Congratulations on your purchase of a JL Audio subwoofer component. Your JL Audio subwoofer is a
precision loudspeaker which has been engineered to produce the highest quality sub-bass performance in
your vehicle. Authorized JL Audio dealers have extensive technical information for many different
applications of your new speaker. They also have the knowledge, skills and tools to build a high-quality
enclosure that will maximize the performance of your speaker. We highly recommend that you have
your enclosure built by an authorized JL Audio dealer.
Inside you will find specifications and two recommended enclosures for your speaker; one is a sealed
enclosure, the other is a ported design. Both types of enclosures will give you excellent sound quality and
low-frequency extension. The sealed enclosure is a better choice if space is extremely tight, but the ported
enclosure will produce 3dB more output at the same power if you have the extra space to work with.
If you decide to build one of these enclosures yourself, you must have the construction of the box
inspected and approved by your authorized JL Audio dealer in order for the 1 year limited warranty to
be valid. Please read the warranty information carefully.
15W3 18W3
Subwoofers
owner’s manual
AMPLIFIER
AMPLIFIER
AMPLIFIER
AMPLIFIER
AMPLIFIER
AMPLIFIER
W3 VOICE COILS IN SERIES: W3 VOICE COILS IN PARALLEL:
W3-D4: 8.0Ω
W3-D2: 4.0Ω
W3-D4: 4.0Ω
W3-D2: 2.0Ω
W3-D4: 2.7Ω
W3-D2: 1.3Ω
W3-D4: 2.0Ω
W3-D2: 1.0Ω
W3-D4: 1.0Ω
W3-D2: 0.5Ω
W3-D4: 0.7Ω
W3-D2: 0.3Ω
2 JL AUDIO 15W3/18W3
SUBWOOFER: 15W3-D2 15W3-D4 18W3-D2 18W3-D4
Free Air Resonance (Fs): 21.3 Hz 21.8 Hz 19.0 Hz 19.7 Hz
Electrical “Q” (Qes): 0.4559 0.4302 0.4079 0.456
Mechanical “Q” (Qms): 8.854 8.854 8.7578 8.0183
Total Speaker “Q” (Qts): 0.434 0.41 0.39 0.432
Equiv. Compliance (Vas): 8.42 ft
3
8.42 ft
3
13.339 ft
3
13.339 ft
3
238.5 litres 238.5 litres 377.1 litres 377.1 litres
One-way, Linear Excursion: 0.675 in 0.675 in 0.500 in 0.500 in
(Xmax)* 17.1 mm 17.1 mm 12.7 mm 12.7 mm
Efficiency (1W/1m)**: 88.8 dB 89.4 dB 89.8 dB 89.8 dB
Effective Piston Area (Sd): 127.5 in
2
127.5 in
2
186.1 in
2
186.1 in
2
0.0823 m
2
0.0823 m
2
0.12009 m
2
0.12009 m
2
DC Resistance (Re)***: 3.34Ω 6.66Ω 3.36Ω 6.54Ω
Nominal Impedance: Dual 2Ω Dual 4Ω Dual 2Ω Dual 4Ω
Power Handling (continuous): 400W 400W 500W 500W
Mounting Depth: 8.125 in 8.125 in 9.0625 in 9.0625 in
206 mm 206 mm 230 mm 230 mm
Mounting Hole Diameter: 13.875 in 13.875 in 16.5 in 16.5 in
352 mm 352 mm 419 mm 419 mm
Driver Displacement: 0.140 ft
3
0.140 ft
3
0.20 ft
3
0.20 ft
3
3.9 litres 3.9 litres 5.6 litres 5.6 litres
*Xmax specifications are derived via one-way voice coil overhang method with no correction factors applied. **Efficiency (1W/1m) is not
an accurate indicator of
a subwoofer’s output capability and should not be used as a comparison to other subwoofers to determine which one is “louder”. ***Re (DC resistance) is measured with
the voice coils in series, for parallel-wired specification divide Re by 4. All other specifications remain the same.
