So... I'm very indecisive and I'd like a professional opinion on what I should get for subs based on my needs.
Now, I listen to a lot of different things, mainly metal, but it varies as much as rap, r & b, indie, and a few others. My biggest concern is sound quality. Now I'm not opposed to spending over a grand on my system, but I definitely want to feel like I'm getting my moneys worth. I want to be able to feel those double kicks and snares, but I also want it to be able to pound.
My main considerations after some research are Kicker CVX's, JL W7's/6's, Alpine Type X's and as a last resort, type R's.
I have a very large trunk to work with (09 G8) and I'm considering doing a mod where I drop down the armrest in the back (its about a foot and a half wide) and build a box that fires into the cabin.
Any knowledgeable input/opinions will be greatly appreciated! Thanks :]
i think you'll find the general consensus around here is to stay away from kicker subs. i have an Audioque setup right now (HDC315 and AQ2200d) that lets you feel double kicks in rock music deep in your chest but also has the ability to get freakishly loud with rap music. i spent $700ish on the sub and amp and for the price, couldnt be happier. do you plan on keeping the stock electrical system?
The only thing I'm changing electically is that I'm adding are the subs/amp/cap, but I'm keeping my head unit. Apparently GM's proprietary bs means I can't get an aftermarket unit installed, due to some sort of complications with sensors, etc.
Also I would never go with L5s/7s but I've heard some good things about CVX's and that they don't have shyt for SQ like the rest of Kicker subs, which is the only reason they're even a consideration, that and the fact that i can get a fairly good deal on them through a friend.
Had a pair of 12" CVX's in an enclosure made specifically for them, they weren't bad at all. Sold those for a pair of AudioQue sd2.5's and threw the sd2.5's in the enclosure that was made for the CVX's and they were louder and to me sounded nicer. Just my $.02.
Appreciate the input. I'm wayy up north so I've never heard of AudioQue and I don't think we even have any retailers anywhere near here. What I'm really leaning towards are the JLs, like I said, I know I can get a good deal, around 150 a pop for CVX's, so i was just kindof wondering how they were. From what I've heard, the JLs are amazing, damn near indestructible, and second to none for SQ for midrange car audio. Can anyone verify this as being true, or am I really just paying for the name and I'd be better served spending money on something else? Also, when it comes to midrange amps, I've heard JLs are some of the best for efficiency, so I'm considering either one of those or mabye an MRP-M2000 Alpine amp...
but if you're not opposed to spending over a grand on your system like you said, why are you worried about the 150 a pop for the kickers?
dont get a capacitor, i've been down that road too, it made matters worse. i've got twice the amp now and damn near no dimming. do the big 3 upgrade and see where that takes you. and on that amp issue $390 or so for a true 2200 watt amp? killer deal
check crutchfield for install kit for that car, i had the same issue with an 07 gmc canyon, if you take the factory head unit out you lose all the little dinging annoying sensors. i would think there is a kit for that car, but i may be wrong
just like NfiniteNaledge said, he put AQ sd (budget) series woofers in and they sounded better to him than the cvx's, so with your budget you could easily step up to a couple hdc3 (AQ's best) series subs and be that much better off
There is no kit yet for the G8 unfortunately =/ And I wasn't worried about the price, I was saying I could get a fairly good deal on them and stating the price is all.
And like I said, there's no retailer for AQ around here. I'll look into it but I highly doubt I'd be able to get my hands on any other than through ebay. No one has really commented at all on the JLs yet. Any thoughts on that? And I can scoop up an M2000 for around 5 bills (CND) so that's a pretty sick deal also, about the best I've seen locally here so far. The car audio shops around here are few and far in between, one pushes RE subs, but their prices are literally astronomical for the performance. For example, they want 450 a sub for the SEX series subs, and that is apparently a deal.
@ Jason - I just read up a little on the big 3 and realized I had completely forgotten about that part. I'll definitely be doing that before adding my components as they will be drawing a good bit of power from my system. Now I'd better own up to my ignorance... I'm honestly not all that good when it comes to electrical, and I'm fairly new to car audio, so really I know mostly what I read/what I'm told. I've been told by some that a capacitor is a must, others say it's completely unnecessary. What exactly is the purpose of a cap?
to be quite honest i dont see any purpose for a capacitor at all! there are others that can explain exactly what they do a helluva lot better than i can. some people (mostly certain car audio shops that wanna get an extra $100) say they will eliminate headlight dimming and this and that. to me they are nothing but a bandaid for a weak electrical system and will only disguise the problem. not to mention its one more thing for your alternator to charge. there are no retailers for Audioque to my knowledge, thats why their prices are so good. www.audioque.com is their site they sell direct. im sure theres more than just them that has good equipment but im not gonna comment on something i dont know for sure
Cool, thanks again. Yeah over the last couple hours I've been reading up on Big 3 upgrades and it seems to be like you say, caps only come into use when the stock wiring is insufficient. Cap seems to regulate power output and act as somewhat of a reservoir to avoid your amp putting a massive strain on your system, or at least that's what I got from reading haha. I checked out the FI audio Rovin recommended and they looked pretty decent, especially for the price, which could work in my favor, seeing as the exchange rate is great right now for me. I can only imagine how much it would cost to ship like 100+ lbs of audio equipment internationally though...
yeah it looks like Fi gets pretty good reviews from everyone. wow i guess i didnt make the connection that by saying you lived way north that you live in canada, my bad. anyway as far as caps go i was running a 1000 watt amp with a MCR 200amp alternator and did the big 3 upgrade. headlights were dimming so in my ignorance i bought a stinger capacitor....didnt change a damn thing. now ive got 2200 watt amp, no cap, same electrical system, and going down the road you reeeeally have to look close to notice any dimming at all when the system is slamming.
