To FullThrottle7

[LoneRanger 10+ year member]

My name is Tyler and while reading one of your posts, I noticed that you have a couple of Audiobahn subs. I am looking into Audiobahn for my next set of woofers and would like to know about your experiences with them. I am looking at the lower lines, not nearly as nice as yours (the AW150Q and the AWC12T mainly), but would like to know if you have enjoyed your subs, or been disapointed. Many people say that Audiobahns have terrible SQ, but I figure much of that is just repeating what others have said. The few people I have talked to that have heard Audiobahn setups have said that their SQ was nothing special, but definately better than other subs. I am going for SPL over SQ with my upcoming system, so I am asking about Audiobahn because most people agree that they really bump if you give them enough power. Could you please tell me any problems that you have experienced with your subs, along with any advise on models, enclosures, or anything else on their subs. Also, instead of getting a pair of the models I mentioned, I could just get one AW1206T (The new 2003 one) that has twice the power as the pairs. Do you think that one of those would be louder than 2 of the others with a properly designed box? Thanks. -Tyler

Your inbox has been full the last two times i've replied, so i'll just post it here.

The audiobahn subs I have the most experience with are:

Alum 12Q

1200Q

1251x

Here's the lowdown:

Alum 12Q: Average SQ, Good SPL. I'd compare the SQ to something like a Fosgate HE2 or a Kicker Comp VR. The SPL is way better on this sub than the other two mentioned, but you have to feed it the full 700w, which can be difficult because the lowest impedence you can wire a single Alum is 3 ohms. Overall, it's not a bad sub, but there's better stuff out there for the price.

1200Q: Great SPL, Awful SQ. I'd compare the SPL to something like an RE HC...maybe not quite as loud, but with the right box, these **** things will surprise you. The SQ reminds me of a garbage truck stuck in second gear.....If you're just looking for a cheap sub to compete with or something to amaze your friends, this is your best bet. But if you like any SQ at all, you should probably look elsewhere. The cool thing about these subs is that they will take almost twice their rated power for burps, and they seem to do best in very large ported boxes (i designed a competition box for this sub. the plans are at http://www.geocities.com/spawn571ko/competition.html)

1251: JUNK. Plain and simple, these subs **** balls. They're cheaply made, they sound awful, they can't even out perform a kicker comp.....and to top it all off, they're ugly as sin.

STAY AWAY FROM THE NATURAL SOUND WOOFERS.

If I were in your position, I'd go with last year's models. They're no different than the 2003 stuff performance wise, and the only real difference are some cosmetic changes that have nothing to do with the way the woofer sounds. You can pick up the 2002 stuff (designated with a Q at the end of the model number) at ikesound.com or ebay for crazy cheap.

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[FullThrottle7 10+ year member]

Hey, thanks a lot for the reply. Sorry about the mail box thing. I only have about 8 messages, I didn't know they filled up that quick. These Audiobahns are incredibly cheap for what you get if they can really stand up to some of the higher-end stuff in SPL.

I have another question about the SPL and DB levels, too. If that single sub and box was able to get a 147, would another setup using two subs that hit the same db level at the same frequency sound the same from the outside of the car? I'm sorry if this is a dumb question, but it seems like every system I hear from blocks away are running two or more subs. My single Pioneer Premier IMPP is loud inside my car, but I can't hardly hear it outside, even when the volume is way up. I don't know what it has to do with, but I would really like my next system to be heard when I turn it up. If I made a box similar to that and only included one Audiobahn AW1200Q or even a AW1206Q, would it be loud enough to hear from a ways away? Thanks again for your help.

 

[LoneRanger 10+ year member]

Originally posted by FullThrottle7 Hey, thanks a lot for the reply. Sorry about the mail box thing. I only have about 8 messages, I didn't know they filled up that quick. These Audiobahns are incredibly cheap for what you get if they can really stand up to some of the higher-end stuff in SPL.

 

I have another question about the SPL and DB levels, too. If that single sub and box was able to get a 147, would another setup using two subs that hit the same db level at the same frequency sound the same from the outside of the car? I'm sorry if this is a dumb question, but it seems like every system I hear from blocks away are running two or more subs. My single Pioneer Premier IMPP is loud inside my car, but I can't hardly hear it outside, even when the volume is way up. I don't know what it has to do with, but I would really like my next system to be heard when I turn it up. If I made a box similar to that and only included one Audiobahn AW1200Q or even a AW1206Q, would it be loud enough to hear from a ways away? Thanks again for your help.

If you want people to hear your system outside the car, roll your windows down //content.invisioncic.com/y282845/emoticons/smile.gif.1ebc41e1811405b213edfc4622c41e27.gif

I never really cared how it sounded outside the car....I bought my equipment to impress myself, not people in the next county. The "Drive By SPL" or the loudness outside your car will depend totally on the type of car you have and how well it's sound-deadened.

If you've got the power and cargo space to accomodate two subwoofers, then go for it. The box shown on that website is for competition use only, and represents the maximum air space and port volume I've found that won't kill the sub on a 30 second burp. For daily use, it would probably kill the sub pretty quickly, especially without a subsonic filter.

Theoreticly, if you add a second subwoofer to the same amount of power and air space, you should see a 3dB gain. If you double the power, there's another three dB's, and if you double the air space, another three. Too bad it doesn't really work like that //content.invisioncic.com/y282845/emoticons/rolleyes.gif.c1fef805e9d1464d377451cd5bc18bfb.gif

Two 1200Q's and about 1800-2000 watts should be enough to make you not want to sit in your car with it turned all the way up. As for outside the car, I really have no idea, but I'm pretty sure that with the windows down it will be enough to piss the neighbors off if that's what you're going for.