I had 2 12" kicker L7 (04 model) subs in ported box built to kickers specs in a ext cab c1500 truck. They were powered by a Bxi2010D amp and a pioneer 5200dvd head unit. This system pounded, but i didnt like the fact of low SQ, (picked up the subs for cheap) so im looking for a replacement for the L7's because i just sold them. I was looking at Treo and RE audio subs, and several other brands, i haven't had any experience with these brands. Which brand and model would you guys prefer? I am looking for 2 12's unless 1 15 or anything else would be better? Thanks for your help.
Lets get one important fact out of the way....I dont care what you get for a sub...It has more to do with the enclosure than the woofer...period. No ifs, and or buts about it. Any quality sub will perform to your expectations (within reasonable limits)if its given the right enclosure. Vehicle, type of music, how loud, speaker placement all help to detemine the right box. So bottom line.......again any quality driver will do well for you
Thank you for your input The Viking, I appreciate it, I'm going to have my local car audio shop build me a box to specs for the subs, I hope that'll be sufficient, right now I'm looking for good quality subwoofers.
Let us know what your thinking of...Ranger might jump in here and help you out a bit. He is the current guru on this site for enclosure designs...I used to do alot of designs...but the harddrive is wiped and all is lost!
I'm not into tackling the job of building a ported box to specs, and tune it. I'll need to pick out subwoofers to have the box built. I have no experience with RE audio, JL, treo and would like some input. Thanks again
let me rephrase this....most manufactures of subs will give you designs and a box plan that will optimize bass output at the highest levels while maintaining some sort of decent power handling ability...this translates into a design that yields lots of boom boom bass...but no real accuracy or quality. You want quality as stated in your first post. I am not asking you to build a box. I am simply stating that any good quality sub will deliver what you want...given it is in the RIGHT enclosure. Thatx all I meant. If you want SQ with a nice decent SPL level as alot of folks do...I would generally steer a bit clear of any factory design due to the lack of SQ in them. Some folks on here have some good box design programs that will enable us to get the right enclosure. though we dont get paid nor do we do this full time LOL!!! we want to help and get you what you want. As a rule of thumb...a sealed enclosure, with a bit of a lower x-over point, I am guessing you have a truck btw... and some decent power on the order of 3-500 watts will yield some very nice output. Also will need to attenueate the upper bass a bit. from around 100-250 Hz....trucks get a bit peaky in that region....
I didnt know that, after all the hours I have done researching. Im looking for more SQ then SPL, so ill need to have a good box design (plans) that are not from the manufacture, but meet the CF dimensions correct?
if you want more SQ, then a simple sealed box may be what your looking for. you want it to be made with at least 3/4 mdf or birch ply is good too. it costs more but it lighter in weight and more rigid in strength. the more stiff/dead the enclosure the less it vibrates and the better it can sound.
Pretty much. Im not knocking factory designs, they do optimize bass output no doubt! A sealed box with a Qts of around .7 is what most SQ folks go for. a higher number will yield more "boomy" upper bass and sacrifice low end performance. A lower number will extend the low end of the drivers performance. but will yield less overall ouput. Acoustic transfer function of the vehicle will extend the low frequency reproduction of said box. I run one 12 in a sealed box with a Qts. of about .65 if I remember right..(the box is 17 years old with an ancient savard driver) its run with 300 watts of real power and I like SQ over SPL..very tight and natural sounding with superb low frequency reprodution.
I love the sealed boxes. I got a Best Buy package deal 4 or 5 years ago and it sounds awesome to this day. I put an inexpensive sub system in my wife's Santa Fe back when it was new. A Lightning Audio 150w(75rms) 2ch amp and 2 Lightning Audio 10in subs. I bridged the amp and put the subs in a Q logic sealed box. The whole package I think cost me $250 including the box(if memory serves,lol) I did it on the cheap, but you would be surprised how good they sound. It's not rattling bolts off the car of course, but I prefer SQ over loudness anyway.
i myself like SQL . best of both worlds. nice tight deep bass at reg volumes. then when i want too; crank it to get louder. 141.4 db was my best average on music at a show.
