Please Help An Old School Basshead Find My Long Lost Low Bass

[JosephSprague 7]

Thank you for reading my post. I am a 20 year veteran of car audio system building, though my involvement has drastically decreased since becoming a Dad. It's time to install a system in my 2012 Scion xB. I have a Rockford Fosgate T1001-bdcp amp that does ~750 watts @4 ohms or ~1100 @ 2/1 ohms. Most importantly, I am an old school basshead who still listens to real bass music from the early 90s (Techmaster P.E.B., DJ Magic Mike, Bass Patrol, etc.). My bass CD collection is a source of pride for me.

Anyway....I am looking for a single 12" or 15" woofer that will give me the 20-25 Hz notes that I crave. My maximum external dimensions are something like 22" wide, 17" high and 17" deep. The Icon 12D1 (in series) looks to be my best bet thus far. I'm trying to preserve a bit of trunk space for groceries and such. Any suggestions are appreciated.

Happy Thanksgiving to one and all.....Joey

[Quentin Jarrell 671]

Sounds like you already found what you needed. You have just enough space for that 12 ported.

[JosephSprague 7]

Thanks Quentin. I am also considering a RE SEX 12D2 (would run at 4 ohms due to 600 watts power handling), but just know that the Icon would kick its butt. Would an Icon in a ported box really deliver the low low bass? I'm so old school that sealed is my preference merely out of familiarity with its capabilities. I've had ported boxes too, but those were for SPL (DB Drag). Now I just want a strictly musical setup that will flutter-out the 20 Hz notes like I remember. I had a wall of 8 12" Orion XTR2's in 94/95 and will never forget how they slammed the lowest notes.

[pmureika 31]

X2.

[Quentin Jarrell 671]

Thanks Quentin. I am also considering a RE SEX 12D2 (would run at 4 ohms due to 600 watts power handling), but just know that the Icon would kick its butt. Would an Icon in a ported box really deliver the low low bass? I'm so old school that sealed is my preference merely out of familiarity with its capabilities. I've had ported boxes too, but those were for SPL (DB Drag). Now I just want a strictly musical setup that will flutter-out the 20 Hz notes like I remember. I had a wall of 8 12" Orion XTR2's in 94/95 and will never forget how they slammed the lowest notes.

Port will give you a lower drop off than sealed. That sub sealed will give you an f3 of around 35 hertz and ported will give you an f3 of less than 30.

[JosephSprague 7]

Alright, barring anyone strongly opposting Quentin's advice, I will be rocking a 12" Icon in a ported box soon after Christmas. I appreciate your help Quentin

[codester 48]

Alright, barring anyone strongly opposting Quentin's advice, I will be rocking a 12" Icon in a ported box soon after Christmas. I appreciate your help Quentin

I second Quentin, I have 2 15" Icons tuned to 32hz and wow they are AMAZING on the lows but are still super tight for rock etc.

[StreetLegal 119]

x2 on the 12 icon ported.

[JosephSprague 7]

Thanks guys. I'll be composing my "Dear Santa" letter tonight and wanted to get it right LOL. Happy Thanksgiving to one and all!

[SS Teacher 177]

And here I thought I was the only one who still listens to Techmaster PEB! I have a 2006 Scion xB; I know the new ones are a step up, but you are going to need sound deadening. Lots of great posts on this forum about deadening.

[JosephSprague 7]

SS Teacher- I traded-in my 06 xB for the 2012 only three weeks ago and I'm loving it. Sound deadening is definitely in order.

[95Honda 486]

Wow. I remember using a ton of the XTRs in the early 90's... Weren't those the blue dust cap for SVC and red for DVC??? I probably owned/installed 10 or 20 of them, lol... Those and the original Punch, Lanzars and Hollywoods, lol...

Look at the T/S parameters of those subs. They weren't low end monsters... Low xmax, mid range Fs and qts that didn't lend well to tons of bottom end sealed without decent cabin gain. I think you will be much happier with what is availible now, especially for that last octave with a single sub. One of the newer 12s you are looking at has more displacment than any 15 a decade ago, and that is really what counts on the bottom octave.

FWIW, we swapped out 6 JL W5 15s in a sealed wall in my cousin's 1972 Chevelle for some Adire Tempests about 9 years ago. The Tempests aren't anything near as good as what you are looking at. The W5's were almost a decade old when we did the swap. He picked up almost 10 db on the Termlab around 20Hz.... Food for thought...

[95Honda 486]

Oh, and we used Mega Mix (2-live crew) on a tape deck for demos in the early 90s... Hissing loud as f**k between tracks... lol...

[dbsupra 69]

Do computers have feelings? Do they or do they not?

Icon sounds like a good choice. Be sure if you design the enclosure to not skimp on port area.

Also besides techmaster I loved to listen to dynamix II