Getting a new sub, need help in my decision! Also, is my box good enough?

[Jeffdachef 5,000+ posts]

Apologies for late reply, had family fly in unannounced. Based on what you've told me I recommend the JL Audio 10w6v2. You can get a used one for 200 that would allow returns as well. Have a feeling you went with Sundown which is a good quality sub. Know their transition to the home audio market hasn't been good due to bad designs. The drivers are still good quality, but the enclosure they put them in apparently is like an amateur did it and sounds terrible per 5-6 people that have them.

I grabed a 10' Alpine SWS. Was too good of a price with a 45 day return policy. Was only 30$ shipped.

Doing a build with opposing drivers. If I don't do 2 JL 12w6v2, I'm leaning towards the Alpine R series. Don't believe you can find a better sub at the price, 70$ for a new one. Would like to hear them against Sundowns, bet they could hold their own easily. Wonder if the 100$ plus difference in price is worth the quality. Buying 1 of each to find out.

Did you get one ordered? What did you go with?

Also JL W6???? really? He wants loud and you recommend him an SQ driver?

lol Sundowns walk all over the type Rs, actually a sundown 8" kicked my 12 inch type R's @ss, it was in a 1 cube box ported @35hz on 500 watts, mines was in a 1.75 cubic foot box tuned to 34hz, on 1200 watts rms with extra batteries, big 3 and 0 gauge wiring all around while the other guy only had a kenwood 500 rms amp similar car, the sundown 8 hit clean, low and harder. That comment saying sundown audio is making home audio theater stuff?? They dont dude. You need to actually hear a proper sundown setup in person and do proper research before making baseless misinformed comments.

 

[LosIsATool 5,000+ posts]

Dude is a trip.

 

[tannerdavis3]

Apologies for late reply, had family fly in unannounced. Based on what you've told me I recommend the JL Audio 10w6v2. You can get a used one for 200 that would allow returns as well. Have a feeling you went with Sundown which is a good quality sub. Know their transition to the home audio market hasn't been good due to bad designs. The drivers are still good quality, but the enclosure they put them in apparently is like an amateur did it and sounds terrible per 5-6 people that have them.

I grabed a 10' Alpine SWS. Was too good of a price with a 45 day return policy. Was only 30$ shipped.

Doing a build with opposing drivers. If I don't do 2 JL 12w6v2, I'm leaning towards the Alpine R series. Don't believe you can find a better sub at the price, 70$ for a new one. Would like to hear them against Sundowns, bet they could hold their own easily. Wonder if the 100$ plus difference in price is worth the quality. Buying 1 of each to find out.

Did you get one ordered? What did you go with?

I did indeed go with the Sundown, I opened it today with the amp. Feeling the weight of the sub, i'm really hoping this amp is capable of pushing it :s haha

 

[Alex81 10+ year member]

I did indeed go with the Sundown, I opened it today with the amp. Feeling the weight of the sub, i'm really hoping this amp is capable of pushing it :s haha

What amp are u using?

Sundown is a good choice, if your amp provides sufficient power you should be very pleased. Let us know when you've had a chance to break the sub in. What are you setting the crossover at for the sub?

Any of you guys using Focal subs? Noticed something in the specs on them I don't recall seeing before. Typically a sub has a frequency range starting around 15-35 Hz and goes to 150-200 Hz. The newer (unlike the 1 I had used a few years back) Focal's start at 15-25 Hz and go all the way to 1500 Hz. Not only handling the low bass, but the mid bass as well. In home audio the highs of the tweeters on my gear take over at 1800-2500 Hz. In car audio it's typically 2500-3500 Hz. Any of you guys used the newer Focal subs? Do they really cover that much range?

Have decided to go with 6.5 Hertz components for the front & 6x9 coxials most likely rather than components in the rear. If those subs really handle that, it'd be much simpler to get quality lows, mids, & highs. The thought of setting your sub xover at 500Hz let alone 1500 Hz seems very strange to me

 

[Jeffdachef 5,000+ posts]

What amp are u using?
Sundown is a good choice, if your amp provides sufficient power you should be very pleased. Let us know when you've had a chance to break the sub in. What are you setting the crossover at for the sub?

