joemacgames

Hello, I was planning on buying a new system a couple months ago and I had it all planned out. I was going to get 1 12" Fi BTL, but something came up and I couldn't get it. But, I'm back in the market for a new system now and my goals have changed a little. I'm in love with the ridiculously low bass. I listen to a lot of C&S and slowed songs. I don't want to have to upgrade my alternator (It's a 135amp) so I'm not going to get a BTL. I've been doing tons of research and have narrowed it down to the Q or the BL. whichever one I get will be a 12" fully loaded running off either an AQ1200D or an SAE 1200 in a 2.5ft enclosure. I know the Q is SQ and the BL is more SPL, but from what I've read the Q can hit lower than the BL. I was going to get a Q and tune it to 30Hz, but now I'm having second thoughts and want to get the BL bc of the SPL. my question is: will the added xmax for the lows of the Q outweigh the added SPL of the BL? and is 30Hz too low for regular (not slowed) songs to be loud? Thanks, Joe

Okay, I'll get about 10ft since its pretty cheap. Should I go ahead and get some 0 ga too just in case I don't have enough left over from my amp kit for the big 3?

ok, so I'll get a BL Dual 2, SAE 1200D, Knukonceptz 1/0 amp kit with 200 amp fuse and then use my 16ga speaker wire from my other amp kit for my sub-to-amp wire. And for my enclosure I'll do 2.5ft tuned to 30Hz. is 16ga enought, or do I need to buy some new wire when I get my amp kit?

Okay, I'm planning on getting an SAE 1200D and a 1/0 amp kit from knukonceptz. I have to choose which size fuse to get with the kit. based on my amp, which size fuse would be best? And will I need additional speaker wire to run from my sub to my amp? I have an 8 gauge amp kit from my old system. could I use that wire for my speaker wire? here is the amp kit I was going to get: http://www.knukonceptz.com/productDetail.cfm?prodID=KFX-PK0

Hi, I'm going to build a new system in the next month or so and at the moment this is what I'm looking at getting. 1 Fi BTL 12" or 15" MB Quart 1500 watt amp (I'll add more power when I upgrade my electrical further) However, I found a 15" Ascendant Audio Chaos on craigslist for $220 with a 4 cubic ft. enclosure. The guy says its in good condition and has only been running on 500wrms. I don't know anything about the AA line of subs. Which Fi sub would it compare to? Would it be worth the extra money to get the BTL? My goal is the loudest system under $800 heres the link to the post: Ascendant auidio 15" Chaos W/4cube ported box Thanks, Joe

Ok, thanks guys

Hi, I currently have 1 kenwood KFC W3012 with an alpine m500 amp running at 4 Ohms with 300 watts in a custom ported enclosure (my dad and I built it and it's not that good). I bought it about 6 months ago and am not happy with my purchase. It gets moderately loud in the mid-range bass, but when the songs get lower, it gets super quiet and just sounds bad. It gets the job done, but thats about it, so it's time for an upgrade. I have a crown victoria with the police package so it has a HO alt already, and it has plenty of trunk space for a large enclosure. My goal is to have the loudest system around 5-700 (not including enclosure). I listen to rap/ hip hop I've been doing some research and I'm looking at maybe 1 12" Fi BTL with either an AQ 1200D, SAE 1200D amp or MB Quart DSC1500.1, or 2 AQ SDC 15's with one of those amps. I know the BTL is the higher end, SPL oriented speaker from Fi and the SDC's are AQ's lower end, daily driver speaker. How does the BTl compare to AQ's HDC3 line of subs? My main question is, would I be better off buying 1 higher quality sub, or 2 lower quality ones? For example, 1 BTl or 2 BL's. Since I have such a large car, would I be better off with 2 subs? These are just two options that I've come up with, so I'm open to any suggestions. Like I said, I'm aiming for volume, not SQ, and if possible, I'd like to get some windshield or roof flex (idk if thats possible with my budget and the size of my car though) Thanks, Joe I found this amp too: Power Acoustik BAMF5500/1D its only $329. is Power Acoustik any good?

I double checked the price and I was thinking about the MB Quart 2000 watt one for 300. The 1500 is actually ~210. I'll check my trunk dimensions to see which would fit better between the 12 and 15. I'll take a look at that Sundown sae 1200 though! Thanks for all the help! Edit: I have my sub and amp picked out, but I don't have an encosure to put it in I looked at the Fisher Customs and Audibel Customs and both are in my price range, but I was wondering if any of you had any experience with them (good or bad) that you could share with me. I'm leaning towards the Audibel Customs because they come double baffled, carpeted, and the subs are flush mounted. Audibel Customs: 1 12" $114 1 15" $135 Fisher Customs (with carpet 4.0 cubes) $210 The Audibel Customs doesn't include shipping, but I can't imagine it making up for the price difference (how much would shipping be for an enclosure?) Also, The Audibel customs will do a kerffed port for 15% more. I know what a kerffed port looks like, but I don't know what they do I have a trunk, so would it be best for my enclosure to be sub up, port back, or sub back, port back. Or does it make any difference. Thanks!

