Subwoofer Advice please
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New member Username: ThekronicPost Number: 1 Registered: Oct-11 | This is my first post. I come here to seek advice about my current configuration. It is what it is, so no point in trash talking in. Currently I have an old Alpine MRV-1507 (150W x2 @ 4Ohms) and two Alpine SWR-1221D (dual 2 Ohm voice coil w/ 300W RMS ) subwoofesr. I have them wired at 4 Ohms per channel. According to my calculations they are a little under powered. They sound good but I'm thinking I can do better. My Amp can do 600W bridged at 4 Ohms. Should I look into maybe one 12" woofer closer to 800W-1000W RMS? IF so any suggestions? Thanks for taking the time to reply. |
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Silver Member Username: Joe1234Post Number: 713 Registered: May-09 | Well, they sound as loud as a single 12" at 150W each, if you want to get a single 12" that can take the 600W and is superior sounding this can be done: http://www.parts-express.com/pe/showdetl.cfm?Partnumber=293-650 You just wire it to 4 ohms and put 600W on it. |
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Platinum Member Username: Rovin1 15 = 153 DBs ...Trinidad & T... Post Number: 17070 Registered: Jul-05 | if u are replacing 2 12s with a single sub id go with a bigger sub like a 15" so that more cone area wud more effective or upgrade both sub\s & amp all together to like a 1000wrms amp & a 15" .... |
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Gold Member Username: Loc_outSoCal Post Number: 3316 Registered: Feb-05 | What's your budget? Maybe you can sell those two 12's and buy two 12's that are D4. That will allow you to used the amp in bridge mode. Or you can sell the amp and buy a new one. It's all in your budget. |
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New member Username: ThekronicPost Number: 2 Registered: Oct-11 | These are all good ideas so far. As far as my budget, I don't think it would be more than 300 bucks. This is more of a fun project rather than a necessity. I recently just built a new enclosure just for fun. It didn't come out that bad. The right speaker is in a approx. .9 cube sealed box and the left speaker is in a 1.5 cube ported box at 34 Hz. It sounds pretty good.  |
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Silver Member Username: Lord_huggingtonOntario Canada Post Number: 518 Registered: Oct-10 | .... lol.... can you even do that with a box? It can't be a fourth order.... can it? What am I missing? |
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New member Username: ThekronicPost Number: 3 Registered: Oct-11 | The two chambers are completely separate. Just picture a single sealed box and a single ported box married together. Something like this from the top.  |
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Silver Member Username: Joe1234Post Number: 717 Registered: May-09 | There is something you don't see every day. |
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New member Username: ThekronicPost Number: 4 Registered: Oct-11 | you should have seen some of the crazy ideas i threw out because they were too weird. I think for this project I want to do one 12 (or 15). maybe experiment with way the woofer or port faces. I have never done anything but point everything towards the rear. I have heard a a system that sounded good with the woofers firing up, or MTX does all of their boxes with a rear facing woofer/side port. |
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Gold Member Username: Wolf_houndPhoenix, AZ Post Number: 1437 Registered: Sep-05 | Ur name makes me want to get high. |
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Silver Member Username: ThelonewolfNew Ipswich, NH USA Post Number: 346 Registered: Jul-05 | why do you have a cap... |
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Gold Member Username: Loc_outSoCal Post Number: 3318 Registered: Feb-05 | same reason he has a sealed and ported box. |
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Silver Member Username: Joe1234Post Number: 719 Registered: May-09 | Thekronic, for fun you can check out these boxes: http://www.the12volt.com/caraudio/boxes4.asp Or even these: http://www.the12volt.com/caraudio/boxes6.asp Anyways what advise would you like, want more output, more sound quality or build yourself something rare. |
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Silver Member Username: Lord_huggingtonOntario Canada Post Number: 519 Registered: Oct-10 | Either port them or play with a 4th order/6th order. I don't think that is a 4th order as the ported sub isn't being affected by the sealed, however since they are so close together, they should be playing 2 seperate frequencies at the same time, so they cancel eachother out. Either way, porting them will be the loudest & simpliest. Try putting your box forwards, but seal it off with duct tape, blankets, and deadening, maybe some MDF for a cheap wall, fill in the cracks, it'll be quite a bit louder. Decide your space before you decide your sub(s). |
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Silver Member Username: Lord_huggingtonOntario Canada Post Number: 520 Registered: Oct-10 | Those aren't bad subs, but if you want an improvement, look at SSA DCON 12's or even 2 15's - 2 15's on 600w would be a big upgrade. Then there's the incriminator 187, some others around 300W RMS. I'd bet that the DCON 15 on 300w would be a better performer than other 15's on 600w. $140 doesn't break the bank either. |
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New member Username: ThekronicPost Number: 5 Registered: Oct-11 | okay now things are picking up after everyone has gotten over the fact that im a little weird. >>Anyways what advise would you like, want more output, more sound quality or build yourself something rare. @Joe I think this is a good question. For budget purposes I want to keep my amp, move to one sub (that maximizes my amp) and build a creative enclosure that sounds good and is a good conversation piece. As for your links I've browsed these before. The first ever box I built was a "Three chamber single reflex bandpass enclosure" without even knowing it. How do you calculate volumes for any of the boxes on these two pages? anyone have experience with them? @lord i was asking about a speaker first so the enclosure dimensions and volume can be optimized for that speaker. Do you think it's better to do the box first? |
