Now, this review compares 1 IA 187 12 in a deathbox attached to a PA OV2-1200 recieving between 500 and 600 watts, and two IA 187s in a Jmac designed ported enclosure recieving 1500 watts from an MTX 1501D.
My first impressions are summed up in a word. WOW. 3 days of effort was worth it. When I put a 187 in a HALF FINISHED deathbox and rattled my garage ceiling with between 40 and 50 watts RMS, I knew I was on to something good. This box is LOUD.
Acoustically, the output is very clean and detailed. It doesn't "kick" or "punch" or whatever you call it. Instead it blends in with midbass, and even plays midbass depending on your needs. The low end has some real authority, but just doesn't give that "OMG I didn't know bass could drop like *that*!!" impression like a good low tuned ported enclosure. Still, I'm very happy with the results.
Ouput is, well, loud! I have 1/3 the power and half the cone area of my old setup, and now I don't even think I need it! You hear more than you feel, and I found myself dropping the volume consistently because suddenly I have treble instead of cabin resonance! I haven't even played around with firing direction or sub position yet. This box has some very promising output.
The word about building it is that this box is a royal pain in the *** to make. It's heavy, kinda ugly, and very sensitive to imperfect cuts. On top of that, Decware doesn't really provide "plans" upon purchase, just a few front/side pics of the assembly and parts therein. The first day after buying the plans involved deriving a cuts list from the plans, which instead were provided by RattleBrain (thank you!). The second day was spent cutting MDF to fit the cuts list, and the third day putting it all together. A more experienced carpenter could do this job in even one day, but that will be a long day.
Final Word: If you succeed in building one and having it turn out right, you'll love it. It's just a long road getting there. =)
