Considering purchasing 2 Fi 12"

[BassGodCliff 0]

I'm not entirely familiar with Fi. What I've read however is that they are a high quality semi custom subwoofer. I've noticed the watt ratings are very high for each aside from the IB3. I realize the Q series will probably not fit behind my bench. I have a 2003 f150 regular cab. That leaves me with the SSD our the IB3. I will only push 600 rms to each so 1200 total. JL HD1200.1 The box will be custom made. I have close to 12.5" of room at the floor. One thing that is holding me back its the fact I'm reading allot of revive posts in the forum. Do these subwoofers experience problems or break frequently? Any input would be greatly appreciated and rewarded with fond 'nonsexual' thoughts. This is my first post so I hope I'm doing this right.

[SS Teacher 177]

You could have introduced yourself first and told us what your audio goals were and what budget you have to work with, but if you have your heart set on Fi...

They offer awesome subs, I have yet to read any substantial negative criticism yet, BUT they are custom made to order. If you are impatient in anyway you need to look at a different manufacturer. You don't want the IB line, that is for infinite baffle applications which would be very difficult for your application.

[MikeMartel 64]

SSD's would be a great choice for what your are running power wise, aslong as you have the space for them I dont see why they wouldnt work out perfectly. These subs are built very well so you dont have to worry about that. Lastly the IB3 are meant for infinite baffle situations which is not what your looking for.

[StreetLegal 119]

Welcome to ssa, you dont have to worry about the quality and performance of fi subs, they are very good subs.

[BassGodCliff 0]

Sorry about that. My name is Joe and I'm on the bad side of the 20's lol. I've not had many setups. This will be my third. I don't have my heart set on Fi. I am open to suggestions. I'm looking for something I can listen to deep bass with. I know it might be impossible considering what I have. Times like these I miss my Town Car. If I could listen to some bass techno and occasionally thrash metal I'd be happy. My budget is not really limited. Again I apologize for my rude introduction.

[BassGodCliff 0]

I was eyeballing those SSD's. Thanks for the input. I don't mind waiting either. Quality takes time.

[altoncustomtech 773]

I've been using my pair of 12" Q's for about two years or so now. I've also ordered other subs from Fi for myself and friends during that time. I'm proud to report that they're all still performing just as great as they did from new and they have all exceeded expectations as well.

My Q's have been one of my best audio investments to date. I'm more than thrilled with the quality of the sound they reproduce and how much output they're giving. After two years of beating on them, and believe me my wife does one hell of a job putting them through the paces, they're still just as tight and as accurate as the first time I listened to them.

I helped a friend buy a pair of the X series 10's (will be back on the website soon I hope) which he threw in a prefabbed enclosure (we did do a little work to retune it) and he still can't get over their performance. They get very loud on a Sundown 100.2 bridged on them and sound amazing while doing so. He turns a lot of heads with them and consistently gets compliments on them from people he shows them off to. He often times gets told that there's no way they're just a pair of 10's on 400watts of power.

The only thing I can fault Fi with is that lately their customer service has been pretty lax. They're busy and that has to be factored in. I would much rather them be working on building my sub than spending all day on the computer answering emails, but it seems like there's been a few balls dropped here lately that are closer to the core and being busy just isn't a great excuse for that. I'm a patient person and I know there's no problem with getting what I order, so it's not a problem for me. Some people on the other hand can't stand not having the communication there. I agree with the earlier comment, if you're not an especially patient person then you might well consider finding another brand to go with, but if you have patience and can understand the virtue in waiting for a fantastic product then I don't think there's many choices out there that can beat them.

That's just my .02

EDIT: I need to add that Fi OEM's products as well and Ascendant Audio is the in store brand they have. Both the OEMed and Ascendant products are just as well built and have the same kind of outstanding legacy of performance. I didn't suggest any of these tho due to you asking about Fi directly and that the wait is similar on some of those items as well.

[onebadmonte 235]

Alton couldn't have said it any better. The products are top notch, especially at the price point they are sold at. The lead times can get lengthy, so patients is a virtue, but don't be afraid to drop them any e-mail. As for a recommendation. The SSD is a proven performer. We are all patiently waiting the return of the "X" series of subs which will be rated at 750watts, so that be a more suitable option. Not sure if you'll be able to fit a ported box so sealed might be the way to go. If you can't wait for the "X" series you might wanna check out the Dcon from SSA. Good luck and keep us posted on what you go with. :0)

[Stihlman9 2]

I second everything everyone has written on here. I personally run a Fi Q 12 (look at pic haha) on 1700 watts RMS and have had zero problems in two years of pounding. I done two other installs for friends - one with a 12inch SSD on 1200 watts RMS and a 12inch X on 500 RMS. Those two i guarantee receive a pounding as the people who own them done know much about audio (hey thats what the installer -me- is for right? and like to run them loud. None of the three subs I've mentioned has ever had i problem so i definitely recommend Fi. Their customer service (to me, at least) was great when i needed it.

[BassGodCliff 0]

I've decided to go with the SSD. The X does seek more in my power range currently, but I plan to upgrade later. possibly 750 to each of them. Unless 600rms on a SSD is too low. I'll be looking to place my order next Friday. I'm not concerned how long it takes to them receive them. Christmas is coming up and I don't want to go broke spending money on myself lol. Thanks SS Teacher, Mike Mart, StreetLegal, Alton, onebadmonte, Stihlman9. Niue I have to figure out what a flatwind coil, cooling, qts and an internal lead is. I'll order it fully loaded to be on the safe side lol.

[ricksi30 923]

I've decided to go with the SSD. The X does seek more in my power range currently, but I plan to upgrade later. possibly 750 to each of them. Unless 600rms on a SSD is too low. I'll be looking to place my order next Friday. I'm not concerned how long it takes to them receive them. Christmas is coming up and I don't want to go broke spending money on myself lol. Thanks SS Teacher, Mike Mart, StreetLegal, Alton, onebadmonte, Stihlman9. Niue I have to figure out what a flatwind coil, cooling, qts and an internal lead is. I'll order it fully loaded to be on the safe side lol.

The SSD will be great on 600 RMS. Don't bother "upgrading" to 750 either, you wont notice a difference.

[BassGodCliff 0]

@ricksi30 well that will save some money. Thanks.

[filtor1 13]

Great choice! The SSD is a great driver and will fit the bill for your install very well.

I can also mirror the others in Fi making great drivers. I have owned many from Fi and AA and they have never let me down.

[Stihlman9 2]

Great choice man! I've been quite impressed with the SSD install i mentioned earlier. I'm sure it will sound fine on 600 rms but, just so you know, I'm running one on twice that power. Now, it has the cooling option so that probably helps but it only smelled a little once when we were running it full power for like 30mins straight Anyway, just wanted to let you know that there is certainly more potential in that woofer haha. If your running two, i might recommend an amp like a AQ 2200 (I know, its kinda pricy) or something like it when you "upgrade" later on. IMHO, Its always better to have an amp more powerful than your speakers so that you will always have a clean signal - the gain can always be turned down if necessary.

Anyway, I wish you the best of luck with your install - I'm sure you'll be happy with it!