I'm gettin 2 new AW1208T Audiobahn 12" 1500 watt RMS subs and I want the most power going to them without ruining them. I also dont have a pocket full of money so if anyone has any suggestions I would appreciate it very much. Thanks THINK
Replies (28)
Munchiesyumm on 10/4/2004 19:02:55
First of all...
I want to know that you know what you're getting into. It should be to no supprise 3000w RMS is a "god-like" bass system. True you will have more bass than any average person however you will be the first to loose you're hearing. If you ever turn it way up inside the car you will damage you're ears especially prolonged periods of loudness.
I also want to know that you are prepared to upgrade alt/batt and have the extra $450 bucks to get it done. I would suggest a 300amp alt with a topline battery (optima) which is another $100 bucks.
I also want to make sure you have someone making you a custom box that won't break or flex when the bass hits. These subs are extremly powerful and will need an extra superior box. Talk to Swez about any specific design or type he will be able to lead you in the right direction. A box like this going to be at least $100-150 if you find a good deal.
I'm not sure this system would be the best option for you especially if you don't have a pocket full of money. Especially if you choose not to fully power them..
I don't want to get into too much details here sense we need some clarification.. Exsactly how much are you willing to spend and what type car is this going to be in.
P0werLifter on 10/5/2004 01:36:57
What type of budget can you afford here? As Munchies has stated above any system over 600watts needs major electrical upgrades. Assuming you running a stock charging system ill go in depth here about what you will need and what kind of money you will have to spend to achieve your goals here. Again, this isnt to discourage you, but merely inform you of the situation you might impose on yourself.
A stock automobile's alternators output is about <100amps. Since yours is a Chevy most likely its a 105amp alternator like my stock one was. It takes 50-60amps to run your stock electricals (I.E. Lighting, AC, Fan, heater etc) so with a stock alternator that leaves you with around 40-50amperes to play around with , without having to upgrade your electricals.
If you do infact wish to run a system that will push your subwoofers to the max output, then that will be 1 amplifier Per Subwoofer which is 3000watts total RMS value. Beware a system of this amplitude will cost major $$$ to run. In order to figure out the total amperage draw of a system, add up the total watts of the system, divide that by your amplifiers efficiency factor, divided by your charging systems voltage.
Heres the math assuming your going to be running 3000watts
NOTE: this is the RMS amperage values..actual amperage draw will be more due to large bass hits
3000/.9 (class D amplifiers run at 90% efficent)=>3333.33
3333.33/13.5 (good average voltage) = >246.91 amper draw alone for the 3000watt system. Now tack on the 60amps of current needed for your stock electricals 246.91+60= >306.91amp alternator just to run this system at the RMS wattage. You will infact need a larger alt to run this system effectivly, not only that, but large wiring, and more than likely, a bank of batteries (880 Cold Cranking amps or higher).
The upgrades alone for this type of system will be an easy $600+ alone(believe me..i know ive done alot of upgrades as have others on this board..)
Then theres the fact of purchasing the correct amplifiers to run this type of system. In general, you get what you pay for when it comes to car audio, so be prepared to spend some $$$ on good amplifiers if your serious about this. Then wiring alone will cost another $200 (0 guage wiring to distro blocks, 4guage to amps...Fuses,,,speaker wire..etc).
Then comes the good stuff..building the proper enclosure, assuming from the information you've given, your a SPL nut like myself since you want to run each sub to their max, you'll want a large enclosure thats ported and tuned correctly to really pump out the bass. If thats the case you'll also want to sound deaden your automobile in order to increase the SPL and reduce the rattling you get at high volume.
I dont wish to crush your plans here, just make sure you know what your getting into, SPL setups cost major money, if your serious about it, ill be more than happy to help you along your quest to ear shattering audio Bliss, but be responsible and respectful of others on your way.
One last thing, everytime you double the wattage you gain +3db of sound...everytyime you add another driver..you add +3db of sound. This is almost inaudiable to the ear above 120dBs unless you plan to compete.
A 600watt RMS system does provide plenty of SPL and Bass for your needs unless you plan to compete, or just HAVE to haev a huge ass system.
