if you compare a 10 and a 12 from the same serie than the 12 plays deeper but it mostly depends on the enclosure + amp i guess

I feel like my 10s hit cleaner but my old 12s hit a lot deeper and harder. They were both run off the same amp

there is no universal truth other than the 12 is two inches larger than the 10.

They are also more expensive

i feel that my 15's are def great for Low bass 12's hit good on Almost any beat but lows arent so great. i had 10'' memphis PR's x2 they were goood !but 10's hit better for higher bass .

This post was edited by ShredHead_Trev on Aug 16 2013 05:50pm

The difference between a 10 and a 12 is very clear... The 12 has more cone area therefore moves more air therefore acting as a louder driver. The 10's however have a different T/S parameter than the 12" counter-part and usually sound cleaner and punchier due to more travel with a quicker response.

So 12" is louder, 10" is USUALLY cleaner in the same environment.