I'm new to this forum and after much research I'm 99% sure that I am going to go with a dcon 12 for my ford fusion build. My goal is sq with as little room taken in the trunk as possible. The sub will be running off the 300 watts of a jl 500/3. The only thing really holding me back is the box design. I want to go with a sloped box that follows the contours of the seat to keep the enclosure tucked under the rear deck/cross beam area. Nomore than 7 inches t the top and 12ish at the bottom spanning the length of the trunk area.

Now, I keep reading that this sub really wants to be put in a ported enclosure with a low tune, but I'm not sure if that can be achieved with my space restraints, however a sealed box would fit the bill no problem. So, anyone experience with this sub in an optimal sealed enclosure? Does it sound good and are you left feling like the output is lacking?

I really appreciate any comments, since buying a speaker blindly (or not hearing it) can be a little nerve wracking. I've just heard many good things about this sub and it looks like a cost effective alternative to all the jl audio shops in the area.

Personally I wouldn't recommend the Dcon be ran sealed. Peak output isn't too bad but the driver lacks low end output. And that was running the driver infinite baffle, which allows more low end than an actual sealed enclosure. So the low end will only get worse once placed in an actual sealed enclosure.

Higher Fs and lower Q....the Dcon really is designed for optimum performance in ported enclosure.

Thanks for the reply. Maybe I need to rethink my idea as i don't really want to give up the space necessary for an optimally ported 12. Probably could just step down to the dcon 10 and put it in a ported enclosure.

If a sealed 12" could fit, how about a ported 10"? According to SSA's specs, optimal sealed for the 12" is 1.20 cubic feet, but you could go as small as 1.0 cubic feet ported for the 10". Not sure how big the box would be after all displacements, but I can say from first hand experience that a single ported 10" Dcon on 300 watts is simply amazing. The only reason I got rid of mine was that I wanted to try something different.

Edit: LOL, you ninja'd my response.

Edited June 12, 201114 yr by Dan208

If output is a big priority, go with the Dcon 10 ported instead. But don't feel like you need to run the optimal specs we suggest. Just as many people go with the standard box design as there are that go with the optimal that we have found out.

I am looking for some quality bass, but with only going a single driver, I would like a sub that has some decent output. I'll look into some options for going with a 10 ported at that volume. My only fear is getting a port into a small and slanted box will be more work than I had anticipated, but I'm sure it can be done.

SA-12 sealed??? not an option? just askin'

I looked at the sa 12s initially, but was worried that my 300 watts would be underpowering that sub, since it is rated at 600w rms. I just feel that the dcon is a better match for power with the amp I have.