Zvx 8 vs Sundown sa-8v3

[Slo_Ride 5,000+ posts]

When I asked the question, I was under the impression that the sa8v3 had a 2.5" coil. I kinda don't want it anymore. I'd rather get something with a 2.5" coil.

Why is that?

 

[Slo_Ride 5,000+ posts]

I pretty much recommend SSA for anyone that wants 8"s.

 

[Bass911 10+ year member]

Why is that?

First thing you need to understand is that I'm not in love with 8 inch subs. I'm just experimenting and seeing if I can save trunk space. I understand your ssa recommendation, but I don't think the American Bass hd 8s that I went with are much of a downgrade. I already have plenty of bigger subs that I could have went with, but I just want to try these 8s out. The sa8v3 on some sites advertise it as having a 2.5" coil, and I understand that people run crazy power to them but I'd rather have a 2.5" coil. I'm not even that concerned with the high fs rating. I'm pretty sure the AB specs are off, and that the subs will play low enough for my expectations. They advertise them at 400 rms and 150oz magnet, but you can tell the 8 gauge direct leads handle more than 400 watts. The actual sticker on the magnet says 173oz, but it is probably 150oz? I know it might not be the best sub, but I decided to go with the best bang for my buck.

 

[Bobbytwonames 5,000+ posts]

First thing you need to understand is that I'm not in love with 8 inch subs. I'm just experimenting and seeing if I can save trunk space. I understand your ssa recommendation, but I don't think the American Bass hd 8s that I went with are much of a downgrade. I already have plenty of bigger subs that I could have went with, but I just want to try these 8s out. The sa8v3 on some sites advertise it as having a 2.5" coil, and I understand that people run crazy power to them but I'd rather have a 2.5" coil. I'm not even that concerned with the high fs rating. I'm pretty sure the AB specs are off, and that the subs will play low enough for my expectations. They advertise them at 400 rms and 150oz magnet, but you can tell the 8 gauge direct leads handle more than 400 watts. The actual sticker on the magnet says 173oz, but it is probably 150oz? I know it might not be the best sub, but I decided to go with the best bang for my buck.View attachment 28872

I'm putting an SIA3500 on two of them at two ohms. So, the SIA is 3,000 watts at two ohms. We'll see.

 

[Clifff150 10+ year member]

Wait Bobby, you’re doing 2 AB HD 8’s on an SIA 3.5k?? News to me

 

[Bobbytwonames 5,000+ posts]

Wait Bobby, you’re doing 2 AB HD 8’s on an SIA 3.5k?? News to me

Haha, you're funny! I can hear your sarcasm from here.

 

[Clifff150 10+ year member]

Just ******* with you haha

 

[Bobbytwonames 5,000+ posts]

Just ******* with you haha

I almost fell for it. I even took a pic of the amp.

 

[Buck 5,000+ posts]

I would rather have an 8" with a 2" than a 2.5" coil. It's called: excursion.

 

[Bass911 10+ year member]

I would rather have an 8" with a 2" than a 2.5" coil. It's called: excursion.

I already knew that, but the excursion must not be making that big of a difference because everyone is happier when they upgrade to 2.5" coil. Some guy made a video with the zvx, and he had the sa8v3 prior. He said the zvx was better than the Sa8. I can't remember which sub this other guy switched to, but he had the DC m3 8". He got some other sub with a 2.5 coil and he thought it was better than the DC. I have 4 of the HD 8s now with 14mm xmax, and I'm pretty sure AB didn't build them to ****. I haven't even heard them yet, and I'm not worried one bit of any Sa8 challenge.

 

[Buck 5,000+ posts]

I already knew that, but the excursion must not be making that big of a difference because everyone is happier when they upgrade to 2.5" coil. Some guy made a video with the zvx, and he had the sa8v3 prior. He said the zvx was better than the Sa8. I can't remember which sub this other guy switched to, but he had the DC m3 8". He got some other sub with a 2.5 coil and he thought it was better than the DC. I have 4 of the HD 8s now with 14mm xmax, and I'm pretty sure AB didn't build them to ****. I haven't even heard them yet, and I'm not worried one bit of any Sa8 challenge.

