RL-P15 to 2 RL-P12's?

[altmank 0]

Hello,

Somewhat of a newbie when it comes to subwoofer systems and I am looking for some advice.

I currently have a SoundSplinter RL-p15 in an ported enclosure, the enclosure is "4.694^3ft gross box vol. Slot port, 15" x 2.5" x 35.25" Long tuned @28Hz. After all displacement, 3.503^3ft net box vol".

I am currently powering it with a ALPINE PDX-1.1000 and I have a second ALPINE PDX-1.1000 available that is not being used.

It really hits and I do enjoy the setup however I end up wanting more power thus my question:

If I was to replace the RL-P15 with 2 RL-P12's and power each with a ALPINE PDX-1.1000 what kind of difference would I be looking at from the single 15? It seems like the enclosure would be of a similar size. I have a 2003 Regal Buick with a decent size trunk. I am just trying to find out if such a switch would be worth it or if there was another route that may provide me with more power and still be compatible with my amps.

Any advice would be greatly appreciated.

[johnecon2001 82]

Let's totally ignore the fact that whatever box you build will have a major effect on which is louder (that's what I'm guessing you really want to know).

Let's look strictly at power and cone area. You're doubling the power and increasing the cone area.. so I'd go with the 12's being a bit louder than the single 15 due to those two facts alone.

Of course this is all theoretical and could totally be the opposite depending on how good of an installer/box builder you are.

[altmank 0]

Let's totally ignore the fact that whatever box you build will have a major effect on which is louder (that's what I'm guessing you really want to know).

Let's look strictly at power and cone area. You're doubling the power and increasing the cone area.. so I'd go with the 12's being a bit louder than the single 15 due to those two facts alone.

Of course this is all theoretical and could totally be the opposite depending on how good of an installer/box builder you are.

Well I have no experience building an enclosure, I had my current one made for me. Am i approaching this wrong? I am just looking for an upgrade and I thought it would simply be as cut and dry as 2 12's in an optimal box would be much better than my current setup.

Should I instead be looking at different configurations for teh 15? Or is the 2 12 option simpl have more potential to achieve what I want?

Edited January 26, 2008 by altmank

[///M5 2,833]

Considering you have one 15, why not add another?

[altmank 0]

I dont think my trunk will be able to fit another one, but I guess I dont really know for sure.

[johnecon2001 82]

Do you want the setup to be louder?

[///M5 2,833]

First step in picking out a sub setup is always knowing your space and available power (or budget if you don't already own your amps). Without knowing your space we really can't help.

[altmank 0]

Ok, this is what my space looks like, after measuring it all out it does seem bigger than I thought, I suppose 2 15's might be possible (and im pretty sure would more than meet the desired increase in power I am looking for):

[altmank 0]

ok so here is where I am at, I want to add a second 15, create or buy a new enclosure, hook up my second amp. With my space, budget not being too much of an issue, how can I go about choosing an enclosure to maximize my results? I am kind of looking for a decent mix of SQ and SPL, favoring SPL slightly.

[johnecon2001 82]

That enclosure looks undersized for one RL-p 15". Is it deeper than it looks?

And again! Are you looking for louder? Simply tuning the box higher should increase output. That box you have now is tuned wicked low.

[altmank 0]

The enclosure is 16.5"H x 24"W x 24"D. I am thinking if I want to incorporate two I would need a box that gets kind of skinny towards the back and wide towards teh front of the trunk trunk to get enough volume. I am not familiar with how to change a boxes tuning

Edited January 26, 2008 by altmank

[altmank 0]

Can anyone help me with box design for such a configuration?

[johnecon2001 82]

You STILL haven't told us what you're looking for.

[altmank 0]

From post 9:

"I am kind of looking for a decent mix of SQ and SPL, favoring SPL slightly."

"I want to add a second 15"

and post 12:

"Can anyone help me with box design for such a configuration?"

I am STILL not sure what else you would need to know.

[johnecon2001 82]

How much more blunt do I need to be??

DO YOU WANT IT TO BE LOUDER THAN IT CURRENTLY IS?

What are you not happy with now??

[altmank 0]

Wow, what a loser. I am going to go talk to people who are tolerant and willing to help without needing to yell at people looking for help.

[johnecon2001 82]

Have fun with that. Make sure you answer none of their questions and give vague answers just like here.

[altmank 0]

haha,

For those that may still want to help, I am looking for a louder setup hence me wanting to get another 15, and as I have said I like favor SPL a little. If anyone happens to make enclosures i might also be intersted in some business with you.

Edited January 28, 2008 by altmank

[///M5 2,833]

the way you answer questions you are only going to get part of the story and end up with something that is far from optimal. Perhaps reading up on some forum etiquette would help you.

[altmank 0]

i'd love to better help you help me but please understand my limited knowledge on the subject. I am really not sure what other details I can give ( I have stated what equipment I have, am getting, what I am looking for, what kind of space I have and where I need help) . As far as forum etiquette goes, II can understand that I may not have been as clear as I intended but beyond that I dont see how it applies.

Edited January 28, 2008 by altmank

[Aaron Clinton 2,372]

Would you consider running a pair of 15's sealed? They will still sound great, you will double the cone surface, so in theory you should really go up in output. A sealed box will be not as deep as a ported, and the RL-p's are low Q drivers so they do not need a huge box.

[SoundSplinter 1]

Can anyone help me with box design for such a configuration?

The following links will help you better understand the enclosure building process, and provide shortcuts for your calculations, if you decide that you want to try your own hand at building a box. Might as well, as it will be much cheaper in the long-run once you have your own tools, and then you can tweak things to your liking without having to pay someone else to trial and error it for ya.

• General Enclosure Information
  
• JL's Ports Tutorial
  
• CarStereo's Vent Length calculator (bottom half of page)
  For port area, use a minimum of 20 in^2 per RL-p12 or 35 in^2 per RL-p15.
  
• Some free Generic Box Plans
  

Good luck!

[altmank 0]

Would you consider running a pair of 15's sealed? They will still sound great, you will double the cone surface, so in theory you should really go up in output. A sealed box will be not as deep as a ported, and the RL-p's are low Q drivers so they do not need a huge box.

Yeah I would consider it, I guess that would be the easiest enclosure to build but it looks like I have enough space to go ported and if understand it correctly ported boxes get louder. I like how my current ported box sounds but I have not heard anything else either. So is the upside to a sealed box that its just punchier? A flatter response?

Thanks for those links mike! Its kind of confusing but it does help. I have access to all of the tools I would need to build an enclosure.

[johnecon2001 82]

Typically a sealed box will have the ability to play lower than a ported box while giving up some of the loudness based off of the tuning frequency. But the fact that your ported box was already tuned so low, I doubt you'll give much up.

[altmank 0]

Ok, the optimal sealed is listed on the site as 3 cu ft, so with displacement am I correct that I would want to get an enclosure that is 6 cu ft for 2 of the 15's? Is there any advantage to going above the recommended 6 cu ft?