SEALED enclosures subs?

[Vegas-7lug 0]

Hey guys, so I finished the build for my F150 (Thread "Looking for output in 1.75ft) and I have good news and bad. The enclosure is 2.5ft net tuned using two 3"x15" round ports to what the builder states is 33hz. Subs are a pair of Skar VVX10s on 1100wrms. Well the thing picked up a TON of low end, it pounds out the bottom octave like no tomorrow, with songs like "Late Night Tip" hitting so hard my wife said it shakes her rearview mirror when I'm behind her at a stoplight...lol But that's about it. It doesn't play anything else well. More average bass frequencies (45-55hz I'm thinking) is pretty soft and the kick drums in Metallica's ONE are absolutely nonexistent. I've played with phase, crossover freq, even adding bass boost to the upper parts and its just not there. I'm coming from a pair of 10s sealed in .6ft each and it had a lot more impact, and hit harder, it just didnt have the output I was looking for. So I am thinking of going back to a sealed system. I wanted to go up to 12's and then add more power (like 2000wrms) to get more output than what I had before. I have heard different cars with 12s sealed that HIT so hard it almost knocked the breath out of you, and there are guys that say they are in the 130's on a pair of sealed 12s and 1500w.

So my question is what are going to be the best choices for me? The enclosure will be about .95ft each down firing. I have heard subs described as "forward", "great impact or presence" and I that's what I want. I won't pretend I'm an SQ guy looking for transparency and such, I figure I can EQ out anything that is too much. I have heard IDQv3 and JL W6 sealed and they sounded great... SO what are you guys running, on how much power and space, and how loud and accurate are you? I'd like to keep the subs around $200 each if possible. Thanks

Edited August 4, 2011 by Vegas-7lug

[bakedboy08@yahoo.com 6]

sundown offers some nice subs that work great in sealed and ported, But if i were you id try building a new box to get different results. maybe try tuning a little higher and make the enclosure a little smaller. sealed enclosures will be more punchy and hit harder while ported will hit the lows alot more and be more boomy, just depends on what you want man

[Vegas-7lug 0]

Yeah the SA-12 are actually a nice price right now. Just not sure how low and how much output ill have. I was taught Xmax is king in a sealed enclosure

[semrod 2]

SA-12 dual 4 ohms should sound real nice. I have one in a ported box and hits all the frequencies. I havent heard one in a sealed enclosure, but they do have a ton of output for an entry level sub, and it's built like a tank. The FI Q 12 is another option. Now I did hear a Q in a sealed box and it sounded very good, but they are more expensive than the Sundown. They are rated at 1000 watts rms with out any upgrades. They also have 28 mm of xmax. You can also have it custom built to utilize a sealed enclosure, or keep it basic that way in the future you can use a ported enclosure.

[spljim 0]

I am going to get a 12in skar and put it in a 1cf box to replace the ported sa-8 I have now can you bild a sealed box for the subs you have you might be seprised and if you wont more you can tray the 12's from what I read the skar is a bit bater in a seald box then the sa-12 but not by mutch

[lithium 358]

whats your low pass crossover set at? have you turned it up more?

imo i would raise the tuning some by cutting some length off the ports.

[///M5 2,833]

whats your low pass crossover set at? have you turned it up more?

imo i would raise the tuning some by cutting some length off the ports.

Indeed, if your current box has a problem with 45Hz then there is a serious malfunction with either your settings or that box.

[Vegas-7lug 0]

Low pass is set at 80hz. The 45hz is just a "guesstimate" on the range I'm lacking in. I am going to buy some more ports and cut them different lengths tomorrow actually. I have a feeling the Skars are somewhat to blame as well.

[jonbearsmt 919]

SSA Dcon and ICon works great in a sealed box aswell!

[stealth 113]

all these guys recommending SAs when jacob fuller designed the SKAR line to be close to the sa but more musical and better in sealed. lol

[Luke.H 33]

Yeah the SA-12 are actually a nice price right now. Just not sure how low and how much output ill have. I was taught Xmax is king in a sealed enclosure

It's not a good idea to focus on a single parameter when choosing a driver. It will never produce favorable results. As stated, it sounds like your LP filter is set incorrectly.

[///M5 2,833]

Low pass is set at 80hz. The 45hz is just a "guesstimate" on the range I'm lacking in. I am going to buy some more ports and cut them different lengths tomorrow actually. I have a feeling the Skars are somewhat to blame as well.

Have you tried to raise the LP? That should be your first step. Hell shut it off and listen to your sub only. Play some tones and figure out where its "lacking".

[Kanaworm$ 292]

Adjust your low pass filter to a higher frequency and if you have an SSF filter on your amp adjust that as well to desired sound.

