E15a In Stock, But Is It Really For Me?

I responded on CAF, so I'll just hang here for the moment... B)

I've got an Epicenter, myself...
And an Epic150 now too, for the Pathfinder.
I've just been using it on a short length of cord terminated with a cigarette lighter plug to meter people's cars with, it's plenty fun for that.
By the virtue alone that it meters up to 150dB (and they have a 160dB version now too), and it has a voltmeter built in, I'd give it the nod over the standard Epicenter...
But the standard Epicenter is more stealth... the actual unit hides away in your trunk or underdash, with a little knob mounted somewhere (I took my little knob box apart, and built it into my center console).
Stealth counts for a lot for me.
Definitely a fun little toy, everyone always gets a kick out of it. B)

 

E15A is the least transparent of the line, and definitely has the 'attack' you seek - and you can make the B15 attack - just need to work the EQ...

But as far as I see it, the 15A is not for you.

Not because it won't hold up to you, but because you have no faith in it.

 

Smaller than recommended sealed enclosure + EQ the marginal enclosure peak out afterward (focused around 50-65 hz but it shifts marginally depending on cabin reaction) will = punchier response. 31 band EQ can do it...

Defeating the purpose of the brahma by artifically adding a shift to it's natural response though. You want really punchy music, stop expecting the subwoofer to do the duty and point the fingers at the midbass, because that is honestly where most of that lies.

Would be much easier if you wanted that response curve to just get a 15a, I've seen the newer designs take more abuse than your 1300w will ever give them.

Would be better yet to look at your midbass first, and get the subwoofer of your choice later.

 

Good point. B)

It's always difficult translating/understanding when someone says they are looking for more "punch"...
Definitely could be midbass.

Lots of people though, compare more in the scope of say.. your typical 12" sub in a 35hz ported box, to that same sub in say... a large-sized sealed box. Lots of people like the extra "hit" that the higher tune gives you in the 40-60hz range... other people want to communicate with whales (like myself).

Actually I like it smooth, a little bit of kick maybe... the illusion of smooth, rather than the RTA version of smooth.

 

too bad you didn't have the resources to demo them both...like i stated earlier...if it is aggressiveness you are looking for....definatly the 15A

i wouldn't worry about over power....the coil can take well beyond 1000w thermally and i can burp 20hz tones with no SSF and 1300w...3.5@34hz

 

You can and should cross the PLs down to 50-60 Hz. This will eliminate the issue of "punch" in the driver. The PLs are more than capable of running full range (quite impressive for the cost I assure you) and doing so very effectively.

Josh is 100% correct, and I constantly harp on what he is saying. Midbass or punch is not the job of the woofer, it is the job of the midbass drivers, hence the name, "midbass driver" . My personal feeling is that a sub should not be required to reproduce anything over 70Hz, preferably less. Fortunately for you, the PLs will kick you in the face hard enough for you to forget about the sub as the "punchy" element in the system. Also, due to the typical midbass location, it will bring the punch in your face, rather than behind you . Don't forget what a wonderful thing that can be for your front stage too... there is nothing like the front stage being in front of you . A novel idea, eh?

 

you are not the only one tormented about picking the right subs... I am in the same boat almost exactly.... and I have also considered ed (4 e12a's) but now I really do not know...

 

In that large box for the Brahma you might be able to hit close to full excursion. But with the XXX 15 with that box (kinda small) and with that power (it can easily take 2500) it won't reach full excursion unless you are playing 10 hz below tuning

It's a fight I know :starwars: .... I'm thinking about dropping the L7s, but can't fully decide

No one on here actually has seriously answered my poll

 

I don't have enough experiance with the XXX aside from a few moments listening to one to give much advice in either direction, but I can offer a bit of info about the behavior of XBL2 motors.

First off, enclosure design software typically runs it's data as if the specs were to behave in a "parabolic" fashion, similar to what we see in the BL and KMS curves represented by DUMax and Kipple. The further from at rest we go, the more we see a variance in the actual specs. Some enclosure programs may utilise information like Le and possible coil length/diameter information to come up with a rough idea of the motor topology. However, my assumption is that neither you or I have invested enough money into our programs to allow for such possibilities. Even if we did have such software, the topology is not going to be amoung the preinstalled topologies, totally distorting any possibility of an accurate reading. These parameters falling off from the at rest param will also offer small BL at 22 MMs, where the Brahma and XXX are still running at full BL. Unloading is massive and quite sudden with XBL2 motors... Trust me :blowup: .

What am I saying? Both drivers will definately drive beyond what you are expecting. Whichever driver you want to put in there will offer capabilities beyond what most have ever heard before. I truely don't believe either of the XBL2 drivers will suffer in that enclosure.

 

exactly^^^^ some people think the XXX needs ungodly large enclosures to perform well....it's just not true

 

Yea it can perform in small enclosures.... I was just saying I don't think it'll be that different than a Brahma or a ED A.... That box with that power is not gonna limit the XXX... that's all I was sayin