Hope this helps...if ive 4gotten anything im sure Swez, Chronos or one of the other guys will be here shortly
"If you port it...BASS will come"
-Jason
cheech226 on 10/5/2004 16:47:31
I'd like to thank both of you for your answers to my questions. I am kind of new to this whole car audio thing and I don't want to spend any major cash on this, but i want people to hear me comin. I have about a $1500 budget so if you guys and help me find out what subs amps etc that I need for people to hear me comin I would appreciate it very much. Also note that I want something that will sound clean and has a good rep of not ruining. I also do plan to dynamat the whole vehicle so that will help with any rattling that I might run into. Thanks again
P0werLifter on 10/5/2004 21:21:34
Alrighty well lets see what we can do here, with a $1500dollar goal here should be plenty to work with GRIN . First off..do you want just PURE Bass? or would you like to upgrade your speakers inside for a crisp clean sound? and maybe amplify those also?
Just for Bass:
Some brands we reccomend are
ResonantEngineering (www.REaudio.com) check out the XXX
Adire Audio (www.adireaudio.com) check out the Brahma
Alpine Type X is awesome from what ive heard
Elemental Designs
JL Audio
Some of these brands are more expensive than others, personally i use the RE XXX but all of thse are favorites of us on the board and many others.
Are you set on 2 woofers? or can i persuade you to go with a single driver? A single 15 will really pump out the bass while keeping the budget down if its in a proper ported enclosure.
As far as amplifiers, make sure you go with a Class D mono amplifier.In order to keep the cost and work down im going to reccomend sticking with a <600watt RMS amplifier so you wont need to upgrade your electricals drasticly.
Iook on Ebay for the JBL BP 600.1, relatively cheap and a good amplifier.
others reputable brands to consider are
*Planet Audio
*Hitronics
*PowerAcoustik
*Alpine
*JL
among many others.
Since your planning on sound deadening the whole vehicle i would reccomend purchasing either BrownBread/B-quiet xtreme from www.B-quiet.com or Edead from Elemental Designs. I personally have Brownbread/Bquiet , it works great and its much cheaper than Dynamat.
I think that about covers it for this moment in time, Think about your options here and about what exactly you want to accomplish here then we can move on.
-Jason
cheech226 on 10/6/2004 10:53:07
I deffinetly want to upgrade all of my other speakers to component sets and run them with an amp. I also do want 2 drivers I use to be set on the JL's that are cheaper but I heard they were not so good but the people that I was talking to might be wrong. But that is the brand that I would like to get but they have so many choices of subs that I don't know what one to get and what would be the best for what I want. As for amps it dose not matter I just want something that will push hard and has a good rep. I still want people to hear me coming. Thanks for all of your help so far.
Brett
ryan2 on 10/6/2004 13:27:20
Just out of curiosity what JL subs were they talking about because i find it hard to believe that they dont sound good. Personally i've had the 2 12"WO's sound great and put out fairly good amount of spl. I've also heard 2 12" W3's in a ported box. They sounded great and even more spl. Then theres the W7 not much to say there except that i've only heard it in a demo room at the local caraudio shop its the best out there IMO.
cheech226 on 10/6/2004 14:17:35
they were the W3's but I think the people that I was talking to just dind't want tme to get them I dont know. I want JL the loudest that I can get without buying the W6V2's or W7's. I've never really heard any of the other ones and don't really know how to power them.
Brett
P0werLifter on 10/6/2004 21:19:17
Alright, a $1500 budget..and you want to upgrade all your speakers in the truck and amplify them. How many speakers / what size does your Tahoe have?
For component speakers myself, and many others highy reccomend the CDT CL-61 series from www.thezeb.com... very good component set with the prices slashed down very low.
Other options are Focal, MB quart, Alpine etc that are all very good
For amplification depending on how many speakers you have, id reccmomend going with an alpine amplifier with around 90-100watts RMS @ 4ohms for each channel.
As for the subwoofers, I take it you have your heart set on JL correct? Personally i havnt dealt much with JL audio but i know many other people have here. You might wanna try the JL w3 in a ported enclusure with 600watts rms (300watts per sub)
you might have some light dimming factors but as long as your not over the alternators charging capacity by about 20ampers a high CCA battery and maybe a 1 farad Cap should help that.
what you think?
