midnightE39

that would be great. but i thought when you tune lower, it means you'll get faster response at the expense of overall SPL. This is not correct? 3-4 cubes @ 33hz is what Fi recommends for the SSD15. this is a rough sketch of what i have to work with. How much of a difference would a 35 hz tune make? I was planning to go up to 35-36hz I often hear that is the "sweet spot". when i was using WinISD, it showed that lower tuning would just give me a flatter response, not that i would lose any. the way it is right now, 45hz is where my bass peaks (cabin gain?). I just want widest frequency range I can get out of a ported box.

So I built a 3 cube box (net) tuned to 31 hz for a new, Fi SSD15 with standard options. port area is 34 in^2 sub up, port back. slot port, 11.5h x 3w x 24d box is 13h x 32w x 20d. 11 sq inches of port per cubic foot of the internal enclosure volume. I'm getting great low end, but the output begins to drop sharply at 55hz, being hardly noticeable at 65hz. I did a tone sweep and the output drops off sharply between 55-65hz, picks back up a little bit in the 70's until it begins to roll off around 90hz where i have my crossover set. My old pair of kicker cvr 12's hit this range wonderfully tuned at 40hz in the same car. I think my box and port are the wrong sizes. ive watched my subwoofer as it attempts to play this range, I've been told i just may be experiencing an exaggerated low end, but I don't think this is the case, as I have observed the subwoofer attempt to play notes in these trouble zones and it doesn't seem to move right when it tries. I have extensively read over these forums and I cannot seem to find anyone with any similar problems. I've used winISD and it tells me that my response curve should be covering these areas, unless I didn't use the software correctly. I've wondered that since this problem zone is at double the tuning frequency of the enclosure where the woofer cone should be moving most of all (as opposed to at vent tuning, where it moves least? tell me if i'm wrong) Would this indicate that the pressure inside the box at this frequency range is preventing the cone from moving the way that it should be? because that's what it looks and sounds like is happening. how does an L shaped port affect tuning? does this make sense? could the wrong port size relative to the box size create enough back pressure on the woofer cone to cancel out frequencies? some insight would be appreciated. EDIT: just realized, the port is 3 inches wide all the way through, it extends 4 inches into an L shape, but the width is only 3 inches throughout, leaving only 3 inches from the back of the box. Is this too small of a space for the air to try to push through? I figured I was supposed to keep the port width consistent all the way through.

So ive currently have got an Fi SSD15 in a 3 cube box, ported tuned around 31 hz. it murders the lows, and theres no port noise that i can tell despite it having only about 11 sq inches per cubic foot of box volume. the problem is, there seems to be cancellation in the 50-65hz range. it hits great below that and even gets louder over 65hz until it starts rolling off around 85hz. this is in the trunk of a 2001 BMW 525i. i have the sub fired up with the port back. im very frustrated with this lack of a crucial sub bass octave. i'm about to build a new box, in the neighborhood of 4 cubes with a port tuned around 35 hz, with at least 14 sq inches per cubic foot of internal volume. should this fix my problem? i'd really appreciate some guidance here. it isnt my car's fault, because i used to have 2 kicker CVR 12s tuned @ 40hz that hit this range of bass just great. when it comes to box size, is bigger always better as long as the port ratio remains proper? could it be because my sub is fired straight up? with only aobut 4-5 inches between it and the trunk roof? help me understand what to do to get my 55-65hz range back please. i waited a month for my Fi subwoofer and ive been very pleased with it otherwise except for this one thing. thanks in advance.

bump

well the cable is less than 2 feet from the battery. ground just goes onto the negative terminal. shouldnt that length of 6awg be able to deliver ample current for this application? going by this chart from crutchfield shouldn't i be right on the money? also is there any benefit to grounding the amp on the negative terminal of the battery or is it just convenient if you already have a battery in the trunk?

Ok. I'm certain that the subwoofer will fit in my trunk in an enclosure in the neighborhood of 3-4 cubes. I want the absolute best SQ a ported enclosure can provide. Should I try to tune right at 30hz? maybe just the 33hz as recommended? I can go no wider than 33", no taller than 15", and as long as those two dimensions remain constant or less, then I can use all the depth I need. Already decided it's gonna be port back sup up. but If there's any reason why I should fire the sub back or in any direction other than straight up, I believe I may be able to accommodate a little more height in the box. otherwise if its all the same, Sub up, Port back? Edit: Just put in the order for SSD15. Standard options. Since my battery is in the trunk (BMW) and the power/ground cables won't have very far to go, will 6 gauge wiring be sufficient? I dont intend to put more than 1000w RMS to the sub. and daily it will probably see half that. Battery is brand new, 1100 amps. I'm gonna use some extra 8 gauge wire I have to wire the sub. Unless there's a good reason not to?

