Cerwin-Vega Stroker 12

The Cerwin-Vega Stroker 12 is a discontinued 12-inch car audio subwoofer from the company's high-end Stroker line. Documentation on this driver is thin, and no production years or original pricing have survived in the sources available. What the record does show is consistent: this was a sub built to play low and loud, with several independent sources using nearly those exact words.

The Stroker was a ported-design subwoofer, and Cerwin-Vega intended it for use in a very large ported enclosure. It used a single 8-ohm voice coil. The manufacturer's own guidance recommended amplifier power of 225 watts minimum up to 400 watts for the 12-inch version. Efficiency for the Stroker line was rated at 91dB, though the source does not break that figure down per model. The 12-inch driver weighed "somewhat less" than its 45-pound 18-inch sibling, but no exact figure for the 12 is recorded. Audio (May 1994, p.90) covered the Stroker line during this period.

Owner reports from car audio forums echo the same character: the Stroker 12 hits very low and very loud, and the old Strokers were efficient enough to get loud on modest power. The caveats come from the same users — one called it "super loud but no SQ," and another said they wouldn't use it for music, only SPL. That trade-off is consistent with the design intent.

Known specs: