New to the audio game

 

New member
Username: Mtd8301

Post Number: 1
Registered: Aug-10
So I bought my first system and I'm pretty disappointed with it. A single 12" American Bass in my civic hatchback.

It's loud but sounds like crap. A friend of mine pointed me to this forum to ask for advice, he said I should probably go 10's if I care more about SQ than SPL (terms I just now picked up from reading this forum).

I'm looking to spend between 500 and 1000 on 2 subs, box, and amp.
 

Gold Member
Username: Skdooley

Roanoke, VA Usa

Post Number: 1028
Registered: Oct-09
The size subs arn't going to play into how they sound as much as the type of sub it is, the enclosure and how much power they're seeing. If you want a good all around pair of subs, 2 Fi SSDs would be nice. They'd work nicely on ~1000 rms. A nice affordable amp is the AQ1200D on Audioque.com. The Fi subs are at Ficaraudio.com. If you want to keep the bass tight and clean, a sealed enclosure would do nicely. Two 12s in a civic would get plenty loud on 1k rms in a sealed enclosure. You could also do a single Fi Q in a sealed enclosure on the same power. If you want the music to sound good all around you might want to invest into a nice front stage and a good 2 channel amp. Its not something you have to do right away if money is tight, its steps you could take over time.
 

New member
Username: Mtd8301

Post Number: 2
Registered: Aug-10
If I could get by with one sub that'd be best, I looked at the Fi Q series, I don't know what any of those numbers seem except for rms and it seems good for the price.

My car is very narrow, 2 12's would take up my entire trunk and might not even fit, that's why I was looking at 10's.

On craigslist there's a guy selling 3 10" kicker ls7's in a box for only 300 dollars. Seems like a steal but from what I've read on here people don't really like kickers and they are more for spl. I'd have to fold the back seat down and put em in sideways lol.

I really like the idea of buying one really nice sub instead of having more than one. Also, what do you mean when you say "nice front stage" and could you suggest a "good" 2 channel amp? Though if I'm only looking at a single sub would I need 2 channels?

Money isn't a huge issue, I just can't justify spending over a grand on this. I like my music, but I don't feel like putting more money into my sound system than I paid for my car.
 

Gold Member
Username: Tejcurrent

Post Number: 2383
Registered: Apr-07
Which ab sub, what amp, what wiring, and what type and size box are you using? Ab makes decent products, and the size of the sub should not effect sq,
 

Gold Member
Username: Skdooley

Roanoke, VA Usa

Post Number: 1030
Registered: Oct-09
If you want a single sub that will give you plenty of sound, the Fi Q would do very well for you. If space is an issue you can do a single 12. One thing you want to make sure is that you have room for a proper enclosure. One 12 sealed shouldn't take up a lot of room. If you don't mind spending a little more for an amp I would suggest Sundown Audio. They make greats amps and hold their value. CDT and DLS make nice component speakers. One thing to look for is how much RMS they're rated at and then look for an amp that will feed them the correct amount of power. I'd say you would probably need between a 60 rms and 75 rms set of comps to keep up with the Fi Q. Its going to be a balance so one isnt over powering the other. You can always adjust gains down to help balance out a system. If you plan to run 2 amps, you may need to run larger wire depending on what size you have ran now. You could use distribution blocks in the rear to ground and power each amp.
 

New member
Username: Thelonewolf1985

Post Number: 3
Registered: Aug-10
http://www.audioque.com
 

New member
Username: Thelonewolf1985

Post Number: 4
Registered: Aug-10
careful your little alternator doesnt kill itself either
 

Platinum Member
Username: Nd4spd18

Philadelphia, PA

Post Number: 11265
Registered: Jul-06
While AQ makes mice subs they are NOT the right choice if you care more about SQ.


Two Fi Q 10" in a sealed box is, i'll bet, exactly what you need. Too bad, I just sold that exact setup at a steal of a price. Ask "polo" on this forum lol.
 

New member
Username: Mtd8301

Post Number: 3
Registered: Aug-10
@troy jones

I'm running the xd-12 off a sq-475 4 channel (800w) amp. i have no idea what kind of wiring (because i'm ignorant when it comes to this stuff) and i know the box is sealed but i don't know the dimensions. It's not much bigger than the sub itself though so probably pretty basic?

@M.S.
if AQ isn't the right amp what is?

