait, i remember it was that the guy was pushing 1k watts thru a sub rated for like 500 i was thinking of some other thing lol