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So last night I took around an hour or so to write up some huge review on my new pair of 18'' Sound Solution Audio Xcons. Unfortunately there was a url glitch and the thread is gone, so I will try to sum up my product review instead of another 5000 word essay. The SSA Xcon is an amazingly solid driver that has absurd amounts of low end output (on little power might I add) and still acts incredibly responsive, the sound quality of this sub does not hold back its ability to "get loud" one bit. I feel that the Xcon is a very under appreciated driver in today's market, so luckily for you all interested in this sub, I'm taking more time to write this second review. My enclosure is 14^3ft, all 3/4'' birch ply doubled up all around. Its tuned to 27hz.. Originally I had a pair of 18'' nightshades (3kw versions), and all though I highly recommend all sundown products,i shortly realized the nightshades were too SPL oriented for my application. After switching to the SSA Xcons and only powering them with an AQ 1200d at .5ohms, I blew my trucks sunroof off its hinges @ 30hz and it sounded pretty damn good while doing it. These subwoofers are amazing, I still can't believe something can sound this tight and get so loud at the same time. At first I was a bit hesitant at the single slug design, but the first note that dropped completely took all my doubt away. (and took my sunroof away) The icing on the cake would have to be the sub is down right attractive due to the concave cone and textured 12 spoke basket. As far as cons go, I haven't ran into any big ones yet. But from an unbiased point of view I have to reach up in my ass and bring something out. One thing would be the push terminals couldn't fit my 8 gauge, but not too many drivers take wire that thick. The only other thing would be some might consider the power handling a bit low at 1750 RMS, but oh boy, after only giving them 700 a piece, I am somewhat scared to hear them with any more power. So all bullshit aside, if you are looking for a driver that has incredible low end output, and still enough precision to make an audiophile shit himself, then the SSA Xcon is what you want. I'll post some pictures below, and when I get some more power I will throw up my numbers and videos. the drivers the enclosure gave it some foam and vinyl...

