First, a confession - I was going to just buy a JL Audio 12W3 and run it. But after much reading here, I realize that there are better options. Turns out that there are ALOT of better options. He says, with his head spinning...
I built an enclosure with 3/4" MDF and fiberglass (the matting is actually speaker box carpeting). There are process pix, but I'll put them into the thread once this is together and working. I set up the woofer to aim it at the center of the rear window to assist in dispersion of the sound waves, and frankly, it just wound up looking cool, so I don't regret it. //content.invisioncic.com/y282845/emoticons/smile.gif.1ebc41e1811405b213edfc4622c41e27.gif
Total size of the internal area is 1.75 cubic feet. It is not ported at this time. Honestly, I've heard too many bad ported enclosures and was going to just run it sealed. But my reading indicates that much more bass can be had from a ported enclosure. I just don't want the sound of the air in the port to overpower the sound of the music. We don't have much for car audio shops in central CT from what I can find, and there is even less for competitions to see how the "big boys" do it. I did find NewEnglandSPL.com from this site (thanks), and have their show schedule. Rocky Hill is just a few exits up the highway from me, but the May event is on my graduation (law school), so I'm missing that one. LOL
My music - just about any **** thing. Rock and R&B/rap along with techno are the main choices. I sometime throw in certain country if I'm in one of those "lost my dog, lost the house" types of moods. I think my problem is that I want too much from a simple design. I like the boom of the bass from r&b/rap and I love the solid hit from the bass drum in rock. Can they both be achieved from the same setup?
As a way of complete info, the head unit is an older Eclipse 5444, front stage are door speakers at this time and the rear fill are 5x7's at this time. They will be fed from a soundstream 4.640. I have a nice set of A/D/S separates from my previous car setup that I'll likely install in the rear in place of the 5x7's. I don't need alot back there, but want to have the sound from all directions.
I need a daily driver sub, not an SPL monster (though I want it loud). I've been looking at a few of the ones typically noted on this site - Audioque, Sundown, DC, Digital Designs. The JL Audio was going to be in the $200-250 range retail, so I guess that is my budget. The amp will be a Soundstream TRX-1000D (1000 at 1, 800 at 2, 500 at 4). I'd like to run it at 2 ohms and just lower the gain as required based on the sub. That pretty much means either a dual-4 or dual-1 voicecoil since most are dual coils.
Street Duty SDC2.5-12-D4 Subwoofer is less than my budget.
HDC312 Copper Coil Subwoofer is at the high end of my budget, but if it is worth it to go there instead of "cheaping out," then I'll do that.
SA-12D4 - SUNDOWN AUDIO 12" DVC 4 OHM SA SUBWOOFER SUB | eBay is is within my budget.
No idea on pricing of the DD subs (Digital Designs: Mobile Audio | Woofers) or the DC subs (DC Audio - Woofers) or even which one to look at from them.
Just because people want pix, here is the enclosure. I had a few requirements - first and foremost, I carry plywood and drywall on occasion, and I'm NOT for installing and removing an enclosure. If *I* can easily take it out, it means that someone else can too! This box will be bolted down and going no where. And after the hours I put into it, that's a good thing. Carrying a load meant that it had to stay to the outside of the wheel wells (I have 48" between the wheel wells). To gain extra volume, I cut out the main mounting plate, and then cut the center out of that and created a recessed area. Then I did the bottom as wide as I could while staying out of the 48" zone, cut and mounted the sub ring, and finally did the glass work.
Sitting upright, and as viewed with the tailgate down:
Laying on the side, and looking at the bottom 3/4:
Laying on the side, looking from top:
My amp mounting plan at this time is to do a similar design on the driver's side and mount the amps there. The windows are tinted, but I'll do some sort of cover for everyday use and to protect the amps, but want to make it so that it looks nice when I open it up.
So, which sub or subs do you suggest, and port or not port?
And as always, thanks!!
--MIKE--
I built an enclosure with 3/4" MDF and fiberglass (the matting is actually speaker box carpeting). There are process pix, but I'll put them into the thread once this is together and working. I set up the woofer to aim it at the center of the rear window to assist in dispersion of the sound waves, and frankly, it just wound up looking cool, so I don't regret it. //content.invisioncic.com/y282845/emoticons/smile.gif.1ebc41e1811405b213edfc4622c41e27.gif
Total size of the internal area is 1.75 cubic feet. It is not ported at this time. Honestly, I've heard too many bad ported enclosures and was going to just run it sealed. But my reading indicates that much more bass can be had from a ported enclosure. I just don't want the sound of the air in the port to overpower the sound of the music. We don't have much for car audio shops in central CT from what I can find, and there is even less for competitions to see how the "big boys" do it. I did find NewEnglandSPL.com from this site (thanks), and have their show schedule. Rocky Hill is just a few exits up the highway from me, but the May event is on my graduation (law school), so I'm missing that one. LOL
My music - just about any **** thing. Rock and R&B/rap along with techno are the main choices. I sometime throw in certain country if I'm in one of those "lost my dog, lost the house" types of moods. I think my problem is that I want too much from a simple design. I like the boom of the bass from r&b/rap and I love the solid hit from the bass drum in rock. Can they both be achieved from the same setup?
As a way of complete info, the head unit is an older Eclipse 5444, front stage are door speakers at this time and the rear fill are 5x7's at this time. They will be fed from a soundstream 4.640. I have a nice set of A/D/S separates from my previous car setup that I'll likely install in the rear in place of the 5x7's. I don't need alot back there, but want to have the sound from all directions.
I need a daily driver sub, not an SPL monster (though I want it loud). I've been looking at a few of the ones typically noted on this site - Audioque, Sundown, DC, Digital Designs. The JL Audio was going to be in the $200-250 range retail, so I guess that is my budget. The amp will be a Soundstream TRX-1000D (1000 at 1, 800 at 2, 500 at 4). I'd like to run it at 2 ohms and just lower the gain as required based on the sub. That pretty much means either a dual-4 or dual-1 voicecoil since most are dual coils.
Street Duty SDC2.5-12-D4 Subwoofer is less than my budget.
HDC312 Copper Coil Subwoofer is at the high end of my budget, but if it is worth it to go there instead of "cheaping out," then I'll do that.
SA-12D4 - SUNDOWN AUDIO 12" DVC 4 OHM SA SUBWOOFER SUB | eBay is is within my budget.
No idea on pricing of the DD subs (Digital Designs: Mobile Audio | Woofers) or the DC subs (DC Audio - Woofers) or even which one to look at from them.
Just because people want pix, here is the enclosure. I had a few requirements - first and foremost, I carry plywood and drywall on occasion, and I'm NOT for installing and removing an enclosure. If *I* can easily take it out, it means that someone else can too! This box will be bolted down and going no where. And after the hours I put into it, that's a good thing. Carrying a load meant that it had to stay to the outside of the wheel wells (I have 48" between the wheel wells). To gain extra volume, I cut out the main mounting plate, and then cut the center out of that and created a recessed area. Then I did the bottom as wide as I could while staying out of the 48" zone, cut and mounted the sub ring, and finally did the glass work.
Sitting upright, and as viewed with the tailgate down:
Laying on the side, and looking at the bottom 3/4:
Laying on the side, looking from top:
My amp mounting plan at this time is to do a similar design on the driver's side and mount the amps there. The windows are tinted, but I'll do some sort of cover for everyday use and to protect the amps, but want to make it so that it looks nice when I open it up.
So, which sub or subs do you suggest, and port or not port?
And as always, thanks!!
--MIKE--
