Wondering if anyone could give me some ideas on some good subs at a decent price. Right now i have 2-12" JBL Powers in a sealed box 1CuF, with a Kenwood KAC7252 pushing them. i would like to use the same amp wich in 2ohms is doing 250rms x 2, but a possible upgrade is not out of the question. I was thinking of switching to 2-12" Kicker L5's, but to do that i would need a new amp and also a new box. So i thought i would put a post here to see if you guys here had any ideas for me. Lastly i would like to stay with 12" subs and keep the price below $200 per sub.
About the kickers...I had 2 solo baric L7's and blew one. I will never buy kicker again. Not because I was dumb enough to blow it, but because the customer service sucks. Your salesman is the only person you will ever talk to about you subs.
Now, I buy Audiobahn...and I really think they are better subs too. I also blew one of those and within a week, I had a replacment for $50.00. As you can see, I puch my system!LOL
Anyway, I would tell you this, buy one "GREAT" audiobahn 10" sub, put it in a good proted enclosure and run it on a good amp.(Maybe a Memphis) And I garuntee you that you will get better performance than you did with your two JBL's. I have first hand experiance. Many people ask me what two 12's I have in my car.
Dont short change your box though. It is as important as the speaker itself.
Dominick in New Jersey
By the way, I have a top of the line Audiobahn (Sub, Amp, Encloure) set up if you would like to buy it. I am not using it.
It runs 2400 watts into 1 10" at 1 Ohm. A beautiful thing to experiance. It will break your windows if you want it to!LOL
Now, I buy Audiobahn...and I really think they are better subs too. I also blew one of those and within a week, I had a replacment for $50.00. As you can see, I puch my system!LOL
Anyway, I would tell you this, buy one "GREAT" audiobahn 10" sub, put it in a good proted enclosure and run it on a good amp.(Maybe a Memphis) And I garuntee you that you will get better performance than you did with your two JBL's. I have first hand experiance. Many people ask me what two 12's I have in my car.
Dont short change your box though. It is as important as the speaker itself.
Dominick in New Jersey
By the way, I have a top of the line Audiobahn (Sub, Amp, Encloure) set up if you would like to buy it. I am not using it.
It runs 2400 watts into 1 10" at 1 Ohm. A beautiful thing to experiance. It will break your windows if you want it to!LOL
sr20dem0n--> looking for loudness mostly, and i listen to rap and some rock.
Dominick22--> I have a sealed Q-Logic box that houses my 12" JBL's. Not the best box but it is decent. Also i'm not looking to buy anything right at this moment that will happen in a few weeks. Right now i'm just trying to do some research and see what i should go with.
Also this post is not just about audiobahn so lets not keep it limited to them. Nothing against audiobahn since i have a friend with a couple of 15's SE version in his car and they sound decent.
Dominick22--> I have a sealed Q-Logic box that houses my 12" JBL's. Not the best box but it is decent. Also i'm not looking to buy anything right at this moment that will happen in a few weeks. Right now i'm just trying to do some research and see what i should go with.
Also this post is not just about audiobahn so lets not keep it limited to them. Nothing against audiobahn since i have a friend with a couple of 15's SE version in his car and they sound decent.
HUH,
I guess I got the wrong impression when I read the very first line of your original post. I could have swore that a subwoofer endorsement was exactly what you were looking for.
Also, if you read between the lines, I gave you more info than just brnad names---IE: Enclosure--and just so you know-if you are running a q-logic enclosure, you are not running your subs in an ok box. Thats a crap box. I'm just being honest. Although, it is sealed which is a good choice for rap music. Ported would probably be better for the extended low digitally enhanced notes. Most rap uses sythesizers as opposed to real instruments.
Go to this link-there you will find an award winning enclosure:
http://www.carstereoworld.com/subzone/subzonezbass.html#anchor1022455
Dominick in New Jersey
I guess I got the wrong impression when I read the very first line of your original post. I could have swore that a subwoofer endorsement was exactly what you were looking for.
Also, if you read between the lines, I gave you more info than just brnad names---IE: Enclosure--and just so you know-if you are running a q-logic enclosure, you are not running your subs in an ok box. Thats a crap box. I'm just being honest. Although, it is sealed which is a good choice for rap music. Ported would probably be better for the extended low digitally enhanced notes. Most rap uses sythesizers as opposed to real instruments.
Go to this link-there you will find an award winning enclosure:
http://www.carstereoworld.com/subzone/subzonezbass.html#anchor1022455
Dominick in New Jersey
Dominick, yes i am looking for the best brand i just don't want it limited to any one single brand. i'd like to hear the opinions of what people have to say, then i will decide on which one to go with. I was not trying to put your opinion down because it seems like you got the wrong impression from my last post. sorry about that. thanks for the box advice i didn't realise Q-Logic wasn't anygood. I would like to switch the box but at the moment my money is a little tight and i really can't afford to at this time but maybe around febuary i will be able to, and i will be going with a ported box. anyway thanks for the advice so far.
in the meantime you could get the parameters for your jbl,s, build a new enclosure that the speakers were ment to perform in and see how they sound-if you get new subs and throw them in a prefab box expect the drivers to not perform as intended- performance will not be predictable , especially for an ported enclosure
Honestly, I would steer FAR away from Audiobahn, no offense to Dominick22 or xplod1236. They're one of the worst brands available (just a couple of steps above legacy, dual, lightning audio, etc) when it comes to subs. Their amps are decent, but grossly overpriced for what you get, bling costs money.