Jason
cheech226 on 10/7/2004 09:08:20
This helps out a whole lot. The JL w3 sounds good what size should I get and as for the amp to power them I need help with that. I know what subs your talking about do you think that I should get 2 or 3 cause remember I want people to hear me coming. And as for my car speaker sizes they are 2 pairs of 6 1/2s and 1 4x10 but slight modifications won't be a problem. Thaks for all the help so far.
Brett
P0werLifter on 10/7/2004 13:22:36
Try to erase the idea that more is better when it comes to subwoofers, this is simply not true unless you have the amplification reserves to run these effectively. REMEMBER, for every subwoofer you add, it only adds +3 dB and for everytime you double the wattage it adds +3db, This is inaudiable to the ear after 120dB to make much of a difference unless your running multiple subwoofers with high wattage. This is why i reccomended going with for example a single Brahma 15 in woofer in large ported enclosure. This will net good SPL due to the fact that the brahma has good XmaX values combined with the large surface area, and the ability to handle high wattage if you so inclinded to run it later.
Since your heart is set on JL audio though and 2 drivers,, go with 2 JL audio w3v2 in a ported enclosure. On ebay around $350for a set i believe
As far as an amplifier, go with a JBL 600.1 if you can find it, each w3 is 300watts rms if i remember right, this kind of amp will be perfect for it, it might be a little hard to find but there are others that will be sufficient. Ill look around and ask some buddies. (Not to sure but figure $300 maybe less
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Components
Id say go with the 2 sets CDT-CL-61 6.5" woofers ({the titanium domes are brighter and pierce through the bass better than the silk, but the silk domes provide exccelent SQ so its up to you)
from www.TheZeb.com each set is about $160 shipped
As far as an amplifier for your Mids...Id reccomend an Alpine 2 or 4 Channel..im not sure if they make a 3channel or not. Just make sure its around 100watts RMS per channel
I still forsee some electrical issues with this setup due to the fact that the alpine amplifier will add more current draw on top of the 600.1 amplifier we talked about earlier. If its only minor light dimming then get a High CCA batter (850CCA+) and upgrade your wiring. If that doesnt help you'll have to upgrade you alternator.
Check out the article i typed in the DIY section, It might help you out as far as understanding the charging system aspects..and SPL basics
http://www.clubknowledge.com/Car_Audio_FAQ/?t30
I also reccomend reading the other DIY articles to further your knowledge.
What say you?
Jason
cheech226 on 10/7/2004 15:50:39
Well it sounds like you covered it all. With everything that you said and all the components I feel pretty satisfied with it all and think I'm going to go buy. You and every one else helped me alot. But I have one more question would you happen to have the demensions of the ported box or know any one that does. If so that would be great. Thanks Again
Brett
uochronos on 10/7/2004 17:56:59
JL has tones of box specs on there web site. you want to make sure to follow the specified dimensions from the manufaturer. a ported box that is too large well damage the sub. a ported box that is to small well damage the sub also.
also ported boxes are tuned toa specific frequency say 35hz is a common choice. you well need a sub sonic filter to block out all frequencies below the tuning frequency or risk damage to the sub.
Chronos
P0werLifter on 10/7/2004 22:13:18
As Chronos has stated, JL audio has tons of enclosure specs on their website to help ya out. Since you drive a Tahoe i dont believe size will be much of an issue for you GRIN . The larger the enclusure typically the lower and louder it gets, but you risk the possiblity of damaging the subwoofer. To small of an enclosure wont hit the lows as nicely and you still run the possiblity of damaging it also. Since your not as versed in building enclosures pick something in between the 2 extremes.
When building a ported enclosure, remember that anything below the Port Tuned Frequency ({PTF}) will need to be filtered out. A good typical frequency to tune your enclosure to as Chronos has stated is between 35-40Hz. But you can go as low as 25 if you so wished. Id stick with what JL reccomends just to make sure your satesfied with the results.
If you do need some help with the enclosure design we can help you out when we have some free time.
-Jason
cheech226 on 10/8/2004 08:48:05
Ya'll have been alot of help and I would like to thank every one that replied.
Brett
P0werLifter on 10/8/2004 14:36:31
Anytime Brett, need anymore help just let us know.
-Jason
cheech226 on 10/25/2004 15:10:50
For the 12 W3V2 what is the difference between D6 and D4?
Victor on 10/25/2004 15:25:29
hmmmm... lots of good suggestions flowing in.. i agree completely with the porducts swez and powerlifter have suggested.. and the electrical upgrade is very necessary too...
you are a complete bass maniac like me.. (i think so).. i usually suggest to make an enclosure as per the company specs..
I am a self appointed promoter of bandpass designs.. i have given every thing into designing these kind of enclosures.. and trust me they are EXCELLENT in low freq extension and transient response..\\
If you decide to make on of these.. i can surely help u out..
regarding other tips and advice i feel that swez,,powerlifter..uochronos and other gys know much better..
comments...?
Victor...
cheech226 on 10/25/2004 15:33:33
I have one more question, for the JBL 600.1 how do I run two subs off of a mono amp?
uochronos on 10/25/2004 15:35:49
the jbl has a nifty feature it has 2 sets of inputs even though its a mono sub making it easy to just plug in 2 subs without worrying about wireing them together.
Chronos
cheech226 on 10/26/2004 10:06:45
Iam wanting to get my subs soon but I still need to know wether to get the D2 D4 or D6 cause I dont know the difference between them if there is any at all. They will be powered by JBL 600.1.
I am also building my own box with the help of a friend. So Victor if you can help me out that would be great. Cause I know how your box is the biggest part of your bass. And I want to get as much out of these subs as I can.
Brett
Victor on 10/26/2004 11:03:07
Sure dude.. i would be very happy to help you out.. or for that matter help anybody out here who is an audio enthusiast..
unfortunately i am placed in INDIA so I would not be able to help u directly .. but we can surely discuss various aspects regarding the enclosure.. and you can mail me your ideas.. i can suggest you some great designs and various box building techniques too..
this would be the best place to discuss the issue.. but since this site unfortunately does not allow to post pictures.. u can either mail me ur designs or ask some of hte gold members to post it up for you..
my mail add... info@victorexports.com
comments...??
Victor..
cheech226 on 10/27/2004 21:47:35
I don't really have any ideas of my own I just want my enclosure to be the best and the loudest it can be. I would like to build a fibber glass enclosure but I don't want to get into all that just yet. Also I am putting it into a different car. Im selling the tahoe and getting a 1993 Ford Explorer. Just to give you an idea of how big the box can be.
Thanks for everything so far.
Brett
Victor on 10/28/2004 01:14:18
What kind of music do u usually listen to .. and what kind of bass do u prefer.. ??
Victor...
Victor on 10/28/2004 02:20:46
since you are going to use JBL 600.1 .. its 1 ohm stable .. but i wud not recommend you to run it at 1 ohm cause, Power output between 1 ohm and 2 ohm net load remains static- thus you gain no power advantage by driving a 1 ohm load rathen than 2ohm...however sound quality DOES degrage as ohmage decreases....
so buying a pair of 12" JL AudioW3v2 D4 and wire the voice coils in parallel to give a load of 2 ohms for each woofer and wire them to the dual terminals given on the JBL bp600.1..
regarding the enclosure.. we shall decide it as soon as you give ur liking for a particular kind of bass..
comments...?
Victor..
cheech226 on 10/28/2004 14:31:49
I mostly listen to rap and stuff like that. Songs with deep bass in them.
Brett
Victor on 10/28/2004 15:35:56
well... i think you wont need much of my help unless you want to try out something different and innovative..
cause JL Audio has a perfectly matched ported enclosure for your subs..
if you dont wanna buy those .. they have also provided with box and port dimensions in the following PDF.. along with some box building techniques and the do's and dont's for building the enclosure...
http://www.jlaudio.com/subwoofers/pdfs/12W3v2_MAN.pdf
yet if u need my help during the process.. i would be very happy to help you out...
Wish you best of luck.. do let me know how your system sounds after you finish installing everything..
Victor...
uochronos on 10/28/2004 16:07:07
agreed victor is right on here. JL is one of the few great companies that spends tons on research of design for enclosures. they ahev many designs listed and can probaly help you with other designs if you email them if your not happy with what they show.
Buying on of there prebuilt enclosures well be spendy. we can help walk you threw building your own as well for alot less money say 50$ or so to build one, a bit more mattering how complicated.
Chronos
cheech226 on 11/1/2004 15:22:03
I'll porbly just end up building my own. Cause i checked the prices on prebuilt boxes and they are up there. So once I get the subs I'm going to start to build and I'll ask you guys if I have any questions. Thanks For Everything!
