The Sundown Audio VEX series is our top-of-the-line high-efficiency mid-range series. The first entry, the VEX-12, was designed to make a splash featuring a 500-watt RMS power rating thanks to its enormous 3” coil (with a full 20mm winding length) and highly efficient airflow system consisting of twelve gaps vents and a chamfered, large-diameter pole vent. The long coil also affords the VEX-12 a full 9mm of linear x-max one-way so it can play lower than many other high-efficiency drivers without distortion. The inductance is kept in check by a dual shorting-ring system (magnet ID & pole cap) which drops the LE spec to less than 25% of the RE value. This allows the high-frequency extension to reach up to 4,000 Hz where it then falls off naturally and smoothly on its own thanks to the extremely strong and non-resonant carbon-fiber cone & dust-cap assembly. Most high-efficiency drivers utilize very lightweight paper which is great for sensitivity but not so great in terms of breakup modes and strength (to withstand torture in bass-heavy vehicles). We went with real carbon fiber to address these issues at the expense of more mass. But we still achieved a 96.6dB sensitivity by combining a large diameter, high-strength ferrite motor with a neodymium pole-cap magnet! The whole package is held together with a sturdy cast-aluminum frame that features extensive spider cavity venting to further increase thermal power handling. Quite simply – if you are looking for one of the loudest and best-sounding high-efficiency midrange drivers to hit the car audio market the VEX-12 is exactly what you need!