I'm looking for a SQ-minded sub/amp combo for $500 or less. One 12" DVC sub and a (preferably class D) amp that will do it justice. Sound quality is my main concern because I tend to listen to faster, punchier music (electronica & rock) and I don't need toooo much power. I'm looking for things I can buy new that are available for purchase right now (no eBay hunting or classified searching).
After some research, I've found that Audioque has some interesting amps (AQ750 and AQ1200-D) and so does Sundown (Saz1000-D, though discontinued, can still be had for $330) and both get good reviews. Am I looking in the right place for SQ? Are there other amps I should be looking at? I've read that the sub plays a greater roll in SQ than the amp...
As for the sub, I've seen recommendations for the SSA Dcon (though might even be able to wing the Icon if the amp is cheaper) and AQ's SDC2.5 (though, again, might be able to wing the HD series if the amp is cheaper). The RE Audio SE-X also caught my eye, though I've been reading that RE has gone down the tube in recent years. Also looked into RF's P3D412. So again, SQ-wise, what can I do for this price range?
I know $500 ain't much and I don't expect the moon and the stars for that sum of money, but I'm sure something good can be had so I'm looking for some experienced opinions! Thanks ahead of time.
$500 I would suggest 2 alpine type r's pushed by the AQ1200-D...Or you could go with a hifonics brutus 1200 as a power supply. Either way there both decent amps. Like you said your not going to go to the moon but you'll be close enough with this setup.
This would more than meet your needs. Amp $190-225 shipped Subs 200-250 shipped Wiring $30-60
Also some people here will suggest the fi-Q that can take 1000 watt rms and is a well made,on sight built by order only. They run from $225 and are perfect for you. Maybe one fi-q powered by either one of those amps with the gain turned down.
All tho 2 type r's will get louder than one fi-q because of cone area so with your budget thats what I would suggest. Unless of course you would like to upgrade your system In the future, go with the fi-q and just add another one when you get the money!
Thanks for the advice so far. Forgot about the Fi Q because I thought a built-on-order sub would be much more expensive; kinda surprising how 'affordable' it is. I hope I'm looking at the correct equipment and not getting greedy with regards to RMS wattage because I really am after sound quality, so if the stuff that has been mentioned so far seems too SPL oriented, please let me know! I'm pretty new to the car audio scene (been content with Prestige-level stock Pioneer / Harman Kardon setup in my Saab so far...)
One of the reasons I say this is the two videos posted by Pimp seem to have a good bit of distortion from the subs... but that might just be because of they were recorded with cameras or camera phones. Thanks for the advice so far.
One thing to also consider since you're on a budget is electrical upgrades. Your stock electrical might not be able to handle 1000 rms at 1 ohm, with efficiency being around 78% (esitimate). So lets say you're running 1000/0.78=1282 watts of current pull at 14.4 volts = 89 amps of current pull. You would need 89 free amps to handle the amp's current pull at full potentional of your settings. Now, since you're not wanting a ton of output and you dont't want to have to invest into any electrical upgrades, you could look for a sub to run at 2 ohm instead of 1 ohm, which would pull less power and be more efficient. 2 ohm would also give you better dampening over the sub which is going to help with sound quality. Dampening is pretty much how effectively the amp controls the sub. The higher the ohm load, the greater the dampening. So lets say you ran 600 rms at 2 ohm, and the amp is around 84% efficient (estimate) 600/.84=714/14.4= around 50 amps of current pull. Much easier on your electrical and should allow plenty of power for your car's personal needs. As far as for rock and quick type music, definately go sealed. I ran ported for years and have recently been running a sealed enclosure and wow what a difference in accuracy. I'm only running a 10w3 on 500 rms at 2 ohm in a sealed enclosure, but it does great for anything I throw at it. As for the sub, the Fi Q is great and if you plan to run the full 1k rms to it, that'd be a great choice. If you plan to run a little less power, you could look for a sub in the 600 rms range. Definetely go sealed though, without question. The TC Sounds Epics do well I've heard. You may look into those. As for the amp, I would go with the AQ1200D like you were talking about. For the price and performance, you really can't go wrong and it'll give you plenty of good, clean power. At 2 ohm it also offers 870 rms, which is great.
@Pimp: Yeah, man, just making absolutely sure since it'll be my first car audio purchase and I want to do it right! Thank you all for the recommendations.
From what's above, seems like AQ1200D and Fi Q is the way to go...