bigjae1976

Good job and impressive numbers. Now you'll have even more low bass with the added power.

Just 4 18's? Very , very impressive.

Maybe ditch the internal crossovers??? Most head units have a built in crossover that can be used in basic setups. Most advanced setups will have some sort of processor with a built in crossover as well. Personally, I've value an amp that is more powerful or smaller than one with bells and whistle...just my $.02.

That setup will be ridiculous sick...I'd suggest an Audiocontrol DQXS with the DDC instead of the Symmetry. Maybe an HPX in the dash if you can swing it. The DQXS has a discrete equalizer for the front and rear which will give you more processing power.

I've been to 2 SQ shows and had the bass low. If you turn it up to high, it will sound like you have subs in the rear. You should be trying to make the subs sound like they are mounted in front of you. Ported or sealed will be fine. Sealed will provide you better transient response and has a more linear quality. I've competed once with a sealed and once with a ported sub...really didn't make a difference. I did find it was easier to blend the sealed XXX with my midbass drivers than the Q (which was ported, tuned to 33 hz). My guess is the lower 70hz+ output of the XXX helped with that. Still like my Q better.

Was it an SPL comp? I've never really seen one where FG and trick installs really mattered...that's mostly in the SQ lanes.

+1...knukonceptz 8 ga fits with no problems. The tork-lite terminals are starting to grow on me.

Great job! Seems like Fi is winning at a lot of comps.

The Q is a better sub IMO than the W6 and W7. I love the W6, always have. But the Q can handle more power and get louder. I agree that it is hard to compare a BL to the W7 as far as performance. Cost? BL any day. You can get 2 BLs for the price of 1 W7.

I think Fi's recommended enclosures for the SSD and Q will give you a better idea of what the recommended range for enclosures. But I am just guessing.

If I have a panel longer than 16", I'll use a full sized 3/4" thick brace with the center cut out. Otherwise, I just cheat and use regular 1"x2" pine studs along the center. Basically, you drill a hole in the opposite panels. Make sure the holes are lined up. Run the rod through with a washer against both sides of the panel and a nut. I did this once, I used a large washer and put some caulk around the edges of the washer and nut. I didn't have any issues with air leaks.

The shipping weight for a Q12 is 27 lbs IIRC. So an 18er shouldn't be that much heavier.

Unless it is a really long panel, I just glue and screw some 1x2's to the inside.

The Q will probably be able to reach lower if both subs are in their respective Fi recommended box with similar alignments. From the great 12" challenge, the Q averaged 2db's more than the SSD. I don't know if the SSD has fully loaded but the Q had no options.

Looks awesome...how well is your alt/battery combo holding up with the dual 1500's?

A high output alt should be fairly easy to find for your truck. I'd start off with that.

And it takes up less space.

Awesome box. I really like how you cut the carpet flush with the edges. Excellent job!

I love Fi's abillity to customize their subs! If you are that tight on space, you can mount the sub inverted which will give you a little more internal volume. Maybe you could get the basket refinished in some sort of really cool color.

That's good to know...I was thinking about doing the same thing.

I have fatmat in my car. It is still stuck on my trunk lid - 3 layers. I haven't had any problems with it falling off panels. The customer service is the worst part. I bought it on ebay. It took almost a month and some complaints to get the product to my door. With that said, fatmat wouldn't be my first choice.

From what I understand, Scott makes the subs for Chad/AA. I don't think there is any relationship besides Scott owning Fi.

You'll probably find that the sub will move quite a bit. How good it sounds will depend a lot on how you tune your box. If you build box tuned real high for SPL only, it generally won't sound great. Numerous reviews have said that the BL's SQ is good for daily driving. I think most of those people have their box tuned in the lower 30's.

Sealed Q's are awesome!

I'd bet your benz has a really well insulated trunk. Might also want to look into ways to get more bass into the cabin by opening some holes or reducing the amount of sound deadener.