Thanks! I think I'm gonna go with the 15" BTL and an MB Quart 1500 watt amp (unless there's something better for the same price. I found one for 300.) Do I need to get anything except the cooling option? (its free between now and the end of may.) And should I go with D1 or D2?

Ok. I've been doing a lot of research and from what I've read kicker and JL are sort of overrated compared to DC, Incriminator, Ascendent etc. I'm sure they're worth the money, but I just want to be different than everyone else at my school who jumps on the bandwagon and goes the usual kenwood, rockford, JL route

What do you mean by mainstream?

I'd like to keep the sub and amp around 5-700 so I can get an enclosure and wiring kit and keep it all under 1000. Do you know how large of an amp I can safely run off my 130amp alternator with 1 battery? (assuming I do the big 3). As long as I can run the amp for it, I'll go with a BTL. Would it be a bad idea to get a 1200 or 1500 watt amp for now and then upgrade my alt and amp in the future? I double checked my alternator and it's 135 and I have a battery that has 3 numbers on it. They say 1000 cranking amps, 850 and 150 reserve

How do you think the AQ HDC3-Aluminum would compare to a BTL? (the reason I'm interested in Fi so much is it's a good, loud sub for a reasonable price. I wish I could go with a DC level 4 or xl, but it's just out of my budget :/) My other question is what electrical upgrades would I need to do? I haven't done the big 3 yet (I'll probably use the leftover from wiring my amp etc.) and I just checked my alternator for my model car online and it's only 130amps. I guess that rules out the BTL?

By "SSD" do you mean the Fi SSD or SSA as in Sound Solutions Audio? If the Fi SSD, it's not really what you want if your goal is volume. Not saying that they couldn't get loud, but the BTL or BL is more what you'd want. If SSA, then I'd say XCON, but since you really don't care about SQ then I'd look somewhere else. Not saying the XCONs can't shake the crud out of your car, but I think you'd be happier with a BTL than an XCON. Ascendant look at them Mayhem or Havoc. yeah, I meant the SSA. I'll look into those. thanks

Why steer clear of AQ? They have many respected products for the price. Judging by your statement you were suggesting it is bad quality. I mean I have my unexplainable biases as well :: , but AQ should not be thrown out without a reason. Although, I agree with the Fi BL, great sub for the price and it gets loud with a properly built box (extremely important in your case, a 15 in the right ported box pounds!!!). I would at least try a lower model before stepping up to a BTL, it is a beast of a sub. There are plenty of other subs too, I wouldn't get stuck on one particular one like you seem to be with the BTL. Research into DC Sound Labs Level 4 and the XL, good subs for the money. There are also Ascendant Audio and SSA subs, and they really get loud without sacrificing SQ. I know you say you want loud, but it is good to have some experience before you go for the gold. With the right amp and enclosure these will get plenty LOUD, without sounding like poo. As for amps, the AQ 1200d, SAE-1200d v2, Elemental Designs NINe.1, Nakamichi 1200d (on sale at woofersetc), and many more, just check around the forum and see what people are using. I took a look at the DC level 4s and XLs, but they're a little out of my budget :/ I understand what you're saying though about starting a little lower than a BTL (or equivalent) and then working up, but I have a feeling that if I got a BL or something I would want to move up to the BTL after a little while and It would end up being more expensive in the long run. If I decide to go with a "monster" sub and it turns out to be too much, could I mess with the EQ in my headunit or run less power to it to make it more manageable? How large of an amp can I use before I need to get another battery? If I would have to do that for a ~2000 watt sub, then I'll probably go with a BL or something. What subs from SSD and Ascendant Audio would you recommend? Also, how much should I be looking at spending to have an enclosure built?

Ok, would 1 15" BTL be good? I think it's ~200amps. Do you know of any specific amps that would be good for the 1 15" btl?

Hello, At the moment, I have 2 Kenwood 12's (4 Ohms, 400rms) in separate ported enclosures that I built. It was my first time building a sub enclosure, and I don't think I did it right. I have an alpine MRP-M500 amp running at 300wrms at 4ohms. I listen to rap, and when I play a song that goes really low (Put on- jeezy for example) the lowest note is really quiet. I'm assuming its a combination of the wrong box specs and them being underpowered? I'm planning on getting a new system in a couple months, but until then, I'd like to fix my current one and in the process, I'd be getting another box build under my belt to practice for my next one. My goal is to make it louder, and enable it to hit the lower notes better. My idea is to build a new single sub enclosure, and just not use the other sub so I can run the other one with more power and in a bigger box. The amp is 500 watts at 2ohms, but the sub is 4 ohms. would it be possible to wire the sub to 4 ohms to increase the power going to it? I looked up the sub on kenwood's website and they list these specs for a ported box: • Volume: 1.5cu.ft • Width: 19-15/16” • Height: 14-3/16” • Depth: 12-5/8” • Mounting Hole: 11-1/8” • Slot Width: 1-3/8” • Slot Height: 12-11/16” • Slot Length: 18-7/8” • Displacement: 0.157 cu.ft Are these specs good, or would you recommend something else?

lol it figures that I can't trust the manufacturer to give specs for a decent box How do you calculate the tuning? And do you have any suggestions for what size box I should be looking at?