[Vegas-7lug 0]

Raising LP was the 1st thing I did, and no I didn't have any improvement at all. The box is tuned to 33hz, so I finally had some ports cut to length to bring it up a few and it helped, but still doesn't give me the presence I am looking for. I went sealed already.. so if anyone is looking for a pair of VVX-10's with ULTRA low play time, they'll be in the classifieds as soon as I get 25 posts lol

[Vegas-7lug 0]

And actually the thread was recommendations of subwoofers you have personally used in a sealed enclosure, not necessarily how to fix my ported one. I've just chosen to go back to a sealed box for the things it does better, as the things it lacks don't mean as much to me...thats all

[S.DeYoung 967]

Fi Q with the QTS option would be a good choice. I have had SSA Icons and Dcons in sealed enclosures and they both performed nicely.

[Vegas-7lug 0]

Yeah I've been looking at the Fi.Q really hard. As well as the AA Havoc with incidentally some say are pretty much the same woofer

[///M5 2,833]

I've just chosen to go back to a sealed box for the things it does better, as the things it lacks don't mean as much to me...thats all

Interesting, I surely didn't get that out of your first post. What do you think the sealed box will do better?

it pounds out the bottom octave like no tomorrow, with songs like "Late Night Tip" hitting so hard my wife said it shakes her rearview mirror when I'm behind her at a stoplight...lol But that's about it. It doesn't play anything else well. More average bass frequencies (45-55hz I'm thinking) is pretty soft and the kick drums in Metallica's ONE are absolutely nonexistent.

The "it doesn't play anything else well" is not the fault of being ported.

[Luke.H 33]

And actually the thread was recommendations of subwoofers you have personally used in a sealed enclosure, not necessarily how to fix my ported one.

Those comments were posted in the pursuit of saving you money. What you seem to be describing is a ported box with a pretty steep roll off. A properly designed ported enclosure would most likely suit your needs. That is, of course, if I'm understanding your dilemma correctly.

[edouble101 314]

Sounds to me like you are stuck on selling the Skar's and going sealed, so I will not offer my two cents on that. Based on price and power the SA-12 is a great option. If it was me I would wait for the v.2. Wait, aren't the v.1 sold out?

[An-i-no 86]

I think maybe the sealed box had a peak in the mid 40's and he misses it now. I've personally had that happen, where you get used to the giant boost at some freqs and then get something else and feel like somethings missing. A differently (not necessarily "better") designed box can give you what you want.

If he asked the designer for a crazy ground pounder then the designer did his job right?

[Vegas-7lug 0]

So without changing the frequency of the box, I swapped out the subs with a pair of JL 10w3v3's and then a pair of SA-10's and whaalah... At the expense of some low end output, the higher frequencies I was missing in the alternative and rock I listen to are back! The presence I was looking for is now there and the magical "hit" of the kickdrum is bass you can feel as well as hear with both of those subs. While neither is as transparent nor will they bang out the lows like the Skars, they have the sound I was looking for. Now when will those SA-10v.2's be available lol? Well as long as they didn't change the "formula" too much

Edited August 12, 2011 by Vegas-7lug

[Vegas-7lug 0]

I think maybe the sealed box had a peak in the mid 40's and he misses it now. I've personally had that happen, where you get used to the giant boost at some freqs and then get something else and feel like somethings missing. A differently (not necessarily "better") designed box can give you what you want.

If he asked the designer for a crazy ground pounder then the designer did his job right?

That's pretty much hitting the nail on the head. The builder was doing his job and built me a definite ground pounder cuz that's what everyone was telling me to do. "If you think it sounds good sealed, wait till you go ported" but after about a week I realized it wasn't geared toward my taste or playlists. I enjoy low lows like anybody else, but it came at the expense of bass that hit hard, and it produced stuff that seemed a bit muddy for me... That's when i started missing the old setup

Edited August 12, 2011 by Vegas-7lug

[Vegas-7lug 0]

Interesting, I surely didn't get that out of your first post. What do you think the sealed box will do better?

Well aside from output.. What won't it? This was one of my 1st ported enclosures and it was LOUD... but not as accurate throughout the frequency range as I'd hoped. It definitely had a huge gain of probably more than 3db around the tuned frequency, but it was so much I couldn't just EQ it out and still have it sound good.. Well at least to me.

Edited August 12, 2011 by Vegas-7lug

[Vegas-7lug 0]

So I'm thinking of either picking up a set of different subs, or stepping up to a pair of 12's, going sealed and just about doubling the power. I have the amp already, the subs will basically be a wash as 12's are minimally more expensive than the same model 10's, and the enclosure is something the builder and I have worked out already... My thoughts are it will give me the sound that "I" like, and still have enough output to please.

Idk.. I wish I could just get all you guys together in one place and just sit in your cars one at a time with a CD of 20 of my favorite songs and just listen. I just don't know anyone here that's into car audio. So if you guys come to Vegas.. PLEASE drive and let me demo your system (-:

Edited August 12, 2011 by Vegas-7lug