I'm just not getting enough SPL out of the Boston subs. It's tight and accurate but doesn't get nearly loud enough. I've experimented with direction and have them firing down which helped quite a bit but I'm still not satisfied.
Here's my thoughts, sell the 1501D. Buy another VGA 500.4, buy 4 JL 10w0's. Load them clam shell ported with 2 wired out of phase.
What do you think? Is the 10w0 the right model or should I go 10w3?
the W0 is short throw, low power, and built to be cheap. not a great sub for SPL. go with better subs. go straight ported for all 4 subs, or use two ported high excursion subs like the type X, or RE triple X etc.. and give them power. forget isobaric clamshell boxes. you lose -3dB doing this versus sealed so isobaric really doesn't add anything for you in the end.
Here's the thing, I've got an extended cab toyota 4x4 and space is an issue, that's what gave me the clamshell idea. I'm using 2 Boston Pro's and have used JL exclusively in the past. I contemplated 2 W7's but haven't heard one and the 3 ohm thing confuses me.
I'm nervous about trying a RE or other internet sub since I just got dissappointed by spending $450 on the Bostons. Don't get me wrong, they sound excellent, but they don't rock.
My MTX amp does 1163 at 2 ohms. With the subs you mentioned, and the w7, what will give me the best SQL.
you will only need one of either of those to subs, and the RE isn't a sub you should be worried about buying, if Glasswolf recommends one, it's a good bet that it's worth the money, especially since he has 2 of them :-). and that mtx amp will work well with the RE also. Not sure about the W7's power rating. But SQL wise they are both great, but I've heard it enough times to know that it is subjective some love the W7's sound and some love the RE tripleX's sound. And some love both :-P. But price wise the RE is cheaper, 405 shipped. Not sure if you'll be able to find a W7 in that price range shipped.
Wow, so I've gone from 4 tens to 1??? How about 1 12" Triple X? Wouldn't it be less output than the two subs I have now? Will it be cleaner than 2 RE SX's? Is the 1501D enough amp for the Triple X?
Thanks for your replies, I just want to get this right this time.
BTW, I'll soon be adding Pro 6.5 Components to the 4.5s up front so I'll need some bass.
when you run 4 subs in isobaric (clamshell), you're not really running 4 subs - you're actually running 2 from an output perspective. the ONLY advantage the iso set-up has is saving space, and possibly lower distortion, but this is debatable and probably not audible. so actually you're going from 2 tens to 1.
the boston subs are an old design. their xmax specs are somewhere in the 10-15mm range. that's not bad for 5 years ago, but nowadays a sub can push into the 25-30mm range. JL W7s, XXXs, brahmas, are all long-stroke subs.
when people say things like, "it's only a ten, i think i need a 12", they're basing that statement on how loud they think a ten can get, which come from prior listening experience. if you get a chance to get into a car with one of these newer long-throw subs, it'll change your definition of what a ten can do. you'll be thinking, "why would anyone want twelves or fifteens?"
for the record, i used to have a car with 4 jensen 12"s in a clamshell iso set-up (so really 2 twelves). i know - jensen - haha, but they were cheap, and they sounded okay in the box i made (also, car stereo review gave them a good review a few years ago). my current system has a single kicker L7 8" sub with a larger xmax capability. well, the output levels of the two systems are about even, with a slight advantage going to the jensens. BUT WE'RE TALKING ABOUT A SINGLE EIGHT HANGING WITH 2 (4) TWELVES, USING ONLY HALF THE SPACE! it doesn't seem possible, but that's how it works.
your bostons, as good as they sound, are sort of like jensens compared to these newer high-excursion subs. and i agree with glass about not going with the W0s. those subs are beginner-level at best.
get a sub with some serious throw potential, give it some serious power, and hold on.
wow!!!!!!!!!!!! I'm hyped again about car audio. jeremie, I'm not worried about the money, I just don't have $400-$600 to throw around all the time.
aaron, what an enlightening post. Now the question goes to what sub (I've always used 10's but now I'm thinking a single 12). Triple X seems to be a good match for my amp with Dual 4 ohm coils. The single 3 ohm W7 seems to match up well too.
Now, box placement in a truck is crucial. My depth is only around 14 inches so I will have to modify either RE's or JL's box recommendations to either a longer or taller box. Also, with the long excursion woofers, I can't face them forward (they might hit the seat), so I'm back to firing up. Or can I fire the sub down and port forward?
RE does have lcoal shops that carry them ya know but they are harder to find than RF and such who are everywhere.. much like Eclipse, you need to look for a dealer a little harder. so auditioning an RE isn't out of the question, and like Aaron pointed out, you don't gain any net benefit going from sealed to isobaric really. linearity is arguable, and efficiency increases, because two drivers are being used to move the same air as one was before, but since they are moving the same air together, they aren't increasing output any.
go with one or two good, well powered, high excursion subs and I think your output will be a lot more than you expect.