It's hard to compare woofers like that, you have no idea what box it was in or if any of it was even proper.

You're going to have a very hard time convincing me anything made by Skar is better than Sundown. I know things that others don't about Skar lol. I don't hate them, but they aren't pioneers IMO. They just like to make money. They do offer a relatively serious woofer line for a relatively low price, but it definitely comes at a cost. One cost is: doodoo t/s parameters on some woofers. Another cost is: why in the living hell does a skar ddx-10 need 2 cubes ported? Or the zvx-12's that need 3 cubes ported? Did they just put a bunch of random box sizes in a hat and randomly choose the first one that they pulled out of their hat?

As a box designer, something seems wrong there. I doubt they were designed to need that big of a box on purpose, lol. Maybe it has something to do with the fact some of their t/s are clearly posted with zero break in time, and that's how they determine box size, because they think their woofer is way stiffer than it is after break-in time. If those t/s are t/s after break in time, actually, then the problem just became a whole lot worse. Idk exactly, I just know that their t/s are doo on some woofers, and if you ignore the soft part parameters, you can enter the parameters less affected by break in time, and the woofer t/s actually make sense then.

You don't get issues like that from Sundown, usually. The worst thing about Sundown is sometimes they recommend too much port area, and the fact that they don't put RMS wattage and Xmax with the rest of the t/s parameters, you have to go fish them out of the paragraph explanation. That's not logical to me, but extremely minor details. Sundown is very good at what they do, maybe one of the best.

 

[SlugButter]

Yeah. I see a lot of these videos where they just throw 2 different subs in the same box with a db meter. Buck is right. Sometimes quality comes in the form of efficiency, and sundown is better. I won’t even consider an 8 that exceeds 1 cube per sq foot ported box volume to optimize it anymore. That counts the Zvx way out. It’s needing 2 cubes ported, and it’s specs are better suited for a large sealed enclosure to begin with. Not that it won’t work ported, but the sundown is far better suited for a ported application, and the sundown works well in half the sized enclosure that the skar will. Wouldn’t even want to run the sundown sealed actually.

 

[Bass911 10+ year member]

It's hard to compare woofers like that, you have no idea what box it was in or if any of it was even proper.

You're going to have a very hard time convincing me anything made by Skar is better than Sundown. I know things that others don't about Skar lol. I don't hate them, but they aren't pioneers IMO. They just like to make money. They do offer a relatively serious woofer line for a relatively low price, but it definitely comes at a cost. One cost is: doodoo t/s parameters on some woofers. Another cost is: why in the living hell does a skar ddx-10 need 2 cubes ported? Or the zvx-12's that need 3 cubes ported? Did they just put a bunch of random box sizes in a hat and randomly choose the first one that they pulled out of their hat?

As a box designer, something seems wrong there. I doubt they were designed to need that big of a box on purpose, lol. Maybe it has something to do with the fact some of their t/s are clearly posted with zero break in time, and that's how they determine box size, because they think their woofer is way stiffer than it is after break-in time. If those t/s are t/s after break in time, actually, then the problem just became a whole lot worse. Idk exactly, I just know that their t/s are doo on some woofers, and if you ignore the soft part parameters, you can enter the parameters less affected by break in time, and the woofer t/s actually make sense then.

You don't get issues like that from Sundown, usually. The worst thing about Sundown is sometimes they recommend too much port area, and the fact that they don't put RMS wattage and Xmax with the rest of the t/s parameters, you have to go fish them out of the paragraph explanation. That's not logical to me, but extremely minor details. Sundown is very good at what they do, maybe one of the best.

I'm not trying to convince anyone about Skar. I have ran some Sundown equipment, but I'm not as impressed as everyone else. Sundown makes good stuff, but since it wasn't the best bang for my buck I didn't get them. I'm no stranger to box building so I'm not worried about that. I'm not worried about t/s parameters. I'm going to build the box how I think it should be, and if that doesn't work I'll build another one. Most subs with big motors don't require a big box. I have 4 Sa15s right collecting dust because I didn't like the way they struggled with the lows. I tried some Audioque 15s in a higher tuned box and they hit the lows better than the Sundowns.

