Looking for sub-woofer recommendations.

[deadken]

Err... Lemme ask you guys this:
How would this combo seem for my needs:
Alpine SWS-12D2 (suggest maximum of 1 cubic foot for a sealed enclosure). Is this a 2Ohm or 4Ohm sub?
http://www.sonicelectronix.com/item_45530_Alpine-SWS-12D2.html
12" Sealed enclosure (.98 Cubic feet)
Alpine MRX-M55 Amp (550W @ 2Ohm / 350W @ 4Ohm)
http://www.sonicelectronix.com/item_45519_Alpine-MRX-M55.html

Amplifier adjustment knob (designed for a PDX amp, but I'm thinking it *might* work with this amp)
http://www.sonicelectronix.com/item_29726_Alpine-RUX-KNOB.html

All four items would run me $410 shipped. Of course, I still have to measure the room in the trunk to make sure I could deal with it. Seeing how much amperage this and the other amp would draw, I wonder if my alternator would be putting out enough juice. Do you think I'd need a Capacitor?

-Thanks, Ken

*EDIT*: Wow, those were quick replies! I'll have to look into the combo you suggested Phucheneh, but perhaps some here could give opinions about 1 vs. the other.

 

[phucheneh]

Depends where you go.

Well- the the places that most people go, because their products may superficially appear to be priced decently, and their labor is cheap.

I'm not putting down high-end shops that will generally specialize more in 'full installs,' to include installing sound deadening and other stuff that (IMO) is absolutely silly not to do if you're planning on upgrading the stereo.

...and that's why those places are rare. They're not for the average consumer; they will probably be able to advise you on stuff that will sound good and work well together. But you need to buy ALL the stuff.

Right now I would feel that the OP is building on an unstable foundation. Well-placed front component speakers with some pretty authoritative bass are capable of sounding pretty good on their own with no subs. Inversely, weak fronts stuck down by your leg and a nice sub setup just has no chance of sounding truly 'good' as a whole.

If I had to improve upon the stereo in question, I'd installed deadening (did I mention how much deadening helps? Front doors and rear deck lid, especially? yeah?). Then upgrade the front speakers, connect the rears to the headunit, and get a small efficient sub. 150w is a little low, but hopefully that amp is rated on the low side and not 'optimistically.' And also...deadening.

There are 100-200w subs capable of some decent excursion. The ones at Best Buy aren't it...though a 150w entry-level Kicker sub is probably what you'd get with a $300-400 budget. It'd take about half your money, and then their amps aren't cheap, either.

 

[phucheneh]

For just a sub: here's your budget on Woofersect...an authorized reseller...it's even cheaper if you go gray market like 'sonicelectronix' and the like. 500w to an ID12. It sounds good; I've run both one and two ID12's on 300-400w a piece in a sedan. Almost as much displacement as a Type R but they use power more efficiently.

http://www.woofersetc.com/p-4995-id12-v3-d4-image-dynamics-12-dual-4-ohm-v3-subwoofer.aspx

http://www.woofersetc.com/p-11414-mrv-m500-alpine-monoblock-500w-rms-amplifier.aspx

At BB, you get a 300w amp and a Kicker Comp or maybe a Type S. No contest in any area.

I'll shut up now [/both car audio snob and cheap bastard]

 

[Raduque]

I'll shut up now [/both car audio snob and cheap bastard]

As a car audio snob, I bet you'd hate my system. ()

 

[phucheneh]

As a car audio snob, I bet you'd hate my system. ()

I wanna say we've discussed it, but my memory is poop. Might've been someone else.

But I folllow the generic, efficient philosophy of:

-front speakers are at least two-way comps with passive crossover boxes
-front speakers have an amp
-front speakers are sturdily mounted, doors are deadened, tweeter placement is chest level or better. But always try different positions/directions for the tweeters...I generally prefer mine on the A-pillar itself or mounted in the corners of the front windows. And aimed across the car; canted more torward the front occupants for more mellow silk tweeters.

-some kind of rear subwoofer capable of filling in the <100hz region. The lower you can set the LPF (and accompanying HPF on the front comps), the better.
-obviously, amplification for the sub.

-rear speakers optional, powered off HU for fill if desired.

It's really just not that much. It is so much more about selecting the right stuff and taking your time doing a good install that it is spending (excessive) money. Even if you like your four interior speakers on your 4ch amp, you still need strong sound up front and some kind of subwoofer to put some ass into it.

 

[96Firebird]

Time for my 2 cents...

First of all, I don't like the fact that Alpine is marketing a remote gain knob as a "bass adjuster". It is not necessary. My sub amp came with one of these without having to purchase separately, and I don't even have it hooked up. Once the gain is set, it should be left alone. It is supposed to be used to prevent clipping of the signal, not to adjust the bass level. More can be read here: http://bcae1.com/gaincon2.htm

With that said, I like phucheneh's recommendation of the ID12 V3, nice sub for the price. If you want to save a little on the amp, I like Massive Audio's new line of "nano block" amps. They are small and I've heard they run cool for their size. You can save $20 over the Alpine and run the Massive Audio N2. It is also 1ohm stable in case you want to add a second sub later on.

This leaves $30 (using your $350 budget) for the box and wiring. The KnuKonceptz KCA-K4 amp kit is good, since the N2 calls for 4AWG power and ground connections. However, if you want to splurge for the KnuKonceptz KOL-AK4, it uses oxygen free copper instead of the copper clad aluminum that the KCA uses. I've heard mixed reviews about CCA, it can be prone to corrosion if not installed correctly.

The box you can make yourself with 3/4" MDF and glue, it really is easy. The ID12 V3 calls for a 1.25sq ft internal volume for the box, which is pretty small.

Or, you can use your reward points and get the Alpine MRV-500 for $200 at Best Buy, meaning you only use $50 of your budget.

 

[HeXen]

Just some good rules of thumb.
You do not ever..ever skimp on the wiring. Just because it functions, does not mean it's functioning optimally. OFC copper, NOT copper cladded aluminum unless you go at least 1 size bigger.
I always recommend the largest size power wires you can afford, simply in case you ever upgrade or add more stuff.
RCA's are equally important, i prefer silver cladded copper, triple shielded.

Remember a good set of wires can travel with you from car to car for many years, but it's not that often that people keep all the other audio gear the same.
Never..ever, have amplifiers that draw more current than the output of your alternator, leave enough amps for lights..etc. If it's too small output wise, you need a higher output one, that's all there is to it.

Always, always do the "Big 3".

Gain is not a volume knob, adjust it properly using a MM at least and then don't ever touch it again. Bass boost is the root of all evil, like any EQ, use it to cut and only boost if your interior seems to cause drops in certain frequencies where your head is at.

Sound deaden, sound deaden, sound deaden. Pricey it has higher priority than anything else in your setup. Audio and power cables come next imo, then the HU, then the front speakers, then the subwoofer box.
The rest after that isn't really a big deal, people put way, way too much emphasis on amplifiers, power ratings and subs when those should be dead last, with the right priorities in budget, even a cheap amp and subs will sound better than pricey ones with cheap wires and crappy box.

Finally and most important...never, ever be that Douchebag who's trunk sounds like a rattling tin can from outside. That's about as ghetto as it gets.

 

[deadken]

Thank you guys very much. I have a lot of reading to do. I appreciate the information given. Again, Thanks a lot!