I'm currently considering buying a JL Audio Stealthbox for my car. JL markets these products as being "tuned" for each vehicle, let alone being a space saver.
Curious to know people's general thoughts/experiences with these stealthbox's as a whole, given that they are powered as needed. if you have/had one and were satisified or not satified....would love to know your thoughts.
Guess I'm a bit weary on the idea of a "tuned box for a specific vehicle" Just sounds like clever marketing to me, but I'm slightly optimistic.
Wish i could understand and read the research that would go into tuning a sub and box for a specific car model.
I have owned 2 different stealthboxes in the past. Both were for a Ram quad cab truck. One had a 10W3V3 sealed firing up at the bottom of the rear seat. The other replaced the factory center console and had a 13W3V3 sealed and down-firing at the floor between the front seats. Both of them sounded fantastic.
I have no doubt that more goes into the design, than just making the stealthboxes cleverly fit into each specific vehicle. JL is well-known for their R&D and I fully suspect that they use design software and perform extensive in-car testing before a design is finalized. Maybe someone else will chime in with better knowledge of JL's actual process. But I would expect that any claims the JL makes are not marketing hype. They are the real deal.
2010 Toyota Tundra Crewmax: Factory HU w/Bluetooth, iPad Mini, Audison Bit Ten D, JL HD900/5, LPG 26NA, AP-3, SEAS CA18RNX/P, Sundown SD-2 8's
PWK Designs uses similar software to simulate in car conditions, depending on what musical characteristics you are looking for.
This is his Youtube channel- HexiBase - YouTube
There are a couple videos that descibe how he tunes to a specific vehicles.
And his homepage- http://pwkdesigns.com/
Also you can search this site, it's been covered several times.
For what it's worth, I haven't heard many people that have been disappointed with Stealthboxes. Although they are typically tuned for maximum output.
I used the JL Stealthbox in my 2004 4Runner. It was a 10W3 and although it had impressive output it never sounded good to me. If I only listened to rap, hip-hop, R&B it probably wouldn't bother me but I like all types of music and my kick drum was missing in the 4Runner.
I have used two different models (camaro and gti). They both sounded much better than prefabed boxes with the same drivers (and took up less space). I wouldn't hesitate to use another if it came with a driver that could handle the power I was intending to throw at it. JPS
JL used my Nissan Armada to design a stealth box, they only had the truck for 3 days IIRC.
I would guess with computer modeling they do not need to do a ton of in vehicle testing.
The box sounded good I do not think I ever ran enough power to it as I used the sub channel of a 450/5
I have one in my VW Jetta Sportwagen. It's a 10W3v3 and the whole thing fits *under* the spare tire so absolutely no storage space is wasted!
It sounds amazing - strong, tight (I lined my whole rear cabin with Audiotechnix 80mil sound dampener + MLV) and accurate. And I have yet to measure and equalize (this coming weekend)!
The stealthbox was more expensive than my original budget, but well worth it!
It would be nice if they sold the box separately. I would like to get one for my Sierra but i do not want the sub it comes with.
Have you called and asked if you can get just the Stealthbox?
Chuck
HU, Amps, Drivers. 2011 MECA Modified Street Georgia State Champion 2011 MECA Modified Street World Finals Runner-up Team DiYMA - 2011, 2012 MECA Team of the Year 2012 MECA Modified Street Georgia State Champion
I had the stealthbox in my escape with a stock w1, in went an idq followed by ultimo sc and it sounded much better.
JL sealed sb's just match airspace to driver for best cosmetic looks/location/stealthiness. You cant put a 10" sub in .65 and say no sub will sound better than this jlw1 (which they did at the shop). JL is not going to try drivers they dont sell.
If its a ported stealthbox, then Id leave it. JL does their homework. Sealed, you can swap as long as the woofer fits.
If you look at a stealth box as a very high end prefab, they do very well for what they are. Certainly you will get better results if you get one of the box designers to make plans for you. Most people who have a stealth box wont complain.
I had the stealthbox in my escape with a stock w1, in went an idq followed by ultimo sc and it sounded much better.
JL sealed sb's just match airspace to driver for best cosmetic looks/location/stealthiness. You cant put a 10" sub in .65 and say no sub will sound better than this jlw1 (which they did at the shop). JL is not going to try drivers they dont sell.
If its a ported stealthbox, then Id leave it. JL does their homework. Sealed, you can swap as long as the woofer fits.
Did you have to alter the mounting diameter? I have been looking at swapping out the 10w1 for something else but having trouble finding a sub that closely matches. I can't remember off the top of my head but the dia of the w1 is like 8 and change, everything else was 9 and change. At 600 bucks i'm a bit nervous to start trying to alter the box too much, also didn't want to buy a sub only to then have to turn around and return it.
Did you have to alter the mounting diameter? I have been looking at swapping out the 10w1 for something else but having trouble finding a sub that closely matches. I can't remember off the top of my head but the dia of the w1 is like 8 and change, everything else was 9 and change. At 600 bucks i'm a bit nervous to start trying to alter the box too much, also didn't want to buy a sub only to then have to turn around and return it.
Yes i did. I used my drill and took a round sanding attachment to it and ran it around about 10 times enough to fit the idq at 9.15. You can drop in a 9" like the morel sc.
In the end I put in a Audiomobile EVO and had to enlarge it to 9.25.
The morel sc is a drop in swap. 9" cutouts are drop in (considering depth is not an issue).
