Intruder

MisterT, I don't have plans for a multi-channel amp. I don't think I'd ever get one... At least not in the foreseeable future.

Right now I have decided on the 12" K, and as you can see I am building the enclosure.

It is difficult to decide which amp I want because I haven't seen either one (Tsunami & Avionixx). I kind of want to LIKE the amp - not just its specs but the looks as well. My decision will be based on the dimming factor since this is more important than the amp's looks, but if the two amps make no difference as far as the lights are concerned, I will go with the one that has better features and/or looks better.

I still don't know anything about the dampening factor of an amp (I know that bigger is better, but that's about all I know)... I am trying to find something that will tip the scale to one side.

Intruder

Well, **** it. I'm going for the Avionixx amp...

I am not going to get more subs later on, because I don't really want to show off or compete - that's not my goal. If a 6.5" 200W Klipsch subwoofer is enough for my room and I am really enjoying its sound, then a single 12" sub and an amp that will potentially overpower it will be enough for my car and I'd more than just enjoy the bass it gives...

On top of that, the Avionixx amp has a 3-year warranty. I guess I can't go wrong with that. I still don't know exactly what the dampening factor of the amp does, but I'm gonna take a leap of faith and just order the 500M along with the DVC 12" K.

I'm going to continue building my box now.

Later, if dimming occurs, I will install a better wire to connect the alternator to the battery, install a ground wire kit, etc... I was gonna do that anyway, so... no worries.

Wish me luck you all! I'll keep posting pics of my progress, and I'm sure I'll have more questions later, so keep checkin'!

Thanks again for all your help!

Martin

Intruder

My order is complete..
Total: $467.60

I should have the sub & amp by Friday.

MisterT

Why all of the "eeks?" That is a great price on an amp and sub considering what you are getting. If you purchased an amp of that power, it would be out of that price range (if it's worth a ****). The sub too is very inexpensive high performance sub which will make people say, "JL Who?" Not knocking JL, they make good stuff, but at a premium.

Keep us posted and include pics! You did a great job on the box!

MiStErT

Intruder

I did not expect to spend this much. My original budget was about $300. On top of that I paid $67.50 for shipping.

(I use eeks to demonstrate an eye-opener/jaw-dropper or something similar, see..)

Today I actually started putting the box together. I have the outer walls attached to the roof/floor. Tomorrow I will fit the internal walls in, secure them with screws and once I'm sure everyhing fits, I'll start taking the box apart - piece by piece, and then I'll start applying the glue and make all connections permanent (except the top). I think it's a good idea to get the speaker terminals, so I can put them on the back of the box before I glue it.

Any suggestions on that? Since it's a DVC design, do I want to get two mono terminals/a single stereo terminal, or something else? What's the normal practice? Any tips?

purpose

I got a sweet deal...
2 Kicker CompVR DVC 12s (4 ohms)
and a KX400.1
Good combination?
400 RMS on the 12s
400 RMS at 2 ohms

I paid under $400

Intruder

My box will have a total weight of 50 lbs. Quite heavy, eh?
This does not include the weight of the sub... which is at least 10lbs more.

Intruder

This is my progress so far.
By the way, I'm not buliding 3 boxes. These are just different angles of the same box.



See ya!

MisterT

All you need is a single speaker terminal on the back. The sub can be wired so that both positives are tied in together on the inside and plugged in as well as the negative. I thought your box was going to have the various chambers for the port instead of a single one (the previous pick from the most recent).

MiStEr T

demoninvictus

i'm too tired to do the math right now, but just a little suggestion, and you might want blue's input on this, but sealing the corners of your box can ensure a better sound. ie.. during assembly, place screws every 8 to 12 inches (or closer?), glue heavily first, then wipe excess, and after glue has FULLY hardened, run a thick bead of silicone adhesive where you can to ensure 100 percent seal, ensuring you're not letting air flow out of the edges. easiest way is to leave the top off of the box, seal the bottoms and sides as well as you can, and then when you assemble the top, caulk the top seals as well as you can before you place the wiring and subwoofer in. to tell you the truth, i have NO IDEA how this idea works out, or it's even just common sense to most, but IMHO, ensure a tight seal and use some chaulk on your joints. and my half tired *** linked up to this:



basically, with this wiring scheme, you should only need one set of terminals on the back of your box... 1 positive and 1 negative

err, well, i think i'm wrong bout something, so take with grain of salt, good luck man, glad to see somebody who asks for help and actually DOES something about it.. and to boot, SHOWS us the progress. great work.
peace

Intruder

OK, I'll get a single speaker terminal. I was thinking of wiring each coil to its separate terminal so that I don't have to open the enclosure in order to reconfigure the driver (DVC in parallel, SVC with a wire/pot./resistor across the second coil, etc.) I think I'm gonna do that. Just for fun! And I will wire them up externally. You don't see that everyday, do you? So, I'm getting TWO terminals.

About the various chambers - you are right! The box will have them. A few posts earlier when I explained my progress so far, I mentioned that I have managed to secure the outer walls to the floor/roof and I will continue with the internal stuff (the vent's walls) when I resume my work. That's what I'm gonna be doing later today... That first pic I posted was only a ... no-glue/no-screws display.

Intruder

I don't think you're wrong. I have th4e same idea. I have no experience in building a box like this, but I'm quite familiar with the stuff. Actually, I was explaining this to my mother yesterday when she asked me why I bought the glue when I'm using only screws for the box. I told her that I'm fitting everything now, and when I'm sure that everything fits I'm gonna use glue to seal the joints. It's pretty obvious that you would want air to flow through the whole lenght of the vent and not take shortcuts across the joints.

I think MisterT gave me a link to the "12 volt" website, and while reading about subwoofer boxes I stumbled upon something interesting. They recommend lining the inside of the box with a sound deadening material! Has anyone done this before? Has the God of boxes (blue LEDz) heard about it?

The wiring diagram is correct as well, but I am going to take the connections out of the box. I might want to try running the sub in different configurations - single coil 4ohm, single coil 4ohm + number two terminated, dual 2ohm (in parallel), etc... I will have the ease of rewiring the terminals on the outside instead of having to open a perefectly sealed box.

And thanks for the good words. That's a great encouragement!
I'm gonna go get the terminals now.

Oh yeah, I got an email from eD and they said that my order was shipped YESTERDAY! I WILL have it on Friday (I hope!).

Intruder

that's a good idea!

I went looking for "speaker terminal plates" but found none that were good enough for me. I might have to order them online... we'll see..

Intruder

hey, what gauge wire should I use for the speaker to terminal connections?

MisterT

I think mine is 16 gauge wire. From the amp to the box, I have Monster Cable, but that is not necessary. It is 12 gauge I am guessing. You can get some at radio shack or some where in a spool or by the foot. It's not like power wire where you want to use 4 gauge for powering up an amp. I need to get a 2nd job so I can redo my system. I love the set up, but want to redo some things such as the box, the headunit, and perhaps the sub amp to name a few. The SoundSream Class A6.0 is a killer amp, but sucks too much juice. Take that and power the highs and mids, and remove the 3.0 and get a class "D" mono amp for the subs. I wish Mazda put out 14.4 volts. I would get the most out of my amps if it did. I guess I could always upgrade the alternator and keep the amps and get more power and better sound. Too much is never enough.

MiStErT