Something I found and is worth having here: A: A: Attenuation, loss of dB. AC (Alternating Current): An electrical current that periodically changes in magnitude and direction. Acoustic Fiberglass: Thin fiberglass material used as damping material inside speaker enclosures. Acoustics: The science or study of sound. Air Gap: The space between the top plate and the pole piece. This is where the voice coil sits. Alignment: A class of enclosure parameters that provides optimum performance for a woofer with a given value of Q. Alpha: In sealed enclosure designs, the ratio of Vas to Vb, where Vb is the volume of the box you will build. Alternator: A device that is turned by a motor to produce AC voltage, which is then rectified (turned into DC) and used to supply voltage to the vehicle's electrical system. Ampere (A): The unit of measurement for electrical current in coulombs per second. There is one ampere in a circuit that has a one ohm resistance when one volt is applied to the circuit. Amplifier: An electrical circuit designed to increase the current, voltage, or power of an applied signal. Amplitude: The relative strength (usually voltage of a signal). Amplitude can be expressed as either a negative or positive number, depending on the signals being compared. Attenuation: The reduction, typically by some controlled amount, of an electrical signal. Audio Frequency: The acoustic spectrum of human hearing, generally regarded to be between 20 Hz and 20 kHz. B: B: Magnet flux density in gap. Baffle: A board or other plane surface used to mount a loudspeaker. Balance: Equal strength provided to both left and right stereo channels. Bandwidth: The range of frequencies covered by a driver or a network (crossover). Band-Pass Enclosure: Type of enclosure used for sub woofers where the driver is completely inside the enclosure and all of the output emerges through a port(s) on one of the sides. They are difficult to calculate for optimum performance. Band-Pass Filter: An electric circuit designed to pass only a certain range of frequencies. Basket: The metal frame of a speaker. Bass Blockers: First order high-pass crossover (non-polarized capacitors), generally used on mid-bass or dash speakers to keep them from trying to reproduce deep bass which could damage them at high playing levels. Bass Frequencies (Low Frequencies): The low end of the audio frequency spectrum. There are no real frequencies where bass is categorized, but it ranges from approximately below 20 Hz to 400 Hz. Bi-amping: Means that instead of driving a speaker full-range with a single channel of amplification, through a single set of speaker cables, you actually connect two sets of cables, with each set driven by a separate amplifier, or separate channels of a multi-channel amplifier. This way, low frequencies and high frequencies each receive dedicated amplification. Bi-wiring: Involves connecting two sets of cables to your speakers, like bi-amping, but both sets of cables connect to the same set of output connectors on your receiver or amplifier. Bi-wiring doesn't deliver more watts to your speakers, so it doesn't offer the dramatic sonic improvement and higher loudness capability of bi-amping. BI: Electro-magnetic force factor. BL: Driver motor strength. Boomy: The smearing of transients that makes bass reproduction sound muddled, usually because of improperly designed sealed (too small), ported (to small or tuned improperly), and band-pass enclosures, although the latter are sometimes designed this way on purpose by car audio manufacturers or install shops to be loud. Bridged: In a multi-channel amplifier, the connection of two channels to drive a single load. The input signal is split, and then the phase of one of the signals is inverted. The non inverted signal is sent to the left amplifier and the inverted signal is sent to the right amplifier (L+R-). The load is connected between the two outputs so it receives twice the voltage at a given input level. The resultant power is much greater than the two 4-ohm channels combined. C: C: Propagation velocity of sound at STP, approx. 342 m/s (meters per second). Cab: Acoustic compliance of air in an enclosure. Cabin Gain: The low frequency boost normally obtained inside a vehicle interior when subs are properly mounted. Capacitor: An electronic device, which stores energy and releases it when needed. Also used to direct high frequency energy to tweeters. (Rated in Farads) Cas: Acoustical equivalent of Cms. Center Channel: In home theater, sound decoded from the stereo signal sent to a speaker mounted in front of the listener. Specially designed to enhance voices and sound effects from a movie soundtrack or other audio recording with enhanced features. Used in car audio to help offset skewed stereo imaging due to seating positions in the automotive environment. Channel: The path an audio signal travels through in a circuit during playback. At least 2 channels are required for stereo sound. Circuit: A complete path that allows electrical current from one terminal of voltage source to the other terminal. Circuit Breaker: An electromechanical device designed to quickly break its electrical connection should a short circuit or overload occur. A circuit breaker is similar to a fuse, except it will rest itself or can be manually rested, and will again conduct electricity. Class A: The amplifier conducts current throughout the entire cycle (360). The Class A design is the most inefficient and is used in low-power applications as well as in very high-end stereo. Such devices may be as little as 15% efficient, with 85% of the energy wasted as heat. Class B: The current flows only 180¼ for half the cycle, or two transistors can be used in a push-pull fashion, each one operating for 180¼. More efficient than Class A, it is typically used in low-end products. Class AB: Combines Class A and B and current flows for 180¼ to 200¼. Class AB designs are the most widely used for audio applications. Class AB amplifiers are typically about 50% efficient. Class C: Operating for less than half of one wave cycle (100¼ to 150¼), Class C amplifiers are the most efficient, but not used for audio applications because of their excessive distortion. Class G: A variation of the Class AB design that improves efficiency by switching to different fixed voltages as the signal approaches them. Class H: An enhancement of the Class G amplifier in which the power supply voltage is modulated and always slightly higher than the input signal. Class D: Class D is a digital-like amplifier that works by turning a transistor fully on or off, but the "D" technically does not stand for digital. Definition of: Class D amplifier An audio amplifier that works in the digital domain. It generates the equivalent analog output for the speakers by using pulse width modulation (PWM) or pulse density modulation (PDM) rather than the traditional digital-to-analog conversion. See PWM and PDM. Less Heat than Analog: Because pulse modulation output signals are either on or off, Class D amplifiers produce far less heat than analog amplifiers. Reaching efficiencies greater than 90% compared to only 50% for analog, they are widely used for every amplification requirement from cellphone speakers to high-end stereos. Digital and Analog: Class D was not coined for "digital;" it was the next letter after Class C. However, it does produce a "digital-like" output because the signals are generated by turning a switch fully on or off. But it is not technically digital because the output is not digital data. It is a modulated audio signal that is feeding analog speakers and is equivalent to the output of a traditional analog amplifier. Some call this a "synthesized analog" output. See amplifier classes. Class T: A variation of the Class D technique from Tri-path. Class T modulates the pulses based on the individual characteristics of the output transistor Clipping: The distortion that occurs when a power amplifier is overdriven. This can be seen visually on an oscilloscope, when the peaks of a waveform are flattened, or "clipped" at the signal's ceiling. Cmes: The electrical capacitive equivalent of Mms. Cms: Mechanical suspension compliance of a driver consisting of the spider and surround. Coaxial Driver: A speaker composed of two individual voice coils and cones; used for reproduction of sounds in two segments of the sound spectrum. Usually used in automotive speakers. Compliance: The relative stiffness of a speaker suspension, specified as Vas. Cone: The cone-shaped diaphragm of a speaker attached to the voice coil, which produces pulses of air that the ear detects as sound. Some subs are now made with flat pistons instead of a cone shape. Coulomb: An amount of electrical charge, which contains 6.24 x 10^18 of electrons. Crossover Frequency: The frequency at which a driver is crossed over at, usually when response is down -3dB. Current (I): The flow of electrical charge measured in amperes. D: D: Effective diameter of driver. Daisy Chain: The wiring of multiple amplifiers together using the line out wiring