If shooting for SPL, should you maximize cone area for constant wattage?

[spencer321 10+ year member]

in other words, if your stuck with using X amount of power and want to reach the maximum SPL you can for given wattage is it all about mazimizing cone area assuming all other things are the same (sub and port direction, port area etc etc)

ex i can run 4-12's 2-15's or 1-18 but only have ~1800w

Click to read more...

 

[galacticmonkey 5,000+ posts]

If youre at a set wattage, its about efficiency.

Personally, I would go with 2 15s.

 

[spencer321 10+ year member]

If youre at a set wattage, its about efficiency.
Personally, I would go with 2 15s.

by efficiency you mean? the actual efficiency rating of the subwoofer?

and 4 12's have more cone area than 2 15s... so why 2 15's?

 

[Rusty...WCA 10+ year member]

box size you have to work with also is a key factor

 

[tommyk90 5,000+ posts]

Depends on a variety of things.

The install, the subs, the vehicle.

But I agree above that it is about efficiency.

 

[spencer321 10+ year member]

box size you have to work with also is a key factor

hey Rusty funny you should chime in the single 18 i was contemplating was a lvl 4xl

but i have enough space to run 4-12's 2-15's or 1-18, i want the maximum SPL for 1800w

 

[spencer321 10+ year member]

Depends on a variety of things.
The install, the subs, the vehicle.

But I agree above that it is about efficiency.

again by efficiency your refering to total efficiency of the system, or the maximum spl per watt... thats what im trying to figure out how to figure out, is how to maximize efficiency (i thought the answer would be cone area)

 

[tommyk90 5,000+ posts]

again by efficiency your refering to total efficiency of the system, or the maximum spl per watt... thats what im trying to figure out how to figure out, is how to maximize efficiency (i thought the answer would be cone area)

Usually it would be cone area.

What kind of vehicle is this going in?

 

[SomeGuyDude 10+ year member]

If you have limited power, you have to look at both power usage and cone area. If you have 1800 watts at your disposal, four 12's aren't going to do you any good if each of them needs 800 watts, but a pair of 15s would do pretty well.

 

[AudioAnonymous 10+ year member]

for 1800 watts I'd say 2 10s or a 12 but I didn't see a post where you said the size of the box or the vehicle it's going in.

 

[michaellane 5,000+ posts]

what if he did four lower wattage 12's? like 400rms a peice or something like that?

 

[michaellane 5,000+ posts]

for 1800 watts I'd say 2 10s or a 12 but I didn't see a post where you said the size of the box or the vehicle it's going in.

i went from a single 12 to four lower rms subs and they walk all over my single sub...

 

[SomeGuyDude 10+ year member]

i went from a single 12 to four lower rms subs and they walk all over my single sub...

Well no shit. That's 412sq of cone area versus 1256sq. You more than tripled your cone area. You'd have to majorly downgrade to have four tens quieter than one 12.

 

[spencer321 10+ year member]

i went from a single 12 to four lower rms subs and they walk all over my single sub...

from what subs to what subs what wattage etc etc details as this is exactly what im wanting to do. I have a single HD3C 12 on ~1800 (its a hifonics 2k, so im guessing about 2k i know they are about 10% off)

and as far as vehicle I'm going to tell you the vehicle but DO NOT tell me "you don't have that much room" i know how to measure i don't give a rats *** whether you think i've got it... stay on the question at hand. Its a dodge ram standard cab i have 8 cubes gross and the port will be external so the net will be 8 cubes minus sub displacement.

i was thinking about 4 rsd 12's or the hifonics zeus 12's

 

[spencer321 10+ year member]

bump