Some Audio Questions

CherBear

CherBear

NAXJA Forum User
Location
Indiana
I am building a budget sound system, the 8 and 10 inch combo i have right now just isnt what I am looking for.

So my I plan to ditch the 8 and grab another ten incher, then build a new sub box to enclose both of them. So my questions are:

Subwoofer brands, whats a good bang/buck ratio?

Materials, it seems like many people use MDF to build their box, then use caulk to seal it up, any recommendations on these materials?

Lastly, when building your box, does it matter particularly where you aim the subs? or will it not really matter because the Jeep is a (mostly) closed system?
 
if you want the best boom from your 10 and want to maintain a small enclosure I would drop some coin on a decent sub and build a bandpass box. I had a 10" alpine typeR sub in a bandpass box and while it didn't get loud like a 12 would it sure as hell sounded like one inside the jeep.
 
Go for it. After the 10" bandpass setup I moved up to 2 12s, then to 2 15s, then to 4 15s for awhile. I took the subs out of the XJ after jumping my jeep in the desert and having the weight of the magnets tear one of the 15s off the front of the box upon landing :D

Whatever you do make sure the cubic feet of the box matches the specs of the sub, most (reputable) manufacturers will have the info in the manual for the speaker which is available online for download, and have the recommended sizes for sealed, ported, and bandpass enclosures. as long as you stick to their suggestions it will sound great. Don't trust a company to pair a box to a sub just because it's a package deal, they're just trying to move product.

And if you really want to lose some hearing just go for a 15" bandpass setup and shoot for a 1000+w RMS amp. good times :greensmok
 
ew bandpass.

my 10" sealed is louder than a lot of cheap/poorly done 12s. and hits harder and doesnt resonate like those silly bandpass boxes do... unless you want to just rattle your hatch off and annoy neighbors. get some 3/4" MDF and build your own box.. its easy and cheap.

edit, to answer your questions-

go on crutchfield, look for closeouts. this way you get a better amp/sub at a cheaper price. dont skimp on an amp bc its just as important as a sub. for brands i like infinity, alpine, and (high end) kenwood amps, they can be had for a fair price. subs? alpine type r, polk, boston. i have a 230x2@2ohms RMS infinty amp into a 10" dvc polk sub.
 
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Resonation shouldn't be an issue with a 10 in a bandpass setup unless you're really pushing it, and even then the audability of it would be negligable.

but yes, in a 12 you're going to be hearing it especially in a cheap enclosure because of the volume of air you're moving and the pressure levels on the glass.

The bottom line is match the box to the sub and you'll get the most out of it. too much or too little air volume will affect the sound quality, and make it much easier to damage the sub.
 
XJLI said:
ew bandpass.

my 10" sealed is louder than a lot of cheap/poorly done 12s. and hits harder and doesnt resonate like those silly bandpass boxes do... unless you want to just rattle your hatch off and annoy neighbors. get some 3/4" MDF and build your own box.. its easy and cheap
Click to expand...

I agree I have always prefered the sound of a sealed box over bandpass. We did a JL10W1 in my frends truck and It sounded pretty good IMO. He did have a decent amp running it though.
 
Sheesh, you guys make it sound like I know something about sound systems :D

Just listen to this, my current setup is a an 8 inch in the "XJ-Pod" enclosure (search it if you dont know what it is)
Plus a 10 inch paper cone out of a home theater system from the 90s in its original box that has been cut in half and put back together and not sealed all the way. Both powered by a 250w Autozone amp.If you can make a more white trash/cheaper system, I bet it would catch fire.

Some more Qs:
Is it a good idea to place the amp inside the enclosure? It seems like that could cause a lot of interference and heat.

It is my understanding that sealed sounds the best, ported is the loudest, and bandpass is a sort of middle-ground between the two. That sound about right?

Just kind of a random idea... What if i build an enclosure for two tens, one ported, and one sealed. Is that a crazy idea?
 
CherBear said:
Just listen to this, my current setup is a an 8 inch in the "XJ-Pod" enclosure (search it if you dont know what it is)
Plus a 10 inch paper cone out of a home theater system from the 90s in its original box that has been cut in half and put back together and not sealed all the way. Both powered by a 250w Autozone amp.If you can make a more white trash/cheaper system, I bet it would catch fire.
Click to expand...
I've seen worse, but not by much, haha.

