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Review of 8" Subwoofer:Sundown SD-2
First off thanks to sundown audio for giving many of these out for us lucky guys to review!
linky to original thread
Product Page Sundown Audio SD-2
So what are these exactly besides from being huge, handsome and intimidating? Well these are sundown audio's offering for small box beefy 8's. Looking at them, the last thing one would think of would be small box subs. Indeed they look monstrous and they also look like they would be expensive. After man handling them a bit I have to say I am surprised at the hardware provided for the price (in a good way).
These reached me in Canada pretty quickly... wowzers.
First impressions were when I took the box from the fedex office... ouch, heavy! These were certainly not going to be standard issue 8's...not at over 15lbs each.
Let's get on to some pics
A few things come to mind. Huge, bulky, handsome. But also look at the surround on these guys! It certainly eats up what could have been more cone area. The cone looks small but this is ,in part, because of just how bulky this sub is. No matter form what angle you look at it, this screams testosterone hehe.
More shots, here we can see how easy it is to take pics of them on their sides. Also notice no back vent.
From the web site
To clarify though the rating for the 8 is 300 watts.
Here is a good shot showing some of the build quality we can expect from this line. Everything is neat and tidy, nothing is flimsy. from this shot you can see the push terminals (always a plus) that are solidly mounted and also the thick basket. The basket is no joke and I wouldn't expect this kind of hardware at this price range.
Here we can see the cone from behind. I always like to try and see just how solid or flimsy a cone is and I can assure you this is one hell of a stiff cone.
So to get back to just how small the cone is? From my measurements it's about half way in between a 6'5 inch and a regular 8. So it's not to bad considering how big that surround is. But that big surround isn’t just for show, it has the capability of moving close to 1" one-way without being damaged (not within linearity but it can do it).
Here are some comparison shots.
And finally here we have a shot next to a small sealed box that they are suppose to go in. That's a small box for such a big sub. Can't wait to hear how they sound!
Another nice touch is the stitching of the surround to the cone. Some might find it a bit tacky, others like me might find it a really nice touch. Either way it blends nicely as it is black like the rest of the hardware. Cosmetic only it is not however, it does add strength to an area where SPL guys might appreciate as it is a place known to rip when pushed to hard.
---------- Post added at 08:57 AM ---------- Previous post was at 08:56 AM ----------
No way to not come out of this impressed. I have been using them with MS8 and they integrate into every genre (thanks to tuning) without a problem. These are fantastic. Super punchy and detailed once tuned.
Right now I have just one of these in a 2012 santa fe. I am not a big basshead so I am not looking to be heard or feel the bass more than hearing the music.
Having said that
This single woofer, in a tiny box certainly delivers the bass. More than I need. It’s interesting to think that sometimes it’s not 100% about performance but other aspects come into play such as keeping room for groceries and such. The box is so small and takes so little room yet, I can get it to shake my SUV, annoy the neighbours and give me a back massage. I get a lot more bass then needed for music listening.
With MS8 tuning disabled, the sub part becomes truly unleashed and no matter how much I push it it just keeps on delivering more and more bass. I am truly impressed. And this seemingly effortlessly. It is not too surprising as Jacob said that these being an underhung design, the motor will run out of steam before these guys run out of travel. They can move no doubt about it.
Currently I use them LP at 90hz 24db running off about 400watts in a .35cubic foot enclosure.
I measured in car response no tuning
80hz 75db
63hz 82db
50hz 94db
40hz 85db
31hz 85db
25hz 78db
20hz 69db
Man even at 30hz this thing is going on strong. Crazy.
Even without tuning, in this particular enclosure, they are nice and punchy and certainly fun to listen to. They do need a fair amount of power to get going though compared to another 8 I have been using. However power is cheap so to me it seems like a great compromise.
These certainly come highly recommended.
Thoughts
Door mounting: doesn’t seem like it would be possible without a lot of door work. Just when you think you could maybe fit one inside your door, you will realise that you need a lot of clearance in front of it because of its thick surround and excursion capabilities. No way this would fit behind a stock door card speaker grill.
Rear shelf IB: It seems to me that simply because of how much travel they can do, that they would do alright in this configuration. Since these aren’t really expensive, it wouldn’t be a costly experiment. That being said. These require and perform so well in such a small enclosure I believe it would make more sense to mount them on the rear shelf but with their tiny enclosure. This way you get guaranteed performance and maintain the practicality and room in the trunk.
Music listening: One of these is sure to satisfy anyone looking for added low end for music listening that doesn’t want to take up a bunch of room but yet will still be able to turn it up and loosen up some body panels.