options on the amps. Damping: The reduction of movement of a speaker cone, due to either the electromechanical characteristics of the speaker driver and suspension, the effects of frictional losses inside a speaker enclosure, and/or by electrical means. Damping Material: Any material added to the interior of a speaker enclosure to absorb sound and reduce out-of-phase reflection to the driver diaphragm (cone). Usually acoustic fiberglass, Polyester batting, or poly-fill is used in speaker enclosures. DC (Direct Current): A flow of electrons, which travels in one direction only. Delay: The amount of time, usually in milliseconds (ms), that a signal processing unit adds to a channel of music. This is usually used to delay the rear channels with respect to the front channels to give a sense of greater space.Decibel (dB): (1) A logarithmic scale used to denote a change in the relative strength of an electric signal or acoustic wave. It is a standard unit for expressing the ratio between power and power level. An increase of +3 dB is a doubling of electrical (or signal) power; an increase of +10 dB is a doubling of perceived loudness. The decibel is not an absolute measurement, but indicates the relationship or ratio between two signal levels. (2) SPL (sound pressure level) can be measured in dB. 0 dB represents the threshold of normal human hearing, 130 dB represents the threshold for pain. Diaphragm: The part of a dynamic loudspeaker attached to the voice coil that moves and produces the sound. It usually has the shape of cone or dome. Diffusion: The scattering of sound. Diffusion reduces the sense of direction of sound source, a useful quality in surround speakers. Dispersion: The spreading of sound waves as it leaves a speaker. Displacement: The measurement of cubic volume that an item (such as a speaker or port) takes away from the internal volume of an enclosure, when designing an enclosure this figure must be added to the enclosure volume. Distortion: Any undesirable change or error in the reproduction of sound that alters the original audio signal or recording. Dome Tweeter: A high frequency speaker with a dome-shaped diaphragm, usually small in size. Dual Voice Coil (DVC): A voice coil with two windings, generally sub woofers. Each voice coil can be connected to a stereo channel, or both voice coils can be wired in parallel or series to a single mono channel. If connecting to stereo channels it is important that each channel have the same audio signal input so that 2 channels have the same output and both voice coils work in unison. Driver: A loudspeaker unit, consisting of the electromagnetic components of a speaker, typically a magnet and voice coil. Driver Parameters: The physical properties of a driver that determine it's electrical and acoustical behavior. Also called thiele small parameters. The minimum parameters used in determining speaker enclosures are Fs, Qts, and Vas. DSP: Standing for digital signal processing it is most commonly found in processing units to recreate or simulate a specific acoustic environment. Many older units used this technology to recreate venues like a concert hall or a disco club. Dust Cap: Part of the speaker that keeps foreign material from falling into the voice coil, which could hinder the speaker's movement and cut short its life. Dynamic Range: Expressed in decibels, the range of signals amplitude (from the loudest to the quietest) that can be reproduced effectively by a piece of equipment. With respect tp amplifiers, this range is defined by inherent noise at low levels and by overload distortion at high levels. The higher the number, the better the performance. E: EBP: Efficiency Bandwidth Product. A rating that helps a builder determine whether a driver is suitable for a sealed or ported enclosure. EBP of less than 45 indicates the driver should be used in a sealed, 45 - 65 indicates flexible design options, over 65 indicates best for a ported enclosure. This only gives us a general idea what type of box to use. With actual testing the subs, sometimes EBP does not prove 100% accurate. EBP = Fs/Qes. Efficiency Rating: The loudspeaker parameter that shows the level of sound output when measured at a prescribed distance with a standard level of electrical energy fed into the speaker. Electronic Crossover: Uses active circuitry to send signals appropriate drivers. This is more efficient than passive crossovers. Enclosure: The box that contains the driver(s). Equalizer: Electronic device used to boost or attenuate certain frequencies. F: F3: The roll-off frequency at which the driver's response is down 3dB's from the level of it's mid-band response, sometimes called the cutoff frequency. Fb: The tuned frequency of a ported box. Fc or Fcb: The system resonance frequency of a driver in a sealed box. Fs: The frequency of resonance for a driver in free air. Farad: The basic unit of capacitance. A capacitor has a value of one farad when it can store one coulomb of charge with one volt across it. Filter: Any electrical circuit or mechanical device that removes or attenuates energy at certain frequencies. Flat Response: The faithful reproduction of an audio signal; specifically, the variations in output level of less than 1 dB above or below a median level over the audio spectrum. Free Air Resonance: The natural resonant frequency of a driver when operating outside an enclosure. Frequency: The number of waves (or cycles) arriving at or passing a point in one second, expressed in hertz (Hz). Frequency Response: The frequency range to which a system, or any part of it, can respond. Unless a limit of variation in intensity is stated, this specification is meaningless. Full-range: A speaker designed to reproduce all or most of the sound spectrum. G: Golden Ratio: The ratio of the depth, width, and height of a speaker enclosure, based on the Greek Golden Rectangle. Usually recommended for home speakers, difficult to use in car audio applications. The ratio: W = 1.0, Depth = 0.618W, Height = 1.618W. Ground: Refers to a point of (usually) zero voltage, and can pertain to a power circuit or a signal circuit. In car audio, the single most important factor to avoid unwanted noise is finding and setting a good ground. H: Harmonic: The multiple frequencies of a given sound, created by the interaction of signal waveforms. Harmonic Distortion: Harmonics artificially added by an electrical circuit or speaker, and are generally undesirable. It is expressed as a percentage of the original signal. Heat Dissipation: The ability to transfer heat away from a component into the air to prevent damage to the speaker. Hertz (Hz): A measurement of the frequency of sound vibration. One hertz is equal to one cycle per second. High-pass Filter: An electric circuit that passes high frequencies but blocks low ones. Hiss: Audio noise that sounds like air escaping from a tire (high frequency). Horn: A speaker design using its own funnel shaped conduit to amplify, disperse, or modify the sounds generated by the internal diaphragm of the speaker. Hum: Audio noise that has a steady low frequency pitch I: Imaging: Listening term - it is the speakers ability to locate where each instrument or voice is located. Impedance: The opposition of a circuit or speaker to ac current. the combined effect of a speaker's resistance, inductance, and capacitance that opposes the current fed to it. It is measured in ohms and varies with the frequency of the signal. Inductance (L): the capability of a coil to store energy in a magnetic field surrounding it. It produces impedance to an AC current. Inductors are commonly used in audio as low pass crossovers. M: Midbass: Mid-level bass usually frequencies just above the sub-bass range from around 100Hz - 400Hz or so. Midrange (mids): The frequency range above bass but below treble carries most of the identifying tones of music or speech. It is usually from 300Hz - 400Hz to 3KHz or so. Millihenries (mH): A measurement of inductance. Mms: The moving mass of a driver assembly normally measured in grams (g). Mono: Monophonic sound. A method for reproducing sound where the signals from all directions or sources are blended into a single channel. MOSFET: (Metal Oxide Semiconductor-Field Effect Transistor) a form of field-effect transistor controlled by voltage rather than current, like a bipolar transistors. They generate almost no loss (little heat generation), which lends the power supply fast response, excellent linearity, and high frequency. N: n0: The reference efficiency of the system. Neodymium Magnet: A magnet material offering 7.5 times the magnetic strength of standard magnetic materials. Noise: Any undesirable sound reproduced in an audio system. Nominal Impedance: The minimum impedance a loudspeaker presents to an amplifier, directly related to the power the speaker can extract from the amplifier. O: Octave: A range of tones where the highest tone occurs at twice the frequency of the lowest tone. Ohm: A unit of electrical resistance or impedance. Ohm's Law: A basic law of electric circuits. It states that