Advice on subwoofers

[Riggz]

First, let me say I am not a noob but, when I was a new driver and building systems we went to local stereo shops (shops that actually carried brands they believed in and didn't sell junk because local cars that pounded with their shop sticker on the windshield meant everything).

My first setup when I was 16 was 2 fosgate punch 15''s bridged 2ohm on alpine amps and it would hit a low note like none other. If I pulled into a McDonalds or gas station parking lot with techmaster p.e.b. playing I could watch the entire glass wall / windows flex. I then had Holywood when they briefly became popular, jl 15w1's, 4 12w4's on audio art high current amps.. list goes on and on but jl seemed to become my favorite over the years. I never once paid for an install or used a junk prefab box either.

Now that it's not 1998 anymore and I have a son that is now driving I installed 2 jl 12w3's v2D4 (yes they sat around for years and still were in like new shape). I designed a box w/ bass box pro bought a cheap planet audio 4000.1d amp and was amazed what a $150 amp was able to do. Yes it doesn't put out 4000 watts but more realistically is capable of 1200-1400 watts. This is more than my 100hc bench tests and I paid 4 times that amount over 15 years ago.

Needless to say this all went into a little suzuki (size of a elantra) and it slams.. I mean slams probably as hard as my 4 w4's did in a wide open s10 blazer.

The issue is that newer subs even cheaper ones like audiopipe, alpine type r, etc handle way more power than the older subs did. So, the plan is to try another set of subs and actually use some of the amps power. I am looking at the American Bass xfl 12's. They handle more power than the jl's, have 3" voice coils, bigger motors, etc. Keep in mind that my son is not interested in listening to classical music and having the best Sq imaginable.. I,.. I mean he //content.invisioncic.com/y282845/emoticons/smile.gif.1ebc41e1811405b213edfc4622c41e27.gif wants spl.

Now the issue is that unlike the nearly extinct local audio shops, online retailers sell anything. You can go to most and buy a $30 sub or a $1500 sub.. I would rather pay once and have it hurt once by getting something durable and loud. The AB xfl's (on paper) look like beasts but I cant even find air space requirement's for them on the AB website.

Does anyone have any advice on a middle of the road $200ish sub that would take a beating and not cook the voice coils after he has cruised pounding on them for 4 straight hours? Am I on the right track with the xfl's?

Thanks for the advice.

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[kr15 5,000+ posts]

Xfls are good subs but would absolutely laugh at that amp

 

[BOOMINGRANDPA 5,000+ posts]

yeah xfl can get loud with right power in right box.. u may should look at sundown E's and they cheap $280 for 2, my guess is your amp may do about 1400 rms, 2 E 's do good on it tuned low (32-35hz) with good port area..

 

[Riggz]

Have no doubt I will need to get a much better quality amp. Only reason I even got the anarchy amp is because I bought it locally on clearance and had no idea how the jl''s would do after sitting for so long. It is definitely not clean power but on the w3's I don't have to turn the gain past 1/4 because any more and they would fly out of the box. . So it does sound good at that very low gain setting I imagine the signal to noise ratio would be horrid at 3/4 gain

 

[BOOMINGRANDPA 5,000+ posts]

Have no doubt I will need to get a much better quality amp. Only reason I even got the anarchy amp is because I bought it locally on clearance and had no idea how the jl''s would do after sitting for so long. It is definitely not clean power but on the w3's I don't have to turn the gain past 1/4 because any more and they would fly out of the box. . So it does sound good at that very low gain setting I imagine the signal to noise ratio would be horrid at 3/4 gain

u never set gain more than about 1/2 anyway.. what hu do u have, how many volts?

 

[Riggz]

Pioneer double din. . 2v

 

[Rambo 10+ year member]

u never set gain more than about 1/2 anyway.. what hu do u have, how many volts?

