Powering a Subwoofer for Optimal Performance
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Arc Audio
Arc Audio Arc Series 8 inch Subwoofer
SKU: ARC8 D2
$ 218.00
QUICK SPECS
- Power: 150W RMS | 300W Peak | Recommended Amp 5-300W
- Voice Coil: Dual 2-Ohm (D2) or Dual 4-Ohm (D4)
- Sealed Box: 0.35 to 0.55 cu ft | Optimal 0.45 cu ft
- Fitment: Xmax 15mm | Mounting Depth 4.75 in | Cutout 7-1/8 in
Arc Audio Arc Series 8 inch Subwoofer
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Product Details
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Arc Audio ARC Series Subwoofers
Arc Audio ARC Series 8 Inch Subwoofer
A compact 8 engineered for the balance of sound quality and real output, designed to perform in small sealed enclosures where space is tight and bass still has to be right.
150W RMS
Dual 2 or Dual 4 Ohm
0.35 to 0.55 cu ft Sealed
USA Engineered
Balanced Performance in a Small Footprint
The Arc Audio ARC Series 8 inch subwoofer is built around an optimized balance of sound quality and output, the philosophy that has defined Arc Audio since 1995. It handles 150 watts RMS continuous and 300 watts maximum, with a recommended amplifier range of 5 to 300 watts, so it rewards clean power without demanding a huge amplifier.
The standout trait is how little enclosure it needs. The recommended sealed volume is just 0.35 to 0.55 cubic feet, with 0.45 cubic feet as the optimal target. That is a genuinely small box for an 8, which is exactly why this driver fits compact cars, under-seat builds, and behind-seat truck enclosures where a larger sub simply will not go.
150WRMS Power
15mmXmax
0.45Cu Ft Optimal
4.75 inMounting Depth
Real Excursion for an 8
A 15mm one-way linear Xmax is a healthy number for an 8 inch driver, and it is the reason this sub can move meaningful air from a small box. Combined with a 35.80 square inch cone area and a low resonant frequency, the ARC 8 produces low-end weight that belies its compact enclosure requirement. It is at home in sealed, ported, and infinite baffle applications, giving you flexibility in how you design the system.
Choose Your Voice Coil: D2 or D4
The ARC Series 8 is available in two voice coil configurations so you can match it to your amplifier. The dual 2-ohm (D2) wires to a 1-ohm or 4-ohm load, ideal for 1-ohm stable monoblocks. The dual 4-ohm (D4) wires to a 2-ohm or 8-ohm load, a better fit for amplifiers that are happiest at 2 ohms or for multi-sub systems. Select the configuration that lands your amplifier in its comfort zone.
Match It to the Right Enclosure
This driver was engineered for a specific, small volume, and honoring that is what makes it perform. Our Proline X P8-S is a single-8 sealed enclosure CNC-cut in Tullahoma, Tennessee and sized for drivers exactly like this one. Building your own? Target 0.45 cubic feet net for the best balance of extension and control, and stay within the 0.35 to 0.55 range. Going larger does not add usable bass, it loosens it.
Fitment at a glance: mounting depth is 4.75 inches with a 7-1/8 inch cutout and an 8-5/16 inch outside diameter. The shallow mounting depth opens up under-seat and behind-seat locations that deeper drivers cannot use. Confirm your cutout and depth before building.
Built and Backed
Designed and engineered in the USA by one of the country's leading subwoofer acoustical engineers. Every Arc Audio ARC Series 8 sold by Audio Intensity is brand new and carries the Arc Audio 1-year warranty through authorized dealers.
Authorized Arc Audio Dealer
Audio Intensity ships the Arc Audio ARC Series 8 fast from Tullahoma, Tennessee, with real installer support before and after the sale. Tell us your amplifier and your space, and we will help you pick the right voice coil and the right enclosure to get the most from it.
Sealed Enclosure Performance: Pre-Calculated Results
Using Arc Audio's published Thiele-Small parameters and their recommended sealed volumes, here are the predicted Qtc, system resonance (Fc), F3 rolloff, and frequency response curves for each box size. Calculated using the same formulas as the Audio Intensity Sealed Box Calculator.