Brett
Replies (28)
Munchiesyumm on 10/4/2004 19:02:55
First of all...
I want to know that you know what you're getting into. It should be to no supprise 3000w RMS is a "god-like" bass system. True you will have more bass than any average person however you will be the first to loose you're hearing. If you ever turn it way up inside the car you will damage you're ears especially prolonged periods of loudness.
I also want to know that you are prepared to upgrade alt/batt and have the extra $450 bucks to get it done. I would suggest a 300amp alt with a topline battery (optima) which is another $100 bucks.
I also want to make sure you have someone making you a custom box that won't break or flex when the bass hits. These subs are extremly powerful and will need an extra superior box. Talk to Swez about any specific design or type he will be able to lead you in the right direction. A box like this going to be at least $100-150 if you find a good deal.
I'm not sure this system would be the best option for you especially if you don't have a pocket full of money. Especially if you choose not to fully power them..
I don't want to get into too much details here sense we need some clarification.. Exsactly how much are you willing to spend and what type car is this going to be in.
P0werLifter on 10/5/2004 01:36:57
What type of budget can you afford here? As Munchies has stated above any system over 600watts needs major electrical upgrades. Assuming you running a stock charging system ill go in depth here about what you will need and what kind of money you will have to spend to achieve your goals here. Again, this isnt to discourage you, but merely inform you of the situation you might impose on yourself.
A stock automobile's alternators output is about <100amps. Since yours is a Chevy most likely its a 105amp alternator like my stock one was. It takes 50-60amps to run your stock electricals (I.E. Lighting, AC, Fan, heater etc) so with a stock alternator that leaves you with around 40-50amperes to play around with , without having to upgrade your electricals.
If you do infact wish to run a system that will push your subwoofers to the max output, then that will be 1 amplifier Per Subwoofer which is 3000watts total RMS value. Beware a system of this amplitude will cost major $$$ to run. In order to figure out the total amperage draw of a system, add up the total watts of the system, divide that by your amplifiers efficiency factor, divided by your charging systems voltage.
Heres the math assuming your going to be running 3000watts
NOTE: this is the RMS amperage values..actual amperage draw will be more due to large bass hits
3000/.9 (class D amplifiers run at 90% efficent)=>3333.33
3333.33/13.5 (good average voltage) = >246.91 amper draw alone for the 3000watt system. Now tack on the 60amps of current needed for your stock electricals 246.91+60= >306.91amp alternator just to run this system at the RMS wattage. You will infact need a larger alt to run this system effectivly, not only that, but large wiring, and more than likely, a bank of batteries (880 Cold Cranking amps or higher).
The upgrades alone for this type of system will be an easy $600+ alone(believe me..i know ive done alot of upgrades as have others on this board..)
Then theres the fact of purchasing the correct amplifiers to run this type of system. In general, you get what you pay for when it comes to car audio, so be prepared to spend some $$$ on good amplifiers if your serious about this. Then wiring alone will cost another $200 (0 guage wiring to distro blocks, 4guage to amps...Fuses,,,speaker wire..etc).
Then comes the good stuff..building the proper enclosure, assuming from the information you've given, your a SPL nut like myself since you want to run each sub to their max, you'll want a large enclosure thats ported and tuned correctly to really pump out the bass. If thats the case you'll also want to sound deaden your automobile in order to increase the SPL and reduce the rattling you get at high volume.
I dont wish to crush your plans here, just make sure you know what your getting into, SPL setups cost major money, if your serious about it, ill be more than happy to help you along your quest to ear shattering audio Bliss, but be responsible and respectful of others on your way.
One last thing, everytime you double the wattage you gain +3db of sound...everytyime you add another driver..you add +3db of sound. This is almost inaudiable to the ear above 120dBs unless you plan to compete.
A 600watt RMS system does provide plenty of SPL and Bass for your needs unless you plan to compete, or just HAVE to haev a huge ass system.