the current [1] (measured in amperes) in a circuit is equal to the voltage [E] in volts divided by the resistance [R] in ohms: I=E/R One Ohm Stability: Refers to an amplifier's ability to operate when wired to a speaker load that offers a 1 ohm impedance. Oscilloscope: An electronic instrument that produces an instantaneous trace on the screen of a cathode-ray tube corresponding to oscillations of voltage and current. Out of Phase: When your speakers are wired in reverse polarity (One speaker is wired one way, and another speaker is wired opposite of the first speaker). Bass response will be very thin due to cancellation. Output: The high level (speaker) or line level (RCA) signals sent from one system component to another, or the high level signal from an amplifier to the system speakers. P: P: Density of air at STP 1.18 kg/m^3 (rho). Pa: Acoustical power. Parallel: A method of wiring that lowers the total impedance of multiple voice coils when wired together. Pass Through: To pass a signal through without processing or changing the signal. Passive Crossover: Uses inductors (coils) and capacitors to direct proper frequencies to the appropriate drivers. these crossover systems can be simple (First Order 1 component @ -6dB/octave slope) to complex (Fourth Order = 4 components @ -24dB/octave slope). Passive Radiator: A device that looks just like an ordinary driver, except it has no magnet or voice coil. A radiator is usually a highly compliant device, with a similar cone material and surround found on regular active divers. The radiator must usually be at least as large (or larger) providing bass reinforcement for the driver in a similar fashion as any regular ported box. A clear advantage of the radiator is the absence of port noise and some audiophiles claim the radiator provides a better sounding bass than a ported enclosure Disadvantages include difficulty in tuning and the extra, required baffle area for the radiator. Most radiators can be tuned with either weights or silicone, adding material in a balanced manner until Fb is attained. PDM: (1) (Product Data Management) An information system used to manage the data for a product as it passes from engineering to manufacturing. The data includes plans, geometric models, CAD drawings, images, NC programs as well as all related project data, notes and documents. A PDM also manages the interrelationships between the data so that when changes are made to one database, the effects are highlighted in the others. PDMs are developed for work-groups as well as the entire enterprise. (2) (Pulse Density Modulation) A modulation technique that generates fixed-width pulses to represent the amplitude of an analog input signal. Like its variable-width pulse width modulation (PWM) cousin, the output switching transistor is on more of the time for a high-amplitude input signal and off more of the time for a low-amplitude signal. PDM is used for audio signals in a variety of applications from cellphones to SACD music format. See PWM and Class D amplifier. Pe: Driver's rated RMS power handling capability. Peak: The maximum amplitude of a voltage or current. Phase: Refers the timing relationship of two or more signals or sound waves. It's especially important to be sure that your stereo speakers are playing "in phase." This means that the drivers (cones and domes) of your right and left speakers are moving in and out at the same time. If your speakers are "out of phase" you'll hear significantly less bass, and instead of producing a strong center image, the sound tends to stay localized at the speakers. Phase Coherence: The relationship and timing of sounds that come from different drivers (subs, mids, tweets) mounted in different location in the vehicle. Phase Distortion: A type of audible distortion caused by time delay between various parts of the signal; can be cause by equalizers. PLM: (Product Life cycle Management) A comprehensive information system that coordinates all aspects of a product from initial concept to its eventual retirement. Sometimes called the "digital backbone" of a product, it includes the requirements phase, analysis and design stages, manufacturing, product launch, distribution, quality assurance, in-service maintenance and spare parts provisions. The terms PLM and PDM (product data management) are sometimes used interchangeably: however, PDM is typically only the data handling component of PLM. PLM also interfaces to the CRM and ERP systems within a company, which support the customer relationships, supply chain management and accounting. Following are the primary elements of a PLM system, all of which must interrelate with each other in order to provide the integration necessary to be a PLM system. Polarity: The orientation of magnetic or electric fields. The polarity of the incoming audio signal determines the direction of movement of the speaker cone. Must be observed when wiring speakers, so that they are "in phase." Ported Enclosure: A type of speaker enclosure that uses a duct or port to improve efficiency at low frequencies. Excellent design for lower power systems, as the port often adds up to 3dB's to low frequency efficiency. F3 can be set considerably lower with proper design, although low frequency roll-off is generally -24dB/octave. Good transient response with proper tuning, Fb, but source material or frequencies below Fb cause the driver to progressively perform as if it were not enclosed at all. Due to this, ported enclosures without a low frequency filter may have lower power handling compared to other designs. More difficult to properly build and tune than a driver. The best way to model these alignments is with a software program, where changes in tuning and enclosure size can be immediately noted. Power (P): The time rate of doing work or the rate at which energy is used. One equation for power is: P = Volts^2/Impedance Power Line Capacitor (Capacitor): Wired in-line on the power lead with your car amp, this device stores current for instant release when short bursts of energy are needed to produce loud, deep bass notes. Best to mount as close to amp as possible. Pressure Effect: In sealed box designs, the pressure build-up on one side of the cone which may cause non-linearity and inhibit dynamic range in the low bass. Push-Pull Configuration: One driver is mounted normally, the second is mounted so that it faces into the enclosure, both sharing the same internal volume and wired out of phase with one another. The drivers are acoustically in phase since they move in the same direction. This alignment theoretically reduces second order harmonic distortion. PWM: (Pulse Width Modulation) A modulation technique that generates variable-width pulses to represent the amplitude of an analog input signal. Like its fixed-width pulse density modulation (PDM) cousin, the output switching transistor is on more of the time for a high-amplitude signal and off more of the time for a low-amplitude signal. The digital nature (fully on or off) of the PWM circuit is less costly to fabricate than an analog circuit that does not drift over time. See PDM. Q: Q: The magnification of resonance factor of any resonant device or circuit. A driver with a high Q is more resonant than one with a low Q. Qa: The system's Q at Fb, due to absorption losses. Qec: The system's Q at (Fc), due to electrical losses. Qes: The electrical Q of the driver. QI: the system's Q at Fb, due to leakage losses. Qmc: The systems Q at resonance (Fc), due to mechanical losses. Qms: The mechanical Q of the driver. Qp: The system's Q at Fb, due to port issues (turbulence, viscosity, ect.). Qts: The total Q of the driver at Fs, Qts = Qes + Qms. Qtc: Value for the damping provided for a driver in a sealed enclosure. Denotes the enclosures ability to control the driver response at resonance. Qtc = 0.707 is the optimum value for sealed enclosures, providing flattest response and highest SPL for deep bass extension. Enclosures for this value are often rather large. Lower Qtc can give even better transition response, down to a Qtc of 0.577 for the best damping and transients, but the enclosure is usually huge and SPL's are down. A Qtc of 1.0 is a compromise between deep bass and transient response vs. smaller sized enclosure. Larger subs can go with an even higher Qtc, as their resonant frequency is often very low, but Qtc's above 1.5 can begin to sound very muddled and boomy, and sacrifice deep bass extension and transient response for enhanced mid-bass peaks (louder). R: Ras: Acoustical equivalent of Rms RCA: Also known as line level input, wires carry signals from your source unit to other processors such as an amp, EQ, crossover, line driver, etc. They can also be used from one processor to another. They carry higher signal strength than speaker wires, also known as high-level input. This means that you get a cleaner, stronger signal from unit to unit which helps increase the performance of your stereo. RCA's are the preferred method of wiring. Rear Fill: In auto-sound, the ambiance created by a pair of rear speakers that helps complete the sound-stage. A set of high quality components for the front powered by an external amp and a set of coax mounted on the rear deck powered by the head unit or small amp is a good example of a rear fill application. Rear fill speakers should be faded so that they create a richer ambiance, but you should not be able to isolate any sounds coming from them. Res: The electrical resistive equivalent of RMS. Resonance: The tendency of an object to vibrate most at a particular frequency. Resonance Frequency: The frequency at which you speaker tends to vibrate most at. Resistance (Re): In electrical or electronic circuits, a characteristic of a material that opposes the flow of electrons. Speakers have resistance that opposes current.