Changed my subwoofer set up. Opinions?

[na4now 10+ year member]

I'm putting together a decent, semi-budget system, in my sc300 Lexus. I havent been in to car audion since 1996. Things are WAYYY different. I was going to run a Zed built Hifonics Saturn for mids/highs, and a Kenwood X401M mono amp, that Ive had for a long time, ...but after doing some research I decided that it wouldnt put out, like what Im wanting. Also, ...I WAS going to run one Kicker L7 12" sub.

So, ...now, ...I just bought a DD SS4 for my mids/highs, and a DD M2a for the sub. I think that will be a better set.

For the sub, ..I just ordered (directly from DC Audio), a Lvl 4 12" dual 2's with the Lvl 5 doft parts, an extra spider, and a concaved carbon fiber dust cap. They said it will be built within 3-4 days!

I still have research to do in the enclosure. DC recomends 2ft cubed, ported. And, I think it should be somewhere between 32-35htz? Thats what I have to figure out. And, ...Ive never built a "tuned" enclosure before. Ive only done sealed.

Also, ..I was going to run some Pioneer ts-d602p's up front, ..but I decided Im going to get a component set instead. I dont want to spend TOO much on them. Maybe a set of DD CS6.5? And run the pioneer d602p's for rear fill? Idk.

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[LosIsATool 5,000+ posts]

DC recommends 1.5 after displacement. So about 1.75cu before. I run DC lvl 4s and they like small boxes. I would tune 32-34 range, they do get loud down low. Much better set up then you had planned

 

[na4now 10+ year member]

I shouldve got the guy's name I talked to at DC. He said about 2.0ft3 net,... but he did also say that they like small boxes :/ ... 1.5 just seems SO small, ....seems like it wouldnt/couldnt do much. Then again, I dont fully understand how it all works. I have alot to learn about it.

I doont have alot of trunk space. And, the gas tank is in the front of the trunk, in these cars. Everything should fit well, ..if my box isnt more that about 11"-12" deep. It can be up to almost 4' wide, and 18" tall, if need be. Thats what I have to work with, ..anyway. I need to start figuring out how to design the box, ..while my subs being built.

 

[disturbed471985 5,000+ posts]

every sub is different my 12 required 2.8cf after displacement

 

[sacsking916 5,000+ posts]

my 12 says minimum 3.5 cubes //content.invisioncic.com/y282845/emoticons/biggrin.gif.d71a5d36fcbab170f2364c9f2e3946cb.gif but its in about 4.75

 

[na4now 10+ year member]

my 12 says minimum 3.5 cubes //content.invisioncic.com/y282845/emoticons/biggrin.gif.d71a5d36fcbab170f2364c9f2e3946cb.gif but its in about 4.75

See, ...there you go. How do I figure out how far oversized, to go? If running a bigger box than what recomended for the manufacturer, is a godd thing, ...what the formula?

 

[pro-rabbit 5,000+ posts]

What are you plans for the type of output from the sub? Another question would be, where is your skill level on building? Those two questions can change a lot on how this whole build can go.

If you are content with doing your own design(don't want to pay for one) and you want to build it yourself, then I would try and keep it some what simple and easy to build your first time around.

With many of my customers that are wanting to build their own. We work out a design that is easy to understand and build, yet still meets their requirements. Many of them come back for more work, some soak up the info and run with it, and a few others contact me to build them later on. I have found that understand an existing design makes things much easier then doing everything from scratch when you may or may not understand the various attributes in enclosure designing.

 

[akheathen Premium Member]

well, as for going over recomended size- you will gain some efficience, and it will get a little more peaky on the output, but power handling goes way down...

 

[na4now 10+ year member]

If I can come up with a good design, and the right specs for it, ....either by using a program, or someone else's proven design, ...I can build the box. Ive probably built 20-25 sealed enclosures, ..and have done a couple, whole trunks. My friend has a wood shop, ..so I have access to table saw, router, ect..

As for the type of performance Im going for, ...I want it to have a decent sound quality for listening to music, ..and be able to turn it up for good spl. My cousin does a 145db with a 12" L7 solobaric on a fosgate 801S, in a 3.5 cu ft ported box, ...in the trunk of a is300 Lexus. Id like mine to do at least that.

