Subwoofer ???

[grlaneriejr]

I have asked techs. They always give me a different answer.

Like I said, I only listen to classic rock and sometimes 80's music, so I don't want a "hoopty ride" sound, just some nice, tight bass.

I don't know what kind of sub to get or what kind of box, either. Any suggestions?

[DSchultz325e]

well, by tight i'm probably thinking you want the response of a sealed box. you will be satisfied with a JL 10 or 12W0 in a sealed box. this will be the cheapest route, too, since you obviously don't want to spend an arm and a leg for the sub 100hz region. buy an amp that puts out 150 RMS @ 4 ohm and you're good to go. just find a dealer who sells JL and they will most likely be able to demo it for you, with cds you like.

[KenC]

A ported box will give you much better response at lower frequencies, however, it'll cost much more to make than the sealed one because you have to build it essentially perfect and tune the port.

[trent]

A ported box will give you much better response at lower frequencies, however, it'll cost much more to make than the sealed one because you have to build it essentially perfect and tune the port.

Ported boxes are too sloppy. Bandpass boxes are good if you listen to only rap.

Small sealed box facing rearwards for me. Never had better sound.

[KenC]

A ported box will give you much better response at lower frequencies, however, it'll cost much more to make than the sealed one because you have to build it essentially perfect and tune the port.

Ported boxes are too sloppy. Bandpass boxes are good if you listen to only rap.

Small sealed box facing rearwards for me. Never had better sound.

The ported boxes you've heard must have been made really crappy then. You can get them to sound much better than sealed, BUT you have to make them EXACTLY to the sub manufacturers specs and have the port tuned perfectly. If you build it that way, it'll have much better response at frequencies below 80Hz, which sealed boxes can't produce at any decent decibal level.

[grlaneriejr]

Well, sounds like the way to go for me is a "sealed" box. What about the actual sub?

Is there anything other than JL that I should look at?

Thanx guys.

[KenC]

Well, sounds like the way to go for me is a "sealed" box. What about the actual sub?

Is there anything other than JL that I should look at?

Thanx guys.

www.carmedia1.com has Image Dynamics IDQ 10s for $109. Great sub, great deal.

[Jarvis]

Has anyone ever tried a combination of these two conflicting theories - firing one sub directly into the cabin, while another faces the other way?
I'm just wondering because I have 2 subs that came in my current car, and when they go into my next E30 I know I'll really only need one. I was just wondering what type of sound this would produce, like if it would be a good combo of the main benefits of the two separate methods people are suggesting. Feel free to let me know if this is a retarded idea.

[KenC]

Has anyone ever tried a combination of these two conflicting theories - firing one sub directly into the cabin, while another faces the other way?
I'm just wondering because I have 2 subs that came in my current car, and when they go into my next E30 I know I'll really only need one. I was just wondering what type of sound this would produce, like if it would be a good combo of the main benefits of the two separate methods people are suggesting. Feel free to let me know if this is a retarded idea.

Probably wouldn't be a good idea because the bass notes out of the two woofers would be out of phase with eachother.

[Jarvis]

Has anyone ever tried a combination of these two conflicting theories - firing one sub directly into the cabin, while another faces the other way?
I'm just wondering because I have 2 subs that came in my current car, and when they go into my next E30 I know I'll really only need one. I was just wondering what type of sound this would produce, like if it would be a good combo of the main benefits of the two separate methods people are suggesting. Feel free to let me know if this is a retarded idea.

Probably wouldn't be a good idea because the bass notes out of the two woofers would be out of phase with eachother.

That's what I figured.

[DSchultz325e]

Eclipse SW6103.4, Phoenix Gold Octane-R, MMATs makes good shit, too. I would have recommended Kicker but they are not as good as they once were (unless you can find a round solo-baric for cheap :D ). basically anything that you don't find at best buy will be great. I'm strongly recommending JL Audio, though. If they sell IDQ in your area, it's a very comparable subwoofer, too.

[StereoInstaller1]

Wow...according to some of these guys, my bass is sloppy! Some even think it does not play as low as it can....Hmmmm...I do have a 24db/oct high pass at 15Hz....maybe I should lower that? I just gotta do some spectral analys on this thing.

I think not too many people would call my bass "sloppy". Not one person who has heard my car says anything but "wow...that is amazing!" You should have seen the look on James' face when he heard it, and he has heard many good systems.

You, however, are welcome to do just whatever you want.

Day before yesterday, I loaded 2 JL 12W3V2 dual 2 ohm into a good quality MDF sealed box. Sounded like ASS...lame as hell. Crossfire 1000 watt digital mono amp...does 1170 Watts RMS into a 2ohm load, tested. Pulled the JL's, put in 2 Infinity "Perfect" Kappa 12's, 4 ohm SVC. Same sealed box...sounded great. Fired backwards in a 2002 Corolla S.. I personally do not care for the Infinity (yes, I know I have one in my car currently) but they work really well in a generic box. The Reference sounds better, IMHO, but only handle like 200 RMS.

I have built literally hundreds of custom boxes, in dozens of configurations... I have been doing this shit all day, every working day, for a living, as a professional for 24 fucking years.

Whoever said bandpass is best for rap really should try listeneing to a 7th order BP box I built for a JBL GTi 1200 (which still has more motor than ANY JL product)...tighter than a bulls ass in springtime! Remember that MOST high end home speakers are ported. What this says is that ported, done properly, makes really clean bass. I have seen a huge trend towards woofer designs that are poor choices for vented boxes, clearly optimised for sealed.

Try listening to the average POS sealed box vs the usual poorly designed ported box....sealed wins....but compared to what I build? Fuck a bunch of sealed boxes!

I will still hold that a properly designed box, with the ENTIRE output of the box sealed into the cab will sound best, play lowest, cleanest, etc. ANY leakage of bass into the trunk throws this out, so if you aren't prepared to make your box really fit, fire your shit backwards. Remove the ski boot panel, maybe even have your box bolted to the floor 2 or 3 inches from the back wall, so the bass can get into the cab easier.

Anyway, before I start a flame war, or have some assswipe call me uneducated and whine about some trash Kicker printed being some special kind of truth, I will say no more on this topic.

Luke Fisher
Installation Manager, Stereo Zone.
Albany, OR.
541-926-1893

[DSchultz325e]

i seriously don't think he's interested in spending the time or money to perfectly construct a ported box sealed completely to the cabin. i think he just wants to throw a woofer in the trunk and have it work. most woofers are being built under the preface of wanting to be throwin into a such and such dimension sealed box. thus, prefab sealed box and good to go.

[kILLeR325e]

I have a ported box shooting out the rear-deck....this is the best way to get sound into the deck of the car without chopping up the rear fire wall (of course you would have to chop up the rear deck) here's my setup:

- Pioneer Premier DEH-P860MP
- 2 12" Kicker Solo Baric L7's
- Kicker 5 1/4" Componets up front
- Kicker 6 1/2" Coaxial in the back
- Zapco 2000watt Mono Block Amp (for subs)
- Zapco 400watt 4 Channel amp (for mids and highs)
- Optima Red Top Battery
- Memphis Digital Capacitor

I like the sound, I don't get any rattling from the trunk.

Here is a pic of the rear deck and how the box is designed:

[grlaneriejr]

Like DSchultz said, I don't want to spend a lot of $$$.

Here's what I'm running right now:
Clarion DXZ545MP running all speakers
Pioneer 6X9's in rear deck
Pioneer 6.5's in kick panels

I have a small amp (200watt) that I already have, and am looking for a little more bass.

Would a 12" or 10" be better for what I have?

Thanx