Fi Car Audio

Yes, I have the parts to build another one (and PLENTY of parts for recones or more subs after that). Id say that you would have more output potential with the (4) X12s vs a pair of SSD12s... but the pair of SSD12s would fair better with the power you have available. Xs were (are) rated at 250W. They are a solid entry level sub that works well in ported or sealed and sounds great. Cant go wrong with the ZX. Kicker amps work great in many of our Bassrace setups. You could run them in as small as 1.75 cuft each tuned to 33 or higher... But a that point, Id defer to a pair of SSD15s in the same overall space. Dont even get me started on Wayne and his antics Thanks, Scott

Yup... I think that the BLs would suit things a little better. As others will tell... (4)BTLs adds up fast... not only in sub cost, but amps, wire, batteries, and alternators. Thanks, Scott

They would hinder things a little... but provided that the seats werent smashed to the back of the wall and have a relatively easy air path around them... itll still be loud Thanks, Scott

If space isnt an issue, the (4)BL15s with power split to them will be louder than a pair of BTL15s. Thanks, Scott

Mikey060... You are looking at an extra $26.50 for shipping on the sub. If you would like to place an order and have a Paypal account, you can simply send the total to [email protected]. For shipping to Canada we normally use USPS as they have decent shipping rates, but significantly reduced brokerage fees vs FedEx, DHL, or UPS. If you need to order via Credit/debit card, please email me direct at [email protected] and I can give you all the information on how to do so... Thanks... Scott

Are they bottoming out, sounding like they are straining and hurting, or stinky like they are on fire?

Very little. There is a little spec change on the drivers as we are adding a little more suspension stiffness (although we are swapping stiff spiders out for more soft ones too). The subs stay a little closer to their original suspension values and have a slightly increased qts, fs, and reduced vas. Not too much of an issue and I have found it to be beneficial in mst bassrace setups. Now this is not something for everyone and I dont think that most people need to add it. But we are getting more and more bassrace applications where being able to stack more power to ge the sub to its linear limits for a specific application requires more than the rated RMS power (often quite a bit more) and this option allows you to push things a little harder for some applications. If you are looking for a SQ setup or just a clean daily setup within the normal limits of the subs... then there is no point. Would I recommend it to someone with 1200W in a daily driver? I doubt it as it really wouldnt be needed and the extra 200W really isnt an issue. Its the guys that are trying to stack on 1800W and push them as hard as possible for 30 seconds (or try to all day) while voltage starts to drop and things start to get ugly towards the end. Thanks, Scott

Yep I just noticed that this morning. Ill go through and get things set up for the correct height for the kit and you are looking at $98 shipped for it. Please let me know if I can help with anything else. Thanks, Scott

Well, considering your tuning its not too strange that you arent burping much louder than you are bassracing. Youd gain a bit if you tuned 53-54 Hz range for burps... but seeing as you are going bassrace (which I find much more fun that straight SPL) thats definitely not the ticket. I am not going to tell you to run the amp at .5 Ohms as it is really tough on coils and leadwires and produces quite a bit of heat (given that you are producing more current than voltage to get your power). As others have mentioned, its not always a good choice for daily to run below 1 Ohm. Right now are the subs reaching mechanical, thermal, or both limits? This will give me a better idea of what route to take to either change coils and upgrade the suspension, or simply call it a day with the SSDs and have you step up to the Qs. Thanks, Scott

We already spoke about the options for your subs which include these Yes, the spider packs can be retro fitted with a new recone as well. You have no worries there. Thanks, Scott

I just added the D1 copper coils to the SSD series. Previously the copper coils were available only in D2. The addition of the copper coils to the SSD subs adds a bit more SQ in some applications. It also allows the subs to play deeper in the same sized enclosures as the standard aluminum coiled SSDs, or have the same response curves in slightly smaller enclosures. Thanks... Scott

I just finished adding a new option for the SSD and Q series subs. This new option adds a machined aluminum compression plug to the pole which helps channel all of the air under the dustcap around the coil for better cooling. To aid with this increased airflow we also add 6 axial cooling channels in the top plate. Along with increased thermal capacity comes the addition of an extra spider and a changed spider pack for a little extra mechanical ability. All of these new features increase power handling from 200-500 Watts depending on the application. Its just another way of tuning and tailoring your subs to your exact needs. For those interested in a retrofit... we can only add the aluminum compression plug to the pole during a recone. We can not add the 6 axial cooling channels to an already assembled and magnetized motor. The addition of the aluminum piece will aid in cooling, but at about a 25 - 35% reduction vs having both the plug and cooling channels. The retrofit and plug is $25. Thanks... Scott