Hope this helps...if ive 4gotten anything im sure Swez, Chronos or one of the other guys will be here shortly
"If you port it...BASS will come"
-Jason
cheech226 on 10/5/2004 16:47:31
I'd like to thank both of you for your answers to my questions. I am kind of new to this whole car audio thing and I don't want to spend any major cash on this, but i want people to hear me comin. I have about a $1500 budget so if you guys and help me find out what subs amps etc that I need for people to hear me comin I would appreciate it very much. Also note that I want something that will sound clean and has a good rep of not ruining. I also do plan to dynamat the whole vehicle so that will help with any rattling that I might run into. Thanks again
P0werLifter on 10/5/2004 21:21:34
Alrighty well lets see what we can do here, with a $1500dollar goal here should be plenty to work with GRIN . First off..do you want just PURE Bass? or would you like to upgrade your speakers inside for a crisp clean sound? and maybe amplify those also?
Just for Bass:
Some brands we reccomend are
ResonantEngineering (www.REaudio.com) check out the XXX
Adire Audio (www.adireaudio.com) check out the Brahma
Alpine Type X is awesome from what ive heard
Elemental Designs
JL Audio
Some of these brands are more expensive than others, personally i use the RE XXX but all of thse are favorites of us on the board and many others.
Are you set on 2 woofers? or can i persuade you to go with a single driver? A single 15 will really pump out the bass while keeping the budget down if its in a proper ported enclosure.
As far as amplifiers, make sure you go with a Class D mono amplifier.In order to keep the cost and work down im going to reccomend sticking with a <600watt RMS amplifier so you wont need to upgrade your electricals drasticly.
Iook on Ebay for the JBL BP 600.1, relatively cheap and a good amplifier.
others reputable brands to consider are
*Planet Audio
*Hitronics
*PowerAcoustik
*Alpine
*JL
among many others.
Since your planning on sound deadening the whole vehicle i would reccomend purchasing either BrownBread/B-quiet xtreme from www.B-quiet.com or Edead from Elemental Designs. I personally have Brownbread/Bquiet , it works great and its much cheaper than Dynamat.
I think that about covers it for this moment in time, Think about your options here and about what exactly you want to accomplish here then we can move on.
-Jason
cheech226 on 10/6/2004 10:53:07
I deffinetly want to upgrade all of my other speakers to component sets and run them with an amp. I also do want 2 drivers I use to be set on the JL's that are cheaper but I heard they were not so good but the people that I was talking to might be wrong. But that is the brand that I would like to get but they have so many choices of subs that I don't know what one to get and what would be the best for what I want. As for amps it dose not matter I just want something that will push hard and has a good rep. I still want people to hear me coming. Thanks for all of your help so far.
Brett
ryan2 on 10/6/2004 13:27:20
Just out of curiosity what JL subs were they talking about because i find it hard to believe that they dont sound good. Personally i've had the 2 12"WO's sound great and put out fairly good amount of spl. I've also heard 2 12" W3's in a ported box. They sounded great and even more spl. Then theres the W7 not much to say there except that i've only heard it in a demo room at the local caraudio shop its the best out there IMO.
cheech226 on 10/6/2004 14:17:35
they were the W3's but I think the people that I was talking to just dind't want tme to get them I dont know. I want JL the loudest that I can get without buying the W6V2's or W7's. I've never really heard any of the other ones and don't really know how to power them.
Brett
P0werLifter on 10/6/2004 21:19:17
Alright, a $1500 budget..and you want to upgrade all your speakers in the truck and amplify them. How many speakers / what size does your Tahoe have?
For component speakers myself, and many others highy reccomend the CDT CL-61 series from www.thezeb.com... very good component set with the prices slashed down very low.
Other options are Focal, MB quart, Alpine etc that are all very good
For amplification depending on how many speakers you have, id reccmomend going with an alpine amplifier with around 90-100watts RMS @ 4ohms for each channel.
As for the subwoofers, I take it you have your heart set on JL correct? Personally i havnt dealt much with JL audio but i know many other people have here. You might wanna try the JL w3 in a ported enclusure with 600watts rms (300watts per sub)
you might have some light dimming factors but as long as your not over the alternators charging capacity by about 20ampers a high CCA battery and maybe a 1 farad Cap should help that.
what you think?
Jason
cheech226 on 10/7/2004 09:08:20
This helps out a whole lot. The JL w3 sounds good what size should I get and as for the amp to power them I need help with that. I know what subs your talking about do you think that I should get 2 or 3 cause remember I want people to hear me coming. And as for my car speaker sizes they are 2 pairs of 6 1/2s and 1 4x10 but slight modifications won't be a problem. Thaks for all the help so far.