My car is pretty small, if I was to leave the 4 channel amp on the components i already have in the front and rear then add another big amp on whatever sub/subs I decide to buy would I need to do something about the power draw on my alternator? I've seen some of my friends with capacitors and/or a battery in the trunk with their subs. I am almost definitely going a double amp setup because I really like the way my components sound with an amp on them.
 

New member
Username: Mtd8301

Post Number: 4
Registered: Aug-10
also i just checked out that sundown audio amp, it is about double what the AQ amp costs, is it really that much better?

I don't know what all those numbers mean on the specs page but they look pretty close to what the AQ one had.

Where would I go to find a good box for a single fi-q 12? What is the difference between getting a 12 over a 10?
 

Gold Member
Username: Skdooley

Roanoke, VA Usa

Post Number: 1031
Registered: Oct-09
I think a sundown 1000D was going for around $315 last time I checked. Also I think he was referring to the AQ subs not the amps. Their amps are fine on a budget.
 

Platinum Member
Username: Nd4spd18

Philadelphia, PA

Post Number: 11268
Registered: Jul-06
^^ yes

AQ amps are an excellent value. Their subs are not SQ oriented tho.
 

New member
Username: Mtd8301

Post Number: 5
Registered: Aug-10
alright i found a saz-1000d for 300 bucks, i tried to find a used fi-q but couldn't so i'll probably just buy it new. which of the options should i get when i buy it? Where should I go for a box?
 

Platinum Member
Username: Nd4spd18

Philadelphia, PA

Post Number: 11271
Registered: Jul-06
Get the "cooling" option for sure, theres no reason not to. Imo, for a daily driver you don't need any other options.

For a box contact bassman3 on this forum
 

Gold Member
Username: Skdooley

Roanoke, VA Usa

Post Number: 1033
Registered: Oct-09
There is a guy on this forum looking to sell a 15" Q for $150. Also look on caraudioclassifieds.org for good used car audio.
 

New member
Username: Mtd8301

Post Number: 6
Registered: Aug-10
isn't a 15 a bit big for my little hatchback?
 

Gold Member
Username: Skdooley

Roanoke, VA Usa

Post Number: 1038
Registered: Oct-09
Maybe, I was just pointing out that its a good deal. That site I mentioned though has good deals normally.
 

New member
Username: Mtd8301

Post Number: 7
Registered: Aug-10
ya i checked out that site, all the good stuff is already sold
 

Gold Member
Username: Skdooley

Roanoke, VA Usa

Post Number: 1039
Registered: Oct-09
It goes quick but just keep your eyes open. Deals come and go. Someone sold a 12 w7 for $300 still in the box.
 

New member
Username: Mtd8301

Post Number: 8
Registered: Aug-10
i've been reading about those, i take it i should jump on one if i find a good deal?
 

Gold Member
Username: Skdooley

Roanoke, VA Usa

Post Number: 1041
Registered: Oct-09
They're really heavy, require a rather large enclosure and run at a 3 ohm load. Finding an amp to run at 1 ohm will be easier and cheaper than 3 ohm. For a 12 w7 you'd need a clean amount of power from 500 - 1000 rms. They do sound great and are a nice woofer but for the money you can always go with other brands. For example the Fi Q gives the w7 a run for its money. If you can find a sweet deal on a w7 though, its worth getting.
 

Gold Member
Username: Skdooley

Roanoke, VA Usa

Post Number: 1042
Registered: Oct-09
I currently run one myself and have been very pleased with it. I however got mine for a good deal and lucked out with it. If I was in the market today to buy a new sub I doubt I would pick up a w7. I'd probably go with a Q or a SSA Xcon.
 

New member
Username: Mtd8301

Post Number: 10
Registered: Aug-10
Alright so I've decided on getting a fully loaded fi-q 12 with a custom box from bassman and a sundown saz-1000d or 1200d depending on which i find a good deal on.

when i buy the sub should i be getting the dual 1 or 2 ohm speakers?
what else do i need to make this setup work?
 

Gold Member
Username: Skdooley

Roanoke, VA Usa

Post Number: 1055
Registered: Oct-09
Dual 2 ohm so you can wire it to the amp at 1 ohm. You'll need wire for your power and ground. I'd get extra for the big 3 upgrade. Make sure you have a decent HU, RCA cables, remote start wire.. A digital multi-meter would be good to have to set your gain with. Also to measure your voltage while the system is running.
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