Completed the sub enclosure today :) ..pics posted
 

Hi guys,

I am planning of putting a subwoofer in my car and my inspiration is from the following setup

https://www.rx8club.com/showthread.p...ght=16psibrick

Unlike the above setup I plan to use only one subwoofer as I am not looking for much bass just something to fill the bass in my existing stock speaker setup. As I can use only a 6.5" subwoofer for this setup I have chosen JL Audio 6W0 8 - JL Audio 6.5" 8 Ohm SVC Subwoofer

http://www.woofersetc.com/index.cfm?...roduct_ID=5514

the specs of which are as follows

# Nominal Diameter: 6.5 inches (165 mm)
# Mounting Depth: 3.5"
# Continuous Power Handling: 75 Watts
# Voice Coil: 1.25" diameter, 4-layer, Kapton former
# Available Configurations: 8 ohm (Single Voice Coil)
# Xmax (one-way, linear): 0.285" (7.2 mm)

Since this is my first project of such kind, I am not sure what kind of amplifier I shud be using for this setup. I will really appreciate if you guys with more experience share your ideas regarding the correct/suitable amplifier to be used.

Thanks

I found this amplifier http://www.dualav.com/amplifiers/xpa.html , the model I would be interested in would be XPA2100, the specs are

Specifications: *Power output: 50 watts RMS x 2 (4 ohm), 75 watts RMS x 2 (2 ohm), 150 watts RMS x 1 (4 ohm), 300 watts max x 1 *Total Harmonic Distortion (THD) + N: < 1% at rated output *Signal to Noise ratio (S/N): > 75 dBA *Input sensitivity: 200 mV~ 6 V *Frequency response: 20-20,000 Hz *Dimensions: 10-1/3" L x 11" W x 4-1/8" H

* Variable crossover (low / full / high)
* MOSFET PWM Power Supply
* Variable bass boost circuit
* 2-ohm stable and tri-amp capable
* Bridgeable operation
* High and low level inputs
* Bi-color LED status indicator
* Direct wire connection terminals

Do you guys think this will be suitable for the woofer I want? Also is Dual good?

Thanks

guys really need some help here ....

yeah that looks like the perfect amp for that setup - but if I were you I would SERIOUSLY think about going with just 1 instead of 2 speakers... I think you will be sorry you did all that work when you don't get the result you're looking for.. and if 2 is too much you can always turn it back a little...

+1

A 6.5" "sub" isn't going to move much air. You might not be able to properly rattle your nuts with subbass.

thanks a lot for replying.... and I will suirely consider using 2 woofers as you said. In case I use two woofers would this amo be sufficient or shud I get something else and if so do you have any recommendations?. Also one more question I have was the woofer is a 8 ohm whereas the max power from the amp is 150W @ 4 ohms.... shud i be concerened?.... thanks again

I know it would'nt be much ... but I just needed a little more bass that was missing from teh speakers:)

As long as you aren't looking to annoy your neighbors, 1 will probably do the trick. I'd get 2 though, and wire them in parallel, bringing the impedance of the speaker pair to 4 ohms. (Checked my math. It works. (R1*R2)/(R1+R2)=N )

Instead can I use this one JL Audio 6W0 4 - JL Audio 6.5" 4 Ohm SVC Subwoofer ?
http://www.woofersetc.com/index.cfm?...roduct_ID=2073

That one would work for sure in a single speaker config. You could also get 2 of those and run THEM in parallel to get 2 ohms total impedance. :)


I assume you're just looking to fill in the low end rather the really push it hard.

thanks a lot, even WikkedOne suggested the same. I will keep the two woofer config in mind. Thanks you guys, I will try and keep you guys posted abt my progress. :)

the money that you are going to spend for the return that you will get, i would stay away from jl. you will spend less and get more out of an Arc Audio arc 8d4. you will have more cone area than with the 6 1/2, it will fit in the ski hole cover, and you can use one of the new arc mini amplifiers to save even more space. you should be able to do all of this for under $350 and i promise that you will be blown away by the performance

I want to check out the prices and the specs on these, could you tell me where to look for?

I'm surprised it has not been mentioned yet that that is NOT a good place to put subwoofers. As close as your head is to those subs, you will probably only hear roughly half their amplitutde. You'd be better off having the baskets come through the ski pass through and put the subs in backwards, firing off the trunk. It may look cool, but it won't be much of a performer. Subs should always reflect off the trunk in most cars, certainly a small one such as ours. A 1080 box is even a bit close not to be reflected...

I didn't read all the post, so pardon if I repeat .

