Looking for advice on a sub/amp for my car

[Sovelin 10+ year member]

Hi everyone, first post here. About 10 weeks ago I made my first car audio purchase (PA660, Dxi650, Dxi6500) and love the difference in my car. I'm now considering getting a 12" sub for my car. I am loving polk audio, and initially was looking into the PA880 and a 12" PA sub. The reviews for the amp seem kinda poor (overheating issues) and the sub doesn't fair much better.

What would be a good amp/sub combo? I would prefer if the item could be purchased through BestBuy or Amazon (whichever is cheaper). I will have the Geek Squad install it.

Price range is (preferably) $500-600 including installation (which I believe is 100 for the amp and 20 for the sub). I may consider going up a little bit on the price if there is a significant SQ difference.

Edit: Not sure if it really matters too much, but I drive a Hyundai Elantra 2010

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[neo_styles 10+ year member]

Car audio isn't the kinda stuff you want to order on Amazon. Most isn't warrantied by the manufacturer. Best Buy's prices are just ridiculous. You're better off ordering from a reputable dealer on this site or one of the many website we've used to order our stuff. Here's a few examples and shoutouts
@mylows10 ; @trumpet ; @sundownz ;
Car Audio Stereo - Car Subwoofers - Car Amplifiers and Speakers
Lowest Prices on Sports & Outdoor | Home & Garden | Electronics
Onlinecarstereo.com - Wholesale Car Audio/Stereo Deals At Bargain Prices

That being said, removing the cost of install, that leaves you with about $450 (I'm being conservative) which is a pretty decent amount. For that price, here's a couple options to consider:

JBL GTO1214D (GTO-1214D) 12" Dual 4 ohm Grand Touring Subwoofer
Image Dynamics ID12 D2 V.3 (id12d2v3) 12" Dual 2 ohm ID V.3 Sub (better that this is a Dual 2 ohm sub...more compatible with amplifiers)
Precision Power P1000.1 Class D Amplifiers at Onlinecarstereo.com (if you only want an amp for the sub)
Precision Power P900.5 Class D Amplifiers at Onlinecarstereo.com (if you want something for the whole system)

Hope that helps...

 

[mylows10 5,000+ posts]

price is gonna depend on the power you wanna run and the sub size and how many .you'll also need a box .go with a custom box not a prefab like what best buy and amazon sell,as they are no good for any sub .hit up @double 07; for a box

 

[neo_styles 10+ year member]

Second the @double 07 ; building you a box. Got mine today. Su-perb. Never thought I could sit in my car for 45 minutes...PARKED...with a giant poo-eating grin on my face.

 

[Sovelin 10+ year member]

Thanks for the replies! Didn't expect them so soon. I'm a complete noob when it comes to car audio. For power, not really sure what I would need. I prefer clean, punchy bass over boomy, loud bass. I am looking for a single 12" sub.

The p1000.1 amp looks awesome. How does it compare to the Alpine mrp-m500 (150 at BB, 125 at Amazon)?

Between the two subs you linked, there is a decent price difference. Any major advantage going with the Image? I'm assuming both should be equally compatible with the p1000.1. (Amp plus the Image plus the installation puts me at 470, not including cost of box and box shipping. Price is very satisfactory //content.invisioncic.com/y282845/emoticons/smile.gif.1ebc41e1811405b213edfc4622c41e27.gif )

 

[neo_styles 10+ year member]

Definitely better than the MRP. PPI's been around for ages, since before I even got into CA as a teen. I personally have the 10" ID and it's a dream. I owned a JL 12W3v2 before this and the difference is night and day in favor of the ID. Give it a good home and you'll be smiling ear to ear.

 

[Sovelin 10+ year member]

I guess I have my answer //content.invisioncic.com/y282845/emoticons/smile.gif.1ebc41e1811405b213edfc4622c41e27.gif Now I just need to go back to my car and make some measurements. Hopefully I can comfortably get a 12" in there w/out sacrificing too much trunk space. Otherwise, I'll go for the 10".

By chance, do you know the dimensions of the enclosures? And would I just send Double 07 a PM about getting a box?

 

[neo_styles 10+ year member]

Just PM double 07, he'll get you on the right track. Make sure you have the max measurements you want to use. If you go sealed, you won't need as much volume, but mine is a 1.3 cube enclosure that just sits in the unused space in my trunk towards the seats, so I didn't sacrifice much room at all. And no shame in going with the 10. Remove the preconceived notions that you need a 12 for big bass. You will, at least, once you've heard one done right.

 

[Mboyle1145 10+ year member]

Look at aq products for the sub and amp. Also take a look at fi audio. I also agree Double 07 makes amazing boxes. I got one and was cheap, fast, and really good.

 

[mylows10 5,000+ posts]

the id is more of a sound quality sub ,which i think is more of what your looking for .as far as a boomy system that will be more about the size of sub and the enclosure .1000 watts rms is a decent starter amp and the ppi amp is a decent amp for the money ,would like the see the efficiency rating tho cant seem to find it anywhere ,not even on the ppi website,usually that means its pretty low= dirty power

 

[neo_styles 10+ year member]

the id is more of a sound quality sub ,which i think is more of what your looking for .as far as a boomy system that will be more about the size of sub and the enclosure .1000 watts rms is a decent starter amp and the ppi amp is a decent amp for the money ,would like the see the efficiency rating tho cant seem to find it anywhere ,not even on the ppi website,usually that means its pretty low= dirty power

A couple of friends of mine who bought them when they first came out have been very pleased. The P900.4 puts out more than rated, so I imagine the monoblock does as well. It's all the same basic topology.

 

[Sovelin 10+ year member]

Assuming I can fit both the 10" and 12" without a fuss, what benefits do each offer? I tend to listen to more bass heavy techno/hip-hop, as well as whatever is current on the radio (pop, indie rock). Though I would also prefer not to draw too much unwanted attention to my car. I think tight and punchy might be better for me than loud and boomy (though I'm sure regardless of size I won't be dissatisfied with the amount of boom/car rattle I get).

 

[neo_styles 10+ year member]

You get more cone area with the 12, so theoretically you'll move more air which equals more bass. I listen to tons of electronic and EDM and the ID exceeds my expectations. It's not snappy bass right now, but that's because I'm running without front speakers right now (in the middle of making baffles for the install). That snap or punch you're thinking of actually comes more from the midbass than it does the sub...

 

[mylows10 5,000+ posts]

might wanna go with a 10 inch sub if you like the tighter bass ,or maybe even an 8" sub for all that matters

 

[Sovelin 10+ year member]

You get more cone area with the 12, so theoretically you'll move more air which equals more bass. I listen to tons of electronic and EDM and the ID exceeds my expectations. It's not snappy bass right now, but that's because I'm running without front speakers right now (in the middle of making baffles for the install). That snap or punch you're thinking of actually comes more from the midbass than it does the sub...

Interesting, I was unaware of that. Would you say (assuming room was negligible) that 12" would work better in my situation?