We really need to know how much power you want to run? Since your mostly concerned with sq i would say 1000 rms should be plenty and shouldn't require and electrical upgrades (maybe the big three but probably not necessary)
type r's will work best of the subs you listed, but as others suggested the sdc2.5 is a good choice as well. If you want to run a single sub Fi would be a great choice (fi q) but you will need more power and hence electrical upgrades to run a pair even of the ssd's.
My personal favorite sq sub is the infinity kappa perfect but i dont think they make them anymore but those things get REALLY loud and sound extremely clean and get really low, ive never heard a better sounding sub ever and a pair on 1000 watts is perfect.
No one ever believes me about how loud they actually get so heres a vid of a pair that i installed in my friends car, i also built his box. this is only 1000 rms and it sounds silky smooth on every note.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=atf2VUxovIQ
as for forward firing, the only way to make it work better than rear firing is if you seal the subs from the trunk area so that none of the air pressure gets back into the trunk or else you WILL have cancellation and not be getting the best performance you could.
Doing the armrest mod will be beneficial either way since it will give the bass a direct path into the cabin but make sure, if you do a rear firing design, to make the box either low enough and/or narrow enough so that the bass can pass over the top of or around the sides of the enclosure.
oh and btw dont wast your money on a cap spend the money on higher quality amps or something or maybe a unit which will process the signal from the stock headunit to give you a cleaner signal to your amps.
Well, 1000 watts was about the low end of what I was looking at. Most likely 1200-1500 rms depending.
I have a friend who is currently hooking up two type R's for me to listen to in a sealed box this weekend, so at least I'll get to take em on a trial run and see what I think of the SQ. So far I'm very impressed with w7's - they sounded fantastic. I'd definitely look into FI/AQ and other various brands if I was able to hear them in action somehow but like I said, we're a little more limited when it comes to selection, it's mainly the bigger brands that are available around here. I'll definitely give that youtube vid a listen tonight though.
And yeah, I was thinking of having a custom sealed box built, most likely fiberglass/mdf mix. I'm still toying with that idea of the cabin sub, I like it and the sound quality would definitely be better - I'd at least get to hear the sound, and not just feel the shake.
I'm not opposed to spending a good bit of money, but I definitely dont want to drop 200 on shipping some subs up from Vegas or something haha, I'd rather put that towards a higher model sub that is readily available and that I can preview.
you will spend A LOT less buying online even with shipping. at least all the places local to me mark the sh1t up by double or triple.
I would also highly recommend ported you can have just as good if not better sound response from a ported box. you can tune it to what ever you want and make it to your liking. you will lose more trunk space though.
I wouldnt be super concerned about listening first either but chances are you wont beat a w7 for sq and spl combo there just really expensive which is why people look else where. you get a quality product but you can get 2 great subs for the price of a single w7 and will probably be just as satisfied if not more. also listening in a store is nothing like in a vehicle.
Fyi 1500 rms is definitely going to need at least the big three, if you plan to run the system for extended periods possibly upgrade to a quality drycell battery like a powermaster or stinger or somthing along those lines.
Oh alright good to know. And yeah, I know w7's are faily expensive, I've got a friend who works at an audio place and I can get them at/below cost, so a 10" might run me 500 or so. I'm also trying to work out a deal with a guy who has 2 12s so we'll see how that goes. Are w7s significantly better than w6s? Enough to justify the huge price jump? I've heard w0s, 3s and 7s and the jump in quality between 3s and 7s was rather large.
And @ Jason, you got it, that's kindof why I want to stick with what's available locally.
w6 is mostly a super clean sq sub that gets decently loud (from what ive read). w7 is a much more monstrous sub lol. but all jokes aside yes its probably worth it.
The w7 truly is a beast. there was a guy at a local comp with 2 13.5's putting up 145's all day long on music in an explorer powered by 2 1000/1's. never got a chance to sit in his truck but it was fuck1n loud outside so i can only imagine the inside
Cool, well I'll definitely make them hook both of em up and let me listen to them, and if I can justify the price difference I'll probably go with a single w7 for now. Otherwise I'll stick with 2 w6s or type Rs.
Just a side note - should I be sticking to a 10" for responsiveness from a sub, or would a 12" be capable of handling what I'm using it for ? (Mainly metal, a lot of midbass, fast snares, etc)
This is interesting to do on a phone...don't worry bout size when it comes to response. That sounded kinda...no..very wrong. But seriously with the right enclosure even a 15 or 18 can play tight bass
Haha okay. Someone is selling 2 w7s for 800-1k and I really wanna scoop them up but I was a little worried about them being 12s. Thanks for clearing that up, if a little... inappropriately :p
