how hard should they hit.

[caterham09]

Just a quick question. How hard can i expect 2 12in subs to hit in a ported box at 500wrms? Its kind of a relative question but what should i expect to be rattling?

I only ask this because my old setup before i really knew what I was doing I had 2 12s in a sealed box at 500wrms but I had the gain 3/4 of the way up as well as the bass boost so I was more than likely clipping the subs.

I don't want to do this in my new system but I want to have a similar level of bass where my mirrors would shake and the car would rattle ect.

Can I expect these results?

Click to read more...

 

[fly_marlin]

It can hit pretty hard, depends greatly on the setup. Since you already have the amp, here are other variables that can make it louder:

1. Subwoofer efficiency

2. Box size - larger boxes are more efficient, meaning sound louder with the same power. At that expense, the woofers can handle less power.

3. Tuning frequency of the box - tuning the box to around 45Htz will make it louder, but less musical. For good musical reproductions, people generally tune to around 34Hz or below.

Which woofers did you have and which did you get? Which 500W amp is it?

As a reference of how loud it can be - my friend has 2 kick compVR (8yrs old, 300W subs) running off a tiny orion HCCA 1200D (600W RMS) amp in a large ported box tuned in mid 30s. It's the loudest 600W I've heard.

 

[caterham09]

It can hit pretty hard, depends greatly on the setup. Since you already have the amp, here are other variables that can make it louder:
1. Subwoofer efficiency

2. Box size - larger boxes are more efficient, meaning sound louder with the same power. At that expense, the woofers can handle less power.

3. Tuning frequency of the box - tuning the box to around 45Htz will make it louder, but less musical. For good musical reproductions, people generally tune to around 34Hz or below.

Which woofers did you have and which did you get? Which 500W amp is it?

As a reference of how loud it can be - my friend has 2 kick compVR (8yrs old, 300W subs) running off a tiny orion HCCA 1200D (600W RMS) amp in a large ported box tuned in mid 30s. It's the loudest 600W I've heard.

I havent bought the woofers yet because I'm builing the system 1 piece at a time looking at some nvx woofers though.

Im running a kenwood x500-1 just as a carryover from my old system. I'll probably upgrade in the future but I'd have to get a bigger alternator and new battery and I don't want to do that until I have a system running.

If there are some better woofers than those nvx vsw for around the same price I'm very open to suggestions

 

[Umbra]

Yes. I have two twelves on 500W sealed and even it moves the mirrors, roof, etc. Ported should do it no problem, even with lesser components. Depending on the build quality of the car, it could be easier or harder to make things rattle - if you want to go by that measure. Personally I don't like the added noise, so I'm about to deaden it.

 

[caterham09]

Yes. I have two twelves on 500W sealed and even it moves the mirrors, roof, etc. Ported should do it no problem, even with lesser components. Depending on the build quality of the car, it could be easier or harder to make things rattle - if you want to go by that measure. Personally I don't like the added noise, so I'm about to deaden it.

Yeah don't get me wrong I don't like the rattle i just didn't know of a better way to show how loud they would be getting. I'll probably be going with around 1000w in the future to power the subs but the new alternator will come last

 

[fly_marlin]

It's kind of hard to upgrade the subs without the amp. If you get a sub or 2 for your 500W amp, you may not really need to upgrade the amp later. What you can try is get one of these:

HDS212

Are you dropping the woofer(s) into a pre-existing box? If so, do you have its specs? In the long run, if you are set on upgrading, you will save money by tailoring the purchases to what you like as opposed to what you already own.

 

[gstokes]

Just a quick question. How hard can i expect 2 12in subs to hit in a ported box at 500wrms? Its kind of a relative question but what should i expect to be rattling?

2 - 12's in a sealed enclosure at 500w is enough to keep people at least 10 car lengths back when following me on the highway, it pounds the ground..

You can expect to rattle windows for an 1/8 mile radius and it will no doubt make you feel all warm and fuzzy inside..

 

[caterham09]

It's kind of hard to upgrade the subs without the amp. If you get a sub or 2 for your 500W amp, you may not really need to upgrade the amp later. What you can try is get one of these:
HDS212

Are you dropping the woofer(s) into a pre-existing box? If so, do you have its specs? In the long run, if you are set on upgrading, you will save money by tailoring the purchases to what you like as opposed to what you already own.

