i have enough space to install either 4 kicker l7 in my car in a sealed boxes or i can go with 2 that are ported
can anyone guide me with opinions or facts on what i should do. the reason i am leaning towards ported is only because i have read that it aids in cooling the speaker voice coils (i dont know if this is true) and i think that after long times of it being on this could help.
all i am really trying to do is to make my car heard from 6 blocks away and i dont really care about sound quality or aiming for a specific decibel level. also i dont plan on sound competitions i am very new to this and looking for some advice.
the specs i have from kicker for the 12" L7 is 1.5 cubic feet in a sealed box (anyone please feel free to correct that dimension) and the dimension i got from this site (thank you diy member "GM") which is 6.2 cubic feet.
also the amplifiers and the amp draw are not a factor i am using 1200 watt rms amps to drive each of these speakers, 3 alternators and 10 batteries
can anyone guide me with opinions or facts on what i should do. the reason i am leaning towards ported is only because i have read that it aids in cooling the speaker voice coils (i dont know if this is true) and i think that after long times of it being on this could help.
all i am really trying to do is to make my car heard from 6 blocks away and i dont really care about sound quality or aiming for a specific decibel level. also i dont plan on sound competitions i am very new to this and looking for some advice.
the specs i have from kicker for the 12" L7 is 1.5 cubic feet in a sealed box (anyone please feel free to correct that dimension) and the dimension i got from this site (thank you diy member "GM") which is 6.2 cubic feet.
also the amplifiers and the amp draw are not a factor i am using 1200 watt rms amps to drive each of these speakers, 3 alternators and 10 batteries
L7s are not sealed drivers, they like big ported enclosures with lots of port area.
Please...don't contribute to the problem of car audio having a bad name with the public.
Having 10 batteries and 3 alternators for a setup that will never see competition is a bit much, but that's just IMO...it's your fuel economy 🙂
Please...don't contribute to the problem of car audio having a bad name with the public.Having 10 batteries and 3 alternators for a setup that will never see competition is a bit much, but that's just IMO...it's your fuel economy 🙂
this never ever gets used in the city i am stuck driving to the far northern extremes of canada where i dont see people for hours. i even feel guilty asking questions like this on these forums. the last thing i want is to look like an ageing hipster who can finially afford his toys he missed buying in his youth.
the batteries and alternators are to drive enourmus power inverters which driver welders. also the alternators drive huge flood lamps for the highway. all of this stuff was in the truck for work so i figured "hey why not jam a bunch of subs and amps in it"
i cant put these in sealed boxes? why not? what will happen?
the batteries and alternators are to drive enourmus power inverters which driver welders. also the alternators drive huge flood lamps for the highway. all of this stuff was in the truck for work so i figured "hey why not jam a bunch of subs and amps in it"
i cant put these in sealed boxes? why not? what will happen?
This guy is in BC: http://www.caraudio.com/forum/showthread.php?t=429136&highlight=L7+enclosure...really cool design for a pair of ported L7s. Beware, that forum often has really NSFW avatars or signatures...
Another link here for dimensions of a 38Hz design: http://www.caraudio.com/forum/showthread.php?t=402655&highlight=L7+enclosure
Loss of output. There are drivers I'd recommend for SPL use in sealed enclosures, but the L7s aren't it.
Another link here for dimensions of a 38Hz design: http://www.caraudio.com/forum/showthread.php?t=402655&highlight=L7+enclosure
Loss of output. There are drivers I'd recommend for SPL use in sealed enclosures, but the L7s aren't it.
