sub woofer
February-17th-2002, 12:26 PM
#1
Protege Newbie
Thread Starter
Join Date: Feb 2002
Posts: 3
sub woofer
Has any purchased a subwoofer yet??? I need a littled extra Thump. Nothing over the top.. Just enough for me and my passengers.
Alex
02 silver/wanted a yellow one but the wouldnt budge on the price.
Alex
02 silver/wanted a yellow one but the wouldnt budge on the price.
February-17th-2002, 12:46 PM
#2
Registered User
Join Date: Oct 2001
Location: Fenwick, Ontario
Posts: 270
Not quite sure what you're asking there, if you're asking how many of us have subwoofers in our cars, I would say a good chunk of the people here do...(I have two in mine) 
If you're looking for a reccomendation on a subwoofer, figure out your price range...there are subs out there from $20 to $2000, then you've got to get a decent amplifer to power the beast
For a little extra bump I would recommend 1 or 2 10-12 inch subwoofers in a ported enclosure for a fairly efficient setup.
Trust me on this one though: car audio is addictive! Before you know it you will sink hundreds - if not thousands - of dollars into your system.
Rob
'92 Blaze Red DX
http://members.sounddomain.com/hiredgoon
If you're looking for a reccomendation on a subwoofer, figure out your price range...there are subs out there from $20 to $2000, then you've got to get a decent amplifer to power the beast
For a little extra bump I would recommend 1 or 2 10-12 inch subwoofers in a ported enclosure for a fairly efficient setup.
Trust me on this one though: car audio is addictive! Before you know it you will sink hundreds - if not thousands - of dollars into your system.
Rob
'92 Blaze Red DX
http://members.sounddomain.com/hiredgoon
February-17th-2002, 01:15 PM
#4
Registered User
Join Date: Oct 2001
Location: Fenwick, Ontario
Posts: 270
For a basic system for pretty cheap, a good quality 10" subwoofer in a sealed or ported enclosure should give you what you want
Check around for some of these:
JL 10W0
Orion Cobalt
MTX Thunder 4000
Infinity Reference
Pioneer TS-W254C
Sony Xplod
Kicker Comp
Cerwin-Vega HED...the list is endless
As for amps, any good quality (Pioneer, Orion, MTX etc) 2-channel amp rated for anywhere around 50x2 watts RMS would give you enough power to run a subwoofer if you bridge the amplifier to mono.
Another thing to look at would be powered Bazooka tubes.
But stay away from those "all-in-one" packages that have subwoofers and tweeters built in the same enclosure.
Hope this helps if you have any more questions there are plenty of people here that can help you out!!!
Rob
PS I have used some of the subs listed above (Pioneer, JL, Orion, Sony) and all of them were great additions to the stereo system, and I would definitely recommend them. The Sony is in my brother's car in a ported enclosure, running off a bridged Pioneer amplifier. It's only getting about 130 watts but it is enough to shake the rearview mirror!
Check around for some of these:
JL 10W0
Orion Cobalt
MTX Thunder 4000
Infinity Reference
Pioneer TS-W254C
Sony Xplod
Kicker Comp
Cerwin-Vega HED...the list is endless
As for amps, any good quality (Pioneer, Orion, MTX etc) 2-channel amp rated for anywhere around 50x2 watts RMS would give you enough power to run a subwoofer if you bridge the amplifier to mono.
Another thing to look at would be powered Bazooka tubes.
But stay away from those "all-in-one" packages that have subwoofers and tweeters built in the same enclosure.
Hope this helps if you have any more questions there are plenty of people here that can help you out!!!
Rob
PS I have used some of the subs listed above (Pioneer, JL, Orion, Sony) and all of them were great additions to the stereo system, and I would definitely recommend them. The Sony is in my brother's car in a ported enclosure, running off a bridged Pioneer amplifier. It's only getting about 130 watts but it is enough to shake the rearview mirror!
