Looking for a decent sub

looks like i have a lot of work ahead of me. I was hoping to build my own sub box. Me and my dad built a speaker cabinet for my guitar amp a while ago but I didn't like the way that one turned out, no matter how much i adjusted the bass on the amp it always stayed the same for some reason so we probably messed something up. Maybe this time I'll just buy a box instead.

So what you're saying is that to get good sound quality it's mostly about the install and any good brand sub will sound good? If not, what sub brands should I look into for the kind of music I listen to?

i listen to mostly hip hop so I honestly dont have any recommendations other than Image Dynamics and JL w7 for good SQ. I can ask a friend and get back to you. I dont wanna recommend anything I havent heard lol.

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Originally Posted by bandits grand prix

if you didnt live so far away id sell you my 2 12" kicker comps and amp for cheap. but any way you gunna need a good headunit, a wiring kit, a capasitor(idk if i spelled that rite), and the amp and subs of coarse.

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A Fail within a Fail





















http://img560.imageshack.us/img560/3...tionmemeth.jpg

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Originally Posted by banks8604

i listen to mostly hip hop so I honestly dont have any recommendations other than Image Dynamics and JL w7 for good SQ. I can ask a friend and get back to you. I dont wanna recommend anything I havent heard lol.

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thank you for trying to give me accurate information, i appreciate that a lot

Make sure your speaker specs meet the box. If your speaker needs 1.4 cubic foot. Get a 1.4 cubic foot box, ect... Also tuned boxes tend to sound better than put together stuff. I prefer a sealed box myself but to each his own.

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Originally Posted by rynoman03

Make sure your speaker specs meet the box. If your speaker needs 1.4 cubic foot. Get a 1.4 cubic foot box, ect... Also tuned boxes tend to sound better than put together stuff. I prefer a sealed box myself but to each his own.

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how does one tune a box and what difference in sound is there to a sealed and ported box?

The tuning is in how it's constructed. I'm not all into how that quite works but i've heard it makes a difference.

Quoted from http://www.crutchfield.com/S-7TGBFMS...nclosures.html

The type of bass you get from your component subwoofer doesn't depend on the woofer alone. You'll need a strong, tightly-constructed enclosure for optimum subwoofer performance. Speakers without an enclosure can't deliver full bass because the sound from the back of the speaker can cancel out some low frequencies emanating from the front of the speaker.

Using our box-building accessories, you might choose to construct your own box to create the enclosure size that you want. However, unless you have excellent craftsman skills and a solid understanding of enclosure volumes and other technical terms, you're better off purchasing a convenient, professional-looking pre-made enclosure.

Different types of boxes will produce different types of bass:

Sealed boxes: For deep, precise bass
A sealed box is an airtight enclosure housing your subwoofer. A sealed box is best for any music that demands tight, accurate bass. Expect flat response (not excessively boomy), deep bass extension, and excellent power handling. Since a sealed enclosure tends to require more power than a ported box, use an amplifier with ample wattage for optimum performance.

Ported boxes: For forceful bass
Ported boxes use a vent (called a port) to reinforce low bass response. You get more output than you would from a sealed box at any given amplifier wattage. Some people prefer the sound of ported boxes for rock, heavy metal, or any hard-driving music. Ported boxes can deliver deeper bass than sealed boxes, though they need to be much larger than sealed enclosures to accomplish that.

Bandpass boxes: Maximum slam
Bandpass boxes are a special type of ported box designed for maximum slam. The woofer is mounted inside a dual-chambered box (one chamber sealed, the other ported), with the sound waves emerging from the ported side. The sound that comes out of the port is extra loud within a narrow frequency range.

Because bandpass boxes are super efficient within that range, they tend to boom. Their aggressive sound is great for rap, reggae, and hard rock. Not all subwoofers work well in bandpass boxes, though; consult our product information or call one of our Advisors to be sure.

Free-air subwoofers
A free-air system consists of woofers mounted to a board attached to the rear deck or placed in the trunk against the rear seat. The trunk of the car acts as an enclosure which houses the subwoofer and isolates sound from the back of the speaker, solving the sound cancellation problem of subs without an enclosure.

Free-air systems save space and have flat frequency response. The woofer must be specifically designed for free-air use. The lack of a box makes them more convenient to install, but their power handling levels are usually much lower than their boxed counterparts.

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Originally Posted by rynoman03

The tuning is in how it's constructed. I'm not all into how that quite works but i've heard it makes a difference. Sealed boxes tend to have tighter, crisper bass. As the Ported box's are more "airy", louder, and the sound quality isn't as good.

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I would want a sealed box then because I love tighter bass. The tuning might have been what went wrong with our speaker cabinet for my guitar. So far what ive gotten out of this thread is:


- I'm only going to get 1 sub (still don't know what size I should get)
- I want to get an amp (preferably something that isnt too expensive, I want it to sound good buy I don't need to blow out the neighbors windows)
- Sealed box (will probably just buy one but I really want to make one that will form nicely in my trunk instead of just putting a box in the back)
- I want to spend under $400 on everything I need


I still would like to know some good brands to start looking at and what size speaker I should be looking at. Thanks for all the help everyone, I'm learning a lot!

I have one 10" Kicker sub in my car and it's plenty for most things. Although sometimes i wish I had more boom boom. I would probably get a 12" if were to do it again.


Kicker CVR, Alpine Type R, MTX Thunder Series , JL W Series, Polk Momo, all are decent. JL is probably the best out of all of them listed though imo.

i've posted stuff in prior page
IMO get a single 12, sealed box (you can get a 10 inch and save some cash)

Good brands:
Sundown
AudioQue
Skar Audio
Kenwood (highend)
Memphis
Incriminator Audio

i've had kicker CVRs personally think the best buy duals in the bandpass where better LOL, kicker is far from SQ
JL you pay a arm and leg for, MTX is like kicker in my books, Alpine is ok IMO you pay more for the name, I've heard good things about Polk never heard any in person though

Memphis and Sundown for sure are good stuff. Kenwood as in Excelon Series ??? I haven't heard of the rest of them that you mentioned. Do you polyfill your sealed boxes Loud ? My box just has some carpet padding glued \ stapled to the inside.

been to 17 Shows man seen alot of stuff... one of those being the MidWestSPL Finals

Also this is what the AudioQue brought home last year (missing a 1st place)
http://a6.sphotos.ak.fbcdn.net/hphot..._2851195_n.jpg

DB Drags ftw!

lol None are "DB Drags"
and with the new budget of 400 you could get a much better amp than i posted
like this one: http://www.audioque.com/AQ750-Amplifier_p_46.html
then if you got that SA-10 just get D2 and wire it to 1ohm and your set

What do you have to do to wire it down to 1ohm. Series or somethin ?

That's a good price on a mean amp!

not series but parallel.
http://images.the12volt.com/12voltim...m_dvc_1ohm.gif

Interesting. I'll have to see if i can do this on my sub.

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Originally Posted by rynoman03

Interesting. I'll have to see if i can do this on my sub.

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It doesnt matter if the sub can drop to 1 ohm if your amp is not 1 ohm stable.

My amp is.

Then you just need a dual 2ohm voice coil sub....or 2 2ohm single voice coil subs.