Thread: subwoofer box

^^Good stuff guys

Originally Posted by grand2000prixgtp

i am looking into making my own sub box and i want to put it in the back right Corner of the trunk. i was wondering if any one has done this?

In a real response to your question you need a 1.3-2.5 cubic foot box. That setup would be ripped to shreads, just make a simple box, about 2 cubic feet big. Use MDF and use sheets of 1.5 inch thick cotton around the inside of it. That'll help eliminate the bad noise from the inside. You'll be happier starting off easy.

Originally Posted by ZR1Vette09

if you run a second battery then you definitely need a high output alternator. But why are we talking about this, my friend that was running 2 batteries was rated at 4000 real watts, he NEEDED that extra battery lol

Yeah, so did I. I was running 4 kicker ZX360 amps bridged to 1/2 ohm and 4 planet audio FU series 15's in a 96 Chevy Metro. Rear seat removed. The box took up the hatch and rear of the car. I had 8 Optimum batteries hooked up to the amps. I was marketing planet audio at the county fair.

wow good deal. can't remember brands but my friend had 2 15" square L7's that took up the trunk and part of the back seat. It ripped his rear view mirror out with a chunk of glass and broke the latch of his trunk so it would just pop open all the time

Originally Posted by ZR1Vette09

A cap is very good to have, especially if you're running a high powered system. A capacitor works by using it's stored energy to supply the amp. Say you have a bunch of really fast, heavy notes, it's gonna take a lot of energy to supply that amp. Instead of pulling it all form your car's battery, it takes it from the capacitor making it easier on the battery. Then all the battery has to do is slowly "refill" the capacitor.

Caps, at best, are a band aid for the real problem. Power output. What happens once a capacitor has shot its load? It becomes another drain on the system.

If you have a 1 farad cap in line with a system pushing 1kw it might last 1/20th of a second I believe. Either way...it's miniscule. But before it even spits it's load the alternator must drop below 12V. Then, after the it's load is spent it can't charge until the system is back above 12V and the alternator has enough juice to recharge it.

Anyways...here's a blurb about it on another site...

Grand Prixs Of North America • View topic - Capacitor Info

I'd also like to point out that this topic lead into another question...REAL WORLD LOADS!!! Your amps aren't putting out 1.2 jigawatts Even if they are built correctly and have the potential to maintain 1kw or better. Typically, you never reach that. I know one guy who measured real world about 16watts for an average going to his midbass. That was with his system cranked.

On a side note...a properly built amp has all the caps necessary for proper function. I've seen amps replaced with those that produce higher output and heavier loads...yet they still got rid of the lights dimming phenomenon...

amp power increased...lights stayed on. *curious*

Sub boxes -- if you ask me I'd get the speaker specs and start plugging away in those box builder programs.

Matt can give you specifics but one of the characteristics I shoot for is a Qtc of .7

Your best bass would probably be ported through the 6x9's. The easiest to configure(for decent sound) is a sealed enclosure that is spec'd correctly. Different sized boxes change the sound of speakers...and EVERY speaker is different. They don't have the same specs or measure the same. They're like personalities, no two are alike.

Kinetik Power Cells. thats it. I run a 600 Farad Kinetik and it costs just around $100 (about 3 years ago new) and its freakin awesome. About the size of a motorcycle battery and i can run my truck off of it for a few hours without a recharge if need be. We actually put it in a buddys Z28 after he blew a battery up and he drove it about 50 some miles home on my power cell
In the pic is there 1600 Farad model

Originally Posted by matt5112

Okay... did you guys know your amps have caps in them to stabilize the power rails inside them?

So... if you have a properly built amp, the internal components will do the same as your suggested cap. So if a cap helps you, get rid of your amps.


Boxes... if you're concerned with them making noise, make them structurally sound by BRACING and RE-ENFORCING them.

Batteries only help when the voltage drops to 12.5-13 V where you shouldn't be because you're damaging your alternator at that point.

Point is, alt is what powers everything in your car when its on, so don't think all this other bull**** is going to help you when you have nothing to charge it with in the first place. If you have enough to charge that ****, then you're better off not charging it and using that energy in your amps.

on your note about charging, of course with a huge draw you need a upgraded alt, but if you run a small power cell, it will never drain enough to where it causes voltage issues. If it does your draw is big and upgrade your alt. I popped my inline at my battery in my S-10 and it was without a charge for about a 4 days or so, it took about 2 days of daily driving until i noticed a difference in loudness or quality with there smallest cell. Also i'm running an old 800.1 Bazooka Mono amp, rated at 400rms on 2 10in. Memphis PR series

ok well i got my box all made now i just got to find a way to get it in the trunk. but now i have to get and amp i am looking at the kicker zx1000.1 or the zx550.2. or if you know any amp that would work better let me know

That kinetik deal...I don't know much about it. But I'm pretty sure it's just a battery no matter what you want to call it.

Originally Posted by grand2000prixgtp

ok well i got my box all made now i just got to find a way to get it in the trunk. but now i have to get and amp i am looking at the kicker zx1000.1 or the zx550.2. or if you know any amp that would work better let me know

If you're running 1 sub, off the top of my head i would say go for the 1 channel. Since the type R's are dual voice coil (I assume 4 ohms per coil) get yourself a good Class D Monoblock amp that is 2 ohm stable. Wire the voice coils in parallel to create a 2 ohm load on the amp. So for your question about the amp, i'd go with the zx1000.1 of those two, although what i just described is what you should look for with any amp. Remember, research is your friend.

Originally Posted by matt5112

wtf is a power cell?

The battery, does NOT discharge at the normal operating voltage in your car, it charges. Therefore it can't help you unless your alt is insufficient for the job you're asking it to do.

If you've never heard of a power cell you've apparently never been anywhere around car audio. Look at ANY competitive system, and if there not running multiple deep cycles they have power cells, which is basically a deep cycle battery that you add on to have stored power, like a cap that actually works basically. Don't dis it unless you know what it is and how it works, cause it works, and thats all i know. My lights dimmed with a cap and now i have plenty of power for everything with no issues. And on top of that i don't run enough to upgrade my alt so why spend 300 on a alt when i can spend 100 on a power cell and be done with no issues.

"if there not running multiple deep cycles they have power cells, which is basically a deep cycle battery"

If they're not running deep cycle batteries, they run deep cycle batteries... Nice...

An AGM battery... Nice "power cell".

btw, offroadfury6 is running the zx1000 amp i noticed. might talk to him to see if he likes it