Help? Can a 15" sub with the right enclosure handle double-bass metal AND do Hip-hop?

[Boominburban 10+ year member]

I was not trying to diss your stuff either... please don't take it that way. Just trying to make the point that a 12" sub can do all that you need.

If you do intent to keep that amp, I agree with nupe, you need a very efficient sub, AND a very efficient enclosure to go with it. Like a custom box with some gain built into it ......

 

[boostd92]

If the amp is ****, it's ****, but I'm not yanking it out until I'm convinced it's ****.

See the attachment - I took this pic directly from the owner's manual that came in the box with the amp... it's rated for 500w RMS at 2 ohms.

Is that not enough for one 12 or 15" DVC?

I can't make my own enclosure (no woodworking tools). Can someone recommend a good pre-fab company that makes a good box? If I want sealed and it's basically just a cube built to a specific volume, as long as the right techniques/glue/materials are used, what makes a custom one that much better than a prefab in the right volume that's made well?

 

[boostd92]

Sorry the forum reduced the quality, but the upper left hand box in that pictures says "Output Power Rating (rms)"

 

[adulbrich 5,000+ posts]

If the amp is ****, it's ****, but I'm not yanking it out until I'm convinced it's ****.
See the attachment - I took this pic directly from the owner's manual that came in the box with the amp... it's rated for 500w RMS at 2 ohms.

Is that not enough for one 12 or 15" DVC?

I can't make my own enclosure (no woodworking tools). Can someone recommend a good pre-fab company that makes a good box? If I want sealed and it's basically just a cube built to a specific volume, as long as the right techniques/glue/materials are used, what makes a custom one that much better than a prefab in the right volume that's made well?

Sealed is not efficient. If you must keep that amp, you need to go ported. If you go ported, we will not recommend prefab. They don't have enough port area, are tuned high, and sound like sh*t.

If you can't build the box, get one made by someone on here. If you won't at least spend extra on a good box, you're not going anywhere. Box is most important, end of story.

/thread

 

[boostd92]

Are there box vendors on this forum? Anyone to avoid?

 

[adulbrich 5,000+ posts]

@CSCStang; or @Boomsday; can build one for you

 

[gckless 5,000+ posts]

I won't of much help on the metal/hip hop part, but let me give you some knowledge. Size of a speaker means nothing when it comes to bass response.

Oh really?

 

[fatboytyler]

Oh really?

Response as in frequency.

 

[trumpet 5,000+ posts]

I believe your bass is not up to par, no doubt, but you really cannot get great sounding heavy metal by focusing on the lowest octaves only. Bass is mostly about thud and rumble, not snap and detail. Your stock kick panel speakers are definitely holding that back.

 

[specialnupe]

Boost,

You have to realize most of the guys in here, really KNOW there stuff about car audio,and have invested much $$$, blood , sweat and tears into this.

Nobody here is dissing you, but you are a NOOB and it seems as your NOT quite listening to the advice that the EXPERIENCED and knowledgeable fellas are giving you.

to get booming bass...you need POWER + SUB + ENCLOSURE. You have NOT told us your budget either.

The weak link you your equation is POWER. you just simply don't have much "QUALITY" power in the sub channel. Not to get all technical on you........... but just take everyone's word for it. That amplifier is in NO way going to be able to deliver 500 watts RMS ... clean......with your existing electrical.

So I recommended you an "inexpensive" subwoofer that should work well with your current amplifier. with the Kicker.

But to get the "most" out of what you got. Get the Kicker I recommended... and get a custom PORTED BOX for it. I see you live in Chicago.. there should be PLENTY Of independent car audio shops in your area. Go and get some quotes.

As others have said the reason you want to get a custom box made is... that the PREFAB boxes (especially ported) are not tuned to your specific sub. The prefab ported boxes I just looked up are tuned to 42hz. That is tuned too HIGH to give you the LOW rumble I think you are looking for.

If the amp is ****, it's ****, but I'm not yanking it out until I'm convinced it's ****.
See the attachment - I took this pic directly from the owner's manual that came in the box with the amp... it's rated for 500w RMS at 2 ohms.