D2 — Dual 2 Ohm | Qts 0.289 | Fs 24.7 Hz | Vas 48.14 L
| Box Volume | Qtc | Fc | F3 |
|---|---|---|---|
| 0.35 cu ftMinimum / tightest | 0.699 | 59.8 Hz | 60.4 Hz |
| 0.45 cu ft ★Optimal (Arc recommended) | 0.632 | 54.0 Hz | 61.2 Hz |
| 0.55 cu ftMaximum / most relaxed | 0.585 | 50.0 Hz | 62.5 Hz |
D4 — Dual 4 Ohm | Qts 0.332 | Fs 22.7 Hz | Vas 43.89 L
| Box Volume | Qtc | Fc | F3 |
|---|---|---|---|
| 0.35 cu ftMinimum / tightest | 0.774 | 52.9 Hz | 48.7 Hz |
| 0.45 cu ft ★Optimal (Arc recommended) | 0.700 | 47.9 Hz | 48.4 Hz |
| 0.55 cu ftMaximum / most relaxed | 0.649 | 44.4 Hz | 48.7 Hz |
D2 Frequency Response — Sealed
0.35 cu ft (Qtc 0.699)
0.45 cu ft (Qtc 0.632) ★
0.55 cu ft (Qtc 0.585)
D4 Frequency Response — Sealed
0.35 cu ft (Qtc 0.774)
0.45 cu ft (Qtc 0.700) ★
0.55 cu ft (Qtc 0.649)
What the numbers mean: Qtc near 0.707 is textbook Butterworth, the flattest possible sealed response. The 0.58–0.71 range is the near-Butterworth zone: tight, accurate, excellent transient response with no artificial warmth. The D2 at 0.45 cu ft lands at Qtc 0.632 (near-Butterworth, controlled). The D4 at 0.45 cu ft hits Qtc 0.700, essentially textbook Butterworth. Both are strong alignments. F3 is the half-power point, but vehicle cabin gain typically adds 6–12 dB below 80 Hz, so real in-car extension will be meaningfully deeper than F3 alone suggests. Run your own numbers in the Sealed Box Calculator.
Ready to build? The Enclosures tab above lists the Proline X sealed enclosures we build specifically for this driver, CNC-cut in Tullahoma, Tennessee to the dimensions the numbers above call for.
| Arc Audio ARC Series 8 Inch Subwoofer Specifications | ||
|---|---|---|
| Specification | D2 Version | D4 Version |
| Power and Configuration | ||
| RMS Power Handling | 150 Watts | |
| Peak Power Handling | 300 Watts | |
| Recommended Amplifier Power | 5 to 300 Watts | |
| Voice Coil Configuration | Dual 2-Ohm (D2) | Dual 4-Ohm (D4) |
| Wiring Options | 1 Ohm or 4 Ohm | 2 Ohm or 8 Ohm |
| Thiele-Small Parameters | ||
| Resonant Frequency (Fs) | 24.7 Hz | 22.7 Hz |
| Total Q (Qts) | 0.289 | 0.332 |
| Electrical Q (Qes) | 0.317 | 0.367 |
| Mechanical Q (Qms) | 3.331 | 3.572 |
| Equivalent Volume (Vas) | 48.14 L | 43.89 L |
| Sensitivity (1W / 1m) | 85.4 dB | 85.6 dB |
| Xmax (One-Way Linear) | 15 mm | |
| Cone Area (Sd) | 35.80 sq in | |
| Recommended Enclosures | ||
| Sealed Volume | 0.35 to 0.55 cu ft (optimal 0.45) | |
| Ported Volume | 0.50 to 0.75 cu ft (tuned 32 to 44 Hz) | |
| Infinite Baffle | Compatible | |
| Mounting and Physical | ||
| Mounting Depth | 4.75 in | |
| Cutout Diameter | 7-1/8 in | |
| Outside Diameter | 8-5/16 in | |
| Total Depth | 5-1/4 in | |
| Displacement | 0.04 cu ft | |
| Engineering Origin | Designed and Engineered in the USA | |
| Warranty | 1 Year (Authorized Dealers) | |
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