Hi I have a 99 T/A and i'm about to change the factory monsoon cd player to an aftermarket unit I already have a 8 inch amplified bass tube and it sounds pretty good but it does not have the kind of bass that I want anymore after being around vehicles with with nothing smaller than 10 inch dual subwoofers so I want to add a subwoofer while changing the cd player but I have a few questions before doing so. I don't want dual subs because I don't want to add a bunch of weight since I occasionally drag race my car so I have three subwoofers in mind to choose between and I want to know which one would give me the most bass and is my best all around choice. I'm leaning more toward the 10" because alot of people have told me that a 10" sub will get lower deeper bass than a 12" but i'm unsure because I always thought that a bigger sub will give deeper bass. I also want to add that the sub will be in the the hatch area not in a hidden stealth box so size also matters so that's another reason I was thinking the 10" sub but the 12" is only a little bit bigger and a little more weight but it will give me more bass and I'm really unsure about the 8" because no one hardly use them and its small but it has alot of watts, which box type is best sealed or ported, and what's the difference in dual and single voice coil subs doues a dual give more bass? Thanks In Advance.

My Choices:

8" Subwoofer:
• 400W Rms
• 800W Max
• Dual 4-Ohm Voice Coils
• 200 Oz. Double Stacked Magnets
• Tuning @ 40Hz

10" Subwoofer:
• 250W/300W Rms
• 500W/600W Max
• Single 4-Ohm Voice Coils
• 50 Oz. Single Magnet
• Tuning @ 40Hz

12" Subwoofer:
• 300W/350W Rms
• 600W/700W Max
• Single 4-Ohm Voice Coils
• 60 Oz. Single Magnet
• Tuning @ 40Hz

 

There is a couple of ways you can go about this. First, if weight is a concern, the stealthboxes are a good choice. I have 2 of them and they don't weigh very much including the subs. If you go with a hatch box, there are very heavy and they take up the entire trunk. Second, a 12" sub will be deeper than a 10", as long as both subs are in the recommended sized enclosure. I just finished installing 2 Alpine 12's in a Montero and they go lower than mine. With the way the interiors are, mine will hit just as hard. A lot of subs are dual voice coil. This allows many difference combinations series/parallel to get the most out of the amp. What want to match the output impedenace for the speaker load to the lowest the amp will safely run. This is what I am using:

2 Alpine DVC 10's (SWS-1022D) 300 Watts RMS/900 Watts Peak
MTX 6500D 610 Watts RMS
Subthump Driver and Passenger Side Stealthboxes

I have used sealed and vented boxes with the Alpine 10's and vented is better. I also used the MTX Thunderform CF10 and it wasn't to bad. These already come loaded with a MTX 10" sub. It comes down to what you are looking for out of your system. One 10" sub can easily overpower the rest of the stock audio system.

 

Sounds like you are looking to keep the sub in a box in the hatch. If you are going to do this then you might as well go ahead with the 12". The weight difference would be negligible in a standard enclosure, and you have enough room to work with. How "deep" the sub plays depends upon how you tune the box, no on driver size. All else being equal the 12" should have a slight peak volume advantage.

The 8" would most likely be a poor choice. If you have a good quality tube, the transmission line design of the better tubes is actually a rather good enclosure. So going to a 8" in a different arrangement would probably end up being about the same.

In the end, I am also confused why you are looking to avoid using a stealthbox. They are well proven, and if you load it with a solid 10" and put a strong amp behind it, it is proabably right at what you are looking for. No issues with losing space, proven designs that are as compact and light as possible while still allowing for proper loading of a 10".

Get a used one (it's hidden so appearence isn't exactly critical), and go big on a solid 10" and a class D amp. Most people would agree this is the way to be going, unless you are trying to really scrimp on cost.

I am also a little leary of the specs you are listing for the drivers. Specs aren't everything - you can't just go off of the numbers and use those to A-B different drivers. Manufacturer specs get really hokey, especially if you are dealing with lower end vendors.

 

Unfortunately the info you listed about your sub options do not give enough info to say which will preform to your satisfaction. There are a lot of variables in determining how each will sound: Box size, box type, and the TS parameters of the sub (and you have to hope the manufacturer is honnest, many aren't) are needed to determine which will play lower, louder, etc...

Dual voice coil just gives you more wiring options, it is not an indicator of performance or frequency responce.

A properly designed ported box will be more efficient (louder) than a sealed box, but the box size will be larger and all subs are not well suited for a ported box, again driver specifics are needed for a properly designed box, and the proper box will vary from sub to sub, there is no one size fits all box. Aslo, not all manufacturers give good (good being determned by your specific goals) recomendations for a ported box. Some of the suggested ported boxes are aimed at high SPL at the expence of frequency extension and SQ, while others are more geared to SQ and good extension. Unfortunately, most don't tell you which approach was used in the box design, It is always a trade off, thats just how the physics work. Sealed box recommendations are always (from what I have seen anyway) pretty good, and it will have good SQ. Another big plus of a sealed box is that if you build your own box, sealed is much harder to get wrong.

