Rockford Fosgate Punch P3 Subwoofer Review

Jason Siu
by Jason Siu
Rockford Fosgate has been a staple in the car audio industry.

For decades, Rockford Fosgate has been a staple in the car audio industry, offering a wide range of mobile audio accessories including amplifiers, subwoofers, speakers, signal processors, enclosures, and accessories. If you’re shopping for a subwoofer, you have likely come across the company and if you’re a car audio enthusiast, you probably know about Rockford Fosgate’s reputation.

Rockford Fosgate says the Punch P3 is its best performing series subwoofer, designed to max out your car’s audio system. It’s a dual voice coil subwoofer available in three sizes: 10 inch, 12 inch, and 15 inch. You also have the choice of either 2-ohm dual voice coils, or 4-ohm dual voice coils. The company also offers a shallow mount version of the Punch P3, if you need to conserve space.

The Punch P3 subwoofers feature anodized aluminum cones and dustcaps, as well as unique spider venting that helps keep the motor cooler than previous versions of the subwoofer. They also have VAST technology to increase surface cone area up to 25 percent and a FlexFit basket, which basically means it has slots instead of simple holes to mount the sub. A new hybrid stamp-cast basket helps minimize weight and resonance, while providing strength.

The standard 10-, 12-, and 15-inch versions of the Punch P3 feature custom 10-AWG nickel-plated push terminals, rubberized over-mold for better grip, extended pole piece and bumped vented backplate, high-temp voice coil with spun-laced Nomex reinforcement collar, anodized aluminum cone and dustcap, protective PVC textured magnet cover, diamond cut cast aluminum trim ring with optional grille, and StampCast basket with integrated spider venting. The subwoofer comes with a one-year warranty.

The Rockford Fosgate P3S is the shallow-mount version of the Punch P3, designed to deliver performance in depth-limited situations. It’s a dual voice coil subwoofer featuring M-Roll Santoprene surround, a StampCast basket with integrated spider venting, anodized aluminum cone and dustcap, dual linear spider with embedded 16-AWG tinsel leads, diamond cut cast aluminum trim ring with optional grille, and shallow motor assembly.

Overall, the Rockford Fosgate Punch P3 is a stylish subwoofer, which is especially important to those that want to show off their stereo. It offers great performance and reliability, capable of moving a lot of air and delivering solid bass performance. It’s an ideal subwoofer for entry- to mid-level enthusiasts and is priced accordingly.

Below, we take a look at the specs for each of the models available in the Rockford Fosgate Punch P3 lineup. Each version is available as either a 2-ohm subwoofer (designated by the D2 in the model name) or a 4-ohm subwoofer (designed by the D4 in the model name).

Punch P3 10-inch Subwoofer (P3D2-10/P3D4-10)

The smallest woofer in the Punch P3 lineup, the 10-inch version is rated at 500 watts RMS or 1000 watts max. It has a 2.5-inch diameter voice coil and requires a mounting depth of 6.18 inches. SPL is rated at 82 dB and if you’re using it in a sealed enclosure, you’ll need 0.59 cubic feet of volume. For vented enclosures, you’ll need 1.4 cubic feet of volume. The 10-inch woofer features an 81-ounce magnet.

Punch P3 12-inch Subwoofer (P3D2-12/P3D4-12)

The 12-inch Punch P3 has an SPL rating of 85 dB and can handle 600 watts RMS or 1200 watts max. It has a 2.5-inch diameter voice coil with a 96-ounce magnet. If you’re using a sealed box, it requires 1.02 cubic feet of volume, while a vented box requires 1.79 cubic feet. Mounting depth requirement is 6.66 inches for the 12-inch Punch P3.

Punch P3 15-inch Subwoofer (P3D2-15/P3D4-15)

The larger 15-inch Punch P3 can handle 600 watts RMS or 1200 watts max and requires a mounting depth of 7.58 inches. In a sealed enclosure, it needs 1.58 cubic feet of volume, while a vented enclosure requires 2.66 cubic feet. It has a 96-ounce magnet, just like the 12-inch woofer. SPL however, is rated at 86 dB.

Punch P3 8-inch Shallow-Mount Subwoofer (P3SD2-8 / P3SD4-8)

The 8-inch shallow-mount subwoofer offers 150 watts RMS or 300 watts max and requires a mounting depth of 2.66 inches. Its SPL is rated at 82 dB and features a 37.5-ounce magnet. Since it is a shallow-mount subwoofer, it only requires 0.25 cubic feet of volume in a sealed box, or 0.75 cubic feet of volume in a vented box.

Punch P3 10-inch Shallow-Mount Subwoofer (P3SD2-10 / P3SD4-10)

The 10-inch version of the shallow-mount woofer is equipped with a 47-ounce magnet and needs 0.5 cubic feet of volume in a sealed enclosure, or 1.0 cubic feet of volume in a vented box. Power handling is rated at 300 watts RMS or 600 watts max, while mounting depth requirement is 3.5 inches. SPL is rated at 83 dB for the 10-inch shallow-mount woofer.

Punch P3 12-inch Shallow-Mount Subwoofer (P3SD2-12 / P3SD4-12)

The largest subwoofer in the Punch P3 shallow-mount lineup is a 12-inch unit, rated at 400 watts RMS or 800 watts max. It features a 51-ounce magnet and requires a mounting depth of 3.65 inches. Sealed box volume needed is 1.0 cubic feet, while vented box volume is 1.25 cubic feet. SPL for the 12-inch shallow-mount subwoofer is 85 dB.

Pros

Well-built subwoofer, variety of sizes, shallow-mount option, solid RMS power handling, meets CEA 2031 standards

Cons

Low SPL (sensitivity), requires decent amplifier


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Photo credit: Rockford Fosgate

Jason Siu
Jason Siu

Jason Siu began his career in automotive journalism in 2003 with Modified Magazine, a property previously held by VerticalScope. As the West Coast Editor, he played a pivotal role while also extending his expertise to Modified Luxury & Exotics and Modified Mustangs. Beyond his editorial work, Jason authored two notable Cartech books. His tenure at AutoGuide.com saw him immersed in the daily news cycle, yet his passion for hands-on evaluation led him to focus on testing and product reviews, offering well-rounded recommendations to AutoGuide readers. Currently, as the Content Director for VerticalScope, Jason spearheads the content strategy for an array of online publications, a role that has him at the helm of ensuring quality and consistency across the board.

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