edouble101

If I take out the ap mats and go IB and swap out the RS225-4 for JL Audio ZR800-CW drivers will this improve my midbass response?

My enclosure volume is too small. I have been searching for a different midbass but I am unable to find on that fits my install. I was looking for high QTS, low fs, high QES and small VAS. Preferably 4 ohm and has a mounting depth of less than 3". I am hoping to run my midbass setup from 50-400hz. My subbass cosist of a single Sundown 18" Z.3 and a DDM3a. I will be changing that in the future to two Sundown 15" Z.3 and a AB VFL450.1. I do not like to run my sub above 50hz. Should I try and run the RS225-4 as an IB? I could remove the AP mats for an IB install. IS there a better midbass driver available for my install?

I am in the process of redoing my front stage. It will be an active three way. My head unit is a Pioneer DEX-P99RS and my amplifier for my front stage is an Arc Audio KS900.6. My goals for my front stage is to have excellent mid bass and to create a realistic soundstage with excellent imaging. To kick of my install I started with the midbass. I currently have a Viper 650.2 component set (running active) installed for midrange/tweeter duties. I will be replacing the Viper set. My midbass install consists of Dayton Audio RS225-4 drivers mounted in very tiny (.2-.3^3ft) sealed enclosures with ScanSpeak flow resistors. The ScanSpeak flow resistors are AP mats about 4" in diameter. I made a huge design error with making the enclosures this small. I have always read to make enclosures as small as possible when using AP mats, well that isn't true. My xover points for the RS225-4 are 50hz@24db and 400hz@12db. I will be using Dayton Audio RS100T-8 midrange drivers mounted in the a-pillars. In this picture you you can see the AP mats behind the enclosure baffle. Here is another in-process picture of the 8" RS225-4 install. I stuffed the enclosures with poly fill and made under dash covers. My dash is also stuffed with poly fill and I have CLD tiles/CCF/MLV on the floor and enclosures. My frequency response after the install was pretty horrible. With a lot of equalizer adjustments I was able to smooth out the fr a bit. After all of the install work I am still very disappointed with my midbass response. There is no real "kick" or any impact from the midbass. My pant legs vibrate a little from the 8"s but it is no where near what it should be. The sound "muddy" and not very "fast". I have been searching for a better 8" midbass driver for my install. I am not willing to tear out my enclosures. I could very well take out the AP mats and run IB in this setup. What I am asking is what driver would be more suited for my install? I can keep the AP mats or run IB. I want to keep my midbass crossed at 50&400hz.

Once you get your truck repaired this install is going to be nuts!

Not yet, It will be at least after the 4th holiday until i start It, got lots of fuguring out to do, as far as cutting up the decklid etc and what I am willing to sacrafice. It will be a while until I receive the crossfire amp, so I will pick up another amp for the time being, untill that one arrives. I am running two 15"s in the trunk as well. I am going to finish my front stage then yank out my 18" and start on the 15"s. I just got my AB VFL-450.1 today. Definitely the biggest amp I have ever owned. I wish I had room for two 18"s!

Did you start building your enclosure yet?

I like your homemade fuse holder bracket

I did some eq tweaking today. I am using these RTA measurements to get me close to how I want this to sound. I know that moving the mic from "here" to "there" will greatly affect sound. This is my base run for today. No changes were made form the other day other than adding CCF and MLV to the driver and front passenger floor. I wanted to see what reversing the polarity of the driver's side speaker would do.----- Not good. After some EQ'ing This is a graph of the whole system. The EQ'ing done is on the midbass. For right now I am still running an active Viper 650.2 component set and a single Sundown 18" Z.3 After EQ'ing the midbass sound much better. The output is very good and I can not hear any cone break-up or power issues. It even shakes my pant leg a little :)I feel that I can do a little bit better though. I am in search of an 8" that has an o.d. of 8.75", mounting depth of less than 3", 4 ohm, EBP under 50 and low QTS. I am eying up the Morel MW265-4 but I do not have definite specs on it.

I hear ya. Absolutely nothing going on here in north east Pa. If you make it farther up north let me know.

Both Crescendo and DD amps have worked flawlessly for me. I just but an American Bass amp at a great price new. Stick with a reputable brand. You are going to need to be easy on the volume knob with your electrical and a 5k amp.

Looking great! Like I said before, I would love to hear this!

Glad you had fun at the show(s). I bet your are proud of your trophies!

What amps do you have?

Since this is becoming an issue, what are the differences? T/S can be slightly altered easily by different cone mass, and other minute soft part changes. Seriously, what is the difference?

American bass i see..... nice choice VFL-450.1 His product looks cheesy as hell I may need to make a few cosmetic alterations. Although many rep his amps as making power.

Actually he said outwardly the motors appeared to be similar. That says nothing about similarities within the motor, and frankly he doesn't even give any external measurements of the motor itself to confirm they are anything more than similar in appearance. Also, if you look at the actual measured T/S parameters you can see they are different drivers. The Xcon has a higher Q, lower Fs, lower Le and higher Mms. Plus the Xcon has slightly more linear excursion and I believe higher thermal power handling as well. It is still an Fi copy with a couple alterations. Quoted "Any differences from the Q are probably in the voice coil itself and the gap geometry and possibly the pole piece machining."

LOL, nice jab. Sounds like shit right now. The 18" Z.3 is still pounding like a mutha. I am going to Canada for a few days and when I get back I want to tidy up some install stuff and start adjusting phase, eq and t/a. If I cant get this RS225 to do what I want I will reverse build my midbass and choose a different driver to use. BTW I have a new sub amp ordered My dual Z.3 15" are going to like it lol im sure it sounds better than mine.... SQ wise lol.... any hints on the amp... Bob is the owner. Talked to him over the phone, he gave me a price I couldn't pass up. I may need to fabricate a bracket for a second alt at 4300wrms

The author is comparing driver sensitivity and frequency range to come up with his hypothesis which is misleading. Of course a high sensitivity pro audio driver at a high frequency need less power to achieve a given spl when compared to a lower sensitivity (car audio) driver at a lower frequency.

Site seems to have some good and also some bad things in there. For example, it says that there is NO drivers out there that can handle anything above 1krms for a week? I laugh at that statement. Does the statement before that say "constant power"?

Why?

Not sure were you read that.

Nice site. The SSA XCON 18 is noted to be very similar to the Fi Q. Who would have known.

LOL, nice jab. Sounds like shit right now. The 18" Z.3 is still pounding like a mutha. I am going to Canada for a few days and when I get back I want to tidy up some install stuff and start adjusting phase, eq and t/a. If I cant get this RS225 to do what I want I will reverse build my midbass and choose a different driver to use. BTW I have a new sub amp ordered My dual Z.3 15" are going to like it