Sundown SA 18s

[BassAndBeer]

thinking of getting some, before I make such an investment I want to know.. are they reliable? do they get loud yet low and sound good doing it? my other option was havocs but those are $100+ more. so whats your guys' opinion on the SA 18?

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[Maky]

thinking of getting some, before I make such an investment I want to know.. are they reliable? do they get loud yet low and sound good doing it? my other option was havocs but those are $100+ more. so whats your guys' opinion on the SA 18?

People seem very content with the SA12 so unless something was changed with the scaled up version the SA 18 should be good as well.

More experienced forum members will be able to offer you alternatives as well...

 

[massivespl]

I've had 4 SA 18s. They get loud and play low ad sound good doing it. They are. Only 2.5" coils so they only like about 1500watts

 

[BassAndBeer]

I am so tempted to get some, but I have a feeling I will want to upgrade not long after I hear them. 2.5 inch coil idk man sounds kinda sketchy

 

[The Camry]

Ive got an sa-12 on 1000rms. Shakes the cabin. an 18. Oh yeaaa. You wont regret it.

 

[Popwarhomie 5,000+ posts]

I wouldn't pay $330 for a 2.5" coil 600 watt 18. But thats just my opinion.

 

[BassAndBeer]

you do make a good point there. a 2.5 coil can only take so much watts for so long. I know they can get loud, but I need subs that are going to be reliable. another sub in mind is ssa xcon or aa havoc. I can literally flip a coin..

 

[Popwarhomie 5,000+ posts]

How much power are you running/going to run? Are you looking for sound quality or just getting loud?

 

[BassAndBeer]

i have 2 hifonics brutus 1600.1 amps, SA subs are rated at 600 rms. 1 amp per pair at 1 ohm, so like 800 a sub if my electrical allows it? I am looking to get loud, but still have great SQ. I also want to be able to do hairtricks! obviously if I were to get one of the other 18s I mention id upgrade amps and everything else. i don't want to run an insane amount of power where ill need to have dual alts and 8 batts and loads of 0 gauge

 

[massivespl]

Those subs will handle a Hifonics 1600.1 to each sub. After rise u be lucky to see 800watt per sub.

 

[adulbrich 5,000+ posts]

I'd get one yardsale or used. Because they are only 2.5" coil, they get loud on less power.

Send 1k clamped to an SA 18 and Fi SP4 18. Then tell me which one is louder

 

[sundownz Pro Seller]

Not sure why the fixation on the coil size... the mass / motor force / stiffness ratio works out very well that way.

The SA-18 has a bigger motor than the other sizes & a larger diameter spider.

As far as it's capability... I have done some pretty hard testing on it for SPL purposes :

http://www.caraudio.com/forums/sundown-audio/609389-sa-18-spl-testing.html

Got up to 154.1 dB on the dash & a full 158.0 dB in the kick USACI style -- 8,000+ watts for a burp anyway //content.invisioncic.com/y282845/emoticons/wink.gif.608e3ea05f1a9f98611af0861652f8fb.gif

Long-term music power handling is just as much as the SA-12s -- people run quite a bit on those with no issues. Coil size is not the end-all specification for thermal performance... I made some protos a few years back which were basically an SA motor with 3" copper bifilar coils but ran a different basket (the "Hi-X" basket we offered on Z v.3 12s for a while) without our vent ring (open basket windows) -- head to head it handled substantially less power than a stock SA-12 with 2.5" coil.

 

[trust fund baby]

the coil size fixation is silly, and really is a noob way to value a speaker. ill take a more efficient, smaller coil driver every day.

 

[massivespl]

the coil size fixation is silly, and really is a noob way to value a speaker. ill take a more efficient, smaller coil driver every day.

Bigger coil will handle heat better that's a fact unless ur comparing some really cheap coils to some very high end coils.I've had 4 4" coil woofers wired to .5ohm on a crossfire 8k and hardly got really warm, then went to 4 SA 18s and wired to 1ohm and they would get hot fast on lower note songs and would get stinky after a song full tilt... But now I have 2 3" coil nsv3 18s on a crossfire 8k at .5ohm and those mofo eat up the power and bang all day long. This is just personal experience I've had. So take it for what you will.

 

[trust fund baby]

Bigger coil will handle heat better that's a fact unless ur comparing some really cheap coils to some very high end coils.I've had 4 4" coil woofers wired to .5ohm on a crossfire 8k and hardly got really warm, then went to 4 SA 18s and wired to 1ohm and they would get hot fast on lower note songs and would get stinky after a song full tilt... But now I have 2 3" coil nsv3 18s on a crossfire 8k at .5ohm and those mofo eat up the power and bang all day long. This is just personal experience I've had. So take it for what you will.

and ive been in the 156s with 2 3" coiled woofers. you dont need 16k watts to be loud. efficiency is where its at (and honestly, the woofers I used weren't even terribly efficient).

more efficient driver= less power needed. less power needed= less heat. less heat= less coil needed.

look, I'm not downing your audio choices, I'm legitimately glad you're happy. however, you cannot logically argue that its not a better idea to have a more efficient setup, all things being equal.

I can say with 1000% certainty, im happier with my current setup than I EVER was with any of my 4" coil drivers. (2 18" tc 5200s, 2 18" tc lms, 2 15" ss xxx).

of course, time could account for a change in taste.