Kicker S15L74 Solo-Baric Subwoofer Review

Ever since moving large amounts of air using a low-frequency transducer became a thing, manufacturers rushed to produce the most powerful models they could come up with.

In that race to reach the new output limit, some of them have completely forgotten that the point of having a subwoofer in your car is to get the best quality of those low tones that you can.

Kicker doesn’t belong to this group of brands. On the contrary, their subs are on the leading edge when it comes to innovative technologies and sound clarity.

Today , we are going to introduce you to one of their more popular models which have been around for a while and has managed to build quite a large following in that time frame.

Kicker S15L74 Solo-Baric sub is a real performer that packs a mean punch but also gets you the quality of sound that is in the audiophile territory.

If you are looking for a good sub to install in the boot, but you’re not sure which way to go, you should stick around. This Kicker model might be what you are looking for.

Kicker S15L74 Solo-Baric Review

Features:

As soon as you open the box this Kicker subwoofer comes in; you will know that it’s not just another run of the mill unit. The first noticeable difference is the square shape of the cone. While its a bit more challenging to manufacture, having a squared cone gives you more active surface area, which translates to more air being displaced at any given moment.

Speaking of the cone, it’s a solid design that is complemented by a heavy duty rubber surround. The two are joined together by a combination of adhesives and stitching. This approach allows the transducer to achieve optimal flexibility of movement without wearing down the surround.

Moving on to the basket, we see a vented design that is made of aluminum. There are several reasons why this is just a better design than your usual solutions. Most obvious one comes down to heat dissipation. Aluminum doesn’t retain heat as long as other materials, while it provides the same structural support to the magnet.

On the other hand, it also has a neutral impact on said magnet, so there will be no interference between the two. Moving on to the tinsel leads, they are somewhat unique as well. Instead of taking the usual route, Kicker decided to stitch the tinsel leads sparingly, thus retaining their flexibility but preventing them from wearing out and separating from the spider.

When you look at all of these innovative solutions, you realize that all they did was apply some common sense to the design of this subwoofer. Without trying to marginalize their effort, it is a wonder that some of these solutions are not more standardized across the industry. Either way, we are happy that Kicker delivered a subwoofer of this nature at a price that is more than fair all things considered.

Speaking of raw specs, this family of subs comes in a variety of sizes. The one we are looking at here is a 15-inch unit that is rated for 1000 Watts RMS at 4 Ohms. Frequency range within which it operates goes from 18Hz to 100Hz, so you know it goes as slow as you can hear clearly.

Performance:

All of those smart design choices combined to deliver a very consistent and efficient performance. Kicker S15L74 Solo-Baric subwoofer works in both vented and sealed boxes and requires a relatively moderate size of said box to achieve best results. Pushing this thing as hard as you can is bound to get you on the edge of distortion, but it feels like crossing that border is impossible.

With that said, we don’t suggest you explore this possibility for the sake of your audio system. Power is there. Even at half gain, this bad boy will be loud to the point where comfort becomes the stuff of fiction.

The most impressive aspect of its performance is the quality of sound which doesn’t deteriorate as you increase the output. Combined with a decent car amp , Kicker S15L74 can sort out all of your bass related needs.

Conclusion

Whether you’re a fan of square subs or not, Kicker S15L74 Solo-Baric subs are currently one of the best Kilowatt units you can get. Their build quality, performance, and overall smart design is something that is hard to ignore.

Sure, there are cheaper options on the market, but bang for the buck, this sub is going to outperform car subs who are above and below it on the price ladder. If you’re not sure you need this amount of power, you can always go for a smaller version, but investing in one of these subs is a decision you won’t regret.

Before you go , do have a look at our buyer’s guide to the best shallow mount subwoofers.