One $3-400 sub or a pair of $1-200 subs?

[VQ35max 10+ year member]

I'm glad this guy made this thread. I'm also deciding between a pair of ~$200-250 subs or a single 450-500. I've been looking at the RL-p's for the longest time but I don't know how loud they will get because if I go with two RL-p's I'll have to go sealed, if I get a single sub like a Mag then I can do a ported box.

 

[noob with an RS 10+ year member]

well i'd rather go with one 3 dollar sub than a pair of dollars because a pair of dollars equals two dollars.

 

[VQ35max 10+ year member]

well i'd rather go with one 3 dollar sub than a pair of dollars because a pair of dollars equals two dollars.

Any suggestions on an SQL sub then? That excludes AQ, DD etc., looking for something musical, this car won't be used at any competitions, strictly daily driven.

PS IDMAX in the avatar pic? How do you like it?

 

[Pr0d1gy 10+ year member]

Any suggestions on an SQL sub then? That excludes AQ, DD etc., looking for something musical, this car won't be used at any competitions, strictly daily driven.
PS IDMAX in the avatar pic? How do you like it?

So far the ones that keep popping up in that range are the Arc Audio Flatline, IDMAX, and the Stereo Integrity Magnums. From what I have read you really couldn't go wrong with any of them, but of course you may want to find some reviews on them or try to listen to them before buying. From what everyone is saying, one sub in our price range will sound better & hit about as hard as 2 lesser subs.

 

[Showrides]

So far the ones that keep popping up in that range are the Arc Audio Flatline, IDMAX, and the Stereo Integrity Magnums. From what I have read you really couldn't go wrong with any of them, but of course you may want to find some reviews on them or try to listen to them before buying. From what everyone is saying, one sub in our price range will sound better & hit about as hard as 2 lesser subs.

Persoanlly I prefer going with 1 high end sub, instead of 2 mid level ones. But there are PLENTY of mid level subs that I would really like to try out. Like the Massive CW's and the SS SPLX subs. Both look very good, for mid level drivers. But as of now I am going to go with the 2 SI mags.

 

[Pr0d1gy 10+ year member]

Persoanlly I prefer going with 1 high end sub, instead of 2 mid level ones. But there are PLENTY of mid level subs that I would really like to try out. Like the Massive CW's and the SS SPLX subs. Both look very good, for mid level drivers. But as of now I am going to go with the 2 SI mags.

I tend to agree because it leaves me the option of adding another high ender down the road, and the SQ tends to be considerably better with the high end. Of course this is mostly speculation on my part, but I would think this would be true of the better higher end subs. And I can add another one in a week or two if I wanted to.

 

[helotaxi 5,000+ posts]

The benefits of a dual sub setup:

...

Properly setup, you'll get a "fuller" sound

Other than sheer output, and with a high end sub compared to a pair of budget subs that probably won't be very different either, I would challenge you to tell the difference between the sound of one vs. two subs.

 

[Showrides]

I tend to agree because it leaves me the option of adding another high ender down the road, and the SQ tends to be considerably better with the high end. Of course this is mostly speculation on my part, but I would think this would be true of the better higher end subs. And I can add another one in a week or two if I wanted to.

Well SQ is great on many of the mid level drivers as well. I just like going with the higher end subs because not only do they sound great, but they have a lot of output a well. And of course I do prefer the sound of the mags, over many of the mid level drivers.

Also, I have just never been very happy with mid level drivers. I really like them for what they are, but I just don't like knowing there is much better out there. Of course there are many great drivers out there, but having one of the best SQL drivers always seems to keep me happy.

 

[Pr0d1gy 10+ year member]

Other than sheer output, and with a high end sub compared to a pair of budget subs that probably won't be very different either, I would challenge you to tell the difference between the sound of one vs. two subs.

Yeah that's pretty much what I was thinking. Someone said you get a 3db boost from a second cone of equal size, and that just seems useless to me. I would rather have one great SQL sub doing 3db less than a pair of lesser SQL subs doing 3db more.

 

[bonesninja 5,000+ posts]

i have the solution---one pair of 12" RL-p's for $400 shipped. Awesome subs with accurate reproduction and the ability to get very loud! Even in a sealed enclosure

 

[Pr0d1gy 10+ year member]

i have the solution---one pair of 12" RL-p's for $400 shipped. Awesome subs with accurate reproduction and the ability to get very loud! Even in a sealed enclosure

lol Doubt that enclosure would fit in the hatch of my T/A, good luck though.

 

[helotaxi 5,000+ posts]

lol Doubt that enclosure would fit in the hatch of my T/A, good luck though.

You'd be suprised with those subs how small an enclosure they want. How does 0.3 cubic feet per driver sound? A lot has changed in the decade that you've been out of the game. There are actually subs out there designed with car use and space restrictions in mind and those Rl-ps are just such subs. Tiny enclosure requirements and a response that matches up well with the transfer function of most cars.

 

[bonesninja 5,000+ posts]

You'd be suprised with those subs how small an enclosure they want. How does 0.3 cubic feet per driver sound?

wow...i was just going over the specs but i had no idea they would like that small of an airspace!!

 

[Lil Poot 5,000+ posts]

lol Doubt that enclosure would fit in the hatch of my T/A, good luck though.

you've gotta be shittin me. i had a 2.6 cubic foot sealed box for my 2 rl-p 12's and still had plenty of room. now i have a 4.2 ft^3 ported box, although its bigger i still see out my rear window fine. i had to have it come about 8 inches over my decklid to fit the ports. although mine is a thirdgen, the hatch area is basically the same. i've seen 4th gens with dual sealed 15's, and i think ported is even doable if you really want to.

by the way, it POUNDS and sounds awesome doing it //content.invisioncic.com/y282845/emoticons/naughty.gif.94359f346c0f1259df8038d60b41863e.gif

let me know if you want any pics or have questions.

 

[Pr0d1gy 10+ year member]

you've gotta be shittin me. i had a 2.6 cubic foot sealed box for my 2 rl-p 12's and still had plenty of room. now i have a 4.2 ft^3 ported box, although its bigger i still see out my rear window fine. i had to have it come about 8 inches over my decklid to fit the ports. although mine is a thirdgen, the hatch area is basically the same. i've seen 4th gens with dual sealed 15's, and i think ported is even doable if you really want to.
by the way, it POUNDS and sounds awesome doing it //content.invisioncic.com/y282845/emoticons/naughty.gif.94359f346c0f1259df8038d60b41863e.gif

let me know if you want any pics or have questions.

That's actually pretty much what I had in mind. Your well should be an almost exact match for mine, so if you could put up a couple pictures & some more info it would be greatly appreciated. Problem with mine is it has a molded base for storing the T-tops & I'm not sure the 3rd gen had that, so I'm thinking I need to make a solid platform in the well to sit the subs in, rather than an actual enclosure. But, again, I do not pretend to know everything. I only know I had solobarics 10 years ago that did a decent job, but I'm looking for more this time around. Those dual 15's you were talking about sound like exactly what I want.