SUBWOOFER SPECIFICATIONS
WIRING OPTIONS
JL AUDIO 15W3/18W3 3
• The enclosure recommendations listed above are
external dimensions which assume the use of 3/4"
(19mm) thick material. If you are using 5/8"
(16mm) thick material, subtract 1/4" (6.5mm) from
each dimension. Do not use any material with a
thickness of less than 5/8" (16mm) as this may
compromise the rigidity of the enclosure.
• All enclosure volumes listed above are net
internal volumes! Driver displacement, port
displacement and brace displacement must be
added to obtain the final gross internal volume.
All enclosure dimensions above have already taken
this into acount.
• When using two subwoofers in a common
enclosure simply double the required volume and,
in the case of a ported enclosure, use two times
the recommended port(s). Likewise, when using
three subwoofers in a common enclosure simply
triple the required volume and, in the case of a
ported enclosure, use three times the
recommended port(s).
• We recommend the use of this speaker in a
bi-amplified system using high-quality satellite
speakers and a high-quality amplifier. We do not
recommend the use of this subwoofer with a
passive crossover (coil), as this type of device will
adversely affect performance.
RECOMMENDED ENCLOSURES
SUBWOOFER SEALED ENCLOSURE PORTED ENCLOSURE
Volume External Dimensions Volume External Dimensions Port(s)
(net int.) (Width x Height x Depth) (net int.) (Width x Height x Depth) (Inside Dia. x Length)
15W3-D2
2.125 ft
3
22" x 16" x 14.75" 3.50 ft
3
24" x 19" x 18" (2) 3.0" x 11.6"
60.2 litres 559mm x 406mm x 375mm 99.1 litres 610mm x 483mm x 457mm (2) 76mm x 295mm
15W3-D4
2.125 ft
3
22" x 16" x 14.75" 3.50 ft
3
24" x 19" x 18" (2) 3.0" x 10.9"
60.2 litres 559mm x 406mm x 375mm 99.1 litres 610mm x 483mm x 457mm (2) 76mm x 277mm
18W3-D2
3.00 ft
3
24" x 19" x 15.5" 4.00 ft
3
26" x 22" x 16.25" (2) 3.0" x 10.1"
85 litres 610mm x 483mm x 394mm 113.3 litres 660mm x 559mm x 413mm (2) 76mm x 257mm
18W3-D4
3.25 ft
3
24" x 19" x 16.75" 4.50 ft
3
26" x 22" x 18" (2) 3.0" x 8.6"
92 litres 610mm x 483mm x 425mm 127.4 litres 660mm x 559mm x 457mm (2) 76mm x 218mm
Prolonged exposure to sound
pressure levels in excess of 100dB
can cause permanent hearing loss.
This high-performance speaker can
exceed this level. Please exercise
restraint in its operation in order
to preserve your ability to enjoy
its fidelity.
When installing a subwoofer
in your vehicle, it is extremely
important to secure the enclosure
firmly. We recommend bolting the
enclosure through the metal of
the floorpan or the frame of the
vehicle with large diameter washers
for reinforcement. If an enclosure
is not firmly attached, it can
become a projectile in a collision.
This is particular ly important in a
hatchback, station wagon, sports
utility vehicle, or van.
CAUTION
All specifications are subject to change without notice.
JL AUDIO LIMITED WARRANTY (USA)
Automotive Subwoofer Components
JL AUDIO warrants this speaker to be free of defects in materials and workmanship for a period of one (1) year from the original date of purchase, contingent upon installation
being performed or approved by an authorized JL AUDIO dealer, in writing, on the original sales receipt. If the preceding condition is not met, the warranty term is
limited to ninety (90) days from the original purchase date.
This warranty is not transferrable and applies only to the original purchaser of the product from an authorized JL AUDIO dealer. Should service be necessary under this warranty
for any reason due to manufacturing defect or malfunction, JL AUDIO will, at its discretion, repair or replace the defective product with new or remanufactured product at no charge.