Do you care about your hearing? 🙂
Two L7s vented should work just fine. Go with Kicker's specs for the boxes.
thanks for the links glow bug but they dont seem to be much help. one seemed way too small (although incredible craftsmenship). and the other had no specs or pictures.
is there any advantage to these big square speakers? i cant seem to find anything good about them anywhere except the kicker website. before i build these boxes i should atleast ask....should i scrap these 2 and go with 4 new subs that require less space? i have no problems putting 2 of these 7 cubic feet boxes in my truck, i have plenty of room. what would be the reccomendation after a sub this size? it seems that the subs i have been looking at jump from the 800-1000watt rms range to a very large 4-5000 watts.
is there any advantage to these big square speakers? i cant seem to find anything good about them anywhere except the kicker website. before i build these boxes i should atleast ask....should i scrap these 2 and go with 4 new subs that require less space? i have no problems putting 2 of these 7 cubic feet boxes in my truck, i have plenty of room. what would be the reccomendation after a sub this size? it seems that the subs i have been looking at jump from the 800-1000watt rms range to a very large 4-5000 watts.
I've sold Kickers for many years both round and square.I am not impressed with the squares, don't get me wrong their output is impressive in a LARGE cabniet ported,don't waste your time or wood using them in small sealed enclosures.
But the thing is you "want to be heard" for the amount of space your giving up you can go with a better woofer and get more output sealed or ported.
Try RE Audio SEorSX line just a suggestion
But the thing is you "want to be heard" for the amount of space your giving up you can go with a better woofer and get more output sealed or ported.
Try RE Audio SEorSX line just a suggestion
ya wow the size of the box drops way off. i can easily house 4 of this in less space then the 2 L7's.
they seem to be expensive. am i paying for the sound quality of these speakers? they seem to be a nice compromise between sq and spl.
they seem to be expensive. am i paying for the sound quality of these speakers? they seem to be a nice compromise between sq and spl.
Well the L7 kickers are just as exspensive,unless you bought them used.
But if insist on Kickers go the solo-classic round,I read a guide write-up on them. But I haven't heard them.
But if insist on Kickers go the solo-classic round,I read a guide write-up on them. But I haven't heard them.
Sealed, and I will tell you why. ported does give you the efficiency boost, but only doubles efficiency in a narrow passband. Four sealed gives you that same double efficiency, but across the entire passband. Unless you want bass that is loud at one note rather than a wide, musical spectrum.
Not that it really matters. I have a better recommendation.
you want loud bass? One REALLY EFFECTIVE way to enhance bass is by reducing losses. producing lots of bass with a dozen subwoofers is great, but if you lose some of that bass by parasitic losses putting energy into parts of the car that suck energy and re-radiate that energy in a way that further cancels the bass you are trying to create ... you are wasting money.
Prevent the parasitic losses, you increase the bass that gets to your head. How to do that?
Deaden your car really well. It's a painful process and expensive. But I promise, it'll stretch your subwoofers that much farther in the driver's seat.
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I also recommend factory spec boxes. Why? They are designed to minimize warranty returns to repair blown drivers. Best to keep you on the road with your bangin' bass rather than always waiting for replacement parts.
Not that it really matters. I have a better recommendation.
you want loud bass? One REALLY EFFECTIVE way to enhance bass is by reducing losses. producing lots of bass with a dozen subwoofers is great, but if you lose some of that bass by parasitic losses putting energy into parts of the car that suck energy and re-radiate that energy in a way that further cancels the bass you are trying to create ... you are wasting money.
Prevent the parasitic losses, you increase the bass that gets to your head. How to do that?
Deaden your car really well. It's a painful process and expensive. But I promise, it'll stretch your subwoofers that much farther in the driver's seat.
--------
I also recommend factory spec boxes. Why? They are designed to minimize warranty returns to repair blown drivers. Best to keep you on the road with your bangin' bass rather than always waiting for replacement parts.
