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New member Username: ArnotjiePost Number: 4 Registered: Apr-10 | Hi, I'm quite new to the whole car audio thing, so I don't know a lot of brands (mainly commercial like JL Audio, Kicker, Polk, etc.). I recently found out about Fi audio, and I'm really interested in the Q12. What do you guys think about it, And how is it in comparison to a JL W3 for instance? Do you have any other recommendations in that price range? I'm not interested in entering competitions, so I'm mainly focussing on SQ subs. https://ssl.perfora.net/www.ficaraudio.com/sess/utn154bc95f94214a5/shopdata/0050 _Speakers/0030_Q/product_overview.shopscript Any help would be appreciated. Thanks |
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Platinum Member Username: GlasswolfColumbia, SC USA Post Number: 12975 Registered: Dec-03 | what sort of competitions do you plan to enter? I'm a sound quality competitor, and I use a Q18, myself. The Fi Q is a superior SQ sub to the JL W3, though both are targeted at the SQ market. The Fi Q is highly linear even at high excursion. It has a great BL curve, meaning very good motor control for tight, detailed and accurate reproduction of bottom octave music frequencies. It's a great sub. It has better power handling capacity than the W3 by far, and performs well in a myriad of settings, including just about all box types, depending on the QTS option you choose for the sub. If you want an all around sub for daily music use, and want something that takes more abuse/power, and gets louder, look at Fi's SSD subs, instead. |
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New member Username: ArnotjiePost Number: 7 Registered: Apr-10 | Thanks. I'm n0t really interested in entering competitions, But I would like a sub with good SQ for music that I can use everyday at normal listening levels (I don't want to see how much my mirrors can vibrate). Will the Q12's be able to cope with everyday use, or is it strictly a competition sub? |
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Silver Member Username: SkdooleyRoanoke, VA Usa Post Number: 534 Registered: Oct-09 | The Q is an everyday driver, it isn't a competition sub (not that it couldn't get loud enough to pull some good numbers) . In comparison to the w3, it can hold twice the rms so theoretically it will be able to get louder. JL products are going to be designed for SQ use. If you're looking for a sub that will sound good, yet also get plenty loud, the Q would be a great choice, in a ported enclosure tuned to the lower end, say around 32 Hz. If you upgrade some of the options on the sub you can easily give it more than the 1k rms its rated at. I'd say an amp from 1k to 1.5k would be a good choice. Sundown would be a good choice in amps. Not sure if they're still available but there was a guy on here selling his RD 1000.1s for a good deal also. |
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Gold Member Username: 04redmach1Giggidy, GA USA Post Number: 2711 Registered: Mar-06 | The Q is a great choice for daily driver. I would suggest a high qts and run sealed Not a competition sub at all. I do have some 1000 watt amps left too ;) |
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Platinum Member Username: GlasswolfColumbia, SC USA Post Number: 12987 Registered: Dec-03 | actually power handling has nothing to do really with how loud a specific sub can get. that's mroe about sensitivity, cone area, and excursion determining how much air the sub can move. That said, the Q series subs are designed to be highly linear and accurate. They are a sound quality sub made for fine detail and accurate uncolored sound. Fantastic subs, even for daily use. I use one for daily use myself, in my car ( single sealed Q18, with cooling, I head ring, high QTS, and added spider) driven with about 1500 watts RMS from a bridged class AB amp, using series dual 2 ohm coils. great sub. |
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New member Username: ArnotjiePost Number: 9 Registered: Apr-10 | Thanks for all the advice guys. The Q12 sounds like a great sub, especially for the things I'm gonna use it for. I reckon running it on a 1000 watts RMS will be enough (for me anyways). As for the upgrades (Cooling, I heat ring, etc), would that mainly improve the power handling abilities of the sub, or is there a significant change in in SQ too? If you guys have any other suggestions of good subs in that price range, I would love to know about them too. Thanks |
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Silver Member Username: JemoneTucker, Georgia United States Post Number: 336 Registered: Jan-06 | Do not listen too GlassWolf. GlassWolf, you think you are so dang smart just because you are an electrical engineer and have been doing this for decades and can quote audio jargon off the top of your head....oh....wait. LOL |
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Platinum Member Username: GlasswolfColumbia, SC USA Post Number: 12995 Registered: Dec-03 | https://ssl.perfora.net/www.ficaraudio.com/sess/utn;jsessionid=154bc95a4ac77e7/s hopdata/0070_Tech/0070_Speakers/0030_Tech.Q/product_overview.shopscript try this page. It explains all the Fi Q options in detail. PS, I'm actually 12 and I just make all of this up off the top of my head. |