There are a lot of choices, since you're mostly after output I would go with a ported setup, though since you listen to some rock I would stick with a low tuning frequency so you don't have as bad of a FR spike around tuning, and you also won't have to worry about unloading if you go with a low tune. Now, contrary to what some people believe, a ported setup actually has less low end than a sealed setup, though a ported setup will generally have a large spike around the tuning frequency before diving into its steep rolloff, and this large spike (be it at 30hz, 35hz, etc) gives the impression of more low end, when in actuality below ~30hz the sealed box will dominate it. However, most rap rarely dips below 35hz or so, so with a 30-32hz tune you should be good to go, though it would be a good idea to model it in a box program to ensure the response looks acceptable.
For sub choices, check out digital designs, resonant engineering, and treo. Kicker also isn't a bad choice for what you're looking at, the L5s and L7s can get very loud and are quite robust, though they aren't the best sounding woofers out there.
There are a lot of choices, since you're mostly after output I would go with a ported setup, though since you listen to some rock I would stick with a low tuning frequency so you don't have as bad of a FR spike around tuning, and you also won't have to worry about unloading if you go with a low tune. Now, contrary to what some people believe, a ported setup actually has less low end than a sealed setup, though a ported setup will generally have a large spike around the tuning frequency before diving into its steep rolloff, and this large spike (be it at 30hz, 35hz, etc) gives the impression of more low end, when in actuality below ~30hz the sealed box will dominate it. However, most rap rarely dips below 35hz or so, so with a 30-32hz tune you should be good to go, though it would be a good idea to model it in a box program to ensure the response looks acceptable.
For sub choices, check out digital designs, resonant engineering, and treo. Kicker also isn't a bad choice for what you're looking at, the L5s and L7s can get very loud and are quite robust, though they aren't the best sounding woofers out there.
Also, if you go with a ported box, you'll want to design/build it yourself or have one custom built for you. Prefab ported boxes are generally some of the worst sounding things on the face of the planet, very high tuning frequency, very peaky response, and absolutely no low end. Prefab sealed boxes can be decent, as long as you pick one that has the right airspace for your sub and is built well (q-logic boxes aren't built well, but you can "fix" them relatively easily with some bracing and caulk, if you want to take the time.
What sr20dem0n said about box configurations is generally true, however, the box I gave you a link for has a flat frequency response from 30 - 80 hz or something like that. I cant quite remember, but thats why it was an award winning enclosure. I have been heavy into car audio for many years, and trust me, this is the best box out there BAR NONE!
Wow, audiobahn not that good? What are smoking?lol
Why do you feel that it is not any good? specifics! I will admit that last years models are better than this years, but I have specific reasons, not just a fabricated thought! So please, I am interested in your insight sr20dem0n.
Dominick in New Jersey
Wow, audiobahn not that good? What are smoking?lol
Why do you feel that it is not any good? specifics! I will admit that last years models are better than this years, but I have specific reasons, not just a fabricated thought! So please, I am interested in your insight sr20dem0n.
Dominick in New Jersey
Dominick22 said:
Then that goes to show how much car audio writers know. A box cannot have any kind of certain response, let alone one flat like that. The response is the result of the individual combination of speaker parameters when mated to that box. One speaker might be OK, another not. There's no hard and fast rule. Well, there is, but it's probably too technical for what you want right now.
Basically, the very good subwoofer brands, like Resonant do very little advertising to the masses because their subs speak for themselves.
Audiobahn is definatly an over-hyped company, their subs work but they aren't one of the best.
Also may want to add Infinity to the list. As far as subs go, I have been extremely impressed on all their price levels.
Audiobahn is definatly an over-hyped company, their subs work but they aren't one of the best.
Also may want to add Infinity to the list. As far as subs go, I have been extremely impressed on all their price levels.
richie00boy is right regarding his observation of the box to woofer ratio.
I find it funny how people are so quick to point out a discrepency in someones post rather than just think about it for a second. Its like some people HAVE to show that they are smart by discrediting another member.
Richie, Obviously you are right about the "resonant frequency" being different depending on the speaker mate you choose. So that means that the company "subzone" must have used a certain sub for all of their testing. I am pretty sure that it was an audiobahn they used. Also, I know that they built over 30 boxes based on a computer program but trashed most of them because when they did real world testing, they didnt measure up. So yes, if you buy anything other than the orignal sub, you should expect slightly different results. But, you should still get a fairly flat resonant frequency range none the less.