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Hi 🙂
For the bass i advice you the one sub with a ported box because the kicker l7 15" as a little Xmax 16.3 for a sealded box
And a L7 15" is good enough for bass and quality sound but the ported box must have good construction
So the 4.5cu/feet in the manual seems to be a good compromise, but the better things is to simulate the speaker with the sotware Leap LinearX or Winisd pro...that can be help you to have and idea of the sound résult,
but kicker have not all Thiele-small parameters 🙄
Or you can also use a passive membrane to replace the air port of the box but Kicker don't have it 😕
recess the problem in a car is the parasite noise, vibration so the best thing to do at start is the complete Insulation of the car's with a good wiring
After that you found enough one Subwoofer 😉
For the bass i advice you the one sub with a ported box because the kicker l7 15" as a little Xmax 16.3 for a sealded box
And a L7 15" is good enough for bass and quality sound but the ported box must have good construction
So the 4.5cu/feet in the manual seems to be a good compromise, but the better things is to simulate the speaker with the sotware Leap LinearX or Winisd pro...that can be help you to have and idea of the sound résult,
but kicker have not all Thiele-small parameters 🙄
Or you can also use a passive membrane to replace the air port of the box but Kicker don't have it 😕
recess the problem in a car is the parasite noise, vibration so the best thing to do at start is the complete Insulation of the car's with a good wiring
After that you found enough one Subwoofer 😉
A few points I hope can be cleared up
1: Not all ported enclosures are un-musical, yes sealed enclosures have less phase shift but that doesnt make them superior to ported enclosures.Sealed enclosures require higher x-max in order to acheive low fq and by default mecanical distortion. The fidielity of a woofer can not be measured with instruments....
2: Most music today that is cranked is "one note". Recording studios are not mastering and/or tweeking the recordings, because they know the end user is just going to rip it,i-pod it,burn it,and share it with a friend. As for the kickers thats were they excell. They have decent SQ but only in HUGE sealed cabniets and their x-max is limited so there goes the power handling before the spider rips off the VC,trust me I've seen TONS of them.A L7 ported is what kicker reccomends because they know this is the best alignment for their woofers. Power handling is linear all the way to Fb and excursion is reduced.
3: Anyone forget that this was his work truck and not his personal car. It seem we have because we kept referring to it as a car. It his work truck 10batteries,3 alternators,portable mig,tig welders,power invertors. Seems like some of us that were posting comments were never installlers If we were we would are know in our minds what this truck looks like. What a pain the *** it would be to completly disassemble just to add damping material. For what! The steel on this truck should be thicker than any car, He never said he owned the work truck so whats the use of putting several hundred of dollars in sound damping in a truck you don't own or worse one day may no longer with.
Take the BROC LESNAR approach. Find subwoofers that will give you the most output vs cubic space.Take some of that spare power you have under the hood. Then beat your competion into submission!
1: Not all ported enclosures are un-musical, yes sealed enclosures have less phase shift but that doesnt make them superior to ported enclosures.Sealed enclosures require higher x-max in order to acheive low fq and by default mecanical distortion. The fidielity of a woofer can not be measured with instruments....
2: Most music today that is cranked is "one note". Recording studios are not mastering and/or tweeking the recordings, because they know the end user is just going to rip it,i-pod it,burn it,and share it with a friend. As for the kickers thats were they excell. They have decent SQ but only in HUGE sealed cabniets and their x-max is limited so there goes the power handling before the spider rips off the VC,trust me I've seen TONS of them.A L7 ported is what kicker reccomends because they know this is the best alignment for their woofers. Power handling is linear all the way to Fb and excursion is reduced.
3: Anyone forget that this was his work truck and not his personal car. It seem we have because we kept referring to it as a car. It his work truck 10batteries,3 alternators,portable mig,tig welders,power invertors. Seems like some of us that were posting comments were never installlers If we were we would are know in our minds what this truck looks like. What a pain the *** it would be to completly disassemble just to add damping material. For what! The steel on this truck should be thicker than any car, He never said he owned the work truck so whats the use of putting several hundred of dollars in sound damping in a truck you don't own or worse one day may no longer with.
Take the BROC LESNAR approach. Find subwoofers that will give you the most output vs cubic space.Take some of that spare power you have under the hood. Then beat your competion into submission!
What kind of car is this and what is your total box volume ? I have a 300zx that hits 153.0 db and it only has 1 -12" woofer but the box is 4.1 cubic ft.