That looks like a really solid woofer for the price. Im going to build a custom box for whatever sub I end up buying. Ive learned the hard way to try and future proof yourself so you don't have to keep buying stuff you already own so I wanted to buy some subs that would handle more power should I ever want to add more.

 

[fly_marlin]

I think you'd be happy with this one then:

SoundQubed HDS312

Build the box for it, give it the 500W and see what happens. If it's not enough, get a new amp. Be careful though with this amp, if it's not loud enough for you and you keep turning it up past what your amp can put out, you can damage the sub. I can guarantee, if done right, one of these will be more than enough for you. If upgrading, look for an amp that would give that sub around 1500W RMS.

 

[caterham09]

I think you'd be happy with this one then:
SoundQubed HDS312

Build the box for it, give it the 500W and see what happens. If it's not enough, get a new amp. Be careful though with this amp, if it's not loud enough for you and you keep turning it up past what your amp can put out, you can damage the sub. I can guarantee, if done right, one of these will be more than enough for you. If upgrading, look for an amp that would give that sub around 1500W RMS.

yeah i learned how to properly set gains so I won't be clipping my woofers anymore. Are you recommending just one though?

 

[fly_marlin]

It really depends on what you're looking for. When this woofer was first recommended, I really didn't know what to expect. When we actually heard it, it was well beyond the expectations. Really depends how loud you want it. To properly power 2 of these, I would recommend their 2200W amp at the least, but you can put their 3500W on them as well. That would be very, very loud. Having said that, it will absolutely require you to get an HO alternator, upgraded wiring (0 gauge), and an upgraded battery. That's running close to $2K for those upgrades. With just 1 sub, you can feed it 1200W off stock electrical. Unless you're just looking to show off 2 blocks away, 1 of those should be plenty for music and will definitely impress people with its output.

Setting the gains correctly doesn't necessarily prevent driver damage. Even if gains are set right and you continue to drive the amp past its abilities, you can still damage the driver.

 

[caterham09]

It really depends on what you're looking for. When this woofer was first recommended, I really didn't know what to expect. When we actually heard it, it was well beyond the expectations. Really depends how loud you want it. To properly power 2 of these, I would recommend their 2200W amp at the least, but you can put their 3500W on them as well. That would be very, very loud. Having said that, it will absolutely require you to get an HO alternator, upgraded wiring (0 gauge), and an upgraded battery. That's running close to $2K for those upgrades. With just 1 sub, you can feed it 1200W off stock electrical. Unless you're just looking to show off 2 blocks away, 1 of those should be plenty for music and will definitely impress people with its output.
Setting the gains correctly doesn't necessarily prevent driver damage. Even if gains are set right and you continue to drive the amp past its abilities, you can still damage the driver.

I'd be good running their 1200w in the future if i wanted to upgrade, dont really feel like using 2200w on just subs And yeah i know about the limits of my stock alternator. I can get a HO alternator for $250 at 240 amps. And id run some sort of xs power battery but I'm trying to build a modest system first then upgrade around it. I really appreciate your input

 

[fly_marlin]

Yeah, orient yourself around 1200W off stock. I have to tell you though, I have no idea how that sub will sound off 500W. Build the box and see. If you're on a budget, I think there are some cheaper amps around that power to consider, but you can cross that bridge when you get there.

 

[caterham09]

Yeah, orient yourself around 1200W off stock. I have to tell you though, I have no idea how that sub will sound off 500W. Build the box and see. If you're on a budget, I think there are some cheaper amps around that power to consider, but you can cross that bridge when you get there.

yeah i mean i was a little skeptical about trying to drive that sub with my amp. Also keep in mind im going to be running 100x4 for the 6.5's in the doors as well. is there another amp that would give me similar power (in the future) for cheaper, like a hifonics brutus or something

 

[fly_marlin]

Yea, you're looking at the hifonics and such if you're going cheaper. I've also seen quite a few people recommend audiopipe and PPI black ice amps for people on a budget. From my personal experience, I would like to add audiobahn to that list. Another great option is to buy off this forum, people are always selling stuff - look in the classifieds section.