Hello,
I'm trying to decide on a sub for my new budget-ish build in my fiance's Corolla, I suppose you'd call it SQ over SPL, but nothing real fancy. I have the JBL P660C 6.5" Power series components and can't say enough GOOD things about them. I really haven't bought any car audio gear since the early 2000's (just kept using the same parts), but I had several 90's-era high quality component sets, and these JBL's just sound FANTASTIC!
My amps are a Fosgate Punch 200-2 for the front stage and I have a 300-1 for my sub. At 2Ω, I have between 400-450 actual watts to work with (I'll figure it out exactly once it's installed, but I don't have a way to bench-test it, and when you buy refurb'd RF, you don't get a birth certificate)
I was thinking of using a single JBL sub as well (I'm a Harman fan), I've just never been let down by them as a company (I've used lots of their stuff, too). As much as I'd like to, I can't afford to step up to the price bracket the GTi would cost (I can get a Power for $150nib). What is the consensus on the Power series subs? How do they compare to the GT, GTO, and MS (I don't get that line, really) The specs look good, and it modeled GREAT in winISD. I originally was going to use a Kicker CVT, but in the end, the box requirements were too big to get it to have a decent response, the P1224 kicks its ass all over the place; with the enclosure volume requirement, I can't take advantage of the shallow-depth like I wanted (it's her car, one of her requirements was to take up the absolute MINIMUM amount of trunk space necessary, and the Kicker needed at least a 2ft^3 to work close to how I want).
For those of you that have used the 12" Power sub, did you use it ported or sealed?
I've always preferred sealed myself, but I've also never built my own ported box, so who's to say I've ever heard a PROPER ported setup. I think ported would lend itself to what my fiance wants, especially out of a single sub, but I'm concerned about the SQ. I listen to rock, she listens to bassy music. The recommended sealed box is 1ft^3, and it simulates well in it, the ported size is 1.75 ft^3, but JBL has it tuned to 37Hz; I prefer it's predicted response tuned at 25-30Hz in the same sized box, it was less peaky with a shallower roll-off. Regardless, the size, ease, and predictability of a sealed box and the stereotypical negatives of a ported box are hard for me to get past. Are there any disadvantages of tuning this low for a car environment? I've only built a ported box for my home theater, and it's massive and tuned down real low. I'm just nervous about building for ported (or sealed) and being disappointed with the results (and I can't really experiment, it's gonna be a MDF and fiberglass box with the sub and amps countersunk in, so once it's done, it's done).
Don't really see the Power subs at many resellers, just leftovers from after it was discontinued I suppose. But they run ~$150 each. Has anyone had the opportunity to compare the Power series to the cheaper, easier to come by GT or GTO series, or to the MS (which I TOTALLY don't get?!)?
Also, I'd be open to suggestions on other 2Ω or 4ΩDVC subs, AT MAX, $150, no flex on that as I already have to lie just a bit about the price at that much.
I'm trying to decide on a sub for my new budget-ish build in my fiance's Corolla, I suppose you'd call it SQ over SPL, but nothing real fancy. I have the JBL P660C 6.5" Power series components and can't say enough GOOD things about them. I really haven't bought any car audio gear since the early 2000's (just kept using the same parts), but I had several 90's-era high quality component sets, and these JBL's just sound FANTASTIC!
My amps are a Fosgate Punch 200-2 for the front stage and I have a 300-1 for my sub. At 2Ω, I have between 400-450 actual watts to work with (I'll figure it out exactly once it's installed, but I don't have a way to bench-test it, and when you buy refurb'd RF, you don't get a birth certificate)
I was thinking of using a single JBL sub as well (I'm a Harman fan), I've just never been let down by them as a company (I've used lots of their stuff, too). As much as I'd like to, I can't afford to step up to the price bracket the GTi would cost (I can get a Power for $150nib). What is the consensus on the Power series subs? How do they compare to the GT, GTO, and MS (I don't get that line, really) The specs look good, and it modeled GREAT in winISD. I originally was going to use a Kicker CVT, but in the end, the box requirements were too big to get it to have a decent response, the P1224 kicks its ass all over the place; with the enclosure volume requirement, I can't take advantage of the shallow-depth like I wanted (it's her car, one of her requirements was to take up the absolute MINIMUM amount of trunk space necessary, and the Kicker needed at least a 2ft^3 to work close to how I want).
For those of you that have used the 12" Power sub, did you use it ported or sealed?
I've always preferred sealed myself, but I've also never built my own ported box, so who's to say I've ever heard a PROPER ported setup. I think ported would lend itself to what my fiance wants, especially out of a single sub, but I'm concerned about the SQ. I listen to rock, she listens to bassy music. The recommended sealed box is 1ft^3, and it simulates well in it, the ported size is 1.75 ft^3, but JBL has it tuned to 37Hz; I prefer it's predicted response tuned at 25-30Hz in the same sized box, it was less peaky with a shallower roll-off. Regardless, the size, ease, and predictability of a sealed box and the stereotypical negatives of a ported box are hard for me to get past. Are there any disadvantages of tuning this low for a car environment? I've only built a ported box for my home theater, and it's massive and tuned down real low. I'm just nervous about building for ported (or sealed) and being disappointed with the results (and I can't really experiment, it's gonna be a MDF and fiberglass box with the sub and amps countersunk in, so once it's done, it's done).
Don't really see the Power subs at many resellers, just leftovers from after it was discontinued I suppose. But they run ~$150 each. Has anyone had the opportunity to compare the Power series to the cheaper, easier to come by GT or GTO series, or to the MS (which I TOTALLY don't get?!)?
Also, I'd be open to suggestions on other 2Ω or 4ΩDVC subs, AT MAX, $150, no flex on that as I already have to lie just a bit about the price at that much.
I "committed" to my enclosure size tonight (as in circular saw committed), and am rethinking going ported. By my ROUGH estimates, my enclosure is going to be 1.75-2 ft^3. According to WinISD, if I sealed it, that would put my Qtc right around .75ish. But, to look at the graphs, it looks real nice tuned to about 28-30Hz ported (2 2" diameter ports, 10"-ish long), ranging from 3-5dB greater output, with a pretty smooth curve (for a ported enclosure). I suppose I could always just port the damn thing, and if I don't like it, seal up the ports (although I REALLY REALLY don't want to, for asthetics, not sure how I'd hide the covered ports).