Is that not enough for one 12 or 15" DVC?

I can't make my own enclosure (no woodworking tools). Can someone recommend a good pre-fab company that makes a good box? If I want sealed and it's basically just a cube built to a specific volume, as long as the right techniques/glue/materials are used, what makes a custom one that much better than a prefab in the right volume that's made well?

 

[boostd92]

You are right. I am being stubborn about my equipment because I know what it took to install it, and what it will take to uninstall it.

I'm convinced that the pre-fabbed Pioneer 10" sealed downward firing shallow enclosure I bought is not going to give me the sound I'm looking for no matter WHAT is powering it. So I'm going to start there. I am 100% willing to change amps if I have to (after addressing the sub). I was listening to the setup as it's currently installed yesterday and it's 15% away from the sound I want... by that I mean I need about 15% more punch/volume from the sub. Also, the current sub just does not play the low notes as well as I would like. It's currently a 10" sub run at 4ohms and (according to the amp documenation) getting about 300w rms.

If we wouldn't mind focusing on just the sub and enclosure for the time being (since that's going to get changed no matter what) I'd greatly appreciate it. Again, I'm looking for an SQ setup with the tightest, punchiest bass that can hit the lower notes. I'm also not trying to take up all of my trunk space.

 

[adulbrich 5,000+ posts]

We can't recommend a beefy sub if it is powered by that amp. There won't be much (if any) improvement. Budget is also a factor. How much space are you willing to give up?

 

[boostd92]

If the sub I currently have (which is measly), is only about 15% less than I need, do I need a beefy sub and thousands of watts of RMS power? I'm not looking to compete, this is just a daily driver I'd like to feel the bass kick punch in the back of my seat. //content.invisioncic.com/y282845/emoticons/smile.gif.1ebc41e1811405b213edfc4622c41e27.gif

Also, I am a noob and maybe someone can explain to me how a 10" 4ohm sub @ 300w rms is not going to sound any different than a 12/15" DVC 2ohm sub @ 500w rms? Maybe I don't get the math there...

 

[Jeffdachef 5,000+ posts]

If the sub I currently have (which is measly), is only about 15% less than I need, do I need a beefy sub and thousands of watts of RMS power? I'm not looking to compete, this is just a daily driver I'd like to feel the bass kick punch in the back of my seat. //content.invisioncic.com/y282845/emoticons/smile.gif.1ebc41e1811405b213edfc4622c41e27.gif
Also, I am a noob and maybe someone can explain to me how a 10" 4ohm sub @ 300w rms is not going to sound any different than a 12/15" DVC 2ohm sub @ 500w rms? Maybe I don't get the math there...

A beefier sub has heavier softparts and will take a lot more power to move it. Underpowered subs will sound sloppy compared to fully powered along with not hitting all the notes it can hit. You need to realize switching to a higher rms sub will not make you louder, if anything, youll get even less output. You want a fully powered sub rather then one being tickled. Chances are, your 5 channel is doing squat for power, read up on impedance/box rise, no amp will put out its true power after rise so your 500 watt sub channel is only getting around 250 to 300 at best, not trashing your amp, even good amps out there will run to this issue, its just physics. Id look into getting a 250 to 400 watt 12 or 15 inch sub in a custom ported box tuned to 35hz. Ct sounds tropo, ssa dcon, sundown E series are your best sounding and loudest choices here if you want to keep your 5 channel setup. If you gonna cheap out on the amp, you gotta spend more on the enclosure, give up a lot more space and be wise on the sub choice to make up for it.

Also a 4 ohm dvc sub can only be wired for 2 ohm or 4 ohm loads while a 2 ohm dvc sub can only be wired to a 4 ohm or 1 ohm final impedance. Check your wiring buddy, you might have your **** wired up wrong.

 

[garychoffmann 10+ year member]

From personal experience and what your looking for.... no that 10 on that amp is not what your looking for. I did a swap of that 10 for 2 jbl cs12's on the same amp and its what he was looking for and sounded so much better.