Need guidance

[Kahuna9889 0]

Alright so heres my situation. I currently have 2 12"alpine type R's. They are dual 4ohms and i have them wired up at 1ohm on my mtx amp. My amp is a ta7801 which is advertised at 1200w rms at 1ohm. But the birth/dyno sheet with the amp is 1663rms. I am pretty happy with this setup but just like everone else, you always want something newer and louder. Well a buddy of mine just offered me 300 for just the subs and custom box i built. Considering i payed 115 a peice for the subs this really got me thinking. Well through a couple people i know and just seeing on the internet Fi audio makes some good stuff. So here is my real question and goals. What would be the best sub for me.(maybe not even an FI) I plan on sticking with my amp. So thats in the ballpark of around 1500watts rms realisticly. I think i have enough room for a 15". I plan on running one sub. custom enclosure of course. I dont really want to sacrific any sound quality and while being louder. Compared to the type R's. The type R's have done me good. I have my gain almost three quarters up and they are handling it good. But i just want to know what sub i should go with and if its worth it. Im guessing a 15" bl will be louder but will it still have comparable sound quality to the type r's? Will a btl be sacrificing to much sq?

So what sub 12" or 15" will fit my goals of louder than 2 type r's and while having about as good sound quality.

Thanks in advance

Tom

[lithium 358]

from what ive read on the bl and btl. go with the bl with your power at around 1500rms its a pretty good match. id wait for someone with more experience to chime in as i have never used or heard fi subs. and they could also suggest the options you would need as im sure you may have questions on them.

[Kahuna9889 0]

I thought i should add that about 90% of the music i listen to is rap. Also this setup is in a 1998 grand prix. So i think i can fit a 15" back there.

[coobies5 43]

bl is for you

[seanbw 1]

for your needs it sounds like the bl or btl will work fine, however the btl will get louder than the bl watt for watt. neither sub is geared towards sound quality but then again neither is rap music. i have a 15" SX in 4cu @ 34hz in a honda accord trunk, i'm sure you can fit something along those lines in your car.

[NB50 206]

I thought i should add that about 90% of the music i listen to is rap. Also this setup is in a 1998 grand prix. So i think i can fit a 15" back there.

You will have a hard time fitting a 15 in the trunk the conventional way of sub back port back. If you decide that you need to go with a fifteen your going to have to go with a sub up port (back, front, up, side) configuration.

[Bobaflob 0]

I own an 18" BL ran by a MTX ta81001 and i say go with a bl.

[Kahuna9889 0]

So if i go with a 15" BL will it be noticeably louder than my 2 12" type R's. And will the sound quality be comparable to the type R's? Im not aiming for strictly sound quality other wise i would be going in a way other direction. I just want to know the sq there will be between the R's and BL.

[nutz4bass 0]

Hay i think if you want to get the best get fi. Personally i have a 15 btl fully loaded for the daily use in a custom box with a hifonics colossus amp at about 3/4 gain a pioneer premier deh-p600ub deck and 4 infinity kapas in the doors in my 95 jeep grand cherokee. The sound quality is great and gets freaken loud to ive been to many comps for sq, db drag, and spl and won most all of them the sub is the best that ive ever had. so your best bet is fi weather its the btl or the bl a 12 or a 15 you wont be disapointed

good luck on your search hope this helps

[KU40 173]

you may as well go with the BTL. I fit a 15" sub in my trunk in the sub back, port back configuration, so it can be done. There are no guarantees that it will be louder than your Type Rs.

[Mark LaFountain 1,054]

FI Q 15" FTW!

[RobClay 20]

i wouldnt say he could fit a 15 in there.

heres nick_19's build with one aa havoc 15 in his 06 grand prix. different model i know.

http://www.soundsolutionsaudio.com/forum/i...showtopic=20625

[NB50 206]

I wonder how many people that are recommending 15's have worked with that body style? The only way you are going to fit a 15 in the trunk id if it is sealed or sub up port any other which way or build it in the car. I have that body style grand prix and the biggest box that I built that could hold a 15 sub/port back was 32"w X 18"D X 16"T and I had to jump on the box to get it in and disassemble it to get it out, Not to mention that it trapped the sound in the trunk. From those dimensions I dont see the box going bigger in any which way. It would be 4.22Cuft gross and after port and driver displacements you would be scraping the lowest recommendations on most drivers if not dipping below them.

Edited December 10, 2008 by bromo

[RobClay 20]

^ wrong quote eh?

but yes. listen to bromo since he has the same car

[NB50 206]

I have no idea how that got there.

[Kahuna9889 0]

So would you recommend me to just stick with the type R's? I dont want to go threw all this effort of selling.. buying a new sub, building a box and it not even being noticeably louder. I would go with 1 15" BL because it would fit my budget and power range the best. If i were to go threw with it.

