difference between sub size?

Discussion in 'Car Subwoofers' started by bigcam, Mar 2, 2009.

  1. bigcam

    bigcam Full Member

    i have seen many post on a bunch of forums about how a small sub like an 8" will hit just as low as a 15" but i have also seen many people tune biger subs lower then they do the smaller subs. wouldnt a smaller sub hit faster because it is smaller? now i can see how with the right box setup a small subs can hit as low as any but for SPL wise wouldnt a small sub be louder at a higher note?

    im lost on this can any one make sence out of it all?
     
  2. aznboi3644

    aznboi3644 Full Member

    woofer size has no relation on how "fast" a subwoofer will "hit"

    Bigger subs have a lower high frequency roll off...but that has nothing to do with how "fast" a speaker is.

    But a 12" sub may play 70-80 Hz better than an 18" sub. But thats just because of the natural roll off.
     
  3. pedro quiroga

    pedro quiroga Well-Known Member

    doesn't motor strength have something to do with that? or is that for something else?

    i run 4 8's and i hit the lows just as hard as my teammate with an 15, but he's tuned way higher than me anyways.

    he is louder, but i am lower. its my preference i play music not tones at comps.lol
     
  4. bigcam

    bigcam Full Member

    ok roll off is the term i need to use not "fast" ok

    i didnt know what to call it so i used that to get the idea of what i ment out.

    so truly there is a diffrence in sub size and how low you want it vs how it sounds. atlest thats what im understanding right? (sorry if i seem dumb im trying to learn)
     
  5. bigcam

    bigcam Full Member

    so are you loosing SLP runing 8s at a lower tone? would they truly gain SPL if you ran them higher? and vise versa with your teammates 15?

    i have had a few sub boxs for 12s that was supos to be tuned for the subs and also with 15s and the 15s seam to play the lows better to me and the 12s played rock music better then 15s. is this because my custom made boxs between the 2 where tuned that way or is it partly the subs aswell?

    i really want to under stand the truth of all this.
     
  6. G3n3R@1

    G3n3R@1 Full Member

    the box plays the largest roll. many say its 90% enclosure and 10% equipment.
     
  7. aznboi3644

    aznboi3644 Full Member

    sub size has nothing to do with how low it will play...a speaker will play any tone that is fed to it. A tweeter will play a 30Hz tone...there will be no excursion or sound but it will play that low.

    How LOUD it is in the passband the system will play depends on the enclosure.
     
  8. bigcam

    bigcam Full Member

    ok im understanding that any sub will play real low but the lower you go with a smaller sub wont be as loud. like a tweeter will play it but you cant hear it. i mean if i used like a 1" speaker and wanted it to play a 30hz tone it could do it but it would put out more sound at say 100hz



    now sound wise theres will be a differnce because of roll off and thats why biger subs SEEM to sound better real low? and like 10s SEEM to sound better at a higher tone like most rock music has.


    im really sorry this must be driving you nuts trying to get me to understand this right.
     
  9. aznboi3644

    aznboi3644 Full Member

    Ok....say you have one 8" sub and one 18" sub. Each is fed a 30Hz sine wave...how that sounds depends on the enclosure.

    The roll off is due to the speaker inductance...its a natural low pass crossover
     
  10. bigcam

    bigcam Full Member

    ok anether qestion if i made a box tuned to 20hz and a box tuned at 45hz with an 8" sub. would the 8" sub put out more SPL in the 20hz or 45hz sub box?
     
  11. aznboi3644

    aznboi3644 Full Member

    depends on the install
     
  12. bigcam

    bigcam Full Member

    please explan:confused:

    im talking same power suply same box setup sept tune
    would be the only difference.
     
  13. pedro quiroga

    pedro quiroga Well-Known Member

    azn do you mean its dependent on the vehicle?

    every car has a different um.... resonant frequency or is it transfer function, or are those the same.

    dang its been a while since ive had to think about this.
     
  14. aznboi3644

    aznboi3644 Full Member

    Same vehicle...the bigger sub would have higher output...the frequency response would depend on the goal of the system
     
  15. pedro quiroga

    pedro quiroga Well-Known Member

    gotcha.......
     
  16. bigcam

    bigcam Full Member

    no one has ansered my last qestion
     
  17. pedro quiroga

    pedro quiroga Well-Known Member

    i would imagine what he meant by goal was if you want a loud spl burp car tune high. if you want loud deep musical bass tune lower.

    if you want SQ accurate bass go sealed.

    i know some guys that have cars tuned real high and sound like crap on music, but get real loud on the mic.

    then i know guys with lower tuned cars but compensate by having a dozen subs and tons of power.
     
  18. aznboi3644

    aznboi3644 Full Member

    some people burp at 20Hz...some burp at 50Hz.

    Like I said; It depends on the install and the end goal of the system.

    Ex: Pedro has four 8's tuned low. He could possibly be hitting 145db if he wanted to...but with the sacrifice of low end extension.
     
  19. bigcam

    bigcam Full Member

    thats what i was thinking. basicaly to low and you loose SPL.

    personaly i like the sound of a properly tuned vented box.

    im really thinking on going back to just 2 15s in my ramcharger and build a new box thats tuned lower. it sounded better when i had just the 2 facing back rather then 4 facing up. mostly because the 4 facing the roof really makes the roof rattle. also theres a window vent right above the subs and when there going hard it makes water leak in but it didnt do it with 2 facing back.
     
    Last edited: Mar 3, 2009
  20. bigcam

    bigcam Full Member

    mostly i was asking that qestion as a genaral SUV or a test room and just 2 boxs. basicaly swap the sub out of the one box to the other and test the max SPL of what the sub would do in ech box. just to see what box was louder.