Some more Qs:
Is it a good idea to place the amp inside the enclosure? It seems like that could cause a lot of interference and heat.
Click to expand...
absolutely not, mainly for heat reasons but also the vibration and air pressure created by the speaker would be directly applied to the circuitry in the amp.

It is my understanding that sealed sounds the best, ported is the loudest, and bandpass is a sort of middle-ground between the two. That sound about right?
Click to expand...
pretty much, but that's my personal experience with the ear SPL meter. :D

Just kind of a random idea... What if i build an enclosure for two tens, one ported, and one sealed. Is that a crazy idea?
Click to expand...

yes, but hey why not? it won't be as ghetto as what you have now lol.
 
I have had a few systems in my last couple of vehicles but have kids and don't really spend enough time in them anymore. My dad has been in the car audio business for 25+ years.(he has since sold the business to do home audio and electronics).He has went through many different brands through the years but its worth spending a bit more up front for years of enjoyment with out buying new equipment. Memphis was his main line and he has it in every vehicle he has owned for 10+ years. They carry boxs that are tuned specific to the subs they sell. I have there Power Reference coaxial's in my jeep now and wouldn't own anything else. Look for a reputable local audio shop that have them(they have a retailer locator on the site). Tell them what you want and they should be happy to answer your questions.They are are usually picky on what kind of shop carry them.
 
Ian, check out Fi Audio Q series subs. They are a little pricey but are handmade. 1 12" Q in a well designed box will impress the hell out of you. As for your door speakers, I had Alpine type-r components in the old jeep and they would scream even just using the internal amp in the head unit. I would check into the CDT slim components. They would fit in your doors without cutting the panels. I'll probably do a somewhat high end setup in the Comanche once i get the motor fixed. No sub though, The gun rack takes up too much space and I need room for an AR platform rifle! :D I am now running a Kicker 10" marine sub in a marine box in my jeep and it sounds great! :thumbup:
 
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CherBear said:
I am building a budget sound system,
Click to expand...

1st, and most importantly, are you going for quality or just quantity?

Lastly, when building your box, does it matter particularly where you aim the subs? or will it not really matter because the Jeep is a (mostly) closed system?
Click to expand...

It absolutely can matter, where it's placed and where it's aimed. But it comes down to trying the options, it isn't something you can predict.

CherBear said:
It is my understanding that sealed sounds the best, ported is the loudest, and bandpass is a sort of middle-ground between the two. That sound about right?
Click to expand...

You have ported and bandpass switched. For efficiency (volume per power input), it's bandpass>ported>sealed>IB. The problem with high efficiency designs is that they are more sensitive to imperfections, and therefore are more likely to sound bad. I've never heard a bandpass system that I liked. They thump hard, but I can't stand them for long. Too much distortion from the box. Sound quality tends to be the reverse of efficiency, but you need enough sub to handle it.

I'm a big fan of low-efficiency systems. And yes, size matters. I have a single 15" Fi IB setup (think extremely big sealed box) and love it. It's clean, fast, and will play the notes so low you can only feel, not hear, them. And there's no stupid box taking up my storage space :sunshine:.

Mine was a low-$ build too.
 
Man you really shoe horned that 15 in there! dang!
I love your sub placement, I just dont know I i have the skills to pull that off!

You asked if I want quality or quantity? I would say a middle ground. I don't need anything stupid loud, I just want an upgrade from what I have now.

I am leaning towards a single 12 in a sealed box with a nice amp.
 
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Not sure what your idea of budget is, but have you checked out the SubThump box for the XJ? I also had the XJ Pod (just sold it on ebay last week) and was not the least bit impressed. It rattled and sounded lousy. I took the same 8" Polk sub that I had in it and threw it in this new box and WOW, what a difference. They'll also make them to fit a 10" sub, but I went with the 8" since I already had it.

http://www.naxja.org/forum/showthread.php?t=1051301&page=2

If you want to build your own box, by all means go for it. I just wasn't feeling that crafty and I wanted to make sure it turned out right this time. The last 5 years with the XJ Pod was miserable. I rarely turned up the volume loud enough to even drown out the road noise...
 
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