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Bronze Member Username: ArnotjiePost Number: 12 Registered: Apr-10 | Thanks for all the help. I think I will go with the Q12. Now I just have to find someone who sells them in Australia... But I can't wait |
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Platinum Member Username: GlasswolfColumbia, SC USA Post Number: 13001 Registered: Dec-03 | I think you may have to buy direct and have them shipped, but I'm guessing Fi would do that. |
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Gold Member Username: SomedonniedudeIllinois Braaap MX Post Number: 3025 Registered: May-07 | I thought a high qts was something to stay away from in a sq sub? getting many of the options that fi offers like cooling as such decrease the qms due to loss of motor strength correct? would a high qms and fairly lower qts be ideal in most cases? i realize that qts is a product from qms, but im unsure how qes fits into the equation which is where i think i get lost. not implying you guys are wrong...just simply trying to put the pieces together in my head lol. |
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Platinum Member Username: GlasswolfColumbia, SC USA Post Number: 13012 Registered: Dec-03 | high QTS because he's going with a sealed enclosure, which allows greater excursion per power applied, and lacks the transient delay of a ported box. I thought I'd seen mention that this was for a sealed SQ setup. (higher damping at Fs) https://ssl.perfora.net/www.ficaraudio.com/sess/utn;jsessionid=154bc95a4ac77e7/s hopdata/0070_Tech/0070_Speakers/0030_Tech.Q/product_overview.shopscript not sure of any effect of the cooling "helicool system" on Qms, but the solid pole piece shouldn't really affect anything. The I Heat Ring should improve the SQ as it lowers teh inductance of the coils, allowing for a more resistive load, making the sub less reactive to the enclosure and frequency being played as to the load it'll present. Less fluctuation in output based on frequancy. This also allows a more transient response, which combined with a sealed box will give outstanding detail and tightness. The motor control itself (BL curve) is more a function of magnet strength and structure design, and the Q is designed specifically to be linear, like the older XBL^2 motors were, so it's already going to be a very accurate, detailed speaker. for pure SQ I'd go for the added spider and I heat ring at least. I'd consider the high QTS option for sealed applications, too. The cooling is really just if you want to apply more than 1Kw of power. In my case I'm using 1500 watts RMS, so I didn't want to damage the sub, being that it's sealed and won't get much airflow aroound the coils. |
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Bronze Member Username: ArnotjiePost Number: 14 Registered: Apr-10 | I'm not sure if I understand this correctly, but I'll try my best. So if you take the high QTS option, it will have more excursion for the same amount of power? This means that the spl reading would be higher, right? If I have it right so far, it should mean that it has a higher spl reading than a low qts sealed enclosure, but better SQ than a ported one? |
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Platinum Member Username: GlasswolfColumbia, SC USA Post Number: 13016 Registered: Dec-03 | no, I said a sealed box yields more excursion than a ported box per watt applied. watch some youtube videos of sealed boxes and ported boxes. you'll noticed ported subs don't "jump" nearly as much as sealed subs do, because of the suspension provided by the port. Qts simply states the damping of the speaker at it's resonant frequency. Speakers with a high Qts are better suited to a sealed enclosure. |
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Bronze Member Username: ArnotjiePost Number: 15 Registered: Apr-10 | "high QTS because he's going with a sealed enclosure, which allows greater excursion per power applied, and lacks the transient delay of a ported box. I thought I'd seen mention that this was for a sealed SQ setup. (higher damping at Fs)" Yes yes, sorry. I know that a ported enclosure would have more excursion that a sealed one. But would a sealed enclosure with a high qts have more excursion than a sealed enclosure with a low qts? |
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Platinum Member Username: GlasswolfColumbia, SC USA Post Number: 13026 Registered: Dec-03 | all of this aside, what do you really want to know? |
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Bronze Member Username: ArnotjiePost Number: 16 Registered: Apr-10 | Sory. I'm just trying to get my head around all of this. What is QTS exactly? |
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Platinum Member Username: GlasswolfColumbia, SC USA Post Number: 13060 Registered: Dec-03 | Qts is a dimensionless measure of the driver's damping at it's resonant frequency (Fs) It measures the overall motor control of the driver @ Fs |