Brett
P0werLifter on 10/7/2004 13:22:36
Try to erase the idea that more is better when it comes to subwoofers, this is simply not true unless you have the amplification reserves to run these effectively. REMEMBER, for every subwoofer you add, it only adds +3 dB and for everytime you double the wattage it adds +3db, This is inaudiable to the ear after 120dB to make much of a difference unless your running multiple subwoofers with high wattage. This is why i reccomended going with for example a single Brahma 15 in woofer in large ported enclosure. This will net good SPL due to the fact that the brahma has good XmaX values combined with the large surface area, and the ability to handle high wattage if you so inclinded to run it later.
Since your heart is set on JL audio though and 2 drivers,, go with 2 JL audio w3v2 in a ported enclosure. On ebay around $350for a set i believe
As far as an amplifier, go with a JBL 600.1 if you can find it, each w3 is 300watts rms if i remember right, this kind of amp will be perfect for it, it might be a little hard to find but there are others that will be sufficient. Ill look around and ask some buddies. (Not to sure but figure $300 maybe less
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Components
Id say go with the 2 sets CDT-CL-61 6.5" woofers ({the titanium domes are brighter and pierce through the bass better than the silk, but the silk domes provide exccelent SQ so its up to you)
from www.TheZeb.com each set is about $160 shipped
As far as an amplifier for your Mids...Id reccomend an Alpine 2 or 4 Channel..im not sure if they make a 3channel or not. Just make sure its around 100watts RMS per channel
I still forsee some electrical issues with this setup due to the fact that the alpine amplifier will add more current draw on top of the 600.1 amplifier we talked about earlier. If its only minor light dimming then get a High CCA batter (850CCA+) and upgrade your wiring. If that doesnt help you'll have to upgrade you alternator.
Check out the article i typed in the DIY section, It might help you out as far as understanding the charging system aspects..and SPL basics
http://www.clubknowledge.com/Car_Audio_FAQ/?t30
I also reccomend reading the other DIY articles to further your knowledge.
What say you?
Jason
cheech226 on 10/7/2004 15:50:39
Well it sounds like you covered it all. With everything that you said and all the components I feel pretty satisfied with it all and think I'm going to go buy. You and every one else helped me alot. But I have one more question would you happen to have the demensions of the ported box or know any one that does. If so that would be great. Thanks Again
Brett
uochronos on 10/7/2004 17:56:59
JL has tones of box specs on there web site. you want to make sure to follow the specified dimensions from the manufaturer. a ported box that is too large well damage the sub. a ported box that is to small well damage the sub also.
also ported boxes are tuned toa specific frequency say 35hz is a common choice. you well need a sub sonic filter to block out all frequencies below the tuning frequency or risk damage to the sub.
Chronos
P0werLifter on 10/7/2004 22:13:18
As Chronos has stated, JL audio has tons of enclosure specs on their website to help ya out. Since you drive a Tahoe i dont believe size will be much of an issue for you GRIN . The larger the enclusure typically the lower and louder it gets, but you risk the possiblity of damaging the subwoofer. To small of an enclosure wont hit the lows as nicely and you still run the possiblity of damaging it also. Since your not as versed in building enclosures pick something in between the 2 extremes.
When building a ported enclosure, remember that anything below the Port Tuned Frequency ({PTF}) will need to be filtered out. A good typical frequency to tune your enclosure to as Chronos has stated is between 35-40Hz. But you can go as low as 25 if you so wished. Id stick with what JL reccomends just to make sure your satesfied with the results.
If you do need some help with the enclosure design we can help you out when we have some free time.
-Jason
cheech226 on 10/8/2004 08:48:05
Ya'll have been alot of help and I would like to thank every one that replied.
Brett
P0werLifter on 10/8/2004 14:36:31
Anytime Brett, need anymore help just let us know.
-Jason
cheech226 on 10/25/2004 15:10:50
For the 12 W3V2 what is the difference between D6 and D4?
Victor on 10/25/2004 15:25:29
hmmmm... lots of good suggestions flowing in.. i agree completely with the porducts swez and powerlifter have suggested.. and the electrical upgrade is very necessary too...
you are a complete bass maniac like me.. (i think so).. i usually suggest to make an enclosure as per the company specs..
