i'm completely lost.

cmflossin
10+ year member

Junior Member
i've tried lurking for a while to hopefully pick up the info i need to make my sub choice. but it hasn't worked. so i'm making a thread looking for help. here's what i'm working with:

amp: RF 801S. birth cert said 962w @ 4 ohms.

box: 2 ft^3 ported. custom built to my car.

what i prefer: SQ. i listen to all types of music. i want drums to hit fast and tight. i also want to hear the deep stuff. i don't really care if i'm setting off car alarms.

price:

so here's the deal. i've read of about 10-15 subs in the past few months that i know NOTHING about. LVL, AQ, ED, DD, AA, RE, etc... i don't know what the hell these mean and no clue if i should be looking that them. i haven't been in the know since the late 90's. back then kicker, rf, ppi, orion, cerwin vega, etc were ruling the roost. so based on my criteria above, which subs should i bee looking at? which will work well with ~800ish watts daily in a 2 ft^3 box that gives good response and high SQ? i thought i was set on a Fi Q. but now i've just read in the past couple of days that the Q isn't as much of a SQ sub as other options. what about a JL W6? is it worth it to go way beyond the budget? can a IDQ handle that power daily? i wish there as a single shop where i could listen to each of the options back to back, but there's not. i'm lost.

addendum: has anyone ever messed around with the D series kicker solobarics? i've run a 15 for years and loved it. i would still run it but it won't fit in my trunk. i recently picked up a 12 though. i know kicker recommends a .88 ft^3 sealed box. but was that a mandate or more of a marketing ploy? has anyone ever thrown one in a ported box to see what happens? i would love to just throw that in the box i have already, but i don't want to destroy a good classic sub like that.

 
wow. thanks for the quick responses everyone. the box is for a 12". i guess that would've been helpful info. and the reason i went ported is because i have a very anti-bass car. its an e30 bimmer. one of the e30 enthusiasts builds custom ported boxes which ports the box through the rear deck to get the sound into the cabin. so that's why it is ported. i've always run a sealed box, but in this case its easier to get sound into the cabin by porting. i'm not positive of the exact hz the box is tuned for, but i think its in the 33-34 range.

 
i've tried lurking for a while to hopefully pick up the info i need to make my sub choice. but it hasn't worked. so i'm making a thread looking for help. here's what i'm working with:
amp: RF 801S. birth cert said 962w @ 4 ohms.

box: 2 ft^3 ported. custom built to my car.

what i prefer: SQ. i listen to all types of music. i want drums to hit fast and tight. i also want to hear the deep stuff. i don't really care if i'm setting off car alarms.

price:

so here's the deal. i've read of about 10-15 subs in the past few months that i know NOTHING about. LVL, AQ, ED, DD, AA, RE, etc... i don't know what the hell these mean and no clue if i should be looking that them. i haven't been in the know since the late 90's. back then kicker, rf, ppi, orion, cerwin vega, etc were ruling the roost. so based on my criteria above, which subs should i bee looking at? which will work well with ~800ish watts daily in a 2 ft^3 box that gives good response and high SQ? i thought i was set on a Fi Q. but now i've just read in the past couple of days that the Q isn't as much of a SQ sub as other options. what about a JL W6? is it worth it to go way beyond the budget? can a IDQ handle that power daily? i wish there as a single shop where i could listen to each of the options back to back, but there's not. i'm lost.

addendum: has anyone ever messed around with the D series kicker solobarics? i've run a 15 for years and loved it. i would still run it but it won't fit in my trunk. i recently picked up a 12 though. i know kicker recommends a .88 ft^3 sealed box. but was that a mandate or more of a marketing ploy? has anyone ever thrown one in a ported box to see what happens? i would love to just throw that in the box i have already, but i don't want to destroy a good classic sub like that.
AQ, ED, DD, AA, RE are all just companies people sugget. AudioQue, Elemental Designs, Digital Designs, Ascendant Audio, and Resonant Engineering. All great companies well with the exception of Elemental Design's. Do you mind buying used or new? If you were to go used that would really open up your option's and give you a far better choice. Personally the W6 is a great sub and would make you very happy in the end.

I personally love my Digital Designs 3512 but you don't have anywhere near enough power for that so maybe look into the 2500 series or 1500 series. 800rms should be plenty to get those woofer's going and in a good box you will be pretty shocked at how well the sound and how loud they can get.

If you're after SQ you shouldn't have gone ported. Either way, what's your box tuned to?
Don't listen to this guy either since he just made it obvious he doesn't know anything.

 
i definitely don't mind going used. i'll take a look at those digital designs that you recommended.

also, i found better info on the box from the builder. he says it is tuned to 32hz. 7.5" mounting depth. he said it sounds best with a sub that has Qtc

 
W6 is a NICE sub if you don't mind the price... alot of people tell ya u can get the same performance for less.... but I think they just sound different than anything else I've heard..

a GREAT choice would be a Boston Acoustics G5... They sound AWESOME (tight but drop LOW) work well in a ported enclosure, mounting depth isn't too bad, will handle 800w ALL DAY, about $200 shipped BRAND SPANKN' NEW! Amazing SoundQ sub that plays moderately loud ( about ID max type volume... I've owned both...lol)

thats my .02.. I think the BA G5 is EXACTLY what you are looking for... and no... I don't sell them or work for them

Ryan

 
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cmflossin

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