1 or 2?: If room is no concern and money either then the more the merrier. It can be louder but it can also simply help bolster the really low end via EQ. Personally I am satisfied with 1, I don’t find myself wishing for more bass however, another one will be going in hehe
First off thanks to sundown audio for giving many of these out for us lucky guys to review!
linky to original thread
Product Page Sundown Audio SD-2
So what are these exactly besides from being huge, handsome and intimidating? Well these are sundown audio's offering for small box beefy 8's. Looking at them, the last thing one would think of would be small box subs. Indeed they look monstrous and they also look like they would be expensive. After man handling them a bit I have to say I am surprised at the hardware provided for the price (in a good way).
These reached me in Canada pretty quickly... wowzers.
First impressions were when I took the box from the fedex office... ouch, heavy! These were certainly not going to be standard issue 8's...not at over 15lbs each.
Let's get on to some pics
A few things come to mind. Huge, bulky, handsome. But also look at the surround on these guys! It certainly eats up what could have been more cone area. The cone looks small but this is ,in part, because of just how bulky this sub is. No matter form what angle you look at it, this screams testosterone hehe.
More shots, here we can see how easy it is to take pics of them on their sides. Also notice no back vent.
From the web site
To clarify though the rating for the 8 is 300 watts.
Here is a good shot showing some of the build quality we can expect from this line. Everything is neat and tidy, nothing is flimsy. from this shot you can see the push terminals (always a plus) that are solidly mounted and also the thick basket. The basket is no joke and I wouldn't expect this kind of hardware at this price range.
Here we can see the cone from behind. I always like to try and see just how solid or flimsy a cone is and I can assure you this is one hell of a stiff cone.
So to get back to just how small the cone is? From my measurements it's about half way in between a 6'5 inch and a regular 8. So it's not to bad considering how big that surround is. But that big surround isn’t just for show, it has the capability of moving close to 1" one-way without being damaged (not within linearity but it can do it).
Here are some comparison shots.
And finally here we have a shot next to a small sealed box that they are suppose to go in. That's a small box for such a big sub. Can't wait to hear how they sound!
Another nice touch is the stitching of the surround to the cone. Some might find it a bit tacky, others like me might find it a really nice touch. Either way it blends nicely as it is black like the rest of the hardware. Cosmetic only it is not however, it does add strength to an area where SPL guys might appreciate as it is a place known to rip when pushed to hard.
---------- Post added at 08:57 AM ---------- Previous post was at 08:56 AM ----------
No way to not come out of this impressed. I have been using them with MS8 and they integrate into every genre (thanks to tuning) without a problem. These are fantastic. Super punchy and detailed once tuned.
Right now I have just one of these in a 2012 santa fe. I am not a big basshead so I am not looking to be heard or feel the bass more than hearing the music.
Having said that
This single woofer, in a tiny box certainly delivers the bass. More than I need. It’s interesting to think that sometimes it’s not 100% about performance but other aspects come into play such as keeping room for groceries and such. The box is so small and takes so little room yet, I can get it to shake my SUV, annoy the neighbours and give me a back massage. I get a lot more bass then needed for music listening.
With MS8 tuning disabled, the sub part becomes truly unleashed and no matter how much I push it it just keeps on delivering more and more bass. I am truly impressed. And this seemingly effortlessly. It is not too surprising as Jacob said that these being an underhung design, the motor will run out of steam before these guys run out of travel. They can move no doubt about it.
Currently I use them LP at 90hz 24db running off about 400watts in a .35cubic foot enclosure.
I measured in car response no tuning
80hz 75db
63hz 82db
50hz 94db
40hz 85db
31hz 85db
25hz 78db
20hz 69db
Man even at 30hz this thing is going on strong. Crazy.
Even without tuning, in this particular enclosure, they are nice and punchy and certainly fun to listen to. They do need a fair amount of power to get going though compared to another 8 I have been using. However power is cheap so to me it seems like a great compromise.
These certainly come highly recommended.
Thoughts
Door mounting: doesn’t seem like it would be possible without a lot of door work. Just when you think you could maybe fit one inside your door, you will realise that you need a lot of clearance in front of it because of its thick surround and excursion capabilities. No way this would fit behind a stock door card speaker grill.
Rear shelf IB: It seems to me that simply because of how much travel they can do, that they would do alright in this configuration. Since these aren’t really expensive, it wouldn’t be a costly experiment. That being said. These require and perform so well in such a small enclosure I believe it would make more sense to mount them on the rear shelf but with their tiny enclosure. This way you get guaranteed performance and maintain the practicality and room in the trunk.
Music listening: One of these is sure to satisfy anyone looking for added low end for music listening that doesn’t want to take up a bunch of room but yet will still be able to turn it up and loosen up some body panels.
1 or 2?: If room is no concern and money either then the more the merrier. It can be louder but it can also simply help bolster the really low end via EQ. Personally I am satisfied with 1, I don’t find myself wishing for more bass however, another one will be going in hehe
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