Chris at Fi has a little project vehicle going on right now. I thought Id share a couple of quick pics of things. I really do feel sorry for his H2... he is going to put some hurt on it with close to 30kW and (6)BTL15s tuned to 30Hz. All MDF is either 1" or 1.5". Several layers of each. Ribs/stringers around the outside of the box then all foamed in. It is about as dead as things can get without pouring in cement. And thats not even touching on his proprietary concoction he uses to fill gaps and fillet corners... that stuff is nuts. Lots more glasswork to do on the outside surfaces to get them prepped for leather and suede. Obviously trimming and flushing things into the sides and headliner... then glassing the headliner and prepping for more dead cows Mids and highs have been figured out and he was cutting rings for the doors on Friday... so itll be interesting to see how it has taken shape over the weekend. Ill keep people posted on this one as well as what it does numbers wise when its finished. While its FAR from an SPL setup (he actually loves SQ) Im sure itll turn some solid numbers in Bassrace. http://i66.photobucket.com/albums/h244/mozvegas/H2Wall01.jpg http://i66.photobucket.com/albums/h244/mozvegas/H2Wall02.jpg http://i66.photobucket.com/albums/h244/mozvegas/H2Side01.jpg Thanks... Scott

Nope.

Do you mean to double up the enclosure walls? Usually not for a Q12... As far as ports, I normally do 1 slot port for them, although aeroports a single 4" is pushing things and it might be a tough call to stick a pair of them in the box depending on the dims and space you have. Thanks, Scott

Not the most efficient driver out there, but I have said for years that the efficiency number has little to do with bottom octave performance. They are less efficient than a BTL, but will have more bottom end per Watt (up until there mechanical limits). They will need a good break in preiod before they settle into specs and really start to shine SQ wise. Or with only 700-800W, I can use 2 soft spiders to get a wee bit more out of them and to be a little more stable suspension wise overall. Thanks, Scott

Should be good with 30sqin of port. We recommend 12 - 16 sqin per cuft. I think youll be able to limp along with a Q for a while Thanks... Scott

Wow... 2500W each. Well I might be able to work a wee bit o magic and make something happen with that. What tuning are you looking to do?

I wont make a fully loaded 10, but we have made the standard versions and recently shipped out a 3 magnet 10". The 10s arent the optimal sub out there for daily. VERY low qts which leads to a saddle shaped response curve. Id recommend the BL10 for all but the most high power daily setups. BL10s seem to be very solid. How much space do you have to work with? Thanks, Scott

Atlas and Ava are a no go. Ascendant will not be using XBl tech in the drivers. But we do have an Assassin 8" that is no slouch coming out with the new lines shortly. Thanks, Scott

Email me at [email protected] with your # and Ill get ahold of you on the phone. Thanks, Scott

Larger will lower the Qtc of the system and yield a little more "natural" sounding bass. But "natural" is much more of my personal sonic opinion and preference than anything. 3 cuft will lower things slightly... but for the extra cuft of enclosure and the gain of .6 dB at 20Hz, I dont think its worth it. Not too mention that by adding up to 1lb of polyfill per cuft of enclosure you can "add" about 17% extra apparent box volume as well. So at that point, your 5 cuft will act pretty close to 6 cuft. In all honesty you wont hear much of a difference between the two alignements. And with a standard vehciles transfer fucntion (cabin gain) you will have a very smooth overall setup with a nice tilt up towards the bottom end. Thanks, Scott

I normally recommend 12-16 sqin of port per cuft of enclosure volume. Thanks... Scott

From time to time I am. What seems to be the issue? Thanks... Scott

5 cuft for the pair yields a .81 Qtc and an F3 around 35 hz. Most peole tend to like a Qtc above .7... actually many like .9 or more... but I feel that it is mostly due to the lack of integration to a weaker front midbass. If you have some ballsier front midbasses, then you can deal with a lower Qtc and an overall smoother integration and response. I prefer lower Qtc alignments, but I always have a strong midbass upfront. It should make for a nice SQ setup... Thanks, Scott