Time to upgrade the sub. Need help designing a box.

[wkollmeyer 1]

So about a year ago, I had bought the 12" Q, had a 1.8 cu ft box @32hz built, and recently just purchased the sundown audio sae-1200d v2. The Q sounds freakin amazing, but I was at a car show this weekend, and a guy with 2 12" alpine type R's ported had beaten my output, with the same wattage. I refuse to be beaten by alpine type R's...

So I want more air movin through my car, and am loving what I am hearing / seeing about the BTL. I plan on getting a 15" (if she fits) dual 2, wire it to 1ohm, and temporarily keeping the amp I just bought for it. I do have electrical work to do, but that's a whole 'nother story.

The max dimensions of a box in the back of my scion tC that I could fit would be 41" long, 20" wide, and 15" high. I need help designing the box for this beast. I am looking for a lot of moving air, so I am assuming I want the most port area I can get out of that box. It must be ported to around 32hz, I still want to hit the lows. Currently my box for the Q has small port area, and is basically a SQ setup.

My plan would be to get some help drawing out this box through win ISD, and seeing as how I have a mac and no knowledge with Win ISD, then any help is greatly appreciated. I will have this box built by a local shop around me.

[Duran 387]

Port area is your friend I believe sub(s) up port back is the best in tC's.

[wkollmeyer 1]

Port back as in toward the back seat? Cause that is what the kid w/ the alpines had. My current box is sub up / port up.

[master_jbb3 0]

Hold on so you didn't like being beat by a guy with 2 subs to your 1??? Why not just get another Q and then see how things turn out? With the money your gonna pay for the btl (which loaded right now being that their backordered is $399). You could just get another Q (For $279) and add some more $$$ and get a second amp to power it. I know thats not what you said you wanted but just stating the fact. 2 12in alpines vs 1 12in Q is kinda like a boxer fighting another boxer but the other has a missing arm lol.

[Julian 641]

I agree more port area or another Q.

No reason to scrap your current set up, either build another box for the single, or get another 12.

And i believe duran is correct, port back subs up like a typical CRX box.

Basically like this but this person used Aeroports instead.

[wkollmeyer 1]

Yeah I actually have been thinking about it over the past hour or so. I love the sound quality of the Q, it just sounds so good. Now seeing as how there are new Fi's out, I was debating on just replacing the one I have now also with a newer one.

i was gonna get the Cooling option, Spider option, and I Heat ring. My sub now only has the BP option, so I don't know if they would sound different, handle the power differently, i don't know haha. Could use some good advice on whether or not I should upgrade the old sub.

Also, i'm probably gonna need some help designing a box for these two Q's. I want as much port area as I can, with the max box dimensions tuned to 32hz. I am thinking a sub up / port back as mentioned before from Duran. The box would probably look something like this:

Only with two boxes like that, and different dimensions. Anyone have any ideas? Or anyone that can help me design a box?

[slim2fattycake 85]

Actually, PM shizzzon and ask him about the TC as he has tested all firing directions. He also designs boxes too.

[wkollmeyer 1]

Looking at those dimensions, If I changed the 30" width to 20", the 36" length to 20.5", and made the 13.5" height to 15" (everything being max), a sealed box w/ 3/4 MDF would measure out to 2.5 cu ft per box. I need to figure out port area and such, which I have no clue how to do.

If we can reduce dimensions in any way, I would probably shrink down the 20" width so I have room for my amplifiers.

[master_jbb3 0]

Looking at those dimensions, If I changed the 30" width to 20", the 36" length to 20.5", and made the 13.5" height to 15" (everything being max), a sealed box w/ 3/4 MDF would measure out to 2.5 cu ft per box. I need to figure out port area and such, which I have no clue how to do.

If we can reduce dimensions in any way, I would probably shrink down the 20" width so I have room for my amplifiers.

Ok now with the Q's you won't need the heat ring, its for you to add if your going with a sealed box and purchase the High QTS. It will say it when you check out. It says the Heat Ring has to go with the QTS, and the QTS is for people who want to run a sealed box. Since your running a ported box only thing you need is the "Cooling", and the "Spider". Reason I posted this is to give you a heads up and save you some money and preventing you from adding a feature thats not required. I plan on getting rid of my Fi Q 15bp to purchase two 12" Q's and found out all I need is the Cooling and Spider.

Edited June 8, 2010 by master_jbb3

[wkollmeyer 1]

Oh okay well that helps a lot. The BP option is exactly the same thing as the cooling and the spider so no need to upgrade the old!

The box my Q is in now is as shown:

Would putting the sub in a different box help output?

I'm almost positive that the box shown there is 1.8cu ft w/ 13sq in of port area per cu ft, tuned to 33hz.

I would probably put the sub in a new box, dimensions of 41"L x 15"W x 13"H and according to the horribly inaccurate RE Enclosure calculator, that would give me a box that is 2.6 cu ft, tuned to 32.4hz, 3.75" width port @ 16.5 sq in of port area per cu ft, and a 20" port length

[wkollmeyer 1]

Wow, forget everything I just said, the RE calculator is beyond inaccurate. It should just straight up not be available to use. Looking around, and I found this:

How would this box work out for a 12" Fi Q?

It looks to be about 2.6 cubes @ 32hz, so after displacement it'd be 2.44 cubes.