JL Audio and Rockford Fosgate are two renowned and well respected brands in the audio industry that produces high quality car speakers, soundbars, and subwoofers.
In this article, we will cover a general overview of both brands, looking specifically at sound quality, durability, price and so on. Of course, each brand has different devices at different price points, however, we will compare them as closely as we can.
JL Audio is a highly respected brand in the car audio industry known for its high-performance speakers and amplifiers, while Rockford Fosgate is a well-regarded brand in the car audio industry known for its powerful and high-quality speakers and amplifiers.
Pros and Cons of JL Audio:
- Pros: Known for producing high-quality car audio products, including speakers, amplifiers, and subwoofers. Many of their products are well-regarded for their sound quality and value for money.
- Cons: Some JL audio amps may experience signal issues and wiring problems.
Pros and Cons of Rockford Fosgate:
- Pros: Known for producing high-quality car audio products, including amplifiers, subwoofers, and speakers. Strong reputation in the car audio industry.
- Cons: May not be as well-known for home audio products.
Quick History
JL Audio Quick History
James Birch and Lucio Proni started out making home speakers and components, the company they founded in 1975 was named JL Audio —from their initials. They produce home, marine, and mobile audio products (they are one of the earliest mobile audio pioneers), but are best recognized for their subwoofers.
The company headquarters is located in Miramar, Florida, and they have several award-winning designs and innovative technologies to their name.
Rockford Fosgate Quick History
Jim Fosgate founded Rockford Fosgate in 1973 in his garage in Arizona, USA. The PR-7000 amplifier was introduced the same year. Rockford Fosgate sold its electronics under the Punch and Punch POWER brand name.
Camelback Capital Corporation purchased the company in 1980 and renamed it Rockford Corporation. Robert Pothier of Camelback Capital became president of the company in 1982. Rockford Fosgate is currently well known for pioneering car audio devices – car amplifiers and car speakers.
Sound Quality
JL Audio Sound Quality
JL Audio’s commitment to excellent quality is evident in all aspects of their products, especially the sound quality.
They produce products that have cool midtones, crisp highs, and heavy-hitting bass for bass lovers. The expertly engineered drivers and on-board DSP ensure a balanced and natural sound production.
Rockford Fosgate Sound Quality
Rockford Fosgate car audio devices are high quality and are normally of average price. The RF is louder, clearer, and has good bass. They are widely renowned as one of the best car audio brands on the market, providing drivers that produce high-quality sound.
Rockford Fosgate is a popular choice for persons who want to upgrade their sound systems. If you get a Rockford Fosgate amplifier, be aware that you will need to dish out more money for quality subwoofers and plan accordingly.
Features
JL Audio Features
Here are some unique and enriching features that make using JL Audio devices a pleasant experience:
- Digital Automatic Room Optimization (D.A.R.O.) flawlessly optimizes the sound to match the room’s acoustics
- Advanced Digital Signal Processing for balanced audio reproduction
- App support for iOS and Android
- Up to 8-channel on the amplifiers
Rockford Fosgate Features
Here are the features of the various products:
Car speakers
- Polypropylene woofer cone with rubber surround
- Power range from 2 to 45 watts RMS
- Certified energy-auditor compliant
- Frequency response of 48 to 22 kHz
Amplifiers
- Punch EQ that adds a Bass Boost up to +18 dB at 45 Hz
- Compact
- Heat efficient
Tweeters
- Built-in phase plug
- Frequency response between 4 – 22 kHz
Build Quality
JL Audio Build Quality
They make use of materials such as fiberglass-composite, aluminium and wooden cabinets to ensure enough rigidity to avoid audio distortion and ensure lasting use.
JL Audio’s trademark handcrafted glossy and texture-coated finish only enhances the quality materials used above.
The premium drivers used in their devices are carefully produced for the excellent performance these devices display.
Rockford Fosgate Build Quality
The bass speakers and woofers are built of die-cast, vented aluminum, or stamped steel frames. The cones are reinforced with Kevlar fibers to reduce cone distortion and piston flex.
The coax models or Prime Series car speakers are built in 5.25, 6.5, and 9-inch sizes using stamped steel frames and polypropylene cones.
The Punch Series is made of a rubber butyl surround that increases cone area and adds to the speaker’s efficiency.
The Punch Loaded enclosures are constructed of medium-density fiberboards and covered in industrial-grade carpet and offer the flexibility of vertical and horizontal mounting options.