__Revc: DC resistance of the voice coil only. Rg: Amplifier source resistance (includes leads, crossover, etc.). RMS: An acronym for "root mean square." Used in audio to help rate continuous power output of an amplifier or input capability of speakers. This is the preferred method for comparing anything in audio applications. R-off (cut-off): The attenuation that occurs at the lower or upper frequency range of a driver, network, or system. The roll-off frequency is usually defined as the frequency where response is reduced by -3dB's. S: S or (Q'): The overall damping of a 4th order bandpass enclosure. I,e., if you were to figure a 4th order bandpass enclosure with a Qtc of 0.707 for Vr (the sealed chamber), then you would also figure Vf (ported chamber) with an S of 0.707. SAF: Spouse Acceptance Factor. Satellite Speaker: A small speaker with limited bass response. It is normally intended to be used with a matching sub woofer. Sd: Effective piston area of a driver, Normally measured in meters squared (M^2). Sealed Enclosure: Air tight enclosure that completely isolates the back wave of the driver from the front. Very tight, defined sound (with Qtc = 0.707) with very good transition response and power handling. Low frequency roll-off is at -12dB/octave. Less efficient than other designs, and higher distortion levels at resonance. Easy to design and build. Originally this design was pioneered and marketed by companies like Acoustic Research. Sealed boxes are normally the best enclosure to use for sound quality applications. Series: A method of wiring that raises the total impedance of multiple voice coils when wired together. Series-Parallel: A method of wiring that contains elements from both wiring methods. Signal: The desired portion of electrical information. Signal-to-noise (S/N): The ratio, expressed in dB, between the signal and noise. Sine Wave: The waveform of a pure alternating current or voltage. It deviates between a zero point to a positive value and a negative value. Audio signals are sign waves or combinations of sine waves. Sound Pressure Level (SPL): An acoustic measurement for the ratios of sound energy. Rated in decibels (SPL dBA, SPL dBC). Sound Stage: The sound systems ability to recreate an imaginary stage. A good speaker will faithfully make the stage seem close to the actual height, width and depth of the actual performance stage where recorded. Imaging is similar, but the speaker must be able to place each instrument or voice in the correct location on the sound-stage. The reproduction of the way the music would sound if you were actually watching the musicians play in front of you. The stage should always appear to be in front of you, with a proper "image" of where each musician is playing on the imaginary sound-stage. Spider: The flexible material that supports the former and voice coil within the speaker frame. Standing Wave: A buildup of sound level at a particular frequency that is dependent upon the dimensions of a resonant room, car interior, or enclosure. It occurs when the rate of energy loss equals the rate of energy input into the system. This is what you hear when you listen into a seashell. Building a slant in a box on the back wall can help reduce standing sound waves. Strontium Magnet: A magnetic material with superior magnetic strength characteristics to that of ferrite. Sub woofer: A loudspeaker designed to reproduce bass frequencies. Subsonic Filter (Infrasonic): A filter designed to remove extremely low frequencies usually between 20Hz-50Hz or lower noise from the audio signal. This prevents the speakers from playing frequencies that could damage them. Surround: The outer suspension of a speaker cone; holds the diaphragm in place but allows it to move when activated. Usually made of foam or rubber. Surround Sound: Usually representative of the monophonic sound extracted from the stereo signal sent to small rear or side speakers used in a home theater. T: Timbre: The quality of a sound related to its harmonic structure. Timbre is what gives a voice or instrument its sonic signature -- why a trumpet and a saxophone sound different when they play the same note. Thiele/Small Parameters: Numbers that specify the behavior of drivers. These are normally tested by the manufacturer and are used in conjunction with computer programs to help design enclosures for drivers (normally sub woofers). These programs can normally estimate the response of a particular driver in a box to find the optimum enclosure type and size. Three Point or Triple Joint: Positioned inside the sub, this is the name given to the area where the voice coil, cone and spider meet. Three-way: A type of speaker system composed of three ranges of speakers, specifically a woofer, midrange, and tweeter. Total Harmonic Distortion (THD): A component specification which describes its ability to accurately reproduce a signal. Although lower numbers are considered to be better, the human ear typically cannot detect THD ratings below 2% or 3%. Transformer: An electrical device that can be used to provide circuitry isolation, signal coupling, impedance matching, or voltage step-up. Transient Response: The ability of a speaker to respond to any sudden change in the signal without blurring (smearing) the sound. A speaker that can react quickly to rapid changes in sound has "good transient response." Transistor: An active (commonly three terminal) solid state device in which a larger output current is obtained by small changes in the input current. Transmitter: The name given to the hand-held remote control unit used by a vehicle operator to arm/disarm and perform accessory functions on a vehicle security system. More commonly called a remote. Treble (highs): The upper end of the audio spectrum reproduced by tweeters, usually 3 - 4kHz and up. Tri-way Outputs: When a special passive crossover is used with an automotive amplifier to safely power a sub woofer in bridged mono (low pass circuit) as well as a pair of stereo speakers (high pass circuit). Normal inductors and capacitors can be used for Try-way output. This is how 3 channel mode should be accomplished with an amplifier. Tweeter: A speaker designed to reproduce the high or treble range of the sound spectrum. Two-way: A type of speaker system composed of two ranges of speakers usually a woofer and tweeter. V: Vab: The volume of air having the same acoustic compliance as the enclosures. Vas: The equivalent volume of compliance, which specifies a volume of air having the same compliance as the suspension system of a driver. Vb: Total box volume, usually in cubic feet or liters. Used specifically in sealed and ported designs. Vd: Maximum linear volume displacement of the driver (product of Sd times Xmax). Vf: Front volume of a bandpass design. Vr: Rear volume of a bandpass design. Voice Coil: The wire wound around the speaker former. The former is mechanically connected to the speaker cone and causes the cone to vibrate in response to the audio current in the voice coil. Volt (E): The term used to refer to the property of electrical pressure through a circuit. The basic practical unit of difference of potential. W: Watt: A unit of electrical power. A watt of electrical power is the use of one joule of energy per second. Watts of electrical power equals (volts) x (amperes). Wave: A single oscillation in matter (i.e., a sound wave). Waves move outward from a point of disturbance, propagate through a medium, and grow weaker as they travel farther. Wave motion is associated with mechanical vibration, sound, heat, light, etc. Waveform: The shape of a wave. Wavelength: The length of a sound wave in air. It can be found for any frequency by dividing the speed of sound in air (1120 feet per second) by the frequency of the sound, or: WL = 1120/freq. Windings: The wire in a voice coil that is wound around the former (also called a bobbin) to create a coil. Woofer: A large dynamic loudspeaker that is well suited for reproducing bass frequencies. Z: Z: Total driver impedance. Zero Bit Detection: A circuit in a D/A converter that monitors the digital audio bit stream. Upon encountering all bits low, or zero, the output of the D/A is disconnected from the preamp. This improves the signal-to-noise ratio specification. Zero Output: The absence of output signal or output power.