Just do it even and its not big deal. Just use a sanding attachment like this
Awesome thanks for the info. Gives me a bit more confidence. Still working on figuring out the depth. The back of the box has a curve in it and from what i can tell it looks to be about a 6" depth at the center. But hard to get an exact measurement.
I'm actually not unhappy with the JL, just thinking maybe I could get it to sound a little better.
Awesome thanks for the info. Gives me a bit more confidence. Still working on figuring out the depth. The back of the box has a curve in it and from what i can tell it looks to be about a 6" depth at the center. But hard to get an exact measurement.
I'm actually not unhappy with the JL, just thinking maybe I could get it to sound a little better.
Oh no doubt, the jl w1 is not a bad sub, but very limited on power handling and somewhat sloppy sounding compared to other subs at higer levels. I also had a 600 wattamp I couldnt use because it would void the warranty.
The most important job is measuring the depth and also the magnet diameter. My max depth was 5.4". The magnet was too wide on a treo I tried and I ended up with the IDQ v2/Arc audio sub but then went to the morel which I was a huge fan of. Then I tossed in the audiomobile because I was seeking it out for naustalgia reasons and was only 5" deep with lots of output.
Using the morel sc was cool because it came with a grill making it look like it was made for it. Plus a great sounding sub and had no problem using my 600 watt amp.
JL says the only reason they use w1's in stealthboxes are because of the depth issue, they try to get at least a w3 in all their boxes if possible. I had a convo with Manvile about that on this board.
The morel looks right at home with grill to match.
Also check out the morel primo line as theyre shallow. When I bought my sc, woofers ect was selling them for $315 shipped but they went up in price.
Man, that does look good. I think I'm going to look into the Morel. Thanks again for the info.
Sorry LibertyGuy didn't mean to jack your thread.
I think the stealthbox is a great option for people who want to save space and don't know how to glass. I went to my local shop and asked about a custom glassed box and they stated it would be about the same price, they also didn't seem too thrilled at the idea of doing it. So I went with the JL and don't regret it (even though i'm going to change the sub..lol)
There are multiple benefits to JL's stealthbox's. From being tested and engineered for each vehicle to weight savings of fiberglass vs. MDF to bolting the enclosure to the vehicle which effectively mass loads the enclosure and tends to help with transfer into the vehicle. Lucio Proni the "L" in JL audio, has to listen to each design himself before they commit to producing the stealtbox.
I've yet to have one exceed my expectations from the woofer involved, and they typically make enough bass for all but the most hardcore SPL guys that need to be heard 12 city blocks away.
You could certianly duplicate their efforts, but not for anywhere near the cost of the stealthbox itself. Likely most think they duplicate them by simply fitting a sub into an oddly shaped area, and clearly more goes into a subwoofer than that.
"Tact is the knack of making a point without making an enemy." - Sir Isaac Newton
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Tibetan Proverb quotes
words like
TUNED are marketing hype.....Pro Series,same thing
JL is a fine tuned marketing machine,IMO the only stealthbox worth owning is a blown one
so you can out your own sub in it and a bigger amp
words like
TUNED are marketing hype.....Pro Series,same thing
JL is a fine tuned marketing machine,IMO the only stealthbox worth owning is a blown one
so you can out your own sub in it and a bigger amp
Well, in this case, it's not hype. We spend a lot of time trying different things and refining each Stealthbox. I personally do the listening tests for each and every model we release.
Well, in this case, it's not hype. We spend a lot of time trying different things and refining each Stealthbox. I personally do the listening tests for each and every model we release.
all you guys pre fabs are pretty lowcore...I had a Stealthbox years ago
and ended up using a sub with double RMS and Wattage and it did OK
Marketing to the novice is what a Stealthbox is and similar products do
but not everyone wants to just dip their feet in it,some wanna jump in a little deeper.....and even with 4x the power a sealed 1' Sealed box is a 1" sealed box
a 10" 250W aint gonna do much but 500W will put a smile on most
Well, in this case, it's not hype. We spend a lot of time trying different things and refining each Stealthbox. I personally do the listening tests for each and every model we release.
Is it true that you cannot get the stealthbox unloaded? If so why not? I would think selling product would be JL Audios number one goal. Not sure on the cost but if the loaded stealthbox was $600[$400 for box and $200 for sub] i would pay more[$450ish maybe?] for an unloaded version.
I know the stealthbox I might use (for a 2012 elantra) has either the 2 ohm or 4 ohm 12 inch 3w3 as options. That sub sounds good to me...I just don't know If it will make a sq difference for me as I currently have a ported 8 inch and its loudness is pretty good for its size for being in the trunk...only playing it at 30-70 htz crossed over anyway...obviously the 12 will play lower and louder, but I'm already cutting on my eq to keep things RTA'ed to my liking....guess I don't want to pay the cash for the extra space saving. Anyone think of specific sq benefits for switching from a ported 8 to a 12 sealed?amp is pushing 350 aaround 12.5 v...I know the 12 could use a bit more power to get the most out of it, but the 350 w is enough to get what I need....same for my ported 8 inch (alpine pre-loaded box which is tuned@30 htz). That little kicks and was only 100 bucks on sale (low risk high reward, which is why I bought it). But I think the JL marketing may be calling my name.
No worries on the thread hijacking guys...glad everyone has posted their thoughts...continue
Last edited by Libertyguy20; 06-17-2012 at 06:18 PM..
Jl Audio Stealthox is "tuned" - Your thoughts
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