Damage caused by the following is not covered under warranty: accident, misuse, abuse, product modification or neglect, failure to follow installation instructions, unauthorized
repair attempts, misrepresentations by the seller. This warranty does not cover incidental or consequential damages and does not cover the cost of removing or reinstalling the
unit(s). Cosmetic damage due to accident or normal wear and tear is not covered under warranty.
Any applicable implied warranties are limited in duration to the period of the express warranty as provided herein beginning with the date of the original purchase at retail, and
no warranties, whether express or implied, shall apply to this product thereafter. Some states do not allow limitations on implied warranties, therefore these exclusions may not
apply to you. This warranty gives you specific legal rights, and you may also have other rights which vary from state to state.
If you need service on your JL AUDIO product:
All warranty returns should be sent to JL AUDIO freight prepaid through an authorized JL AUDIO dealer and must be accompanied by proof of purchase (a copy of the original
sales receipt.) Direct returns from consumers or non-authorized dealers will be refused unless specifically authorized by JL AUDIO with a valid return authorization number.
Warranty expiration on products returned without proof of purchase will be determined from the manufacturing date code. Coverage may be invalidated as this date is previous
to purchase date. Return only defective components. Non-defective items received will be returned freight-collect. Customer is responsible for shipping charges and insurance in
sending the product to JL AUDIO. Freight damage on returns is not covered under warranty. Always include proof of purchase (sales receipt).
For Service Information in the U.S.A. please call:
JL Audio customer service: (954) 443-1100 during normal business hours (Eastern Time)
JL Audio, Inc
10369 North Commerce Parkway, Miramar, FL 33025
International Warranties:
Products purchased outside the United States of America are covered only by that country’s distributor and not by JL Audio, Inc.
Printed in USA JL15-18W3-02-2003
MEDIUM GRAY (MINIMUM):
From a reliability standpoint,this zone represents
a very comfortable operating power range for each
driver. This level of power will not stress the
woofer but will not extract all of its performance
potential, either.
Use of less than the minimum power level will
not damage the woofer, but may result in
unsatisfactory performance.
LIGHT GRAY (OPTIMUM):
This zone represents the best compromise
between long-term reliability, high-output and lowdistortion performance and is centered on each
woofer's continuous power rating (as published in
its specifications). In this zone,you will be taking full
advantage of the woofer's optimum, low-distortion
performance range without undue risk of failure.
DARK GRAY (MAXIMUM):
In this zone, low-distortion output and long-term
reliability will be compromised (especially by an
aggressive user). Slightly more SPL will be gained by
pushing the power into this zone, but typically not
more than 2dB, compared to the light gray zone.
The closer you are to the black zone, the higher the
likelihood of driver failure. Operate with caution.
BLACK (WARRANTY VOID):
We do not recommend operating woofers at
this level of power. In this zone, there is a very high
probability that the driver will fail due to excessive
heat and/or mechanical stress.
Subwoofer drivers operated at these levels of
power are NOT covered under warranty.
JL Audio offers an extensive line of high-performance subwoofer drivers to fit a wide variety of enclosure and power applications.When designing systems with our drivers, it is very important
to achieve a good power match between the subwoofer amplifier and the subwoofer driver's capabilities. The power levels listed in the above chart represent continuous (RMS) amplifier power
per woofer and assume that the user will regularly make full use of that power without dr
astically overdriving the amplifier(s). Make sure you factor system impedance and the total
number of subwoofers into your calculations.Adhering to these power recommendations will result in systems that are both reliable and enjoyable.
MED. GRAY:
MINIMUM
LIGHT GRAY:
OPTIMUM
DARK GRAY:
MAXIMUM
LEGEND:
BLACK:
WARRANTY VOID
30W 60W 125W 250W 500W 1000W
18W 3
15W 3
RECOMMENDED CONTINUOUS (RMS) POWER RANGE FOR ONE SUBWOOFER DRIVER:
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