when you're talking about a budget anywhere up to $1000, you've got a pretty broad range. my advice is to first, determine to type of music you listen to and what kind of subs you'd need for it. ex: rock, 10's are best, rap, 12's are better. it all depends on what kind of set-up you'd like. if you're going with one sub, a mono-block amp would be best, meaning one channel. always try to get the right amp for the right sub. ohm output, channel, etc. i have two JL-W3v2 10" subs with a monoblock amp and it slams plenty good enough for me, although i may not be getting the maximum performance out of them, it's still good enough for me. it all depends on what you're looking for, whether it be hair-standing bass, or a hidden enclosure that just gives a little extra sound. i'm sure the technitions at custom sounds, crutchfield, or any serious audio place would be glad to point you in the right direction. always make sure that you have the right gauge wiring to accomodate your speakers and amplifier.
damn solo barics. anyways that was about 5yrs ago. never even considered kicker after that. but my friend has a 15" L7 solo baric in a huge ported box with a 1,000 watt amp to it and it sounds amazing. so good i've considered upgrading my system to that one day. not much louder than mine but much more qaulity sounding. i was really impressed. but again its kicker and i've had bad experience with kicker. and so did my friend. went through one L5 15" solo baric and then got another one before he got the L7. they both burned up on him. covered under warranty so he wasn't worried about it but still. i'd have been mad. but it sounds so good now that i'm actually considering trying the 15" L7 for myself.