It's not cone size or the amplifier(unless the subsonic filter is preventing low frequency extension) that prevents the subwoofer from playing certain frequencies. The enclosure determines low frequency extension. If you want low frequencies tune ~30Hz. There are many people that can help you with an enclosure plan, myself included but I have several to design already, two companies have forums on here. BJ Fisher at www.fishercustoms.com and Trevor Komat at www.poundthatsound.com both design and make EXCELLENT enclosures. Ok, thanks for all the help

Hello, I'm thinking about getting 1 18" bl sub pretty soon, so I'm designing the enclosure now to make sure it fits. I have a 2000 Crown Victoria Police Interceptor, so the trunk is pretty big. I want to do a sub up, port back enclosure, but I'm open to anything. I'd like to get it around 7ft^3. Here are a couple pics from a crown vic's trunk. I wrote in my trunk dimensions on one of them. They are (as accurate as I could get ) 26"D x 41"W x 20" H (13" clearance under the spare tire, 20" for the whole trunk) Heres a video with the kind of enclosure I would like to build Would this be possible in my trunk? Also, what dimensions should I be looking at for my port? I'm aiming for ~32Hz If it would be too tight of a fit, I could go with a 15". Also, I was under the impression that 18's could hit better lows than 15's, but then I heard someone say that they're the same. is this true? If not, then I'd be looking at getting a higher quality 15"

They're in separate ported enclosures that I built: 21"W x 16"H x 12"D. idk if they're that great, but my subs sound fine, so I'm pretty happy lol. I'm just looking to step it up and get something new

Hello, I'm getting a new system, and I need some help please. All I need is a sub(s) an amp, and the wiring. I'm building the enclosure, and I already have a HU. My budget is ~$600, and my goal is to have a system that pounds really hard I have a 2000 Crown Vic Police Interceptor, so trunk space isn't an issue. At first I was considering 1 18", but I changed my mind because I don't want to fill my entire trunk w/ the enclosure First, would 1 12", or 1 15" be enough for a Crown vic since it's a large car? I've heard mixed feelings on this. If it is enough, I'm looking at the AQ HDC3 15" with either an MB Quart DSC2000.1D or AQ 1200D. The other setup I'm looking at is an Fi 15" BL with the same amp- either the AQ or the MB Quart. I'm also considering (possibly) stepping up the the Fi BTL 12". Would the BTL be worth waiting for until I save up the extra money? How do these ideas sound? I don't have any bias' so I'm open to any ideas you might have There's two things I'm confused about regarding subs and enclosures: 1. can a 12" sub hit the same lows as a 15 or 18? If so, how do I maximize the volume of these lows, because on my current system (2 kenwood 12's w/ alpine 500watt amp) the lowest note in Put On by Jeezy sounds really quiet and like the subs are being stressed a lot (idk if they are, bc I'm still a noob. but it sounds like it). 2. how do I "tune" an enclosure? I know this probably seems like a basic question, but I'm learning more and more everyday Thanks

Ok. Do you know of any websites with a how-to guide to making a correct enclosure? I can make the box without any problems, I'm just not sure how to make the port correctly. This might be a stupid question, but how would I go about making the low frequencies in a 15" sub louder? For ex. right now I have 2 Kenwood 12's with a 500 watt alpine amp and when I play Put on by Jeezy, the lowest note it hits is pretty quiet. is it the cone size that's holding it back, or is it the amp?

Hello, I have a 2000 Crown Vic Police Interceptor. It has a heavy duty battery and a HO 130 amp alternator. At the moment I have 2 Kenwood 12's (Yes, I know they're not that great, but they get the job done at a cheap price ) with an alpine 500 watt amp. I was happy with this setup until it quit working a couple weeks ago The amp just cut off, and I haven't been able to get it back on (I checked the amp fuses and the in-line fuse). I think the amp is fried, but I'm taking it to get checked out in a couple days. If it is fried, then I'm going to use this as an opportunity to upgrade. I'm thinking about getting an 18" Fi BL sub and possibly an AQ1200D (unless you think I should get something different. I'm open to anything). I keep hearing about people needing to upgrade the big 3 when they get 18's because of the amp's power usage. Is my alternator sufficient to power this setup? Also, how loud would the one 18" Fi BL be compared to my 2 12's if I build a ~7-8ft^3 ported box to Fi's specs? I've been told that 2 15's might be louder, but I'd like to get the awesome lows that the 18" can produce Thanks, Joe

You should always use at least 3/4" mdf when building subwoofer enclosures. Also dont forget a double baffle as well. That means double thickness on the top where the driver mounts. Ok. I'm thinking about doing the sub facing up, and the port facing the rear, so I'd put double mdf on the top, right?