Have been looking around for a suitable entry level subwoofer for my van, between 250/350w RMS, don't want something with silly bass as it's not all the time I listen to bass driven music also something thats enclosed so I don't gotta fiddle with it. To me, it seems a good price and also looks very cool but I guess your paying for the aesthetics and the brand name but hey. Initally I was was looking at shallow and slimline subs like the Pioneer active subwoofer TS WX77A and also a Rockford fosgate P3L-S12, but felt the pioneer was expensive with not an abundance of power and the Rockford one was a little out of my initial price range considering I gotta buy the amp as well, looking for about a 4 channel 600/640w to run everything off, my side door speakers, the sub and future speakers like 6x9" high up in the bulk head and maybe some components in the dashboard, so was going to buy a amp with another kick to it that I won't 'outgrow' it. At the minute all I'm running after market wise is a Pioner DEH 6200 BT and a 6.5" full range speaker in each door, but I plan to get the sub and built an enclosure (no, not the first inital enclosure) I mean enclosure so it's protected from objects in the trunk of the van, as it going inbetween the plywood bulk head between driver and passenger seat. I drive a Citroen Berlingo 1.9 '06 but I guess not many of the guys on this forum will be familiar, not very common in the US as far as I'm aware. Alpine SBE 1243BP. 250RMS 800peak http://www.caraudiocentre.co.uk/product_m-alpine-sbe-1243bp_p-23341.htm If any of you guys can lend a word of advice to a car audio noob, I'd be much appreciative. Kind regards J
Just about anything Alpine makes is high quality, but I'm not a fan of bandpass enclosures. Granted you have the perfect vehicle for one. But if you start to drive it hard or even under power it, you can't hear the distortion until it's too late. That's a problem with bandpass enclosures. Also if you plan to build another enclosure to encase it, I definitely would not go bandpass. These problems will greatly increase. I would do a simple ported enclosure. And I personally don't like the way they sound, too boomy, but again that's my personal opinion. You may install it and love it.
Good info glasswerk... A bandpass will only cover a narrow range of the audio spectrum effectively, especially a dual reflex. Single reflexes are more forgiving. Alpine is OK in my book, even the cheap stuff is ok. Again, its all about the enclosure......not the sub (well, unless it was a 18 incher for 5 bucks at the flea market, I might stay clear of that)
Alpines are good entry subs I have had more subs than most people never blew a alpine or had a problem with one just not my category of woofers. But listen to these guys about a band pass it has to be tuned exact or you won't know its not till its to late.
bandpass overall is a pain in the rear! my suggestion considering your interested in a bandpass is go get a ported enclosure! it can tuned and sized properly fairly easy