Ease of Use
JL Audio Ease Of Use
JL Audio fits their device with several user-friendly features such as large backlit controls, bright LCD display with day/night modes on some devices. The installation is easy and brisk, especially with the use of their mobile app.
Rockford Fosgate Ease Of Use
Rockford Fosgate makes car audio equipment that are relatively easy to use. Besides, they come with user manuals for ease of setup. The amps also come with remote control systems to help you navigate easily and enjoy music even from the backseat.
Cost
JL Audio Cost
JL Audio devices deliver quality performance at affordable prices as listed below:
- Amplifiers: $100 – $1800
- Subwoofers: $70 – $2600
- Speakers: $200 – $1600
Rockford Fosgate Cost
Rockford Fosgate products are generally average priced:
Tweeters: $20 – $50
Speakers: $50 – $100
Amplifiers: $200 – $1000
Space Requirements
JL Audio Space Requirements
The largest of JL audio devices are their floorstanders and hefty amplifiers. They have devices in both size extremes, and their products occupy just enough space as required for that device category.
The Gotham g213v2 subwoofer measures 867 x 546 x 610 mm and weighs a massive 168 kg while the relatively smaller Fathom IWSv2 in-wall subwoofer measures 89 x 442 x 455 mm and weighs 15.9 kg.
Rockford Fosgate Space Requirements
Tweeters and speakers are built in small sizes that easily fit in car spaces, with speaker sizes ranging between 10 to 15 inches.
The Fosgate tweeters are 0.75 inches, making them easily mountable on dashboards, pillars, or kick panels. The amplifiers, on the other hand, are equally built on smaller chassis and can be easily installed underneath car seats.
Remote Controls
JL Audio Remote Controls
JL Audio has several custom remote controllers for tuning and performing rudimentary control functions. The JL Tun Express and Tun Mobile are JL Audio‘s mobile apps for device control and tuning.
Rockford Fosgate Remote Controls
Rockford Fosgate car amplifiers come with easy-to-use remote controls to help you easily navigate between features. This makes the amps much easier to use.
Connectivity Options
JL Audio Connectivity Options
There are several connection options when it comes to a JL device. Some of the several options available are XLR, RCA, USB, optical, coaxial and auxiliary input, and Bluetooth and Wifi.
Rockford Fosgate Connectivity Options
The products support various connectivity options including:
- RCA
- Speaker level inputs
- Bluetooth
Power Range
JL Audio Power Range
JL Audio devices can produce large amounts of raw power, which makes them the product of choice for outdoor use.
Compare the mind-numbing 4500W peak power of the Gotham g213v2 subwoofer and the equally exciting 2000W of the Fathom IWSv2-SYS-213 in-wall subwoofer. Most JL Audio devices lie within the 60W–4500W power range.
Rockford Fosgate Power Range
Rockford Fosgate manufactured a wide range of speakers with a wide power range. You will get speakers with as low as 20 watts RMS and as high as 350 watts RMS.
Frequency Response
JL Audio Frequency Response
JL Audio devices effortlessly cover a wide frequency range. Most of their devices tend to be bassy which is not a big issue, especially for the bass enthusiasts.
The Gotham g213v2 subwoofer has a frequency response from 19Hz -112 Hz. The more balanced M3-650 VEX speakers cover 100Hz – 25KHz. The frequency response spectrum for JL Audio devices is from 10Hz to 25KHz.
Rockford Fosgate Frequency Response
Rockford Fosgate tweeters have a frequency response range of 4 to 22 kHz. The speakers respond well within a frequency range of 48 hertz to 22 kilohertz.
Component bass speakers deliver between 20 to 100 hertz, while mid-bass models deliver between 100 to 250 hertz.
Conclusion
JL Audio manufactures devices that fit into many use scenarios, and their world-class subwoofers are a great addition to any existing sound system. But most importantly, all these come at reasonable prices. Rockford Fosgate is generally high-quality and average-priced. Besides, the amps are very powerful. You may need to pay more to get a matching subwoofer! They are therefore a good pick for upgrading your audio system.
Related Articles
Jbl Vs Jl Audio
Jbl Vs Rockford Fosgate
Focal Vs Jl Audio
Focal Vs Rockford Fosgate
Svs Vs Jl Audio
Jl Audio Vs Rockford Fosgate