JL 12w7's + American Bass Amp

[celeronpm]

Hi Guys,

I've got two JL Audio 12w7's. They are 3ohm subs rated at 500-1000 watts RMS. I have them hooked up to two Jl Audio 500/1's but want to upgrade.

I am looking at the American Bass VFL 150.1 Which outputs about 1,833 RMS at 1.5ohms (when I bridge my subs, that's the impedence I'll be running).

I pulled this # based on a clamp test video on Youtube; with some math, that's what it came out to. I keep reading that the amps may produce way less or way more than this value (depending on who you ask).

I was wondering if anyone on here has run these amps and can vouch for their output, if anyone has run them at 1.5ohms, or if anyone has any recommendations on if I should go with the 175.1 or 200.1 instead.

Thanks in advance!

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[The_Dealer]

I ran the vfl120 and it was a beast. I asked T-Fade once and he said to set it up like any other 2200w@1ohm. I set my voltage to 46.9v at 1 ohm and never had any issues. I ran at 0.6 after rise all last summer. After about 2.5hrs playing almost full tilt on a trip, I reached back to see how hot it was. I was expecting it to be pretty hot, but the **** thing was barely warm. Stock 160a alt, knu 1/0, xs d3400, and big 3(more like big 5). I mounted mine where it had some room to breathe, which probably helped keep it cool at 0.6ohm. It was too long to let my seat fold down or else I'd still have it.





Personally I think the vfl120/150/175 are some of the best amps for the money. They can take a beating, and have been tried and true. You rarely see anyone have problems with them. I think you'd be aight with the vfl150.1, which if I'm not mistaken are good for 2900@1ohm, . Try not to concentrate on numbers so much and look at what others are running on them in real world setups, and you'll get an idea of what kinda power to except.

Edit: Just found an email from AB Bob saying the vfl80.1= 1k, vfl100.1=1500, vfl120.1=2200, vfl150.1=2900, vfl175.1=3300. The recommended fusing for each lean towards those numbers as well.

Sent from my Motorola 2950 Special Edition 3w.

 

[mazdakid 5,000+ posts]

Isn't the 150.1 a 2000 watt amp?

 

[mazdakid 5,000+ posts]

Check out a vfl 150.1 next to an aq or sq 2200.1 inside.

I wonder what American bass did to the 150.1 to get that extra 700 watts over the 2200?

 

[hispls 5,000+ posts]

Check out a vfl 150.1 next to an aq or sq 2200.1 inside.I wonder what American bass did to the 150.1 to get that extra 700 watts over the 2200?

Ran it at 16V or .5 ohm? I do not believe that amp would make 3KW under normal system voltage at 1 ohm or over.

That said, I wonder how much of an "upgrade" it's really going to be running 1.5 ohm vs. the pair of JL amps that will make 500W at real world impedance and input voltage.... they are stout little amps.

Figure OP gets 1500W out of the AB amp, that's perhaps 1dB difference? Likely won't even be audible. I'd suggest if OP can't step up into a real 3K Korean amp this isn't going to turn out to be much improvement for him.

 

[celeronpm]

Thanks guys. I went with the VFL 150.1 and it kills the 2 JL 500/1's I had (even at 1.5ohms). Heres a vid of the amp running the 2 JL 12w7s.

 

[350zspl 10+ year member]

JL Audio is very good equipment , but over priced

and you can get better equipment for less money

i am not surprised at your results

 

[IndySlim]

Why do so many people talk bad. About Jl audio. I personally from experience know their quality. I still have the original jlw7 from about 12 years ago not that I was pushing it the way some of you guys do but it does have the jl 500 hooked up to it and it's never blown nor does the cone show any wear and tear I had to get it refoamed cause of rotting issues but aside from that it literally still sounds the same. I'm not saying that those other subs like sundown, critical mass, etc. arent everything that they say they are but you gotta give credit we're credit is due. The same exact design from 12 or more years ago. Aside from cosmetic differences this line of subs stays in the top ten as far as subs you should buy goes and even though it is pricey I got 12 years out mines and I guarantee anybody that likes nice sound systems that's been beating in that timeframe has spent way more. The only thing I can say is unlike alot of bassheads I actually kept my wattage within the warranties limits lmaol (call me lame) but i like them so much i bout another one after 12 years cause now i have bigger car.

 

[JLJunkieMX107 10+ year member]

Why do so many people talk bad. About Jl audio. I personally from experience know their quality. I still have the original jlw7 from about 12 years ago not that I was pushing it the way some of you guys do but it does have the jl 500 hooked up to it and it's never blown nor does the cone show any wear and tear I had to get it refoamed cause of rotting issues but aside from that it literally still sounds the same. I'm not saying that those other subs like sundown, critical mass, etc. arent everything that they say they are but you gotta give credit we're credit is due. The same exact design from 12 or more years ago. Aside from cosmetic differences this line of subs stays in the top ten as far as subs you should buy goes and even though it is pricey I got 12 years out mines and I guarantee anybody that likes nice sound systems that's been beating in that timeframe has spent way more. The only thing I can say is unlike alot of bassheads I actually kept my wattage within the warranties limits lmaol (call me lame) but i like them so much i bout another one after 12 years cause now i have bigger car.