I am a self appointed promoter of bandpass designs.. i have given every thing into designing these kind of enclosures.. and trust me they are EXCELLENT in low freq extension and transient response..\\
If you decide to make on of these.. i can surely help u out..
regarding other tips and advice i feel that swez,,powerlifter..uochronos and other gys know much better..
comments...?
Victor...
cheech226 on 10/25/2004 15:33:33
I have one more question, for the JBL 600.1 how do I run two subs off of a mono amp?
uochronos on 10/25/2004 15:35:49
the jbl has a nifty feature it has 2 sets of inputs even though its a mono sub making it easy to just plug in 2 subs without worrying about wireing them together.
Chronos
cheech226 on 10/26/2004 10:06:45
Iam wanting to get my subs soon but I still need to know wether to get the D2 D4 or D6 cause I dont know the difference between them if there is any at all. They will be powered by JBL 600.1.
I am also building my own box with the help of a friend. So Victor if you can help me out that would be great. Cause I know how your box is the biggest part of your bass. And I want to get as much out of these subs as I can.
Brett
Victor on 10/26/2004 11:03:07
Sure dude.. i would be very happy to help you out.. or for that matter help anybody out here who is an audio enthusiast..
unfortunately i am placed in INDIA so I would not be able to help u directly .. but we can surely discuss various aspects regarding the enclosure.. and you can mail me your ideas.. i can suggest you some great designs and various box building techniques too..
this would be the best place to discuss the issue.. but since this site unfortunately does not allow to post pictures.. u can either mail me ur designs or ask some of hte gold members to post it up for you..
my mail add... info@victorexports.com
comments...??
Victor..
cheech226 on 10/27/2004 21:47:35
I don't really have any ideas of my own I just want my enclosure to be the best and the loudest it can be. I would like to build a fibber glass enclosure but I don't want to get into all that just yet. Also I am putting it into a different car. Im selling the tahoe and getting a 1993 Ford Explorer. Just to give you an idea of how big the box can be.
Thanks for everything so far.
Brett
Victor on 10/28/2004 01:14:18
What kind of music do u usually listen to .. and what kind of bass do u prefer.. ??
Victor...
Victor on 10/28/2004 02:20:46
since you are going to use JBL 600.1 .. its 1 ohm stable .. but i wud not recommend you to run it at 1 ohm cause, Power output between 1 ohm and 2 ohm net load remains static- thus you gain no power advantage by driving a 1 ohm load rathen than 2ohm...however sound quality DOES degrage as ohmage decreases....
so buying a pair of 12" JL AudioW3v2 D4 and wire the voice coils in parallel to give a load of 2 ohms for each woofer and wire them to the dual terminals given on the JBL bp600.1..
regarding the enclosure.. we shall decide it as soon as you give ur liking for a particular kind of bass..
comments...?
Victor..
cheech226 on 10/28/2004 14:31:49
I mostly listen to rap and stuff like that. Songs with deep bass in them.
Brett
Victor on 10/28/2004 15:35:56
well... i think you wont need much of my help unless you want to try out something different and innovative..
cause JL Audio has a perfectly matched ported enclosure for your subs..
if you dont wanna buy those .. they have also provided with box and port dimensions in the following PDF.. along with some box building techniques and the do's and dont's for building the enclosure...
http://www.jlaudio.com/subwoofers/pdfs/12W3v2_MAN.pdf
yet if u need my help during the process.. i would be very happy to help you out...
Wish you best of luck.. do let me know how your system sounds after you finish installing everything..
Victor...
uochronos on 10/28/2004 16:07:07
agreed victor is right on here. JL is one of the few great companies that spends tons on research of design for enclosures. they ahev many designs listed and can probaly help you with other designs if you email them if your not happy with what they show.
Buying on of there prebuilt enclosures well be spendy. we can help walk you threw building your own as well for alot less money say 50$ or so to build one, a bit more mattering how complicated.
Chronos
cheech226 on 11/1/2004 15:22:03
I'll porbly just end up building my own. Cause i checked the prices on prebuilt boxes and they are up there. So once I get the subs I'm going to start to build and I'll ask you guys if I have any questions. Thanks For Everything!
Brett
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