audio-neon

I only brought up SQ points because you were asking how you know if a sub sounds better. I have built one of each car (sq and spl) so far, and trust me, I LOVE bass.

What were you powering the w6 with, and what are you powering the Icon with? If it is the same amp, that could be part of the problem, or you could have an air leak somewhere in your box robbing you of output.

I was going to totally point you in the direction of the Zed Audio Leviathan until I saw your budget. So your budget is 300$ for a 5 channel amp that does 175-250 rms x4 @ 4 ohms and a 5th channel (or bridged 5&6 as in the case with the 6 channel Leviathan) capable of ~500rms @ what impedance? Hate to say this, but you won't find much in the 5 channel market for under 300$ and if you are focused on quality over "advertised output" that budget isn't much by todays standards.

Basically SQ for sub woofers is broken down into: Transient Response, how fast can the sub reproduce bass notes without loosing clarity. And an overall flatness or accurate reproduction of sound. Most people call a sub woofer good based on it's ability to get loud and having any sort of decent transient response. Others call a sub woofer good for the amount of power it handles. My main point here is, you determine what is good and bad to your ears, that's all that matters in audio. If you really want to test a subwoofer and see how it images in your sound stage, find an IASCA test cd, close your eyes and listen... Is the bass louder than the mids and highs. Not good... Can you localize the sound ( sounds like it is coming from behind you) Not good. And lastly, let it reproduce cannons, or a soft mallet bass drum roll, test it with some double bass from someone like atreyu, than pull out all of the stops and see what it can do... Remember your ear is your guide, that is all that matters.

Are there HU's made here, or at least assembled here? McIntosh, is made in Binghamton NY

American made components = Hybrid audio technologies

Dual 1 would probably be best, wired in parallel/series, will give you a final impedance of 1ohms, which most sub woofer amps are stable at.

6" Precision Sound Aero Ports *** Note that I am not advertising, nor am I in anyway affiliated with any company listed in that link, just pointing a fellow audio enthusiast in a direction.***

You can use the dmm on the wires, no need to remove the subs.

A used Sundown Saz-1500d will put out around 2000 watts @ .5 ohms.

I'm guessing that he is avoiding Hifonics... I would look for an old sundown audio sax1000.d or saz-1500d, the latter of the amps I've used and it was simply the best sub amp I have ever owned to date.

With what I know about Image Dynamics on a business level, I would recommend the IA components.

Broken dust caps can cause subs to perform differently, as it is a leak source... I'd get a replacement, should be cheap.

If I had to choose, I'd run the two 10" subs unless you don't have the room. If space is your concern than run a single 15" sub.

That port is acting like a longer port, because of how close it comes out to the trunk, changing your tuning. Also make sure there are no air leaks whatsover. You need a lot more port for those subs, your sketched box would be much better.

I would look into something like two Dual 4 ohm Dcons.

To SSA!

The Dcon would work best with the power you have available. Because of your slightly under powering the sub, build the box to ~1.5 cubic feet ported @ 32 hz.

Flush mounting is definitely the way to go... My boxes were built for a purpose, and were constantly being torn down and fiddled with for SPL purposes, I wasn't as worried about flush mounting back then.

Basically you take two sheets (or more) of the material being used, line them up, add wood glue and weight or screws, let them cure before cutting the holes for your woofers.

What are you buying with your 2k dollar budget, do you own the subs already? Are you building the enclosure, do you need wiring, batteries, etc.... ** I would like to add that there are two factors that could come into play with the separate sized sub enclosure car you mentioned... either you haven't heard a decent system, or it's processed exceptionally well. ** I have worked with sq cars and spl cars, and I'll tell you that sq is purely objective, and what sounds amazing to you, might not be "SQ". But we can help you if you tell us what you need to buy with your budget, your music preference (ie what you listen to), and what type of listener you are (do you turn the bass up, or the volume up)...

Bass Race is average, it's an amazing amount of fun. as previously mentioned, find something with a consistent bass line, start with your volume turned down to about 1/2 volume (unless your system is really loud)... the first run is when they measure you and designate your bracket, so say you want to be in the 129 bracket ( the easiest in my opinion).. just make sure your score lands between 120.0 and 129.9. After that, you will start elimination rounds. It's exactly like bracket racing.... If at any point during the 30 seconds your average exceeds your bracket, you loose automatically. Some of it is a mind game, some of it is luck, all of it is fun. I've seen competitors try to start as close to 129.9 as possible and maintain it, and i've seen competitors who will sit @ 120-125 decibels until the last 10 seconds and just start rolling on the volume. Bassrace is just one of those things he has to do to get a complete grasp of. As far as dB Drag, his class is determined by woofers, amps, batteries, and any interior modifications (i.e Wall, half wall, etc)

Definitely amazing pics.. I am looking to buy a D5100 before my next vacation... I do have some pictures taken with a Canon rebel, standard lense, using film. Color Photo's Black and white (using black and white film) None of these photo's were edited in any way, I have never had a photography class, and trust me, there were plenty of bad pictures taken too...

to SSA Keep up the good work.

You are torn between the ICON and the ZCON? Or was that a typo? I am torn between which route I'm going to take with this car, yes... If I want to build another strapped, super low impedance balls to the wall bass car than the ZCON wins hands down... The gcon part was a typo... I am leaning more towards Icon at the moment due to the musicality, paired with needing less amp behind it. Why not an XCON then? Kind of the best of both worlds. Definitely a possibility, the Xcon puts me in the same boat, running a larger amp on an already stressed electrical system... But as Aaron knows, my plans are never final until the equipment is on the way.