I don't really hear many people talk bad about them from a quality standpoint. It's just that so many other companies have popped up and they offer similar (if not better) capabilities at a fraction of the cost. If you can't tell from my screen name, I was a JL fanboy for many years. I ventured out into other brands and quickly lost my hard-on for all things JL. Don't get me wrong, their stuff is great quality. I just couldn't justify spending $800 for a 750rms JL amp when there are a dozen korean boards on the market putting out a ton more power (with damn near the same reliability) for half the price. 

I still have 4 of the original 12W3s that I picked up in the mid to late 90's and they sound just as good as they did when I bought them. Like yours, I had to replace the foam surround due to dry rotting, but they are still kicking. I'll never get rid of these due to sentimental reasons. The first system I ever heard was 2 12w3s and I was HOOKED on car audio from that moment on.

 

[IndySlim]

 So what are some of the subs (that perform the same as or better but less pricey) and amps (as far as Korean boards go) would you suggest to a jl guy being a former one yourself 

 

[Boomin_tahoe 5,000+ posts]

Bumpin' up old posts again.

 

[JLJunkieMX107 10+ year member]

Holy dead thread revival... I didn't even notice that IndySlim had replied to a thread from 2016 lol.

@IndySlim To answer your question.....it depends. There are so many options out there and opinions differ on everything. I'll throw out my personal opinion at the risk of being flamed just to show what I would be looking at. If I was trying to decide between a 12W7 and something else, I'd honestly look at the Adire Audio Brahma. MSRP on the w7 is $1K from JL, the Brahma comes in at $450. Fairly similar specs and power handling. The Brahma Mark 2.5 just came out not too long ago. If it's anything like the Mark II, it should have great linear sound quality but still be able to impress on output. 

As far as amps go.... the definition for SQ can be a very individual thing. I'm not the one to recommend great SQ amps because I haven't ventured down that road. Once you start talking DSPs and all that jazz, I have no input because I am ignorant in the more advanced sound processing like that.

In my opinion, the substage really isn't going to matter if you are just looking to pound out some bass. If you're looking purely at dollar per watt and reliability, I'd look to companies like sundown, DC audio, crescendo, american bass (pretty much any Zenon built amp puts out rated power reliably). For sake of comparison, you can get a DC audio 1.2K for $385 and see 1,200w @ 1ohm. For JL amps, you're looking at $1,200 for the 1,200w Slash, $650 for the 1,000w XD, $470 for the 1K RD, and $1,200 for the HD. Granted, most of the JL amps are rated at a 2ohm load. If you want a "budget" amp that can crank out some power, check out the Wolfram 2400.1. I've been messing with one for the past month or so and it's a damn good amp for the price (currently $250 right now I believe). 

Are you currently looking to upgrade? If so, what are your goals? If you're just looking to get loud, there's a LOT of great stuff out in the market right now. If you are looking for all around SQ with your mids/highs/sub, I will have to excuse myself from the discussion because I have no valuable input. 

 

[IndySlim]

Holy dead thread revival... I didn't even notice that IndySlim had replied to a thread from 2016 lol.

@IndySlim To answer your question.....it depends. There are so many options out there and opinions differ on everything. I'll throw out my personal opinion at the risk of being flamed just to show what I would be looking at. If I was trying to decide between a 12W7 and something else, I'd honestly look at the Adire Audio Brahma. MSRP on the w7 is $1K from JL, the Brahma comes in at $450. Fairly similar specs and power handling. The Brahma Mark 2.5 just came out not too long ago. If it's anything like the Mark II, it should have great linear sound quality but still be able to impress on output. 

As far as amps go.... the definition for SQ can be a very individual thing. I'm not the one to recommend great SQ amps because I haven't ventured down that road. Once you start talking DSPs and all that jazz, I have no input because I am ignorant in the more advanced sound processing like that.

In my opinion, the substage really isn't going to matter if you are just looking to pound out some bass. If you're looking purely at dollar per watt and reliability, I'd look to companies like sundown, DC audio, crescendo, american bass (pretty much any Zenon built amp puts out rated power reliably). For sake of comparison, you can get a DC audio 1.2K for $385 and see 1,200w @ 1ohm. For JL amps, you're looking at $1,200 for the 1,200w Slash, $650 for the 1,000w XD, $470 for the 1K RD, and $1,200 for the HD. Granted, most of the JL amps are rated at a 2ohm load. If you want a "budget" amp that can crank out some power, check out the Wolfram 2400.1. I've been messing with one for the past month or so and it's a damn good amp for the price (currently $250 right now I believe). 

Are you currently looking to upgrade? If so, what are your goals? If you're just looking to get loud, there's a LOT of great stuff out in the market right now. If you are looking for all around SQ with your mids/highs/sub, I will have to excuse myself from the discussion because I have no valuable input. 

I'm a quality over quantity guy I believe that you get what you pay for. I just cant keep paying $1000 for subs (I do believe amps need to be of a better quality if I have to save for that I will) and yes I am looking to upgrade big 3 check, agm battery check, all %100 copper wiring and size check, properly fused connections and properly grounded electrical system check, and 220 amp alternator check. That's more than enough for my needs and the hardest part of it all if you're asking me. I'm just kinda like you it may be time to try something new cause honestly i though that the way jl came with the w series of subs they would have already came with something newer by now but if it ain't broke dont fix it cant blame them for that. Oh and I think from the descriptions I've read that I'm an sq guy definitely not spl. Lol I ain't trying to win no contests but I like the bass