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Silver Member Username: Joe1234Post Number: 720 Registered: May-09 | Thekronic, so cold on output warm on sound quality and hot on weirdness is my reading. Bandpass enclosures are build for high output. Ported enclosures are the jack of all trades. Sealed enclosures are for sound quality. Weird can be achieved to some extent with any of them take a look at this sealed:  There are Math formulas for all of them but usually software is used. With the best software I have I can only calculate sealed ported, and few bandpass. |
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Gold Member Username: SomedonniedudeIllinois Braaap MX Post Number: 3227 Registered: May-07 | I have seen worse ideas, like I know someone who drilled some big holes in the side of their sealed box to make it "ported" lol. If yu want to try something new and effective, build a new big ported box (one big box, no crazy little boxes inside). No seperate chambers, just one big chamber. Somewhere between 4~5 cubic feet internally, tuned to like 32~36hz. With 60~75 square inches of port area. Bet it will get loud use this to help http://reaudio.com/box.php\ |
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New member Username: ThekronicPost Number: 6 Registered: Oct-11 | @joe, that is awesome. i think i am going to buckle that thing into my passenger seat! |
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Silver Member Username: Joe1234Post Number: 722 Registered: May-09 | If you put it on the back it may actually kill you..lol. But in all seriousness sealed has the greatest SQ, that thing may actually sound good. So I am still clueless about what you want, a single nice & loud 15" ported will do?? or is it something else. |
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Silver Member Username: Lord_huggingtonOntario Canada Post Number: 521 Registered: Oct-10 | The RE calculator is inaccurate by 5+ Hz. Do it the long way on the 12 volt box calculator. Sealed won't have good SQ if it drops off around 60 Hz. Then it's not even a matter of SQ, it'd be a matter of not enough out put for even SQ. That clear sealed coicle is frickin' sweet. No crazy resonances within a sphere. You should calculate the box by using the largest dimensions before choosing the sub. After you have the box, model the specs of the sub(s) to see which has more out put. This is because a 10" can be better/louder on 100W than a 15" on 1000W. It's all in the box. |
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Silver Member Username: Lord_huggingtonOntario Canada Post Number: 522 Registered: Oct-10 | Ported will most definetly be the best BTW. Try 4-5 cubes @ 30-35 Hz. |
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Silver Member Username: Joe1234Post Number: 726 Registered: May-09 | A weird alternative great for SQ and efficiency is the transmission line enclosure, since no software supports it I have stayed away from it, not an easy build either, take a look: http://www.quarter-wave.com/ There are some Mathcad models there, I have still to look into them. |
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New member Username: ThekronicPost Number: 7 Registered: Oct-11 | originally i was looking for speaker recommendations that will optimize my amp. since this is a side project a speaker with good bang for the buck would be desirable. Recommendations for a single 12" woofer that will work well with the below? After that is done we can talk about enclosures. ( i like the idea of t-line, maybe we can get more info). MRV-1507 Power Output: RMS Continuous Power (at 12.0V, 20 Hz to 20kHz) Per channel into 4 ohms ............................ 150W, 0.08% THD Per channel into 2 ohms ............................ 300W, 0.3% THD Bridged into 4 ohms ................................ 600W, 0.3% THD Power Output: RMS Continuous Power (at 14.4V, 20 Hz to 20kHz) Per channel into 4 ohms ............................ 225W, 0.08% THD Per channel into 2 ohms ............................ 450W, 0.3% THD Bridged into 4 ohms ................................ 900W, 0.3% THD |
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Silver Member Username: Joe1234Post Number: 728 Registered: May-09 | Ok well, this one will fit that amp perfectly and is high quality, also within your price range, below is the manual with exact instructions to build a box for it either sealed or ported: http://www.sonicelectronix.com/item_10287_JL-Audio-13W3v3-4.html http://mobile.jlaudio.com/pdfs/11636.pdf |
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New member Username: ThekronicPost Number: 8 Registered: Oct-11 | this looks good to me. I think i am going to start this project. I will update when I have something to show. thanks! |
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Silver Member Username: MakinblakMonroe/Monticello, La/Ar Post Number: 755 Registered: Oct-10 | A t-line with a plexiglass top would b sweet. Or IB? |
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Silver Member Username: Joe1234Post Number: 738 Registered: May-09 | Ok, anyways you should know that if you have the extra space a 15" could be considered, That's why one keeps asking about the space. |
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New member Username: ThekronicPost Number: 9 Registered: Oct-11 | you are suggesting a 15" mainly because of overall surface area? the box i have now barely fits, i would have to move my amps around (which is not that big of a deal, any maybe a good thing). What would be the 15" recommendation? If there is a recommended enclosure size as well, I could see if I could squeeze it in. I have a 02 accord for trunk space. |
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Silver Member Username: Joe1234Post Number: 741 Registered: May-09 | One example could be this (still below $300): http://www.soundsolutionsaudio.com/store/products/ICON%252d15-D2-%E2%80%93-Sound -Solutions-Audio-15%22-1000W-Dual-2%252dOhm-ICON-Series-Subwoofer.html This is a SQ subwoofer, a clear improvement over my previous suggestion, should work nicely in either a sealed 3.0 cuft enclosure or a 3.0cuft@30Hz ported enclosure (better bottom end and loudness). If you can provide your max available dimensions (L,H,D) I could provide you with a cut list. |
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