Mixing subwoofer sizes?

[SounDrive Pro Seller]

There are a LOT of drivers that are labeled "subwoofer" and play above 250 hz with ease and clarity.
Also, not everyone wants a midbass in their door that plays from 50 to 2k. Or has 6.5" mounting locations. Or several other variables, including the want to have unrealistically over bearing midbass. What floats your boat may not be for him. He asked if it can be done, for whatever reason, and the truth is it can. And it can be done quite well.

Can it be done? Sure. Is it going to be as effective as other options? Nope. So why give bad advice?

 

[SounDrive Pro Seller]

im with you on this. i have seen and hear systems using 8" subs as well. i have a good friend that is using his rockford HX2 subs for midbass. his stereo sounds so good. he is using 12" subs 8" subs and 2x 6.5" components in his truck and it sounds amazing. using the correct amps and correct tuning and anything is possible. you just need to understand what you are doing.

If the OP has a processor then by all means let's just throw a hodgepodge of speakers everywhere. But since he is asking this question, I have a strong feeling that he doesn't have the proper processing to tune everything.

 

[av83 10+ year member]

If the OP has a processor then by all means let's just throw a hodgepodge of speakers everywhere. But since he is asking this question, I have a strong feeling that he doesn't have the proper processing to tune everything.

It was done successfully two decades ago using natural roll off points, enclosure tuning, and the onboard crossover and phase controls of amplifiers. There's no reason at all why this is should be only possible today with a processor.

 

[BoomTaco64]

It was done successfully two decades ago using natural roll off points, enclosure tuning, and the onboard crossover and phase controls of amplifiers. There's no reason at all why this is should be only possible today with a processor.

because that is what "todays" installers do. they rely on processors rather that natural roll off point. its easier to add a processor because its plug and play to them. basically..its easier for the uneducated ones.

OP..it can be done. Get it done and prove the nay-sayers wrong.

 

[Beatin' 10+ year member]

this is true with this site as well as most of its users. Beatin' is probably the last person on this forum i would take advise from.

yeah you and the other guy dont know shit.

You both would be the morons that would tell a new guy its OK to spend gobs of money on subs that can play up to 250hz. Both of you can share a turd sandwich.

 

[hispls 5,000+ posts]

I'll go out on a limb and say that the person who can pull off mix matching subs that had the ability to make it sound good won't be on here asking the question. If you don't know what you're doing it is more likely to sound worse than better.

 

[T3mpest 10+ year member]

Hard to say.. The "correct" advice here would be to start with better door speakers, seal and deaden the door, add an amp to the fronts, etc. If he still feels he needs more midbass after that, THEN other measures may need to be taken. Most subs can't play higher bass notes well, especially without shorting rings.. The z4 does use them, but it also is a pretty low effeciency driver so once you throw cabin gain on top of the low end, it simply doesn't give you enough output at 60-100hz, although it will play that region with flat response, just flat and reduced in output compared to the low end.

Anyways, I'm more than happy to spend gobs of money on subs that can play up to 250hz, just did in fact, to the tune of $750 lol.. Kinda hard to turn down a 21inch subwoofer that can also be used as a 21inch midbass though //content.invisioncic.com/y282845/emoticons/biggrin.gif.d71a5d36fcbab170f2364c9f2e3946cb.gif High inductance subwoofers, frankly, sound like ****. Bass down to 20hz does basically nothing for me. You dont' hear 20hz well, at least not compared to most speakers mechanical self noises and the car itself making noise on such low notes.. Given that 25hz is where most bass starts sounding "bassy" and 50-60hz is where most of these retard thick coil, no shorting ring designs start to drop off, that's literally an octave of response.. IMO, that's not enough of the musical spectrum to be worth the money.. Especially when there are plently of woofers that can easily do 25-80 or even 25-100hz+.

There are two reasons why people cross their midbasses very low, neither of which is very intelligent, IME.

First. Most people are used to the sound of cheap speakers playing full range. They are used to their doors vibrating, feeling their pantlegs flat abit when the "bass" hits and all the intermodulation distortion from the lower tones bleeding into their midrange. So they attempt to recreate this sound with aftermarkets.. Since the laws of physics don't change that much from one 6.5 in a leaky door to another, that isnt' hard to do. Both aftermarket and stock speakers can easily be pushed into exhibititing all these negative characteristics that people often view as desireable..

Second. The SQ elitist crowd has been convinced it's the "Right way" to do things.. You have to run your midbasses down to 40hz or else your substage will draw to the rear.. This is because most of them are either competing in SQ competitions or are talking to those that do.. The problem is what works for a competition being judged and what works for daily aren't the same.. Just as a SPL fartbox might be tuned at 55hz for maximum SPL, its not good for daily.. Neither is most cars being judged for pure SQ. First off, most SQ guys aren't using the midbasses in the door, they are using kickpanels that are heavily braced, moreso than you'll get just about any door, period. This allows them to run them lower without rattling in the first place.. Secondly, most of these contests are judged at around 85db's with the car off. That's pretty queit and with no engine and road noise to overcome, making 6.5's playing 50hz tones a little more realistic, since they don't have to play them that loudly in the first place.. However, when your playing closer to 95db's with engine noise and road noise AND trying to overcome your 2 12's on 1600 watts going full bore, that little 6.5 is going to fail. (lets face it that's how 99.9% of you listen to music, so stop listening to SQ guys who are using their gear the exact opposite way)

Anyways the point where sound waves switch from being a pressure front to an actual sound wave is called the schroeder frequency. This is dependent on the size of the room the speaker is in. Below that frequency, in theory the soundwaves will be very hard to localize. Near this frequency, things become easier to localize and there will be nodes all over the room. Well above it and your dealing with point sources again. Generally speaking most small cars, like a hatchack won't go modal until well over 100hz.. I know in my large 2 door cadillac, my sub didnt' pull rear until 140hz, if everything was well deadened.. My current SUV isnt' modal until around 80hz and it's a pretty good sized vehicle. Unless your driving an escalade an 60hz steep sloped crossover just isn't necessary. Treat all your rattles and get a low distortion sub, if you havent' done those two things, why are you even worrying about SQ?

Anyways, sorry to go off on a tangent, but hopefully this info helped someone out and will cause them to try to some lower inductance subwoofers and higher crossover points on their mids.

 

[MrFoca]

I've seen it done. Guy had 2 15's and 1 10 inch sub sealed. Said he used the 10 for just daily if he didn't want to have the 15's playing. I mean I didn't wire it up but it sounded ok to me. But was not a audiophile setup to begin with.