Hey Bangin, then you strap an amp the master amp controls the slave, setting the master sets the slave.

keety, I recommend that you build a mock box and make sure it fits this time. A little cardboard can go a long way in insuring a fit.

Normally both 14V and 42V batteries are found in the vehicles, 14 for the normal electronics and 42 for the drive and steering system, normally they are connected as well and there is a step down dc-dc converter from the 42V to 14V. There is a lot of information about it, just have to know where to look. Forums | V is for Voltage electric vehicle forum

Again, please let me know the sources for your answers. I'd like to read up on this instead of asking the forum. The owners manual of a friends Prius said don't do it. Any alterations to the vehicle will have that part removed from the warranty, I doubt you want your expensive batteries void form the warranty if anything should happen.

Ehh...not really. I would maybe define beaming as a term used to describe the narrowing off-axis disperson of a loudspeaker as frequency increases due to the relationship between the wavelength of the sound wave and cone diameter. When you say "maybe" I question your definition. How does Cone Diameter directly affect beaming? I used "maybe" because I hadn't given more than a moments thought to the wording of my definition, thus it was subject to revision if I came up with something that was worded either more cleverly or more comprehensively.

They vary by vehicle. 14V, 42V, or 200V.

Thanks for the response. Really? Why and where did you read/hear this? Really? Wow that is pretty weird! I wonder why that would be? Toyoda started the policy with the Prius, they know that with the large amount of power available people would want to put amplifiers in the vehicles, thus decreasing the life of the batteries. They don't want to warranty all of the batteries when they fail, so they state in the owners manual your warranty will be void if you put an amplifier in there. I'm 99% sure Nissan is just as smart.

Put an amplifier in there and your warranty is void.

This. OP, remember Hoffman's Iron Law: "You can have low end extension, high efficiency, or small enclosure size. Pick two." If you want to dig deep, a large sealed box, with a low Fs/mid Qts driver may be the ticket. Infinite Baffle would definitely another way to go. Also, "tight kick drums" are a function of your midbass speakers

Lol, it isn't that simple as it is frequency dependent. Obviously you can make a generalization of 1/4wavelength or 1/2 wavelength as a rule of thumb, but that isn't 100% the case.

He used maybe so as not to call his definition something that is 100% complete. Not as in what he said wasn't right. That is my guess anyways as I know Brad understands beaming. Basically as the wavelength of the sound you are playing gets smaller in relation to the cone diameter you have the opportunity for the sound wave to have both constructive and destructive interference. This creates a non-uniform dispersion pattern as in some directions at some frequencies the sound is added to (constructive inteference) and at some it is reduced (destructive) and of course this changes with frequency. Without understanding wave equations and acoustic propagation beaming isn't ever going to be straightforward. What you need to realize is that the higher in frequency you want to play the smaller diameter of driver is required to do it with even spherical sound distribution. *obviously completely even never exists, but as a generalization I think you can understand what I am saying.

I would guess that the lower the frequency the less chance of beaming you have. Bass is omnidirectional, so you really never have to consider off axis response on those (EDIT: subwoofers). Where as tweeters, it's a huge concern when choosing them.

Lower left hand corner, there is a drop down list, you can change it there. Thank you Sir.

Lower left hand corner, there is a drop down list, you can change it there.

From my understanding they are good amplifiers, talk to Thumper at Pound That Sound (he has dealt with them and I think he is a dealer for them also).

Capitalization means everything ..everything else is an acronym and stands for "Something" as in BTL, SSD, Q, BL etc...the second letter in Fi is 'lowercase' as in it has no meaning or significance and should be enunciated. Figh.

Keep in mind the gain is not a "power knob".....having it turned up less than half way does not mean you are not receiving full power output. It is possible to obtain full power output from an amplifier with the gain turned to it's lowest setting, depending on the input voltage from the source. That said, there are different theories on how to properly set the gain with a DMM. One theory is to use a 0db test tone so that the amplifier doesn't clip the signal. However, this decreases the amount of power output during typical music playback since music is at a level below 0db way more often than it is at 0db. So another theory is to use attenuated test tones; -3db, -6db, -10db. This gives you more power output while playing music at the risk of clipping the peaks of the signal. But before we really get into resetting the gain, it would be more useful to know what enclosure you were using, what your other settings were set at (lowpass filter, highpass or infrasonic filter, bass boost, Q, etc), and what exactly you think is lacking as well as your expectations. We may end up chasing our tail around proper gain setting when the problem is actually somewhere else. When you use a bass boost or EQ where you increase or decrease the level of the signal at a particular frequency, you are not only adjusting the frequency marked on the dial. You will also be increasing or decreasing the level of the frequencies surrounding (both above and below) the center frequency. For example, if you set the EQ center frequency to 40hz, and you turn the db dial to +3db, you are not only increasing 40hz by 3db....you are also increasing the output level of frequencies above and below 40hz (by an amount less than 3db, however). The Q setting changes the "bandwidth", or how wide of a frequency range above and below 40hz you are affecting. The lower the Q, the wider the range of frequencies. The higher the Q, the narrower the range of frequencies. Unfortunately without quite a bit of information it's hard to determine a "proper" setting of the Q....so generally it's best to set it to where ever obtains the best results by ear.

Ehh...not really. I would maybe define beaming as a term used to describe the narrowing off-axis disperson of a loudspeaker as frequency increases due to the relationship between the wavelength of the sound wave and cone diameter.

Leave the EQ alone. You are correct that the knob effects the width of the curve of frequencies adjusted by the bass boost. But since it is a bass boost, leave that knob all the way down. Then where you have the EQ set doesn't matter because you aren't using it anyway.

Three Point: Positioned inside the sub, this is the name given to the area where the voice coil, cone and spider meet. add Triple Joint to this... great information here.

First thing I will make abundantly clear: most people by now know that I’m a regular poster on SSA and a member of the Tech Team. Aaron did not send this to me to review, I didn’t get it for free, I wasn’t asked to buy it, or any situation in that vein. When I expressed interest in getting an Icon, Aaron asked if I would be willing to review it. I said yes but made sure he understood that if it was a sub-par product, I wouldn’t hold anything back. I feel I have the technical backing and experience to give it a thorough review and I hope you’ll find the same. There were no SPL measurements done because I could really care less about those. This is a purely subjective review to give my opinion on a product that not many people seem to have gotten their hands on yet. On arrival, I was happy to see the shipped package was in good condition. It was shipped in a well sized sturdy cardboard box with fairly standard packing materials: the standard square base at the bottom, with a stiff Styrofoam “buffer” on each respective side of the container aligned perfectly with the mounting frame of the driver. It was quite hard to shift the driver in any way. I consider this fairly standard packaging, but perhaps a little minimal for my standards. Aside from the protective plastic over the cone, there was no protective Styrofoam or packing peanuts (not that I condone them) over top of the cone; if a large object had fallen directly on top of the package and gone through the container, it would have caused some noticeable damage to the cone and/or dustcap. There were a couple of issues when I received the Icon: there was a small dent in the dustcap. Because there had been no damage to the container and I can only assume that this occurred at the buildhouse, likely during the packing process. This dent is so small that you can’t see it most days and you can’t see it in the pictures that follow. Though not performance impacting in anyway, Aaron from SSA was very willing to replace it and cover all shipping fees. Second concern: I didn’t receive any stickers either. Personally, I don’t care, but I can recall about 100 times when people have flipped there lid because they didn’t receive some measly stickers, so this is something that needs to be reviewed. Aaron did not seem very happy to hear that they weren’t included and I expect that this might be the first and last time it occurred. Third concern: No manual. Given that this driver is sold online, you should be able to find the product information quite easily, and that’s no problem. But including a manual with thiele/small parameters, enclosure recommendations, wiring diagrams, etc. is a great addition that helps add value. This is something Aaron says they are working on and I believe it will be ready in a couple of weeks. These were very minor things and barely impacted me at all. Keep reading below.

