How large do you think the largest automotive subwoofer ever made is? How about 22″ wide, and…get this….369lbs! The sound this thing produces is bone-rattling, teeth-chattering, and heart pounding! Everyone on your block will hear you coming a mile away. Here’s what MTX says about it:
“Designed from the ground up to be the most massive subwoofer ever, JackHammer incorporates radical new technologies. It is even manufactured in MTX’s custom facility with a magnetizer constructed just for this woofer-a magnetizer that wipes out any credit card that dares come within 25 feet! JackHammer is the Biggest, Baddest, Boldest subwoofer…ever!”
Billed as the subwoofer that “other woofers have nightmares about,” the MTX JackHammer is a 2-foot tall, 369-pound behemoth that makes you proud to be an American. This 22″ subwoofer handles 5,000 watts RMS (up to 10,000 watts peak), and features a 900-ounce (that’s a little over 56 pounds, folks) magnet and a 6.5″ voice coil. The JackHammer is set up for high SPL (Sound Pressure Level), but you can purchase an replacement cone assembly that allows you to switch quickly to Sound Quality performance (and you don’t have to remove the speaker from its enclosure to make the switch). There was a constant crowd around this woofer throughout the show, jaws open, staring in awe as the woofer cone moved in and out. Sometimes excess is a good thing!
The MTX Jackhammer is often used in sound pressure level competitions where the only objective is sheer loudness. In fact, one Jackhammer is capable of high enough sound pressure levels that people who are nearby are often wearing ear protection. The Jackhammer is able to create sound pressure levels high enough to easily damage human hearing. It has been measured at well over 150 decibels, which is 30 decibels more than an airplane at takeoff. The Jackhammer consumes much more power than the average electrical system of a car can provide, adding to its impracticality. It usually requires multiple powerful bridged amplifiers to drive it, and high quality wires are needed to carry the current to the speaker. Multiple large capacitors are also generally used. About four lead automobile batteries are required to power the amplifiers. Between the subwoofer and everything needed to power it, the system weighs well over 500 pounds (230 kg).
From Business Week’s report from the Consumer Electronics Show: “Tricked-out cars are a growing phenomena, thanks in part to Pimp My Ride. The popular MTV’s reality show gives twenty-somethings a makeover for their old beaters, getting as much as $30,000 of new supersonic audio and video gear on a rigs worth less than $1,000. So it’s no surprise that a star of the show, Mad Mike, is signing autographs at the booth of MTX Audio, which makes car speakers, amplifiers, and subwoofers.
Mike is helping MTX push its JackHammer subwoofer, a 369-pound, 22-inch high throbbing hunk of sonic goodness. One recent Pimp My Ride episode featured Mike and crew putting the JackHammer in a 1986 Buick Regal. The crew added a flashing caution light on the center panel of the car that reads “Warning: Ridiculous Bass” whenever the stereo plays.
So does anyone really need that much bass? “Absolutely,” says MTX’s ever-dutiful spokeswoman Hilary Moore. “Everyone needs a JackHammer.” Since the $7,500 unit pumps out the equivalent of a dozen 12-inch subwoofers, Moore rationalizes that the JackHammer actually saves space
The Jackhammer is actually the name of a line of MTX subwoofers of common sizes, such as 10, 12 and 15 inches, as well as the 22 inch “monster.” However, even though the smaller models may be more common, MTX Jackhamer usually refers to the 22 inch model. For less confusion, “The Jackhammer” is often used to refer to the 22 inch model. So, are you looking for something a little more…uh…reasonable? Maybe a bit more practical? The MTX Jackhammer line includes a variety of top-quality speakers for your car. MTX’s line of products can’t be beat.