But that just goes to show you how much people think before they post their nonsense.
Infinity? I am surprised you knock Audiobahn and promote Infinity.
Take care,
Dominick
I find it funny how people are so quick to point out a discrepency in someones post rather than just think about it for a second. Its like some people HAVE to show that they are smart by discrediting another member.
Richie, Obviously you are right about the "resonant frequency" being different depending on the speaker mate you choose. So that means that the company "subzone" must have used a certain sub for all of their testing. I am pretty sure that it was an audiobahn they used. Also, I know that they built over 30 boxes based on a computer program but trashed most of them because when they did real world testing, they didnt measure up. So yes, if you buy anything other than the orignal sub, you should expect slightly different results. But, you should still get a fairly flat resonant frequency range none the less.
But that just goes to show you how much people think before they post their nonsense.
Infinity? I am surprised you knock Audiobahn and promote Infinity.
Take care,
Dominick
Its not that I am "knocking" audiobahn. I just happen to eb an objective listener who hasn't fallen under their hype.
If you had the chance to audition subs, in the real world- your car, the correct box, you would see that audiobahn really isn't as good as a choice as other subs. This is where I come to the point where I tell you why Infinity is better than Audiobahn, but I am not going to waste time discrediting you.
So, Chawk, I believe you started this thread, I would suggest, based on my experience, to look into Infinity Subs also.
By the way, subs aren't near as important as the box. Especially when you are in the lower price ranges for the subs. Designing the correct sealed/ported enclosure is going to be key, but other designs-much more complicated designs- are going to sound even better sometimes.
I have a "Wicked One" enclosure designed by the good people over at Decware. I built it a little different from their specs to make it work correctly with my 2 Infinity 10 inchers. I don't know exactly how loud it goes, but I do know I am breaking 126 db for sure-volume at half. The reason I don't know about the top is because the only meter I can find stops reading at 126. But the cool part is that at half volume the subs are each only recieveing <100 w rms.
If you had the chance to audition subs, in the real world- your car, the correct box, you would see that audiobahn really isn't as good as a choice as other subs. This is where I come to the point where I tell you why Infinity is better than Audiobahn, but I am not going to waste time discrediting you.
So, Chawk, I believe you started this thread, I would suggest, based on my experience, to look into Infinity Subs also.
By the way, subs aren't near as important as the box. Especially when you are in the lower price ranges for the subs. Designing the correct sealed/ported enclosure is going to be key, but other designs-much more complicated designs- are going to sound even better sometimes.
I have a "Wicked One" enclosure designed by the good people over at Decware. I built it a little different from their specs to make it work correctly with my 2 Infinity 10 inchers. I don't know exactly how loud it goes, but I do know I am breaking 126 db for sure-volume at half. The reason I don't know about the top is because the only meter I can find stops reading at 126. But the cool part is that at half volume the subs are each only recieveing <100 w rms.
I would also have to throw in a word about Audiobahn. They are completely overpriced subs with marginal performance at best. You are paying for "Bling" with Audiobahn, not much else.....
RE is proably one of the best subs for the money out there, and thier top of the line stuff is the best at any cost...
Adire is also top of the line gear, but you cna't really get much of it right now, you'll be waiting a few months...
DD, JL, JBL, Kicker etc make decent products, with all but DD I would reccomend the higher end lines.....
Parts Express Titanic series are some of the best subs for the money avalible.
But by all means, stay away from subs from Audiobahn, Sony lower end Rockford, Pioneer and such.... There is so much better stuff out there....
RE is proably one of the best subs for the money out there, and thier top of the line stuff is the best at any cost...
Adire is also top of the line gear, but you cna't really get much of it right now, you'll be waiting a few months...
DD, JL, JBL, Kicker etc make decent products, with all but DD I would reccomend the higher end lines.....
Parts Express Titanic series are some of the best subs for the money avalible.
But by all means, stay away from subs from Audiobahn, Sony lower end Rockford, Pioneer and such.... There is so much better stuff out there....
How are JL 12W3's? There's a store by me that has them on sale right now for $169.99 I beleive the sale was for $30 off each sub. I did check them out on there site a little bit and saw that they're 300w RMS, which is the same as the JBL Powers i have so i could keep the amp i have as it's doing 250w RMS x 2. I don't know what do you guys think?
If anyone can send me some links to some of the company's your talking about so i can check the specs and the prices I would be greatly apreciative.
Regarding boxs: For me it will be very hard to build one as i've never done it before, or have any of the tools to make one with. I will probably try going to the car audio store by my house to see how much they would charge me to build one for me. But in the mean time if you could put some links up for some decent boxs that would be great.
If anyone can send me some links to some of the company's your talking about so i can check the specs and the prices I would be greatly apreciative.
Regarding boxs: For me it will be very hard to build one as i've never done it before, or have any of the tools to make one with. I will probably try going to the car audio store by my house to see how much they would charge me to build one for me. But in the mean time if you could put some links up for some decent boxs that would be great.
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