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Which will put out more power/bass? 2 12" or 1 15"

How do I decide which to go with and what are the pros/cons of each?

Let's just say that a 12" subwoofer and a 15" subwoofer, the same exact make and model, the 15" will be louder simply because of more cone space. 12"s tend to be punchier and slightly more accurate then 15"s, but 15"s can usually hit harder and deeper.

You decide which to go with by what you are looking for, pure SPL or SQ. personally, i would never use a 15" subwoofer in a SQ setup. IMO, 15"s are only made to be loud.

I'm an idiot, didn't see you put 2 12"s. 2 12"s will be louder then 1 15"

Just in case you're looking at a differnet model 12 vs. 15..if you're looking for better SQ you'd wanna look at the inductance between drivers..listed in the Paramters of the driver as Le. A lower inductance woofer results in quicker transient response which is what you're looking for in an SQ woofer.Several companies do make SQ 15" subs, but for the most part they're used in SQL applications. Just a tidbit of info that is semi on topic.

quality of the drivers play a major part in this also a 15 inch execution will always be louder than two 12 legacys!

Bwcad1 wrote:quality of the drivers play a major part in this also a 15 inch execution will always be louder than two 12 legacys!

i dont know dude....some old school pyramid gold series 12's with a pyramid pb300 should rock your world....

that would be the most amazing setup known to man! lol

15s can be optimal, but it's hard to integrate into car audio. The SQ of a subwoofer is related more to the motor design than the driver size, the driver size tends to control where the efficiency of the driver lies and where the resonance of the diaphragm occurs at. A 15" isn't going to sound all that good above 60hz. There are also 10" and 12" subs that don't sound that great above 60hz, the JL W7, Adire Brahma, and RE XXX are all examples (highly regarded ones) of subs that get muddy above 60hz or so regardless of cone size, mainly due to the resonance of the high mass paper and poly cones that they use. As a general rule, I would never cross a 15" higher than 50hz. Most people that get 15s try to mate them with a typical 6.5" midbass driver, and it doesn't work well. Pair it with a strong component set, like some Morel Elate 9s, and you'll get excellent results. All about matching the horse to the course.

i personally prefer 10s, but i know you didnt ask that.
i would go with 2 12s over 1 15. better sound/louder.

quality of the drivers play a major part in this also a 15 inch execution will always be louder than two 12 legacys!

X2, it's all about install anyway. And what model driver your working with. Like what Bill said, 1 15"X will be louder then say 2 12" w0's.

How do I decide which to go with and what are the pros/cons of each?

I'd go to your local audio shop and audition some. Take your fav CD, and test them out.