Les Hudson
Les Hudson
thanks for the info it really did clear a bunch up i have gone to great lengths to sound deaden this thing i have doubled up every where in the cab with that tar on one side aluminim on the side roofing stuff. it is a cab over truck which means that the entire cabs tips on a big hinge and the engine sits underneath where the seats are. i even welded in plates of steel under the floor to keep engine noise and engine heat out.
this is my truck and i plan on having it for a long time and using it everyday. i see a lot of people put crazy modifications into cars that never get used. this is very much the opposite. the alternators that i have now dont effect my fuel milage in any way and i hardly notice them and i have room for a bunch more if need be. i have found old amps and subs on ebay and this DIY community has helped me fix them (thanks everyone). this work truck of mine seemed to have all of the expensive parts already so making the leap to jamming it full of speakers and amps was easy.
it looks like i will be moving ahead with the install of the 2 kicker 12 L7s in ported boxes that are each 6.2 cubic feet , DIY member "GM" helped come up with these specs using winISD. here is the link to his math
http://www.diyaudio.com/forums/subwoofers/151744-building-my-1st-ported-box-kicker-l7.html
i plan to figure out these programs and do some experimenting with some virtual boxes before i commit to these specs
thanks everyone for helping me and commenting on my threads with real words and real solutions. please keep it coming i am learning a lot and so far im the coolest guy at the truck stop 🙂
if anyone would like to google a picture of the truck it is a GMC T7500
this is my truck and i plan on having it for a long time and using it everyday. i see a lot of people put crazy modifications into cars that never get used. this is very much the opposite. the alternators that i have now dont effect my fuel milage in any way and i hardly notice them and i have room for a bunch more if need be. i have found old amps and subs on ebay and this DIY community has helped me fix them (thanks everyone). this work truck of mine seemed to have all of the expensive parts already so making the leap to jamming it full of speakers and amps was easy.
it looks like i will be moving ahead with the install of the 2 kicker 12 L7s in ported boxes that are each 6.2 cubic feet , DIY member "GM" helped come up with these specs using winISD. here is the link to his math
http://www.diyaudio.com/forums/subwoofers/151744-building-my-1st-ported-box-kicker-l7.html
i plan to figure out these programs and do some experimenting with some virtual boxes before i commit to these specs
thanks everyone for helping me and commenting on my threads with real words and real solutions. please keep it coming i am learning a lot and so far im the coolest guy at the truck stop 🙂
if anyone would like to google a picture of the truck it is a GMC T7500
Ok if you are not sure with yout Kiker L7
Take a subwoofer Ground Zero GZUP15XQ "sound quality" i have one in my car 🙂
:: Ground Zero :: Subwoofer / GZPW 15XQ
There is just an error the xmax is 75mm not 50mm 😎
The result is a deep bass and accurate but you can do show car with it if you want and the quality is here
Take a subwoofer Ground Zero GZUP15XQ "sound quality" i have one in my car 🙂
:: Ground Zero :: Subwoofer / GZPW 15XQ
There is just an error the xmax is 75mm not 50mm 😎
The result is a deep bass and accurate but you can do show car with it if you want and the quality is here
HTML:
how much are speakers like that worth?This GZ sub cost me 900 euros because the dealer give me a price but généraly the price is 1000 euros
I have also an other subs Ground Zero, The GzuW12X and it also hit hard with sound quality 🙂 i pay it 400 euros
😉
Hi 🙂
For the bass i advice you the one sub with a ported box because the kicker l7 15" as a little Xmax 16.3 for a sealded box
And a L7 15" is good enough for bass and quality sound but the ported box must have good construction
So the 4.5cu/feet in the manual seems to be a good compromise, but the better things is to simulate the speaker with the sotware Leap LinearX or Winisd pro...that can be help you to have and idea of the sound résult,
but kicker have not all Thiele-small parameters 🙄
http://kicker.com/sites/default/files/L7_0.pdf
Telstra BigBlog -
An externally hosted image should be here but it was not working when we last tested it.
I would run two ported. Why? Because if you tune them somewhat low say to hit 30Hz hard, it will carry a lot more distance than 50-60Hx does. It may sound better as the small sealed tend to hump up in response and the low ported will not. I would not know without modeling them of course, but in general I've had better luck with SQ and low bass output doing that with average subs.
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