Thoughts on 2 12s and 2 10s...

[Ineedmorebass 10+ year member]

Hey. Okay, so, I have a 95 Civic Sedan (I needed something cheap that got good gas mileage so I could drive across the country and back a few times this summer) and after a month or so on the factory tape deck and 17 year old factory speakers, I had enough...

So, I bought a deck, tweeters, and new front and rear speakers.

A few days after that, I got the itch.. I needed some bass. I was on a budget, so I went with 1 JBL GT5-12 and a slot ported box, which, according to my calculations (which could be wrong..) is tuned to around 35hz, and a 250w rms mono amp.

The setup pounded pretty hard with my rear seat folded down, but didn't leave me completely satisfied. (My last build was a 93 Mercury Tracer wagon with an Alpine head unit, Alpine 6.5s and Alpine 6x9s running off some kinda 4 channel amp, I don't remember what it was.. Annnd a Kicker L7 15 in a custom ported box running off an Alpine V12 1000w(tested) RMS monoblock. Pounded HARD.)

So, I added another JBL GT5-12, and switched to a 1000w rms (500x2) 2 channel amp.

Loud. In some instances, the 2 JBL 12s are seemingly similar to my old L7. Heck, I even had the Sheriff show up at my house twice on a noise complaint and I don't even have immediate neighbors. I promptly told 'em to frigg off, since I live in the country, way outside the city limits, and there aren't even any noise ordinances, so.. Technically, there was nothing he could cite me for anyway.

ANYWAYS...

That lasted for a little while, and I decided I needed MORE bass.

Now, I'm SERIOUSLY limited on room. The Civic's trunk is SMALL.

I thought about getting rid of my 2 boxes, and building a ported box for 4 12s, but after doing some cubic foot measurements, with each GT5-12 requiring a 1.75 cubic foot box per sub, there really isn't anyway in heck I can make that box and fit it into my trunk. It has to be able to come out when I want, when I take the family grocery shopping, roadtrips, or whatever.

I did some math, and came up with the idea that I could fit 2 10s in a small sealed box (.75sq ft. per sub, which is what is recommended) and still fit it in the trunk, and, they would be removable, so if I was going on a trip and needed space, I could take out the 2 12s and leave the 10s, or leave the 12s, or 1 12, or whatever..

How do you think the setup would sound having 2 12s ported and 2 10s sealed, each subwoofer getting around 250w rms?

I'm also a tad worried that the placement of the 2x10 box directly behind the seat will hinder some of the 12s volume with the seat up/down. How much impact will this have? the 12s are in individual boxes on the rear corners of my trunk facing each other, with about 1.5ft of space in the middle. I feel like having a box in front of this "bass chamber" would hinder some of the sound flowing through where the seat rest would be.

Maybe I could remove the rear fiberboard dash panel, and drill a buncha big holes in the aluminum rear dash support panel thing to let more bass out of the trunk? I don't care how bad it looks, It's.. A 95 Civic...

Or, I could build a proper vented box for the 10s, fold down the backseat, and have them sitting on top of that facing the trunk area, and just take the 10s out when I have passengers or something?

SQ isn't the main issue here, SPL on a "budget" is. I'm trying to rattle my eyes out of my head and **** off the whole world. //content.invisioncic.com/y282845/emoticons/biggrin.gif.d71a5d36fcbab170f2364c9f2e3946cb.gif

Any ideas and / or suggestions?

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[thevic24 5,000+ posts]

Don't mix the subs....

What are you current box measurements including the port?

 

[mazdakid 5,000+ posts]

Build the box inside the trunk but leave room for grocerys.

An 18 can get pretty loud in your trunk.

 

[Ineedmorebass 10+ year member]

Don't mix, like.. Don't use 10s and 12s together?

The current boxes I have are 1.7 sq ft each. Are you wanting like.. Length, width, and height measurements?

 

[thevic24 5,000+ posts]

Don't mix, like.. Don't use 10s and 12s together?
The current boxes I have are 1.7 sq ft each. Are you wanting like.. Length, width, and height measurements?

Yes and yes...

Off subject a tad but your user name reminds me of "I need money" from How High....

 

[Ineedmorebass 10+ year member]

There is no way I can really build a box in that trunk for 4 12s.. Ported, it would need 7 cubic feet of space to be proper, and that.. Is like the size of my trunk. I could go 4 12s sealed, I'm sure, but.. Bleh... And I HAVE to be able to take the boxes out of my trunk. Spare tire and stuff under it, I drive across the country regularly and I'm really not trying to have a spare tire sitting shotgun.

 

[bgowdy 5,000+ posts]

yea dont mix the subs. id just use the 2 12s ported

 

[bgowdy 5,000+ posts]

There is no way I can really build a box in that trunk for 4 12s.. Ported, it would need 7 cubic feet of space to be proper, and that.. Is like the size of my trunk. I could go 4 12s sealed, I'm sure, but.. Bleh... And I HAVE to be able to take the boxes out of my trunk. Spare tire and stuff under it, I drive across the country regularly and I'm really not trying to have a spare tire sitting shotgun.

get a single 15" put in a good ported box and call it a day

 

[Ineedmorebass 10+ year member]

The current boxes are 15 x 18.1 x 16.2 inches. Each one is in the rear corner of the trunk with the subs/ports facing each other. I tried a few other positions and this seemed to sound the best.

 

[mazdakid 5,000+ posts]

There is no way I can really build a box in that trunk for 4 12s.. Ported, it would need 7 cubic feet of space to be proper, and that.. Is like the size of my trunk. I could go 4 12s sealed, I'm sure, but.. Bleh... And I HAVE to be able to take the boxes out of my trunk. Spare tire and stuff under it, I drive across the country regularly and I'm really not trying to have a spare tire sitting shotgun.

You easily have 7 cubes in that trunk if you know what youre doing.

I wouldnt try more than a pair of 12s or 3-4 10s in a ported box though if you have to be able to remove the box easily.

 

[Ineedmorebass 10+ year member]

I *could* get a single 15, but unless I spend a LOT of $$ on the speaker, I don't think it would be worth it. I'd need like a L7 15 or something like that, and I don't think it would be loud enough. Not to mention, there isn't a snowballs chance in hell that I could fit a ported box for that in my trunk and be able to remove it. Annnd that L7 alone would cost 100$ more than 4 of my 12s, or 2 12s and 2 10s, etc... The 2 JBL 12s are similar in volume to an L7 15, maybe not quite, but similar. I've had an L7 15, and my friend has an L7 15 that I hooked up in his Suburban and one in his Bravada.

1 15 is so like.. 5 years ago for me... In any case, a GOOD 15 with a PROPER vented box will not fit in my trunk, much less slide in and out.

 

[Ineedmorebass 10+ year member]

Why not mix subs? Will the bass sound weird?

I've played in several bands, where people used mixed cabinets with 10s and 12s, and it always sounded great...

 

[mazdakid 5,000+ posts]

Greater than the L7 15?

 

[Bettr n' Revrse 5,000+ posts]

No

 

[Ineedmorebass 10+ year member]

What about 4 GT5-12s sealed, 250 rms each...

Would that be louder than 2 ported 12s?