You also need to decide what kind of bass you want, do you want a boomer that kicks you in the chest and impresses the other kids (ported is a good choice here) or flat frequency responce that sounds natural and blends with the factory system (assuming the rest of your setup is stock), I am guessing a boomer (nothing wrong with that) but you need to know what your goals are to get the right system.

Don't assume that because a sub can take more power that it will be louder, it simply isn't true. This is again where the TS and box parameters are needed to determine what the output and frequency responce will be.

Also, what is your budget? Can you build the box yourself or do you plan to buy one? What are your box size limitations?

I personally run a pair of 8" subs and am happy with them, but you really have to do your homework on 8" subs to get something that will play low and/or loud. Mine are about the equivalent of a single sealed 10" - 12". Many are listed as subs but should actually be classified as mid-woofers. If you really want an 8" I can point you to a few good ones, but you will have a lot more good drivers to choose from if you go with a 10" or 12".

 

the 12 will be deeper and the 10 will be more punchy in most applications. i think the stealth box is a great way to put a single sub in an f-body. get the right sub and it will sound awesome. the subs are all your decison and budgett and what kind of sound you want to acheive, wether its sound quality or bass. i havent had a system in a while but a while back some of the best budgett choices for the best sound was , comp vr's, pioneer premiers the (tsw2000,tsw3000),the memphis HOs, the RE re's and RE se's, alpins r's, mtx have been ok, im not a real fan of them, there is many more but these are some of the budgett subs for good sound.

 

Hi everyone thanks for all of your help the only reason I wanted to go with a box in the hatch area is because there's hardly any room in the rear hatch area and hardly any luggage space for out of town trips I was under the impression with the design of an f-body with the sub facing the glass that the bass would bounce of the glass and give me more bass than the stealth box I am looking for a setup which will give me more bass since I'm going with a single sub instead of dual subs but not giving up that quality thump and the rest of my system i'll only be using the front factory monsoon speaker with 6 1/2 infinity 62.7's in the sails and i'm unsure but I think I might just delete the rear hatch speakers and not use them.

A few more specs on the subs:

8"
• Mounting Depth: 4.6”
• Mounting Diameter: 7.3”
• Optimum Vented Box: 1 Cu/Ft
Round Port Diameter: 3” x 9”
Square Port Area: 2” x 4” x 11”
• Optimum Sealed Box: 0.65 Cu/Ft

10"
• Mounting Depth: 5.6”
• Mounting Diameter: 9.2”
• Optimum Vented Box: 1.75 Cu/Ft
Round Port Diameter: 4” X 9”
Square Port Area: 2.5” X 6” X 11.5”
• Optimum Sealed Box: 1 Cu/Ft

12"
• Mounting Depth:
• Mounting Diameter:
• Optimum Vented Box: 2.25 Cu/Ft
Round Port Diameter: 5” X 11.25”
Square Port Area: 3” X 6.5” X 12”
• Optimum Sealed Box: 1.25 Cu/Ft

I am unsure of the sensitivity rating on each but each of these subs are in the high 80's low 90's db sensitivity range. Thanks Again.

 

I say a 10" adire brahma and be done with it.... it will be deeper and louder then most 12's and some 15's....

 

Here is a clean install that I had in my 95 Trans Am that was very low key when the hatch was closed all you could see was the 6x9 in the back. I ran 144 db several times the box was completely removable and the amps mounted to the box. This is a Image Dynamics ID Max 12 The sound was incredible with deep bass and very tight.

 

What brands and models are the subs you are looking at? The info you listed still doesn't really tell anybody anything.

I also second Koncrete's suggestion, you can't go wrong there.

 

Pro'lly the best choice but I've not had one so my vote would be a Boston Acoustics G5 10-44 Dual Voice Coil 4ohm. This thing hits hard and will pop the hatch window if I let it. I'm pushing 400 rms into it(it handles 450) and it will drive you out of the car. My car was literally shaking, not just vibrating a little, shaking enough to make me giggle. You remember that scene from the movie Singles? Anyway from what I've read an Adire Brahma is one of the best as well. I got a good deal on the G5 on ebay. You wont find Adire's on ebay. I'm running my sub it in a subthump stealth box. I havent even tuned the system yet and it pounds. You dont need a box in the well to get great bass in these cars. Why mess with that crap if you dont have to? Get a good amp and a G5 or Adire Brahma in a subthump stealth box and you'll thump and bump and pound all you can take. Big honking well boxes arent needed to produce chest thumping bass in an fbody. Just good a quality 10" sub and enough power.

 

hmmm that's odd, I have a 15" Brahma in a 3.5cu box ported at 32hz with a revo 1500.1 on it and can't break the hatch window....

I could go on about the insanity that happens when I turn mine up.....

 

You get the picture, I didnt mean it literaly broke the windows but the car was a rockin! No doubt Adire are supposed to be one of the best, wish I had one to compare.

 

Have you looked at any JL audio 8W7's? I'v read some good stuff about those. I'v read that they can pound pretty good right up there with some good 10" subs. And the SQ is very good.