Overall Satisfaction: The Icon is a well built, very attractive design. Sonically, it is appealing though not the perfect driver. As far as output is concerned, it clearly thrives in a lower tuned ported enclosure and I found sealed output better than initial reviews had indicated. I would describe the Icon as a well controlled driver that works well in many applications but lacks the coil length for the large displacement required in a sealed enclosure for home theatre. It can achieve full output with less than rated RMS, which can be a good thing. I was relatively satisfied with my experience with the Icon and would recommend it to many in the car audio world; I think most would be extremely happy with it. The Icon’s biggest challenge is it’s pricepoint: at the sale price of $269 (including shipping), it is in direct competition with some very well known speakers, including the Q from Fi and the RL-p from SoundSplinter. When compared with these two products, it’s a tough call, but I feel the Icon will more than hold it’s own. I wouldn’t say that it blew my mind when compared to other subs I've listened to (all of which cost at least twice as much), but it did very well in virtually every aspect and is more than worth the price tag associated with it.

Overall Listening Impressions: This was a very nice driver to listen to. Top end output was good, but not extraordinary. Bottom end was slightly above average in a sealed enclosure and pleasant to my ear, but lacking below 30 Hz. It's really not much of an issue if you're listening to music. Ported output was very impressive if not excessive for my taste. The best word to describe it would be warm and controlled, but as I mentioned earlier, I personally prefer a very sterile sound typical of extremely low distortion designs that many others seem to hate. I would rank it ahead of almost every non-BL optimized design I have heard. For the sake of impartiality, here are some comments from people that came over to listen to the Icon: "It's easily the best speaker I've heard. I haven't heard bass with such accuracy before but it was still so loud in those ported enclosures." "Very intense when we watched Jurassic Park. My organs felt kind of weird." "I thought it was good in the medium sealed enclosure we listened with. When we switched it to the ported enclosures, I was really impressed." "Good natural sound in the sealed enclosures. Exactly what it should be." In some A/B listening sessions with 7 friends, comparing the Icon with a 15” TC-9 variant, here were the results: Sealed output: 4-3 Icon Sealed low frequency response: 4-3 Icon Sealed accuracy: 5-2 Icon Ported output: 4-3 Icon Ported low frequency response: 6-1 Icon Ported accuracy: 4-3 Icon

Enclosures used: Sealed 1.5 cubic feet - Qtc 0.800 Fairly even response here. Didn't sound particularly top heavy, which is atypical of many drivers in this alignment, but found low end response to be lacking. When we stepped it up to 1kW, it was an audibly more intense sound, but still not that powerful feeling that strong bass leaves you with. I'd describe it as almost dull and, personally, I wouldn't use this speaker in this alignment. It's probably a good thing that SSA doesn't recommend it. Sealed 2.0 cubic feet - Qtc 0.707 The infamous Butterworth alignment. Top end wasn't much different than we had heard with the smaller enclosure, but everything 50 Hz or lower was improved. I found it to be a fairly warm sound that most people would find rather pleasant. I would describe the "attack" as fairly controlled and above average, though not with the same sterile sound that I prefer. This is probably a good option for some who are limited on space. When we put 1kW on it, output really improved, but at frequencies below 25 Hz, it was beginning to run out of gas. Sealed 3.0 cubic feet - Qtc 0.650 As we moved to larger and larger alignments, my impressions of this driver improved. I would say that the 15" version of the Icon has a sweetspot that falls in between 2.5-3.0 cubic feet. Low end response continued to improve without any noticeable loss of accuracy. For most people, I think this will be a favourite, but it doesn't have the Xmax to blow your mind at low frequencies. I would recommend using no more than 800-1000W in this enclosure with a subsonic filter set at 25-30 Hz. You won't really gain too much more output, though there's still some mechanical clearance there. This was used for most musical testing outlined above. Sealed 5.5 cubic feet - Qtc 0.570 This is approaching a critically damped alignment, one of my favourites in the house and likely much larger than anyone will use. Again, for home theater and really low frequency use, you can keep the power to a minimum and still have acceptable output, but Xmax is the limiter here. It's kind of funny to think that 5 years ago, this would have been almost satisfying output at 20 Hz, but now there are so many drivers that are capable of sweeping huge amounts of air that would probably be better for use in home theatre or music with very low frequency content. Still sounded very good, but you're probably better off with a smaller enclosure if you're using this in a vehicle if you're looking for output in the frequencies more common in music. Ported 3.0 cubic feet tuned to 30 Hz Naturally, low end picked up quite nicely. The addition of a helmholtz resonator really goes a long way for boosting the Icon's output in the 40-60 Hz range. It has the motor strength and electrical damping to really utilize the port's output without the sound that is typical of lower Q, over motored designs. With tones and music that approached and exceeded the enclosure's resonance, I found that output dropped a little bit, but when coupled with the transfer function of my living room, it wasn't a problem at all. Still very accurate in this enclosure and satisfying to listen to; this is from a guy who prefers large sealed and infinite baffle enclosures. When we stepped it up to 1kW, it was more than overpowering my front stage. Too much output for me with music at high volumes. Ported 4.0 cubic feet tuned to 30 Hz Low end continued to improve. There could really be no complaints about bottom octave performance with this alignment on any music. There were no noticeable hiccups in terms of accuracy and output was very impressive. The bottom end was really quite strong, dominating compared to the top end response. If you like a heavy bottom end, this is probably the enclosure for you. Again, we put 1kW to it, and it was really too much for me. I think this would be a favourite with a lot of people in the car audio world who like their daily boomers. This was used for most musical testing above. Ported 5.0 cubic feet tuned to 20 Hz This is actually a really, really good alignment for home theatre. I find a lot of people like a rising bottom end; the Icon is virtually flat to 20 Hz here and when paired with the room's transfer function, had a strong, accurate bottom end that didn't sound particularly overpowering. You do have to be careful about running out of excursion at low frequencies, but this was a winner for me. I was really pleasantly surprised with this combination. Adding more power was unnecessary and may have resulted in damage, so we skipped it for this enclosure.