That amp would be perfect for either one or two subs. Which ever you decide. However, if you decide to go with a single sub, get the 4-ohm SVC version of the 6W0. If you go with two subs, get the 8-ohm version and wire them in parallel to present the amp with a final total load of 4 ohms nominal. 150 watts output with either setup.

I sell car audio for a living and would stay away from dual :p just IMO. EVERY single part we have ever installed manufactured by dual had to be swapped out for some alternative due to failure. I searched for a low end JL amp and couldn't find any that met the criteria. I am a boston fanatic and would try to get ahold of a boston 8 with a gt20 amplifier.

I think I am going to use just one sud, tat way I could still remove the storage box in case i need to sometime. And thanks for the response :)

Hey, I am skeptical about the Dual but I could'nt find any other amp with fits my requirements like this one did and also since my budget for amp is limited I chose this one, but I am still looking for options, I will surely look for the boston amp. Thanks

I like to do it right the first time, especially with a car like the rx8. If you did get the Dual, I would set some money aside later on for a replacement in case it did give out. I haven't messed with the dual amps but their headunits are horrible in a lasting 1-3 days type horrible. For a little added bump to the factory setup I guess it couldn't hurt if it did work out.

after you told me even I was not very sure about the Dual anymore, I found a blaupunkt amp for the same price range http://www.crutchfield.com/App/Produ...3PCA265&tp=115 let me know what you think about this, the specs are alomst the same as the Dual. Ateast I know blaupunkt is a well know brand so I think this is it. Thanks, I wud'nt have looked if you had'nt warned me abt dual.:)

Get this for an Amp:
http://www.sonicelectronix.com/item_...r+ZX300.1.html

And this for a Sub:
http://www.edesignaudio.com/product_...products_id=29

Both are great brands and it won't even put you out 200 dollars. The sub I linked will fit in the pass through width and depth wise and is designed to work in enclosures down to .2 CuF. Only thing you would need after those is wiring and to make the enclosure. I don't think this would even cost 300 dollars all said and done and you would definitely have more output than the JL woofers.

Edit: Forgot to add to get the D4 (Dual 4 Ohm Voice Coil) version. Then wire it in parallel to get a 2 Ohm load on the amp giving you the full 300 watts.

Here is the sub that i was talking about:
http://www.arcaudio.com/productdescr...eries/arc8.asp

And the Amp:
http://www.arcaudio.com/productdescr...125.2-mini.asp

The sub that you are going to want is the arc8d2 so you can series the coils to a 4 ohm load in the 125 mini to feed the full 250 to it. I have played around with a ton of these subs and amplifiers and i think that it will work great in your case because the sub can be ran infinite baffle which means that you do not have to build an enclosure if you do not want to (granted you will get better response with a sealed enclosure). Also, the size of arc amplifier is so small that you can put it virtually anywhere and have it be hidden.

The above mentioned setup will be cheaper but only by about $50-100. If you look at the theil small parameters and compare the two subwoofers alone, the arc audio sub has a sensitivity rating that is 2 db higher (almost twice as loud) than the elemental design with requiring less power to drive it which tells you that it is a much more efficient subwoofer and will outperform the other. These subs are also built for sound quality with their lightweight cone assemblies and tight suspension.

I am not trying to talk down on the elemental design equipment in any way. I am just saying that especially in this industry, you get what you pay for and seeing as how the alternative is slightly more expensive, it would definately be my choice.

By the way, you can pick up the arc8d4 for about $90 and the 125 mini amp is going to run you about $250. Let me know if you are interested in either one.

:icon_bs: 10db (NOT 2db) is literally "twice as loud". A difference of 2db is barely (if at all) noticeable.

Don't get me wrong, Arc Audio makes outstanding equipment. If it were my choice, I would probably choose Arc over ED...... and I'm a very large supporter of ED products.

actually every 3 db is twice as loud so that would make 2 db pretty close to being 2x as loud

I'm sorry, but you are incorrect. 3db would be the minimum amount that humans can perceive a "noticeable difference". 10db is literally twice as loud.

EDIT: http://www.gcaudio.com/resources/howtos/loudness.html Next to last chart.

have you sat in a car that does 140db and then hopped in a car that does 143db? there is quite the noticeable difference (about twice as loud). i am not going to cram this thread full of useless bickering so do me a favor and hop on over to the termpro forums and argue your point there and see how many people tell you that you are wrong......and so is the lack of research in the table that you referenced.

30 db is ten tiems as loud 20db which is 10 times as loud as 10db

1 db is the smallest detectable difference in loudness.