February-17th-2002, 02:55 PM
#5
Patriotic Protege5
Join Date: Dec 2001
Location: Hampton, VA
Posts: 908
I would recommend a JL 12W3. They cost between $150 and $200. Very good driver. The key to subs is the amp though. The more power you put on a sub the more controll you have over it. I am running about 500W on mine. It sounds awesome. When I had the box made for it I had my friend at the car audio shop contact JL and ask for specific dimensions for my box based on my listening preferences and needs. This is what my trunk looks like:
Goto a car audio shop and listen to some speakers and make sure when they play something for you its what you listen to, and also ask which amp they are using. They will use a really powerfull amp and when you install it in your car with a weaker amp it will not sound any where near as good. Have fun and happy thumpin'
Goto a car audio shop and listen to some speakers and make sure when they play something for you its what you listen to, and also ask which amp they are using. They will use a really powerfull amp and when you install it in your car with a weaker amp it will not sound any where near as good. Have fun and happy thumpin'
February-19th-2002, 06:53 PM
#6
Registered User
Join Date: Oct 2001
Location: Fenwick, Ontario
Posts: 270
Originally posted by azrakain
The key to subs is the amp though. The more power you put on a sub the more controll you have over it
The key to subs is the amp though. The more power you put on a sub the more controll you have over it
If you can get a good kick in the chest when a bass drum hits, that signifies pretty good control.
February-19th-2002, 08:56 PM
#9
Registered User
Join Date: Dec 2001
Location: PA
Posts: 2,339
Originally posted by Gro Harlem
Also there is a huge misconception about Rockford amps. I don't know what it is, but everyone thinks they are excellent amps. It is true that they put out their rated power (and then some) but the sound quality coming out of them is decreasing as the model's are redesigned. I had a 800a2. It was benchmarked at 868 watts. It hit low and hard, and at the time, i thought the sound quality was excellent. After hearing some PPI, memphis and JL audio amps however, i'd have to say otherwise. Their newest "dot" series i've heard are worse. I've heard them breifly in a few show cars and wasn't too impressed.
Also there is a huge misconception about Rockford amps. I don't know what it is, but everyone thinks they are excellent amps. It is true that they put out their rated power (and then some) but the sound quality coming out of them is decreasing as the model's are redesigned. I had a 800a2. It was benchmarked at 868 watts. It hit low and hard, and at the time, i thought the sound quality was excellent. After hearing some PPI, memphis and JL audio amps however, i'd have to say otherwise. Their newest "dot" series i've heard are worse. I've heard them breifly in a few show cars and wasn't too impressed.
February-19th-2002, 09:02 PM
#10
Protege Enthusiast
Join Date: Feb 2002
Location: North, CA
Posts: 93
i have two 10"s going in my car soon powered by a 1200 watt rms class d amp i am getting an alarm first i will put up some pics when i install them in about a month i just got my car a week ago so im kinda broke to buy the install wires.
February-20th-2002, 12:25 AM
#11
Patriotic Protege5
Join Date: Dec 2001
Location: Hampton, VA
Posts: 908
Actually for the price the rockford amps are great. They all surpass their power ratings. My particular amp had a ciertificate in it that said it was tested at 836W. Thats 336W more than its stated max output. I would agree however that rockfords previous amps were better and had a cleaner sound. I would also agree that brand has something to do with it and that's why I would not get a MTX amp. JL has awesome amps as well. Would recommend them definetley.
February-20th-2002, 07:03 AM
#12
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Join Date: Oct 2001
Location: Fenwick, Ontario
Posts: 270
Originally posted by Gro Harlem
yup, brand name means everything. if you bought a pyramid amp that says it is 800 watts and put it on a JL Audio 12w3, it'd 1: sound like ****, and 2: would really only be putting out 200 watts or so RMS (very low quality watts at that).
yup, brand name means everything. if you bought a pyramid amp that says it is 800 watts and put it on a JL Audio 12w3, it'd 1: sound like ****, and 2: would really only be putting out 200 watts or so RMS (very low quality watts at that).