What we listened to: Young Jeezy - Hypnotize It's rap so it was really hard for me to listen to. I will say that output on Hypnotize was very impressive in the ported enclosure and surprisingly refined. Hypnotize was shaking the fine China, no doubt about that. In a sealed enclosure, the sound was a little too neutral and laid back for this type of music. Q Lazzarus - Goodbye Horses A rather peculiar song you might be familiar with from a few different soundtracks (Silence of the Lambs, Clerks 2). It's actually not a terrible song and with good subs and strong midbass, you can really shake some things up with this track. The Icon was very tight and produced each note accurately. 36 Crazyfists - At the End of August At the 3:28 mark of this song, there is the solo screaming with some very low frequency drums. They can be quite powerful, especially with the additional reverberation after each drum hit. The Icon was bang on here. The opening drum and bass line needs to be exceedingly tight, particularly in the sound pause in material at the :40, 1:18, 1:39, and a few other times throughout the song. The Icon really excelled here in both the sealed and ported enclosures. Fleetwood Mac - Rumours (full album) Really a great, great album. On "Second Hand News", bass should not be overpowering, nor should there be any overshoot or blur to the sound. "Dreams" has the running bass line in 4/4 time that is a little more powerful and stops and starts on a dime. Tonally, it's a bit deceiving; it is a little relaxed during it's duration but borderline snappy when picked right, as it is on this song. Skipping ahead a bit, Silver Springs is another beautifully simple song. The Icon achieved all of the above without any problems when sealed. When ported, output was too much for my mains and too strong on the bottom. The sealed rolloff worked great for this whole album. ***You'll notice there are a lot of reviews that describe a driver as sloppy on some songs but accurate on others; this is quite often related to level matching your subs to your upper frequency content. If your bass is overpowering, it will sound sloppy.*** Fear Factory - Cars A remake of an old classic that is awful in it's own right. I picked this song solely for it's ability to shake things up. In the sealed enclosure, the Icon was perhaps a bit too laid back for such a dominating track with such a commanding bass line. It was bang on in the both the medium and large ported enclosures though. Evergreen Terrace - Mad World A good hardcore cover of the Gary Jules classic. Great drum work during the chorus line, particularly the double pedal that is still very tonally rich. This is a tough bit for a lot of subwoofers to play right, as many will capture the sharpness of the double pedal but will miss the rather deep tone of each strike. The driving beat in this song is very easy to handle but it's that chorus line where several have stumbled. CKY - Flesh Into Gear This is probably the best song CKY has recorded but the drum work and bass line are hard to reproduce accurately together. Where the relatively few low frequency drum strikes are sharp, the bass line is very hazy as a direct result of the guitar effects intended in the song. In the ported enclosure, the impact was really there, but it was sonically a real challenge to differentiate between the bass guitar and the drums. In the sealed enclosure, it was better to listen to, but some output that would have been appreciated was lost. Feist - My Moon, My Man (Boys Noize Remix) Though this is an absolute abomination to do to such a good song, I have a feeling this would be really popular amongst most. The driving beat that accompany's much of the song is not particularly pronounced at all, and the Icon matched that in both sealed and ported enclosures. At the 1:15 mark, the stronger drum beats come in. They are steady with very little fluctuation and require a driver that will faithfully match each beat identically. The Icon does that fairly well. Joanna Newsom - Y's Undoubtedly one of the best folk/indie albums I've heard in some time. I can't count how many threads I've seen asking about music to use when listening for SQ; this is the one that is incredible and never mentioned. The one song we listened to repeatedly was Emily. Bass is so infrequent on this track that getting it right is absolutely critical to successful reproduction. There are a few chords played on the cello in this song that require the most perfect tonality a subwoofer is capable of. Though the Icon sounded quite good, it wasn't perfect. It's kind of hard to explain, but I have heard this album so many times and am such a cello fan that this song could afford absolutely zero leeway. Unfortunately, the Icon didn't match up here. Metallica - Helpless A harder to find track from the $5.98 EP (Garage Days Re-Revisited) that is quick and deadly. Though theres not a ton of high amplitude bass or drum work in this track, what is there is very quick. I would describe the Icon as really quick and to the point on this one. The boost in output from the ported enclosure was actually nice and helped really rock the house.

Pictures:

Parts and Appearance: Ok, so on to the actual important stuff! I ordered a 15” Icon with Dual 2 ohm coils. When I pulled it out of the shipping container, I was very satisfied with my purchase. Visually, this is an extremely appealing driver. With a black pulp fiber cone, black 12 spoke basket, black spider, and a simple logo on the black dust cap, this is my kind of colour scheme. Simple, clean, and attractive. I have two personal improvements that would have put this absolutely over the top for me: a magnet boot and an inverted dust cap. With that said, I understand how many people love the industrial look achieved by exposing the magnetic structure, as well as the attraction to boobage. Still, these two touches would have made this the perfect driver for me, visually. As far as parts are concerned, the Icon uses heavy duty lead wires with felt padding on the underside of the cone to manage any slapping of the tinsel leads against the cone during high excursion. The tinsel leads do seem a touch longer than necessary to me, but it should be noted that I had no slapping at all during testing later on. The Icon has two 8” progressive roll spiders that are fairly stiff out of the box. It takes a little while to break in the polymer coating. With standard spring style push terminals, connections are simple. The heart of the Icon is the motor, something I think they take great pride in at SSA. It uses a 3” diameter anodized aluminum former, wrapped with a 4 layer 22.5 AWG copper voice coil that is 1.8” tall. The magnetic structure consists of a 10mm tall top plate, 3 19mm tall by 170mm wide ceramic magnets. The back plate has a wide 45mm pole vent machined to help cool the coil via convection. The distance from the top of the pole to the top of the back plate is approximately 85mm. Overall, it’s a very solid motor that nets a BL^2/Re of around 89TM. There was no excess glue to be found anywhere on the driver, things were well placed, and I would say that build quality was quite exceptional. The Icon was used in several different enclosures. The first thing I did, fresh out of the box, was exercise the suspension and we did this quite simply: we put 3600W on it. I put it in an enclosure that was just approximately 2.5 cubic feet net that was tuned to 45 Hz. The resonant frequency of the enclosure was achieved via 2 4" flared ports that were both 12" long. The amplifier used was a QSC PLX3602. With the dual 2 ohm coils wired in series, I achieved a 4 ohm load, which resulted in an output from the amplifier of 3600W when bridged. To test power handling, I used a variety of different sine waves from 50 Hz to 70 Hz. Originally, I used custom sine waves that I made, each frequency consisting of 10 cycles worth of material. I'm happy to say that, though the Icon didn't seem to like it too much and really had some stank going, it wasn't damaged. I wasn't willing to risk using longer periods. It should be noted that this enclosure is not a good idea for you to use and was only used to test thermal power handling; port noise was very noticeable at all frequencies, but I was able to keep the driver within it's excursion limits, which was important to avoid damaging it mechanically. Obviously, I gave the Icon a break at this point. There were a number of different enclosures that we tried it in after this with 500W (unless otherwise noted), and my listening observations will follow the pictures of the Icon.

Ta-da! That would mean you should set your gain to 22.36 you guys are kidding around right???? do you know his decks output voltage, did you meter his decks output voltage. do you know how much impedance rise he is getting. do you also know his voltage and his electrical system.

maybe because you only hit 145. lol and tell me how are you genius' gonna tell him how to get exactly 500 watts outta his amp

i was refering to exactly 500watts.