Ok. Here's the story.

I got a check for 190 bucks. I figure, I'll buy my first sub. (Sold the RE SE-x to a buddy, change of plans) I'm doing 2 12's, so I buy a IA Lethal Injection. Couple days go by, no updates. So I email, and the guy at Vertexaudio.com tells me he's gonna shoot a call to Nick. (great guys to do business with btw) Turns out, they're out of stock on a certain part of the sub and Nick estimates 3-4 weeks on a restock. Now I read about his recent health troubles so I'd take his word for it, but in the meantime why not play the market.

But lets backtrack now. Before I ordered the Lethal Injection, I was dead set on two SA-12's, however I heard that my measly NINe.1 was just not enough juice for them and the LI's would be louder. So then, I had a little conversation with Mr. Demuth over at T3 Audio, but I heard some news about them shutting down and then he stopped answering my emails...so...Then I took a look at the AudioQue SDC2.5's but everyone seems to agree they're more SPL-y (lol makin up adjectives). SOOOO....I'm comin to SSA cause I always get the best advice here...

WHAT DO I DO NOW!!!!!

Wait the month or so and buy two Lethal Injections? Buy back my RE SE-x's? Take a chance on T3 Audio? Underpower a pair of SA-12's?

I hate when things go wrong in this hobby...as if I wasn't indecisive enough already lol. Thanks in advance guys.

IXL-12 SL

or

DC audio lvl 3

or

TC Sounds Epic

In oder of which I would buy. But there is a wait for the EPIC.

Edited September 22, 201014 yr by diablo

Fi SSDs?

Hmm..those mach 5's look hella sexy...

I considered the ssd, but how would they sound being slightly underpowered?

just get a larg(er) box? cant underpower a sub

No, stay within Fi's recommended box size. They sound great underpowered.

Quick replies, I love this site.

And hmmm...another interesting thought. I just read about the shortage of SA-12's as well...

I got a d4 sa12 if you want one. or two 12" SSDs with bp option if you want.

NIB? Details please.

pm me

Ok, So I would absolutely love for someone to convince me to buy the IXL...anyone have personal experience?

We cant make the choice for you. you need to do that. if that's what you want, go for it. im sure you will be happy with it more than if we told you to get something that you dont want.

Hmmm...an answer I can respect. Still, opinions are greatly appreciated, positive or negative

All Mach 5 Woofers perform very well, as do all the woofers available here

I'd go LI's or SA's.

personally I'd probably hold out for the LI's simply cause I've used IA subwoofers and have been happy with them, although sundowns will likely get the job done

I want the SA-12's sooooooooooo bad, but like I said, I've been told that they need more than 6-700rms apiece.

If I can get a little technical, what exactly happens when two speakers of near identical sensitivity, placed in an identical box, are given identical power? I assume they would be just as loud? But lets say one sub is built to handle ~1200rms while one is built to handle ~800rms, does it make a difference then? I guess what I'm saying is...would a Fi BL (for example) be just as loud off of 750rms as a Fi SSD? (If they had very similar specs, that is, besides power handling?)

Power handling won't dictate sensitivity.

In some cases like with pro audio drivers, because they are very efficient they will have a lower power handling, but because they are very efficient they don't need as much power.

The BL would be more loud than the SSD because it more efficient, not because it has higher power handling.

I gotcha. But what I REALLY wanna know is, would the SA-12 sound "weak" because it wants more power? Or would it be plenty loud with minimal effort?

The SAs are rated at 600. you will be fine. where in texas are you? maybe you need to hear some setups in person

I gotcha. But what I REALLY wanna know is, would the SA-12 sound "weak" because it wants more power? Or would it be plenty loud with minimal effort?

It will sounds just fine. And, when you get more power, it will get ever louder.

Good Ol, middle of nowhere Waco. Famous for the second coming of the Messiah, which didn't even happen in Waco...lol

Anyway I'd love to have some hands on learning. Car Audio here is...well...nasty undeadened trunks and stacks of Walmart tweets on your door

I gotcha. But what I REALLY wanna know is, would the SA-12 sound "weak" because it wants more power? Or would it be plenty loud with minimal effort?

It will sounds just fine. And, when you get more power, it will get ever louder.

Thanks for the input. I will keep this in mind.

Honestly not to be a dick but I am not a fan of this "brand X sub needs this much power to be good" (which is generally over rated RMS). I have an ICON on ~500 watts at most if I turn the bass knob up and it is more then loud enough for me, I ran Flatlynes on 250W a piece at most (pair of 12"s) and they were more then loud enough (both setups were in sealed enclosures). I'm beginning to lean to "loudness" being as subjective as something sounding good. When I say this some people only need ~130db from 25Hz to 50Hz. and don't care about hitting a bijillion DBs at one lone frequency.

I guess in short what are you really expecting out of the setup, be as descriptive as you can.

I'm beginning to lean to "loudness" being as subjective as something sounding good.

i agree, it's relative to what you're used to. if a guy who works in a construction site his whole life with all that "loud" noise going on it will probably take more dbs for him to call a system loud. but my girlfriend thinks that my sub is super loud around half volume. it all depends, i say.

Honestly not to be a dick but I am not a fan of this "brand X sub needs this much power to be good" (which is generally over rated RMS). I have an ICON on ~500 watts at most if I turn the bass knob up and it is more then loud enough for me, I ran Flatlynes on 250W a piece at most (pair of 12"s) and they were more then loud enough (both setups were in sealed enclosures). I'm beginning to lean to "loudness" being as subjective as something sounding good. When I say this some people only need ~130db from 25Hz to 50Hz. and don't care about hitting a bijillion DBs at one lone frequency.

I guess in short what are you really expecting out of the setup, be as descriptive as you can.

I understand completely bro, at first I was just gonna go ahead and get the SA-12's and give em the power that I had, but I despise disappointment and don't have money to spend on a do-over. I mainly want low, loud, and clean. I won't be visiting any comps and I don't wanna replace my stock alt (130 amp). There's a system in the car already that I inherited (which consists of two old pioneer blue cones running off of an old Alpine mrp something lol) but it refuses to get low and just isn't enough for me. I have a set of Hertz HSK165's (the older ones) that I basically stole off of ebay, serial numbers intact, and I have a NINe.1 sitting up under them. So...in short, I want to get low and I want to fear my volume knob.