Brand name is not everything, I am using a profile amp to power my sub and it sounds alright but has no kick. I hooked up my brother's Pioneer GM-H200 to it and there was a very noticeable difference. These lower-brands generally do not use as high quality internal parts. Plus most of them rate their RMS wattage actually hard into clipping and at a much higher voltage than stated.
February-20th-2002, 06:35 PM
#13
Protege Newbie
Join Date: Feb 2002
Location: Fort Worth, Texas
Posts: 23
Bazzoka Preamped Tubes
I purchased a rs10a-hp Bazzoka off ebay for $300, it sounds great! Preamped 300w, fits perfectly behind the larger fold down seat in my 2001, took about an hour to hook up the amp wiring kit and put it in. Looks great too. Good Luck!
February-21st-2002, 07:03 PM
#14
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Join Date: Nov 2001
Location: Coquitlam, BC, Canada
Posts: 50
I don't mean to undermine your car audio prowress in any way, but I would bet you that if you took two amps and played them at the exact same output level and switched back and forth between them, you wouldn't know the difference. Amplifiers are basically transformers that amplify voltage. That's it. They should not add or detract anything from the music because they increase voltage pure and simple. To really say "This amp sounds better than that one" you would have to keep everything equal except for the amp, and you'd have to match the output level with a voltmeter.
Originally posted by Gro Harlem
yup, brand name means everything. if you bought a pyramid amp that says it is 800 watts and put it on a JL Audio 12w3, it'd 1: sound like ****, and 2: would really only be putting out 200 watts or so RMS (very low quality watts at that).
Also there is a huge misconception about Rockford amps. I don't know what it is, but everyone thinks they are excellent amps. It is true that they put out their rated power (and then some) but the sound quality coming out of them is decreasing as the model's are redesigned. I had a 800a2. It was benchmarked at 868 watts. It hit low and hard, and at the time, i thought the sound quality was excellent. After hearing some PPI, memphis and JL audio amps however, i'd have to say otherwise. Their newest "dot" series i've heard are worse. I've heard them breifly in a few show cars and wasn't too impressed.
Anyways, for your application, i'd get a JL audio 10w3 or some kind of JBL sub, and amplify it with a MTX amp or Kenwood amp. Both amps are pretty good quality and aaren't priced too bad. You'd be satisfied with rockford, but they are generally a lil more expensive.
yup, brand name means everything. if you bought a pyramid amp that says it is 800 watts and put it on a JL Audio 12w3, it'd 1: sound like ****, and 2: would really only be putting out 200 watts or so RMS (very low quality watts at that).
Also there is a huge misconception about Rockford amps. I don't know what it is, but everyone thinks they are excellent amps. It is true that they put out their rated power (and then some) but the sound quality coming out of them is decreasing as the model's are redesigned. I had a 800a2. It was benchmarked at 868 watts. It hit low and hard, and at the time, i thought the sound quality was excellent. After hearing some PPI, memphis and JL audio amps however, i'd have to say otherwise. Their newest "dot" series i've heard are worse. I've heard them breifly in a few show cars and wasn't too impressed.
Anyways, for your application, i'd get a JL audio 10w3 or some kind of JBL sub, and amplify it with a MTX amp or Kenwood amp. Both amps are pretty good quality and aaren't priced too bad. You'd be satisfied with rockford, but they are generally a lil more expensive.
February-21st-2002, 07:29 PM
#15
Registered User
Join Date: Oct 2001
Location: Fenwick, Ontario
Posts: 270
I think it would sum it up to say take what you think sounds best.
I had pretty much the same discussion in a stereo shop, the dealer was trying to sell me American made amplifiers (Kicker) and that Japanese amps are garbage, I then asked him why he is wearing an Eclipse t-shirt and after he couldn't really come up with a response, I walked out the door.
I had pretty much the same discussion in a stereo shop, the dealer was trying to sell me American made amplifiers (Kicker) and that Japanese amps are garbage, I then asked him why he is wearing an Eclipse t-shirt and after he couldn't really come up with a response, I walked out the door.