what sub for my small hatch?

[faeezhio]

Good day peeps...so I'm looking at getting me a completely new set up....n I kept on wondering, what would give me the best output between a single 15" sub or a single 12" sub? It will going into my vw mk1 golf...I listen to rap and dubstep, and ill sacrifice all my boot space...

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[argenis69 10+ year member]

I believe you'll get better output with a single 12.

 

[FamousMassacre 10+ year member]

How much airspace do you have back there? I'm thinking around 4.5cf which is good for 2 12s.

Message me, I can sell you two Tantric MD 12s new with warranty.

 

[supereikenator 10+ year member]

Single 15's are the bomb. What's your total airspace? It's super cost efficient to get a beefy single 15 on good power in a sweet box.

 

[faeezhio]

Yeah its about 4cubes.....and I only want to run a single sub setup....would a 15" sealed sub sound wicked on most frequencies? Compared to a single ported sub?

 

[Seraphim38 10+ year member]

single ported sub will have greater efficiency, deeper bass extension and several dB more loudness than a sealed subwoofer. 2 12s in 4 cubes would be more surface area, potentially more responsive and if sealed, may end up as loud overall as one ported 15 but that configuration generally wouldn't resonate as low as a ported 15 would.

 

[Jeffdachef 5,000+ posts]

single ported sub will have greater efficiency, deeper bass extension and several dB more loudness than a sealed subwoofer. 2 12s in 4 cubes would be more surface area, potentially more responsive and if sealed, may end up as loud overall as one ported 15 but that configuration generally wouldn't resonate as low as a ported 15 would.

How low it gets is much more determined by the enclosure design rather then the subwoofer size. 2 12 have quite a bit more cone area then 1 15 and will generally be louder if both are in ideal ported situations.

That being said, OP, you probably only have room for ported 1 beefy 12 OP. 4 cubic feet aint much when you have to factor in port area into the design along with adequate airspace for the sub and you need room for clearance and space for the sub/ports to load off of. For your music taste, i wouldn't even think of going sealed. Space makes bass, if you dont have much space, only thing you can do to get louder is more power, sound deaden, stronger sub and better enclosure design.

My single zcon 12 is a lot louder, lower and better sounding then the 2 15s i tried to squeeze in my trunk with a sealed box long time ago.

 

[Seraphim38 10+ year member]

yes, the tuning of a ported enclosure will determine how low it goes. Assuming a reasonable port tuning frequency, a ported enclosure can outperform a sealed enclosure, at least is it pertains to the majority of the population of car audio sub drive units.

Your conclusion is the same: a single ported enclosure design for the parameters of it's subwoofer, will outperform larger woofers in a sealed enclosure that is to the lower end of the size requirements of the drivers.