Any of you guys using Focal subs? Noticed something in the specs on them I don't recall seeing before. Typically a sub has a frequency range starting around 15-35 Hz and goes to 150-200 Hz. The newer (unlike the 1 I had used a few years back) Focal's start at 15-25 Hz and go all the way to 1500 Hz. Not only handling the low bass, but the mid bass as well. In home audio the highs of the tweeters on my gear take over at 1800-2500 Hz. In car audio it's typically 2500-3500 Hz. Any of you guys used the newer Focal subs? Do they really cover that much range?

Have decided to go with 6.5 Hertz components for the front & 6x9 coxials most likely rather than components in the rear. If those subs really handle that, it'd be much simpler to get quality lows, mids, & highs. The thought of setting your sub xover at 500Hz let alone 1500 Hz seems very strange to me

you look at the thiele small parameters and the frequency response charts, not what they list. Graph them out on winISD and you'll see a much more accurate result then believing in the bullshit the factory labling/marketing tells you.

 

[Alex81 10+ year member]

you look at the thiele small parameters and the frequency response charts, not what they list. Graph them out on winISD and you'll see a much more accurate result then believing in the bullshit the factory labling/marketing tells you.

Learned that a law allows the companies a loophole to give bs wattage ratings, but was under the impression that the physical specs such as voice coil measurements, xmax, etc were legit. The only way I could see them using inaccurate ranges is if they're allowed to measure them with sine waves. Does the 2006 CEA compliant or any other measure act as a standard in testing quality, accuracy?

 

[LosIsATool 5,000+ posts]

There is no standard. CEA has turned into a joke BS brands use to put on their only amp that passes to make them look better. And they still don't do rated all the way to the lowest load. And they do use sine waves.

 

[Jeffdachef 5,000+ posts]

Learned that a law allows the companies a loophole to give bs wattage ratings, but was under the impression that the physical specs such as voice coil measurements, xmax, etc were legit. The only way I could see them using inaccurate ranges is if they're allowed to measure them with sine waves. Does the 2006 CEA compliant or any other measure act as a standard in testing quality, accuracy?

Klippel testing > CEA crap

 

[Alex81 10+ year member]

Klippel testing > CEA crap

Outside of of a demo or listening to a friends the test bench on sites like Audioholics, & Stereophile are the best resource I've found for home audio product comparison. I've yet to find one for car audio. On home audio/theater there are a large # of companies most have never heard of that offer as good of quality if not better at a significantly lower cost.

While home audio and car audio are completely different worlds some of the same factors apply. Selecting an amp that suits your speakers best, enclosure design, wire quality and size, power supply, to meet what you want are the ones that come to mind. Yes, some of the measurements by companies are erroneous and should be dismissed. Others provide a better insight to gauge the quality yourself and not rely on the expertise of the "pros" which are sponsored by the fear they're pushing in vast majority of cases

 

[tannerdavis3]

What amp are u using?
Sundown is a good choice, if your amp provides sufficient power you should be very pleased. Let us know when you've had a chance to break the sub in. What are you setting the crossover at for the sub?

Any of you guys using Focal subs? Noticed something in the specs on them I don't recall seeing before. Typically a sub has a frequency range starting around 15-35 Hz and goes to 150-200 Hz. The newer (unlike the 1 I had used a few years back) Focal's start at 15-25 Hz and go all the way to 1500 Hz. Not only handling the low bass, but the mid bass as well. In home audio the highs of the tweeters on my gear take over at 1800-2500 Hz. In car audio it's typically 2500-3500 Hz. Any of you guys used the newer Focal subs? Do they really cover that much range?

Have decided to go with 6.5 Hertz components for the front & 6x9 coxials most likely rather than components in the rear. If those subs really handle that, it'd be much simpler to get quality lows, mids, & highs. The thought of setting your sub xover at 500Hz let alone 1500 Hz seems very strange to me

I have a hifonics 1500.1, its finally being installed tomorrow. (Just the amp - the sub box gets built probably by the end of next week if all goes well, then the sub can be dropped in and ready to go.)

It's probably going to be another two to three weeks before i break the sub in :s can't wait to hear it though!