10" or 12" Q?

[Kevlar 0]

I'm trying to decide on a sub for my car, and design an enclosure for it. I listen to a lot of drum and bass, so due to the wide range of frequencies, I've already decided to go with a sealed enclosure, and I have a Hifonics BXi 1606D to power the sub. My original plan was to go with a 10" Q, as I figured it would be more than loud enough, even sealed. The issue I've run into, however, is that I want to mount the amp on top of the box, to keep things more compact (take up less trunk space), and to make the box and amp easily removable for autocrosses. The problem I'm having is that once I make the top of the box large enough to hold the amp (~11.25 x 14.5), and make the box tall enough to fit the sub (~12" high, leaving only 1/2" on each side), I end up with an internal displacement of ~.77 cu. ft., which gives me .65 cu ft. after accounting for the displacement of the sub. That's outside the recommended range for the Q 10 of .2-.6 sealed. I also wanted to slope the back of the box, so that it fits flush against the back of the seat, but that makes the volume even greater.

So, here are my choices:

1. Make the box as I described, without a sloped back - the enclosure ends up a little larger than 'ideal', and doesn't fit perfectly in the trunk

2. Move the sides of the box in, so the top is the same size, but the ends are recessed, reducing the box volume down to a more ideal value amount (if I do this, what should I aim to make the displacement, in the .2-.6 range?)

3. Step up to the 12" Q. The disadvantages I see here are that, with the new target of ~1.2 cu. ft. after displacements, the box has to be larger than I would have liked. Also, there's the added weight of the larger sub, and larger box. What I'm wondering for this scenario is, how much more powerful/louder is the 12" going to be over the 10", and how different will it sound? Is this the better option, for the sake of simplicity and sound, despite the extra weight? Oh, and this is for an 07 STi, so the trunk space is reasonable, but by no means cavernous.

[Fi Car Audio 64]

In all honesty, given that you like drum and bass music, I would try to step up to the 12" if at all possible. I had a friend I lived with quite a few years back that produced music for many of the top UK/European artists that did drum and bass music. He also did tons of promo and shows in the US for them and the few good US drum and bass people. I have heard more than my fair share of it (and got to where I could tell the difference between it and the other 30 genres of music that had subtle beat and sample differences... coming from a hardcore/punk kid this is a feat...lol).

The output and depth of the 12 would be appreciated Im sure. The weight difference between the 10 and 12 is a few ounces... not even a pound. You could easily overcome the box difference simply switching from 3/4" MDF to 3/4" Baltic Birch as well (just as strong or strong, but a fair amount lighter). Leaving just the size of the box as the issue.

If not, I could tweak the 10 to be a little more for your exact application too.

Thanks,

Scott

[Kevlar 0]

In all honesty, given that you like drum and bass music, I would try to step up to the 12" if at all possible. I had a friend I lived with quite a few years back that produced music for many of the top UK/European artists that did drum and bass music. He also did tons of promo and shows in the US for them and the few good US drum and bass people. I have heard more than my fair share of it (and got to where I could tell the difference between it and the other 30 genres of music that had subtle beat and sample differences... coming from a hardcore/punk kid this is a feat...lol).

The output and depth of the 12 would be appreciated Im sure. The weight difference between the 10 and 12 is a few ounces... not even a pound. You could easily overcome the box difference simply switching from 3/4" MDF to 3/4" Baltic Birch as well (just as strong or strong, but a fair amount lighter). Leaving just the size of the box as the issue.

If not, I could tweak the 10 to be a little more for your exact application too.

Thanks,

Scott

Awesome, thanks for the reply. I'm already planning on using Trupan Ultralight MDF. How does that compare to Baltic Birch?

Oh, and would the BP Power upgrade be worth it, or is it pretty useless on a sealed enclosure?

Edited August 15, 2007 by Kevlar