 

[Buck 5,000+ posts]

I'm not trying to convince anyone about Skar. I have ran some Sundown equipment, but I'm not as impressed as everyone else. Sundown makes good stuff, but since it wasn't the best bang for my buck I didn't get them. I'm no stranger to box building so I'm not worried about that. I'm not worried about t/s parameters. I'm going to build the box how I think it should be, and if that doesn't work I'll build another one. Most subs with big motors don't require a big box. I have 4 Sa15s right collecting dust because I didn't like the way they struggled with the lows. I tried some Audioque 15s in a higher tuned box and they hit the lows better than the Sundowns.

I'm not saying you're wrong about anything you've experienced. All I'm doing is sharing mine

I know the ZVX-12's do work. I did 3 in about idk, 7 cubes or so ultimately and they seemed very loud, I was sent a vid, the vehicle looked like it was going to break something at any moment. Violent is the word.

I still refer to big picture. Audio is complicated, and if I think something doesn't make sense with how it's described, there's usually a reason for it. How hot or cold was it outside when you tested each system? There's factors like that that can make a HUGE difference, that nobody has control over. Really, any of those woofers that I've seen mentioned there should really all be able to perform well, in a proper set up. I've never not had any woofer brand mentioned there not do everything it was supposed to, based on the intent of the design, and I've literally worked with a dealer that had all 3 of those brands you mentioned at the same time. I've installed and heard multiple systems with every brand you just mentioned, over a period of several years, in many vehicles.

AQ's are just loud subs. Idc what anybody says, they are just loud almost no matter what lol. I've had people get mad at me because they couldn't sit in their own car, because they didn't realize what they purchased with two HDC318's, and then let us build a box for it. True story, you should've seen the look on the guy's face. He was legit confused about what we did to his vehicle. I'd run AQ's woofers in a heartbeat, I really like them. I've had 2 HDC3's myself.

I'm not saying your experiences are wrong. I'm just saying there's usually a way to make stuff play the way you want. Regardless, good luck with the build. It'll probably be fun no matter what. If you want, let me know what subs you go with.

 

[Bass911 10+ year member]

I'm not saying you're wrong about anything you've experienced. All I'm doing is sharing mine

I know the ZVX-12's do work. I did 3 in about idk, 7 cubes or so ultimately and they seemed very loud, I was sent a vid, the vehicle looked like it was going to break something at any moment. Violent is the word.

I still refer to big picture. Audio is complicated, and if I think something doesn't make sense with how it's described, there's usually a reason for it. How hot or cold was it outside when you tested each system? There's factors like that that can make a HUGE difference, that nobody has control over. Really, any of those woofers that I've seen mentioned there should really all be able to perform well, in a proper set up. I've never not had any woofer brand mentioned there not do everything it was supposed to, based on the intent of the design, and I've literally worked with a dealer that had all 3 of those brands you mentioned at the same time. I've installed and heard multiple systems with every brand you just mentioned, over a period of several years, in many vehicles.

AQ's are just loud subs. Idc what anybody says, they are just loud almost no matter what lol. I've had people get mad at me because they couldn't sit in their own car, because they didn't realize what they purchased with two HDC318's, and then let us build a box for it. True story, you should've seen the look on the guy's face. He was legit confused about what we did to his vehicle. I'd run AQ's woofers in a heartbeat, I really like them. I've had 2 HDC3's myself.

I'm not saying your experiences are wrong. I'm just saying there's usually a way to make stuff play the way you want. Regardless, good luck with the build. It'll probably be fun no matter what. If you want, let me know what subs you go with.

It was a long time ago, but at the time there were others complaining about the same Sa15s I had. I thought it was going to be different with me but it wasn't. I still have 4 15 hdc3s bnib, but I do have plans for them. I also have 2 Mtx 9500 15s bnib, but no plans yet. I might do a build log on the hd 8s, either way I'll let you know.