what do you think of pointing the sub's cone directly into the cabin, positioned just in front of the opening in the middle of the backseat. with the port fired to the rear.

i'm sure I can fit a single 15 into the trunk of a 5 series. but can someone answer my previous inquiry along with this one: "Should I go Sub up port back? I often see this configuration with high performance 15s. What are the advantages? is it just a way to fit the subwoofer into a smaller trunk? I've got room to mount it sub back if it gives better sound? and was wondering if I should face the port straight into the cabin, through the space in between the backseats when i put the armwrest down. I was thinking if I got ported I'd tune really low, like 30-32hz. with around 3.5 cubes after subwoofer displacement. thoughts?"

<p>Ok well let me put it this way, are there any advantages a 10 inch subwoofer would have over a 15 inch subwoofer, assuming all other specifications are identical and each are in their optimal enclosures?</p> <p> </p> <p>EDIT: Excluding, of course, the difference in specifications that exist only because of the different size of the cone. I just want to know if an SSD15, ported in a medium-large sized box tuned @ 31hz is going to have good output in the upper sub bass frequencies between 60-90 hz. I don't want to get it if it's only going to "boom" and not "buzz", if you know what i mean. Will it's SQ and SPL performance be better than my 2 kicker CVR12s ported @ 40hz in EVERY way?</p>

Why, exactly is bigger always better? Other than the obvious point of them being louder.

I believe you're thinking of Midbass, which is in the 120-250hz range. Sub bass is defined generally as between 20 and 90 hz

Should I go Sub up port back? I often see this configuration with high performance 15s. What are the advantages? is it just a way to fit the subwoofer into a smaller trunk? I've got room to mount it sub back if it gives better sound? and was wondering if I should face the port straight into the cabin, through the space in between the backseats when i put the armwrest down. I was thinking if I got ported I'd tune really low, like 30-32hz. with around 3.5 cubes after subwoofer displacement. thoughts?

It's in the trunk of a 01 BMW 525i. so I have room. the kickers were in a 36w x 14h x 16d. But the point is I don't want a peaky response like I've had, and I want to hit those higher bass notes just as well as the low ones. I've heard if I go ported and tune low that It will have more output and have nearly as much accuracy as a sealed box, but just based on what i've been told, a 15 will be lacking in the 65-90 hz range if it is not sealed. Is that simply just not true with a sub like the SSD? I want to hear that deep impact bass from drum & bass, dubstep and hip hop and still be able to have tight musical bass when i listen to music with a bass guitar and fast drums.

So I just sold my 2 Kicker 07CVR12's. I'd always heard that 10 and 12 inch subs sounded cleaner, and that they would hit the higher bass range (60-90hz) much better than a 15 or an 18. After a lot of reading here on this site, my conclusion is that this is only the case with much cheaper "entry level" drivers where the manufacturer just attaches a larger cone to a low powered motor for easy SPL gain. With a subwoofer such as the SSD15, would there be very good frequency response all through the sub-bass range? My new understanding is that the only difference between a ssd12 and an ssd15, provided they are both "stock" is that the 15 inch driver will be slightly more responsive to less power because of it's higher sensitivity. my kicker CVR12s were in a ported box tuned @ 40hz. I want a much smoother, flatter response than I had with them. So i've been thinking about getting an SSD15 in a sealed enclosure with the High-QTS option. I suppose I would go about 2 cubic ft before subtracting the subwoofer displacement. So about 1.8 cu ft sealed. Given this application, what kind of results should I expect? Wider/smoother/tighter frequency response and better SQ? More SPL? The 2 CVR 12s together have a rating of 800RMS, which puts the two of them not that far behind the SSD in RMS power, but as I have been lead to believe based on other parameters...the SSD15 @1000+ RMS is simply a completely different animal and it will absolutely annihilate the CVRs in every aspect. I listen to many different kinds of music, and want a more SQ oriented setup than i've had, so that's why I'm leaning towards sealed. Of course I could also go ported (as I'm sure many of you will suggest), and I have the room to do so. I just want to be sure if I go with a 15" that it will have plenty of loud, clear, and clean output between 30-90hz. I'll either be putting it on a Hifonics BRZ1700.1D (I keep hearing that the BRZ series is the only one worth a damn) or this Hifonics GLX1400.1D (I haven't heard much of anything about it, but it is CEA2006 compliant.) Any input/advice is greatly appreciated!