That said, if he were really interested in db's, he wouldn't be puttign a single small sub in the pass through. This is an aesthetically pleasing design, btu will provide little more.

A single well powered 10 in a zenclosures rear facing box is what the doctors ordered if you want noticable bump. A 4080 box is sufficient as well, also an Alpine Lat array transducer system, but honestly, you will get no more from the setup you are designing then a rear facing high end bass tube.

you are right, I am not exactly looking for lot of bass, just a little more that my speakers dont have, maybe I could have got by replacing the speakers with better ones, but I do like the aesthetic appeal of this and also it will gove me something todo during my weekends. But I really appreciate all your views and I am sure you guys have more experience in this than I do. Finally I have decided to go for the JL subwoofer and the blaupunkt amp which I think fit my budget and will satisfy my needs at the same time. (@ seifer51582 and Juice --> I thought about the arc audio and the elemental designs woofer (i am sure both are pretty good) the only reason I am not going for those is bcos they are 8" subwoofers and wud'nt fit the way I want on the storage box)

PS: I did not want to do this using my storage box, so i bought a spare storage box from one of the members last night and I will start building the enclosure once i get it :)

Well good luck with the build man, and when its done post some pictures!!

so do you not have the bose system in your car already?

the reason that i ask this is because you said that you were looking to make up for what you were missing and it is difficult for me to believe that you will be able to do that with a 6 1/2 when you have 8" speakers in the door. Just a thought none the less.

and regarding the statement that revvittupp made; the only reason that the db discussion was brought up was because we were comparing the sensitivity ratings of the ed and the arc subwoofer which is the rating of the sub with a supplied 1w/1m measure in db. this along with the xmax are two of the ratings to really pay attention to when comparing sub. i was just pointing out that the sensitivity rating of the arc was 2 db higher than the ed with less power and was therefore more effecient.

with everything being said i do wish you luck srinivasadi and let us know how it sounds and if you have anymore questions or run into any problems when you are getting everything all wired up.

I have the base system not the Bose, Thats why I am not satisfied with the bass i get with it.

Have you actually looked at those el cheapo 8's?

I knwo why it was brought up, and furthermore what sensitivity ratings are, btut hte fact of the matter, the center pass through is an aesthetic location, not a good choice for audio to begin with.

Finally I have finished the enclosure today. Used MDF to build the enclosure... best thing is I can remove the storage box whenevr I want even after the woofer installation :) ... posted pics check them out (soory for the bad quality was from my phone.)

I cut out the plastic storage box enclosure and took the dimensions of it and since I needed 0.15 cu ft for this subwoofer, I elongated the dimensions a little bit so the enclosure in almost 1.5" longer than the platic storage box now. I used 1/4" MDF for the construction , used epoxy resin to hold the box together and seal it. Also used silicone based sealent from the outside to keep it as leak proof as possible. I thnk it turned out pretty good. I need to get it installed and see how it works in the car... will update once I do it tommorow with pics.

http://img224.imageshack.us/img224/3...0265kp8.th.jpg
http://img65.imageshack.us/img65/135...0266vd3.th.jpg
http://img224.imageshack.us/img224/9...0267bv4.th.jpg

more pics....
 

finally got a chance to take pics today. Installed it last sunday, and had togo on a work trip so did not get a chance till today.

(click on the pics to enlarge)

http://img227.imageshack.us/img227/4...0271nw5.th.jpg

http://img227.imageshack.us/img227/5...0272lm6.th.jpg

http://img233.imageshack.us/img233/8...0273bh5.th.jpg

The amount of bass I get isnt much but its enough for me, you can hear the bass slightly from outside but isnt much. This was the perfect solution for the amount of bass I needed and at the same time kept my trunck space too. Since I did it myself it turned out pretty cheap too (woofer abt $125, amp $60, building material such as MDF+epoxy glue+carpet+dampening material+extra storage box = <$100, RC cables, Installation kit was about $60 and I bought most of the stuff from parts express, Amazon )

I got a lot of good advise on wat to buy for this build from this forum. Please let me know wat you guys think of this project :)

It looks super nice man! I'm super new to rx8's and want to do something relatively the same. while you were choosing where to put it, did you think about the center armrest in the back?

I did not think of that, but if I think of it now, I think it is going to rattle the whole center console with the base. It was tricky to make the ski pass thing to keep from rattling. I still get soem rattles (when it reaches the resonance, i think). But I dont listen to very loud music all the time, and it works for perfect for the regular volumes. Goodluck if ur trying the armrest thing, show us your work when you do.