What sub setup?

[Nick_Wa]

Hey guys, wonder if you could help me out a bit? I have a 4 channel 500 watt rms amp so about 125 watts rms per channel and i got it bridged to 2 channels so 250 rms per channel about. I dont know if i should go ported or sealed, because of my lower power output, 1 sub or 2, again because of the low power, and 10 or 12"? Any input would be great, thanks guys.

[hamiltonaudio]

a 4 channel amp isn't ideally suited to subwoofer duty, but if its what you got to run, then so be it :) A vented enclosure is ALWAYS recommended due to its superior output and low end extension - you'll get more from your limited watts.

Really any SVC4 ohm sub with a power handling of 200-250 wrms and you'll be fine. One for each set of bridged channels and you'll be golden.

bmoney

[JoeyK]

Since when is 250x2 watts considered low power? These are rms watts you're talking, correct?
A sealed enclosure sub will give you alot more tonal accuracy. If you're just going for the big boom effect & don't care how well it sounds then the ported is the way to go.
10 or 12"? - depends on you're preference, the 10's will be tighter & a bit crisper but the 12's will have more low end grunt. If you're into more rock then rap then 10's may be the way to go for you - if you're into rap & r&b then I'd say the 12's.
Before you commit to any audio product I'd suggest going to a quality audio shop & hear things for yourself. I've seen way too many times, people soley take the advise from others on the internet & then are dissapionted because it was not what they expected.

[hamiltonaudio]

250 wrms is VERY low power....relational to the typical systems being installed TODAY. 5 years ago it was quite a bit of juice...today 1000 wrms monoblocks are as common as Civics...and 2KW isn't all that strange anymore. So yeah, 250 watts is tiny ;)

Why do people think that vented boxes can't match sealed boxes for sound quality????? I guess we're too used to hearing Bassworx generic crap thats all wrong for a driver :( I am willing to bet $1000 cash that to 9 out of 10 people interviewed, a properly designed/tuned vented enclosure will have the SAME accuracy, tonality and impact as any sealed box will, with all the benefits a sealed box DOESN'T have (those include much better low end extension, and obvious gains in output) And the typical 12" plays lower than 10" thoughts really only apply to consumer type product. As you step into more serious brands like RE Audio, Digital Designs, Fi Audio, Atomic, Stereo Integrity, etc etc this is NOT TRUE. The reason is simple - consumer grade product typically has varying motor designs...much smaller/more insignificant motors find their way into 8's/10's while 12's/15's get something somewhat larger and more stout. THIS is where the difference in output and extension come from...NOT cone area....

Any of the hand-built subs I listed will share a common motor from smallest to largest cone... sure a 15" will have more /output/ than a 10" will (purely due to increased radiating area and nothing more)...I'd contend that ANY of the sizes will play low equally low, hit equally hard, etc.... I've proven this many times over with my "little" MX12...just a 12" sub they say...until they realize it makes 140+ db worth of pressure in a freq. band that "their" 18" sub can barely play into.....

I guess its like turbo vs supercharger...there's LOTS of mis-information about whats what and people end up choosing on a misnomer :( Joey is indeed correct - go listen to some product at your local shop - preferrably IN-CAR....this little thing called transfer function really plays into a subs performance that a demo board just cannot show you....

good luck!

bmoney

[RisingX2004]

A sealed enclosure sub will give you alot more tonal accuracy. If you're just going for the big boom effect & don't care how well it sounds then the ported is the way to go.

Please know what you are talking about before you post something liek this that misleads people. Ported boxes when designed and constructed correctly have several advantages over a sealed box:

1. ability to tune for what your music prefenence is

2. way more efficient than a sealed box as it uses both the front and rear wave of the sub instead of just the front

3. if you do a ported box right, is will sound much better than a sealed box and be entirely accurate

You cant just throw a ported box together like you can with a sealed box and hope for the best. Ported boxes are a lot less forgiving and take some skill to build

250 watts is small. Think about it. Its a 4 channel amp, not really meant for subs. Most mono amps today put out 500 watts of more, and yeah 1k is really common anymore

[car audio dave]

first off, most 4 channels are class A/B amps, which are IDEALLY 60% efficient. realistically they are less efficient. this means that they suck way more power and loose it to heat compared to class D, but class A/B amps are cleaner.

in respect to ported vs sealed, accuracy isnt a good argument for one of the other. the installers experience plays more into it, as well as space. typically subs need a much larger ported box volume than sealed box volume to get similar output (frequency wise).

overall you need to consider a lot of variables. with a low budget you are better off getting a good quality sub and putting it into a sealed box at first. then, when you have the money get a custom ported box built for the sub.

[RisingX2004]

when you have the money get a custom ported box built for the sub.

Yep, please never buy a pre-fab ported box.... most likely you will just be dissapionted and not like ported boxes all together just b/c of one bad experience

the installers experience plays more into it

umm, kinda already said that, kinda...

3. if you do a ported box right, is will sound much better than a sealed box and be entirely accurate

ported boxes take time to experiment which is figuring out what you want out of if and what sounds good to you. It isnt all that uncommon for more experienced builders to build several boxes tuned at different freq. until they reach their desired results. Programs like winISD and Bassbox Pro have helped with a lot of guess work with different subs and box designs as they graph several things like output, phase, excursion and many many other things that can help you with building a sub enclosure. Its a science. Experimenting is the only way to figure out what works for you and what you like