Hello, first time builder here, and I'm currently
wondering which of these should I get:
Sundown Audio SA-15D2 or ESX Quantum QE1522,
Box size will be no bigger than 100 liters(vented). My car is a VW Golf mk4 1.9TDI.
Sundown is 750w and is significantly more expensive than the ESX one, which is 1kw. I compared them in WinISD and the Sundown one has a way better frequency response than the ESX one.
Will there be a problem driving the Sundown with 1000w ?
Do I need to do anything other than the big 3, and will my alternator/car struggle driving it ?
Also, what gauge wire do I need for the amp ?
Thanks in advance.
wondering which of these should I get:
Sundown Audio SA-15D2 or ESX Quantum QE1522,
Box size will be no bigger than 100 liters(vented). My car is a VW Golf mk4 1.9TDI.
Sundown is 750w and is significantly more expensive than the ESX one, which is 1kw. I compared them in WinISD and the Sundown one has a way better frequency response than the ESX one.
Will there be a problem driving the Sundown with 1000w ?
Do I need to do anything other than the big 3, and will my alternator/car struggle driving it ?
Also, what gauge wire do I need for the amp ?
Thanks in advance.
Short answer:
I'd probably go with the sundown among the 2 given your vehicle and the subwoofer's power specs. But I'd need to know more about your system...
Long answer:
I'm assuming you're talking 1 subwoofer in an enclosure of roughly 100L (about 3.5ft^3). And frankly, I wouldn't recommend other than a ported enclosure for that woofer (they don't even recommend a sealed box. And given the excursion length of these woofers, for good reason).
The only reason I can think of that you'd like a single 15 of one of these beasts in a Golf is for SPL, rather than SQ. With 100L of box, you won't have room for much else... unless you get creative with fiberglass to optimize enclosure volume within a more constrained area of your vehicle.
For the sundown, you may pay more for the woofer, but you may recoup some of that cost by a less expensive amp. The SA-15D2 is quite efficient - and 600W is plenty to drive it at its 100% RMS rating (900W if you run an amp at max 150% of its capability, which is also reasonable - you don't need more than that for this single woofer, IMO). And yes the frequency response is solid across a full range (make sure you have beefy mids and highs - sundowns are notoriously 'heavy'. A tuned ported enlosure to 35Hz is probably ideal).
I cannot speak for the Quantum woofer as I haven't tested one myself, though I have listened to installs. They sound quite nice as well. The specs in theory seem solid though I can't speak to longevity, SPL per watt, and other measures you may be interested in. But as you mentioned, you'd need a fairly sizeable amplifier (for 1kW, I'd be thinking in the 1500W range for many brands - clean power signal is critical to longevity on many, if not all subs - and tuning the amp correctly is of course very important.
At the end of the day, your trade off is between the price of the woofer vs the amplifier. As you're plugging into 2-ohms in both brands of subwoofer, you're in the realm of amplifier choices that provide some efficiencies (and can handle 2-ohms w/o overheating - which comprises many choices today). The higher wattage amp will cost more, but depending on your budget, not by the leaps and bounds that high-end subwoofers cost.
Also consider the electrical system of your golf first. If you're planning on a 1000W plus system ( I don't know what you're placing on your other speakers), and you haven't done so already, I would consider cable (big 4) and battery upgrades. You may need a beefier alternator than what is stock in the Golf if you find lights dimming, battery drains, etc (I think the stock alt in that model Golf is the typical 60-70A). So the higher the wattage you go, the more you'll need to consider the extra cost of electrical upgrades in your decision (which isn't *that* bad, but may take up some of your personal time if all DIY).
Does that help?
I'd probably go with the sundown among the 2 given your vehicle and the subwoofer's power specs. But I'd need to know more about your system...
Long answer:
I'm assuming you're talking 1 subwoofer in an enclosure of roughly 100L (about 3.5ft^3). And frankly, I wouldn't recommend other than a ported enclosure for that woofer (they don't even recommend a sealed box. And given the excursion length of these woofers, for good reason).
The only reason I can think of that you'd like a single 15 of one of these beasts in a Golf is for SPL, rather than SQ. With 100L of box, you won't have room for much else... unless you get creative with fiberglass to optimize enclosure volume within a more constrained area of your vehicle.
For the sundown, you may pay more for the woofer, but you may recoup some of that cost by a less expensive amp. The SA-15D2 is quite efficient - and 600W is plenty to drive it at its 100% RMS rating (900W if you run an amp at max 150% of its capability, which is also reasonable - you don't need more than that for this single woofer, IMO). And yes the frequency response is solid across a full range (make sure you have beefy mids and highs - sundowns are notoriously 'heavy'. A tuned ported enlosure to 35Hz is probably ideal).
I cannot speak for the Quantum woofer as I haven't tested one myself, though I have listened to installs. They sound quite nice as well. The specs in theory seem solid though I can't speak to longevity, SPL per watt, and other measures you may be interested in. But as you mentioned, you'd need a fairly sizeable amplifier (for 1kW, I'd be thinking in the 1500W range for many brands - clean power signal is critical to longevity on many, if not all subs - and tuning the amp correctly is of course very important.
At the end of the day, your trade off is between the price of the woofer vs the amplifier. As you're plugging into 2-ohms in both brands of subwoofer, you're in the realm of amplifier choices that provide some efficiencies (and can handle 2-ohms w/o overheating - which comprises many choices today). The higher wattage amp will cost more, but depending on your budget, not by the leaps and bounds that high-end subwoofers cost.
Also consider the electrical system of your golf first. If you're planning on a 1000W plus system ( I don't know what you're placing on your other speakers), and you haven't done so already, I would consider cable (big 4) and battery upgrades. You may need a beefier alternator than what is stock in the Golf if you find lights dimming, battery drains, etc (I think the stock alt in that model Golf is the typical 60-70A). So the higher the wattage you go, the more you'll need to consider the extra cost of electrical upgrades in your decision (which isn't *that* bad, but may take up some of your personal time if all DIY).
Does that help?
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