Gain position actually relay to head unit output voltage. But even install is different. Actually a lot of people clip the signal out of the head unit with bass boost, sub level and many other setting that they don't even know. Then people and those crossovers Is another problem. I keep my install simple. Head unit to amp and hardware crossover for the appropriate application. And that's only for my mids and high. I actually set my head up then highs and mids then finally my sub amp. I play with amp setting so I can get a crisp sound and not distortion and do the same with sub. Yes earsis hard to rely on. But get closer then just normally setting up to previous installs. And all gain vary from 5v to .2v and even higher like 9v for high input like my crescendo bc5500

 

[Rambo 10+ year member]

And to the OP. I already powered sub 2k rms over rated power with no issue over long period of time in my daily driver commuting 1hr a day back and forth to work. Big issue is clipping the signal. I alway kept my sense a smell as a sign when coil are getting warm. But box design has a big role

 

[BOOMINGRANDPA 5,000+ posts]

u never set gain more than about 1/2 anyway.. what hu do u have, how many volts?

wow that is a low gain setting for 2v maybe that amp is closer to 1600rms than most peeps would think.. either way 2 12" sundown E ported tuned 35hz or under with like 45-60sq in port 3.5cf or so ad they'd be loud

 

[Riggz]

wow that is a low gain setting for 2v maybe that amp is closer to 1600rms than most peeps would think.. either way 2 12" sundown E ported tuned 35hz or under with like 45-60sq in port 3.5cf or so ad they'd be loud

I found an amp dyno of it shortly after I got it and it did 1500+ @ 13.8volts.. it is way over rated but I would pay $150 for 1500 watt amp with no complaints at all... planet audio should just call it what it is and then they would at least be reputable.. it's cheap power and nothing wrong with that for most people.. it's not anywhere near a boss or pyramid or dual type p.o.s. amp it is a heavy, well built, and good looking amp and barely gets warm @ 1ohm after hours of play

 

[Riggz]

Just in case someone stumbles onto this thread let me give an update. The planet audio started not turning off with the head unit and would only power down if I yanked the rca's. Next it started whining and then it went poof, smelled like **** and is now a doorstop.

Ended up putting 1 xfl 12 dual 2ohm due to the size of the box on a vfl444801d. I know there are a lot of die hard jl guys around but there is really no debate about this 1 AB12 hits harder then the two 12w3's (which slammed) especially on low notes. The jl's were punchier on real drums like rock country etc but the AB moves way more air and sheet metal! Here's the box if anyone is interested in going AB & the jl box it replaced (almost the same size btw). It is tuned to 32hz and the mofo kills a low note. I metered the amp on a 50hz sine wave and I am giving it about 1600 watts and I swear it wants more..

 

[evilmonstertruk Premium Member]

Are those og w3s?

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[Riggz]

Yes sir, sat in a closet a long time and my son got his first car I dusted them off and built that box, refoamed both of them and they hit like they did brand new

 

[evilmonstertruk Premium Member]

Yes sir, sat in a closet a long time and my son got his first car I dusted them off and built that box, refoamed both of them and they hit like they did brand new

Nice. I have some W5s. I wonder if I can do something to them.

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[BOOMINGRANDPA 5,000+ posts]

Just in case someone stumbles onto this thread let me give an update. The planet audio started not turning off with the head unit and would only power down if I yanked the rca's. Next it started whining and then it went poof, smelled like **** and is now a doorstop.
Ended up putting 1 xfl 12 dual 2ohm due to the size of the box on a vfl444801d. I know there are a lot of die hard jl guys around but there is really no debate about this 1 AB12 hits harder then the two 12w3's (which slammed) especially on low notes. The jl's were punchier on real drums like rock country etc but the AB moves way more air and sheet metal! Here's the box if anyone is interested in going AB & the jl box it replaced (almost the same size btw). It is tuned to 32hz and the mofo kills a low note. I metered the amp on a 50hz sine wave and I am giving it about 1600 watts and I swear it wants more..

very nice box dude i'd like one.. not very many jl fans here man they way over priced for what they are., most of us rather have ab sundown, nvx, fu or most other brands instead