 

[na4now 10+ year member]

Also, ..can anyone suggest a good program for box design, that I can download?

 

[Bettr n' Revrse 5,000+ posts]

I may have a box for you but not sure

 

[na4now 10+ year member]

Just bought a set of DD cs6.5 components, and a set of DD 6.5 coax's, from jfowler45 on here. Those are going on my DD SS4.

Ordered a Kinetik HC1200 power cell, and installed a Optima red top under the hood. My 200amp alt will be in any day now. Ordered some 14g Cadence speaker wire for my highs/mids, ...and got in a nice size order from Knuconcepts today (rca's, power wire, connectors, ect.)

Sub will be in next couple of days. I just need to find a program to design my enclosure! Any help is appreciated.

 

[FtheNutHuggers]

None of them will give you even a rough idea of what you'll hear. Plus, comparing an SC300 to an IS300 is literally the proverbial "apples to oranges" comparison. The IS does not have a gas tank between the trunk and cabin, if my memory serves me right, it has a ski access hole. That alone is the largest factor separating the two vehicle types, aside from the axial length difference between both headrest positions and the rear seat, cross sectional area of the cabin and the effective tapering of the waveguide extension of the cabin. The loss factors of the aditional set of doors on the IS also further separate the two models. For this specific vehicle/application, you picked a very poor sub for a street pounder if you expect musicality along with a peak spl #. Trunk geometry and a few other contingencies make the SC300 and SC400 very difficult to work with. The application itself will keep most anything from shining, but there are many subs out there that will better perform, musically, than your sub of choice.

 

[na4now 10+ year member]

Oh, ok. What is your suggestion then?

I thought a upgraded dc lvl 4 was pretty good stuff. My trunk that I have to work with *****! I dont know what type of box configuration would yeild the most db's. So far, ...no one has offered any good info.

 

[FtheNutHuggers]

Because they can't. Are you after SPL # scores only or do you actually want this thing to play music? Asking for both literally is like asking for a pet dolphin that can play soccer with you on a baseball field. SPL is asking for a massive spike in efficiency at the narrowest possible bandwidth whereas music is asking for a relatively wide bandwidth with very little deviation in output.....natural sound. If your goal is SPL out of that type of trunk car, you are already barking up the wrong tree. Analogy: like pulling up to the drag lanes on PINKS with a dump truck.....you walkin' home!

Almost ALL subwoofers you could list are "pretty good stuff". But what the manufacturers don't know (for the most part) is what they are and are not capable of. That is because there are no acoustic engineers working at the car audio manufacturer facility. In other words, the people that make the subwoofers don't know anything about enclosures and the effects an environment (car, truck, boat etc) have on the enclosure. They recommend certain enclosures, which shows that there is no working knowledge of acoustics, ONLY because the industry has been lying to the consumer since the industry started and the manufacturer can't be the ONE that won't give blanket box specs. EVEN IF THEY ARE FULL OF BS, like RMS power ratings and whatnot. Bad habits, because of bad teaching have taught everyone to look for those things, blanket box recommendations and RMS numbers, Xmax and Fs parameters etc.

You can make the best of the purchasing blunder you've made....but as you can see, if I were to recommend where you should go, that would be an unwelcome opinion in this forum. (Albeit only to those that don't know their @ssess from holes in the ground.) The only legitimate acoustic engineering service I've ever encountered is pwkdesigns.com. You should investigate before you take my recommendation and run with it, or anybody else who would steer you in another direction. If you are serious about making the best of your many problems (vehicle model, goals and product choice), I highly recommend that you check out pwk designs youtube channel. Youtube.com/hexibase. Watch as many videos related to audio as you can stand. You will quickly notice that he has a much higher grasp on what's actually happening in the acoustic environment than anyone else you've previously and most likely ever will talk with.

It would be wonderful if the answer to anything you ask were just a single sentence and BAM, you have what you want. But the truth is that this field is EXTREMELY complicated and those that don't agree simply have no clue what they don't know.......so don't take it that they are purposely lying to you. If they knew what pwk knows, they'd be doing what he does.

Hit us back once you've watched a few videos.