 

12's hit the hardest, I would go 12's in a sealed box. Ported boxes take up way too much trunk space. Dual Voice Coil Subwoofers

Dual voice coil subwoofers are becoming a popular choice among car audio enthusiasts who want more flexibility in wiring their sound systems. While typical subwoofers have a single voice coil, dual voice coil (DVC) subwoofers use two separate voice coils, each with its own connections, mounted on one cylinder, connected to a common cone.

The key difference between single and dual voice coil subwoofers is the multiple wiring options DVC subs offer:
Parallel: A dual 4-ohm voice coil subwoofer with its coils wired in parallel presents a 2-ohm load to your amplifier. Since an amplifier produces more wattage at a lower impedance, the parallel connection ensures you'll get the most output from your amp. In the same fashion, if you have a stereo amplifier and two DVC subs, wire both subs for 2-ohm impedance (one per channel) for maximum output.


Series: Series wiring lets you configure multiple woofers to one amplifier at an acceptable impedance. Wire both coils in series for an 8-ohm impedance, and then wire two 8-ohm subs together in parallel for 4-ohm total impedance (perfect for most 2-channel amps bridged to mono operation). Another example: if you have a high-powered 2-channel amplifier, wire four 8-ohm subs per channel (each channel sees a 2-ohm load).


Independent: You can wire each voice coil to a separate channel of your amplifier, if you prefer not to bridge your amp. Independent wiring is a nice option if you're wiring two DVC subs to a 4-channel amplifier — one voice coil per channel.

DVCs and high-performance amplifiers
Some amplifiers are designed with an unregulated power supply — these amps are favored by mobile audio competitors for their superior performance. An unregulated amp's power increases dramatically when it sees a lower impedance load. For example, an amplifier that produces 75 watts RMS x 2 channels at 4 ohms would double its power to 150 watts x 2 with a 2-ohm load. DVC subwoofers (particularly the dual 2-ohm models) give you the flexibility to wring every bit of power out of this type of amplifier.

Also, if you choose to add an unregulated amp as a power upgrade to your existing DVC subwoofer system, you can simply rewire your subs for optimum impedance. Remember that most car amps are stable down to 2 ohms in normal operation, and to 4 ohms in bridged mode. It's important to check your amp's manual for its operating parameters before hooking up a DVC sub wired for low impedance!

A DVC sub offers the same performance whether it's wired in series or parallel. Its power handling levels, frequency response, and other specifications do not change — the only difference is the impedance presented to the amplifier. As a result, you'll use the enclosure that's recommended for your sub, no matter how it's wired.

 

sorry to disagree with you but 12's do not hit the hardest... if you check termpro or anything else 99% of the extreme records are all 15's... and as far as a ported box being to big... that all depends on what your building it for...

most ported boxes are only a bit bigger for a SQL box, I just grabbed JL's specs because I had them on my computer from helping a friend design his box...

10w7
1.25 sealed
1.5 ported

12w7
1.375 sealed
1.75 ported

13w7
1.875 sealed
2.375 ported

and that isn't very much bigger esp. if you used a slot-port instead of a round one...


Like I recommended earlier a good 10" will be enough for most people in an f-body, heck I bet some of the 8's out there would do it Adire/RE/ID...

 

dont know who told you that, but they were wrong. i have my entire truck taken up by my sub box and wouldnt have it any other way. look at brand more than the watts also. stick to mainstream brands. have a stereo professional help you out.

edit. oh and cerwin vega FTW. new stroker pro. get it. also US AMPS. ill probly never own another brand.

 

I am no expert but, have had two 10's, two 12's and one 10. Two 10's being my fav. If I wanted the best sounding bass, I would have SIX 8's. Even 2 or 3 8's will pound

 

There are alot of great non-mainstream companies like Adire, Image Dynamics, the Titanic and RS series subs form Parts express, sound splinter, and RE audio. I would buy any of these before I bought from some main stream companies (such as sony or lower end MTX). My suggestion is to stick to a respected brand. Often times you can get a much better boom for your buck from these companies too. On the other hand, don't buy non-mainstream subs like pyramid, rockwood, pyle, dual, boss, or jensen. They are (most likely) crap. You just have to do your homework.

Never a bad idea, but be sure to have your BS detector with you, I have seen some really unknowledgable/dishonest pros in my day. Being a professional just means you get paid, not that your good at what you do. Ask around and find a well respected shop, you don't want to get the clueless sales guy that just got hired last week, or the guy that is just trying to get a bigger commission by selling you on things you don't need, or both. I have found that no matter what you are trying to buy, be it home remodeling, stereos, auto repair, whatever, this is always true. If they say something that doesn't sound right to you, do a little research before you part with your money.

 

good advise except hes problynot a stereo professional. it would require alot of research to find out good info on brands like them. good luck

my recommendations: nakamichi. best sounding stuff i have ever heard. exspensive and hard to find, but my next system will have mostly nakamichi. i personally have cerwin-vega components and a cerwin vega stroker. sounds amazing.