[KU40 173]

I wonder how many people that are recommending 15's have worked with that body style? The only way you are going to fit a 15 in the trunk id if it is sealed or sub up port any other which way or build it in the car. I have that body style grand prix and the biggest box that I built that could hold a 15 sub/port back was 32"w X 18"D X 16"T and I had to jump on the box to get it in and disassemble it to get it out, Not to mention that it trapped the sound in the trunk. From those dimensions I dont see the box going bigger in any which way. It would be 4.22Cuft gross and after port and driver displacements you would be scraping the lowest recommendations on most drivers if not dipping below them.

The car I had my 15 in was a W-body, just like the grand prix. I had an olds cutlass supreme. Granted his is newer so there may be some differences.

If you have 16" of height, that's enough for a 15. My box was maxed out for the size of my trunk, too, and it was 3.8 cubes net tuned to 30 hz. I also faced it forwards. I tried it both forwards and back and it seemed about the same loudness, so I put it forward for easier access to my amps (mounted on back of the box). I would argue that if you face the subs forward and seal off the trunk behind the front baffle, it could/would be louder than facing them backwards. Wouldn't have to worry about the box trapping the sound in then.

Seems like we've been arguing like an old married couple lately

[akjay907 0]

GET A HAVOC 12!!!or 15!

[NB50 206]

I wonder how many people that are recommending 15's have worked with that body style? The only way you are going to fit a 15 in the trunk id if it is sealed or sub up port any other which way or build it in the car. I have that body style grand prix and the biggest box that I built that could hold a 15 sub/port back was 32"w X 18"D X 16"T and I had to jump on the box to get it in and disassemble it to get it out, Not to mention that it trapped the sound in the trunk. From those dimensions I dont see the box going bigger in any which way. It would be 4.22Cuft gross and after port and driver displacements you would be scraping the lowest recommendations on most drivers if not dipping below them.

The car I had my 15 in was a W-body, just like the grand prix. I had an olds cutlass supreme. Granted his is newer so there may be some differences.

If you have 16" of height, that's enough for a 15. My box was maxed out for the size of my trunk, too, and it was 3.8 cubes net tuned to 30 hz. I also faced it forwards. I tried it both forwards and back and it seemed about the same loudness, so I put it forward for easier access to my amps (mounted on back of the box). I would argue that if you face the subs forward and seal off the trunk behind the front baffle, it could/would be louder than facing them backwards. Wouldn't have to worry about the box trapping the sound in then.

Seems like we've been arguing like an old married couple lately

No were not arguing were just having trouble getting our point across to each other.

Anyways the problem with that body style is the trunk opening on it, short of building in the trunk or taking the rear seat out and doing some cutting your not going to get a box bigger then 32WX17.25X16H in there. I wish I still had that box I would take some pictures cause I've tried to explain this before. If you want a 15 in the trunk your going to need to do sub up, build in the trunk, or take the rear seat out and cut.

[KU40 173]

No were not arguing were just having trouble getting our point across to each other.

Anyways the problem with that body style is the trunk opening on it, short of building in the trunk or taking the rear seat out and doing some cutting your not going to get a box bigger then 32WX17.25X16H in there. I wish I still had that box I would take some pictures cause I've tried to explain this before. If you want a 15 in the trunk your going to need to do sub up, build in the trunk, or take the rear seat out and cut.

Well if the box can only be those dimensions regardless, then I still don't understand why the sub has to be up. If you can't fit a larger box in there because of the opening (which I agree with, that was my problem as well), it doesn't matter if the sub is up or back. Unless making the box shorter (which you could in a sub up situation) would allow you to make it deeper and give more overall box volume?

But still, like I said, with those dimensions you get about 4.2-4.3 cubes gross. That's enough to fit a ported 15. A couple aeroports would eat up less volume than a slot port, and some 15s will work ported in as low as 3 cubes.

[NB50 206]

No were not arguing were just having trouble getting our point across to each other.

Anyways the problem with that body style is the trunk opening on it, short of building in the trunk or taking the rear seat out and doing some cutting your not going to get a box bigger then 32WX17.25X16H in there. I wish I still had that box I would take some pictures cause I've tried to explain this before. If you want a 15 in the trunk your going to need to do sub up, build in the trunk, or take the rear seat out and cut.

Well if the box can only be those dimensions regardless, then I still don't understand why the sub has to be up. If you can't fit a larger box in there because of the opening (which I agree with, that was my problem as well), it doesn't matter if the sub is up or back. Unless making the box shorter (which you could in a sub up situation) would allow you to make it deeper and give more overall box volume?

But still, like I said, with those dimensions you get about 4.2-4.3 cubes gross. That's enough to fit a ported 15. A couple aeroports would eat up less volume than a slot port, and some 15s will work ported in as low as 3 cubes.

That was my point in the sub up configuration is to make the box 14"HX35"WX21"D so you could fit it in. The biggest box I have fit in the trunk is 32WX14HX21D and it goes in easy, as soon as you make the box higher you loose depth. I suppose you could do 32WX16HX17.25D and fire forward and seal off the trunk, I just haven't had to good experience firing forward.