Building A Box For JL Audio 12W6V2

[Techmaster05]

Hello everyone,

I'm new to this forum, but I hope I can get some good help. I have had my JL Audio 12W6v2 sub since November of 2009. Me and my friend built the box(See pictures below) for it, but its not a very good box, at least not for this sub. At times when i'm playing music I hear a noise and it sounds as if the back of the sub(magnet part) is hitting the back of the box. I may not know to much about this stuff, but I know for a fact that can't be good for the sub. Tomorrow I want to build a nice box that will make my sub sound even better and deeper. I just don't know what kind of box to build? At the moment my box is enclosed, but everyone always tells me that ported is better?

I listen to all kinds of music, Techno/Trance, Rock, Rap. No country and I love bass. I will be stepping up to a 13w7 someday, but till than I want to get a new box and stop hearing my sub hit the back of it on some songs.

Also I saw a video of a person putting this grey foam type stuff inside his box, forgot what it was called, but what does it help with and where could I get some?

Now for pictures

Hope they not to big







I got the 1800 watt Kenwood Amp, not the best from what I heard but I already have it so w.e.

[Techmaster05]

Any help please? I just measured the distance of the sub and the distance of the box(width) and their is no way my "theory" of the sub hitting the back of the box would be true. Any idea on what could be making the hitting sound? It seriously sounds like something is hitting a box when i turn up the music loud?

[helotaxi]

Its the sub bottoming out within its own frame. The sub doesn't move within the box. The cone is the only part that moves. Regardless of how shallow the box is, the sub can't hit the back during music.

You're sending it too much power for the enclosure that it is in. That is what's causing the smacking sound and it will destroy the sub. Adding a subsonic filter might help. Building a new box might help as well. A ported box will up the output with less power and coupled with a subsonic filter will better control the cone and keep it from bottoming out.

[RAM_Designs]

Sounds like you're just trying to get more out of it than it is able to give you at the moment. Like taxi said, try a ported box for more output. If that doesn't work then you'll just have to upgrade to more subs/power to get what you want.

[Techmaster05]

Yea I can understand what you guys are saying, but some songs I play hit really hard and they don't bottom out, and than their are songs that don't hit as hard and bottom out. Right now I'm using an enclosed enclosure and its really high compared to JL recommended specs.

[helotaxi]

It all has to do with frequency. Chances are that the songs where it is bottoming out contain lower freqs. The cone has to move much farther to play lower freqs at the same volume.

[Techmaster05]

Yea thats what I thought, well I guess i'm just going to build a box for the time being. I want to sell my sub, amp, box, and maybe the capacitor(people tell me these are just a waste of money) sometime in the next few months. When I first got the sub it hit awesome, but now i'm just so used to it that I need to step up. I really want to get the 13w7 with the 1000.1 JL amp. Expensive, but I think it would be worth every penny. Right now i'm using 4 gauge wiring, do you think I would need to go lower to like a 2 or 0 gauge for a W7?

[Phoenix Risen]

any time you run in the 1k watts range it is a good idea to do the big 3 in 1/0 and then if you have the extra money and time the 1/0 run to the amp is never a bad thing and gives you more flex when it comes to upgrading further. but the 4g would be fine for 1k and 2g would be more than sufficient

[RAM_Designs]

I really want to get the 13w7 with the 1000.1 JL amp. Expensive, but I think it would be worth every penny.

It's really not. If buying authorized you'll be spending $2k+ for just the sub and amp...used you can probably get both for ~$800. Even at $800, you can get a very, very nice setup that will blow the W7 out of the water output wise, and still sound good too.

[Techmaster05]

Well i can buy the amp off amazon brand new for $600, and the 13w7 for about $600 as well, brand new. Do you guys think it would be better to just get another 12w6 and same amp? I can find the same amp for $160 new on amazon.

[RAM_Designs]

Try a new box first and see what you think. Something around 2-2.25ft^3 tuned to 30hz works well with that sub. If you're not satisfied then look at getting another sub(if you're happy with how it sounds), and get a new single amp. Running dual amps isn't bad, but running a single amp is just easier and saves space as well.

[Techmaster05]

Well the reason i chose JL is because their stuff is all quality and very popular in the world of car audio. I know their are subs out their that hit twice as hard as my sub and cost about the same. You can buy a 12 inch Fi audio BTL which is like 2000 watts rms for about $350. My sub is $540, but mine hit with quality and that Fi sub is just nothing but straight bass throughout the song. I love bass but I love quality in the bass as well.

[RAM_Designs]

Well the reason i chose JL is because their stuff is all quality and very popular in the world of car audio. I know their are subs out their that hit twice as hard as my sub and cost about the same. You can buy a 12 inch Fi audio BTL which is like 2000 watts rms for about $350. My sub is $540, but mine hit with quality and that Fi sub is just nothing but straight bass throughout the song. I love bass but I love quality in the bass as well.

You're comparing two completely different kinds of subs. If you want to look at something with more sound quality in mind, then look at these.

TC Sounds LMS-R 12" DVC Subwoofer | Parts-Express.com (comes in a 15" version as well)
DIYCable.com : Intro » Home » Exodus Subwoofers »
DIYCable.com : Intro » Home » Exodus Subwoofers »
AE Speakers Online Store (comes in 15")
AE Speakers Online Store (comes in 15")

The W6V2 is a good sub, but is not worth anywhere near $540.

[bluecavi28]

Well the reason i chose JL is because their stuff is all quality and very popular in the world of car audio. I know their are subs out their that hit twice as hard as my sub and cost about the same. You can buy a 12 inch Fi audio BTL which is like 2000 watts rms for about $350. My sub is $540, but mine hit with quality and that Fi sub is just nothing but straight bass throughout the song. I love bass but I love quality in the bass as well.

Your right JL stuff is quality and it's a brand you can't loose with if you get a good deal on it but unfortunatly since it's as mainstream brand it will alway's take a backseat online.

Your problem to me sounds like an air leak and more than likely it's coming from around the rim of the sub or through the screw holes you can test this by playing a test tone between 20hz-30hz at low-mid volume then listen for air escaping also while it's playing run your fingers accross each screw hole around the sub and feel for air. I'd also take the sub out of the box and then line either the sub or around the cutout of the box with some closed cell weather stripping this will stop the leaks....that 12w6v2 can handle some serious power and I doubt you are bottoming it out as long as your enclosure is the proper size I have powered a single 10w6v2,12w6v2 and 13w6v2 with a JL 1000/1 and never heard any stress or bottoming out...I don't recomend 1000 watts daily to the 10 or 12 inch models but it can be done. The 13w6v2 on a 1000 watts is a nice combo.

I have owned a 13w7 and now use two 12w6v2 subs powered by a JL 1000.1. PLayed with both in ported and sealed enclosures each contrary to what most will tell you the 13w7 plays noticably louder and goes alot lower than the dual 12w6v2's but this comes at a cost...it is much harder to get the 13w7 to sound right in the install unless you use a killer front stage with dedicated mid bass driver's if you have a traditional install the 12w6's will sound alot better throughout a wider range of music if you want to take your install a step further the possibilities are almost endless with the 13w7.

[Techmaster05]

I'll try that out and see if I got a leak but it only happened's on some songs.