VerdictAI
#3 in Best Car Subwoofers

KICKER PTRTP® Powered SUBWOOFER 12" (30cm) 500w Powered Down Firing Loaded Enclosure, 2-Ohm

KICKER

Best for

Best shallow mount (under-seat)

Amazon rating

★★★★★3.4(17)

Amazon aggregate, one input among many in the Verdict Score

Verdict scoreGood
78/ 100

Based on 2 trusted sources

Current price

$499.99

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Updated May 17, 2026 · 1 min read

KICKER PTRTP® Powered SUBWOOFER 12" (30cm) 500w Powered Down Firing Loaded Enclosure, 2-Ohm

Sources behind this verdict

11 reviewers weighted by source trust

Methodology →

The consensus

What reviewers found

Synthesized across the trust-weighted source mix below.

Across the reviewers we read, the Kicker PTRTP-series powered down-firing enclosure draws the strongest expert and community support of any space-constrained option in this pool. Crutchfield's customer-review section, a high-trust source for car audio, features owners praising the deep bass and noting it's audible even with a Jeep's top and doors off, with the main caveat being price. A high-trust Best Buy verified-purchase review echoes the verdict, calling it a great fit for a Toyota Tundra Double Cab.

What reviewers liked

  • High-trust crutchfield.com reviewer calls out deep bass that's felt even in open-top vehicles
  • Best Buy verified-purchase reviewer (high trust) reports excellent fit and output in a truck install
  • Multiple r/CarAV owners report long-term reliability with no failures after a year of use
  • Built-in 500W amplifier and remote bass knob mean no separate amp install required

Where it falls short

  • Amazon rating of 3.4 across only 17 reviews is notably weaker than the high-trust corroboration and worth flagging
  • High-trust Crutchfield reviewers themselves call the price steep versus building a comparable system from components
  • Down-firing 12-inch enclosure still requires meaningful under-seat or behind-seat clearance
  • Output, while strong for its size, won't match a dedicated ported dual-12 setup like the Skar SDR package

Across the reviews

Synthesis · not our verdict

Across the reviewers we read, the Kicker PTRTP-series powered down-firing enclosure draws the strongest expert and community support of any space-constrained option in this pool. Crutchfield's customer-review section, a high-trust source for car audio, features owners praising the deep bass and noting it's audible even with a Jeep's top and doors off, with the main caveat being price. A high-trust Best Buy verified-purchase review echoes the verdict, calling it a great fit for a Toyota Tundra Double Cab.

r/CarAV threads reinforce the pattern: owners describe "clean crisp bass" with a usable remote bass knob, and a year-later follow-up post reports the unit "still going strong without any issues whatsoever." The down-firing design is repeatedly called out as ideal for trucks, where the enclosure can live under a rear seat without occupying cargo space.

The honest counterweight is the Amazon listing's 3.4-star average across just 17 reviews, a much smaller and weaker signal than the high-trust corroboration but worth surfacing. Buyers should also note the $499 price tag, which Crutchfield reviewers themselves flag as steep relative to a passive sub plus separate amp, you're paying for the integrated form factor.

Key specs

Source: Amazon listing
Built-in, power-matched amplifier at 500w (12-inch)
Down-firing sub resists stacking weight or scratches
Deep, powerful CompRT sub in ultra-thin enclosure
Active CompRT + reFLEX passive subwoofers
Easily integrates with factory system

What customers say

3 verified voices
I was a bit hesitant to purchase this subwoofer at first due to some mixed reviews, but it turned out to be a great addition to my system. I installed it in my 2008 Toyota Tundra Double Cab, and the output is perfect for the…
Trustedvia Best Buy customers
It sounds good as hell! Hits hard with clean crisp bass. I can adjust the bass with knob as well. I highly recommend it.
Trustedvia r/CarAV
Has anyone used the Kicker PTRTP Powered Down-Fire Enclosures loaded with a passive reFLEX subwoofer in a 07-13 Chevy Crew cab under the rear ...
Trustedvia r/CarAV

Trust tier reflects our editorial assessment of the source, not the individual quote. Hover for the rationale. See how we tier sources →

Video review

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Low-Profile Kicker Enclosure That Hits Like a Monster ...” · YouTube

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