2 18's vs 4 15's vs 6 12's build

[ryanshaw33 0]

Was going for a setup with 4 18" tc 5200's but getting the last two woofers fell through so now i'm restarting.

I have about 2 grand to put into subs, and a soundigital 8k on tap for power. i can get a ported box back there between 10-14 cubes depending on subs. I'm mainly looking to play low and loud, from 25-35hz and sound really nice daily for music. here's a list that i've come up with so far

6 12" dc level 4's

4 15" zcons

4 15" xcons/

4 15" dc xl's

4 15" fi n2's

2 18" level 5's

2 18" level 6's (if i can get them)

2 18" tc 5400's

2 18" tc 5200's

2 18" wardens

2 18" smd's

any input at all is appreciated. I haven't personally heard many of these subs, so would like some input before i jump into one

[Julian 641]

Cone area.

[ryanshaw33 0]

yes i know cone area is king, but if i do 4 15's i most likely can't tune below 31-32hz and might have to do sub up port up in an suv. with 2 18's i can do sub up port back and tune as low as 26hz

[ricksi30 923]

Fit as much cone area as possible while still being able to fit an ideal enclosure.

[Julian 641]

Why would you want to tune below 31hz? This super low tuning is just retarded.

[ryanshaw33 0]

from my experience tuning lower gives better output on the lows and sounds smoother overall.

I'm sure someone will chime in here with "my box is tuned at 36hz and i can slam the lows". but from every install i've seen, the lower the tune, the louder the lows. I'm not into getting loud above 40hz really

[Duran 387]

Sounds like in your past experiences your enclosures did not have adequate vent area.

[ryanshaw33 0]

main one i noticed this on is a 4 15 enclosure i had that was 12.8 cubes at 36hz with 170 sq " of port. with 4 sa 15's on a song that peaked in the 27-32hz range it was lackluster. i could get louder low with a 2 15 box that was 4 cubes tuned at 30hz with the same subs and a little over half the power

[Julian 641]

main one i noticed this on is a 4 15 enclosure i had that was 12.8 cubes at 36hz with 170 sq " of port. with 4 sa 15's on a song that peaked in the 27-32hz range it was lackluster. i could get louder low with a 2 15 box that was 4 cubes tuned at 30hz with the same subs and a little over half the power

Yeah... not enough port area, not even close. Even at 20mm of xmax with that tuning you'd need at a minimum 300 in^2 of port area, this number grows exponentially with higher Xmax.

[ryanshaw33 0]

thats still over 12 sq" per cubic foot? shouldn't that be enough?

[ricksi30 923]

thats still over 12 sq" per cubic foot? shouldn't that be enough?

The per cubic foot rule is BS. Port area is based on the amount of air that the drivers can displace.

[Julian 641]

That "Rule of thumb" will get you by, but is never enough.

[ryanshaw33 0]

so what would an ideal box for 2 18" tc 5200's be? right now they're in 14 cubes tuned at 31hz with around 250sq " of port, and i don't think they go as low as i think they should or as loud

[Duran 387]

so what would an ideal box for 2 18" tc 5200's be? right now they're in 14 cubes tuned at 31hz with around 250sq " of port, and i don't think they go as low as i think they should or as loud

250 square inches is close enough to the minimum of 285 square inches you need for them, obviously either the in vehicle response is poor, you expect too much from them, or both.

[mccleery3 166]

I'd rebuild a more suitable ported enclosure for your current subs first. If you have the time and patience, maybe even a couple different ported designs with more port area and possibly a larger overall enclosure. Just suggestions to save $$ and expand your knowledge Good luck with whatever decision you decide.

[An-i-no 86]

Why would you want to tune below 31hz? This super low tuning is just retarded.

Cuz dropping into the low 20's is fun as all getout. Have you ever tried tuning super low?

[ryanshaw33 0]

the tc website suggested giving these only 3.5-5 cubic feet and only around 40-60 sq in of port each though? is this for a burp box mostly?

[trod2902 26]

the tc website suggested giving these only 3.5-5 cubic feet and only around 40-60 sq in of port each though? is this for a burp box mostly?

stay within the recommended enclosure volume but the 40-60 in^2 of port area is not right, they need about 140 in^2 per driver minimum

[orlando144 20]

Tuning in the 20's is often to do because of port length and area...

But the lows are amazing when tuned that low!!

[Soapbox 7]

thats still over 12 sq" per cubic foot? shouldn't that be enough?

The per cubic foot rule is BS. Port area is based on the amount of air that the drivers can displace.

typically called "VD" in the ts parameters

[total mayhem 3]

4 AA Mayhem 12's.....just my vote......I know you didnt list them but they would sound great on 8k