I'm looking for a nice, tight bass sound. Currently have two 10" pioneers in my sub, being powered with 500wrms @ 1 ohm via my MA audio amp. Plenty of volume, but they are boomy and notes sound muddy. They are in a sealed enclosure but they are pretty old (the subs).

I'm considering an 8", single sub capable of handling around 400wrms. Anyone have suggestions for a tight sounding 8" and a good sealed enclosure? I'd prefer to spend under 100$ on the sub alone, if possible. Anyone played with the infinity reference subs? How about the CDT 10 or 12?

Also, am I right in assuming that 8" subs will sound "tighter" and less boomy when put in the proper enclosure than a 10" sub? I don't want to shake cars around me, I'd rather have excellent sound quality to fill in the bottom end of my system since the speakers in my cab are HPF'd to 120hz to prevent bottom end distortion.

 

I've got a set of 12" IDQV3's in the Accord and a single Hertz Energy 10" (I think it's a ES250D) in the Fit. Either one would sound good in your setup.

 

I've been looking to get an IDQV3 or an IDMAX used for around 100$, I've heard GREAT things about them. What kind of enclosure do you have them in?

 

best $100 8" sub i've heard are the closeout L5 solobarics, better ported though but if you can use an entry level sub design program like boxplot it's really easy to figure out port length based on the cu/ft you have. you can get a pretty good response in 1cu/ft that uses 2 ports that are 2" by 8" long. the 8" solo is an odd little sub that's remarkably good for kicker. it doesn't suffer from any of the problems that the 12" does....like needing 4cu/ft to even get close to flat or needing north of 500w to play half way decent.

haven't tested one against the ID 8" but some of the ebay deals on ID gear are pretty good, like

http://www.ebay.com/itm/ID8V-3-D4-IM...ht_3728wt_1163

or

http://www.ebay.com/itm/KICKER-8-SOL...f#ht_500wt_922

for the solo

doubt you could go wrong either way

best 8" sub i've heard period is the 8w7 but you're at $300

btw you can get a good 10 to sound extremely tight, you just need the correct enclosure. more times that not manf spec is still on the small side for a flat response with most drivers. i'm generalizing here but most 10s do well in something around 2cu/ft each. when you see those spec sheets that say .75 and 1cu/ft for a 10, yes it physically works but it sure as hell isn't going near flat to 25hz

 

Any sub will sound better with the correct box. I always like a 12" in a sealed box that i built my self. How loud do you like the bass? If your a basshead you want a ported box = maximum volume. If you want quality bass with nice control then do custom box thats made for the sub.

But anything will sound better than pioneer subs. Everyone I have ever heard was weak and sounded like crap.

 

mmm. not always but ported boxes are much harder to get right. you can be sloppy with a sealed box and get a decent output. ported boxes need to be both larger and tuned something like LEAP to get a decent sound. if the port size and length are off at all for the given sub and given enclosure it will sound like ****. i think sealed boxes are popular mostly for this reason. they don't require box design software and you can use smaller enclosures.

 

I'm certainly not a bass head by any means. I listen mostly to classic/alternative rock with a bit of techno. The most bass intensive songs I listen to are the techno songs and even then I just want enough bass to shake my seat, not cars around me. Mainly the sub is there to reduce stress on my front coaxials (so I can HPF them) and take some of the strain off of the rear 6x9s (which are rear fill for my passengers mostly). I just want something to take the bottom end of the spectrum and deliver clean, punchy sound(at a reasonable cost).

Since I'm going for precision and not SPL, I think I'll go for a sealed enclosure. I enjoy having trunk space as well, which is why I've opted for a singular driver. Am I correct in saying that ported boxes are generally much larger?

I've never heard of that kicker sub, will definitely look into it. Also was unaware that ID 8" ers were that cheap, as I hear they are among the best of the budget minded subs (albeit, woofersetc., the seller, makes me a bit nervous.)

 

Stick with a single 10" in a sealed box, build the box yourself, most pre-built sub boxes suck as they are mass produced and cheap quality.

It does not make a lot of diff. what make/model sub you get if the box you put it is is junk, bass response, [SPL and SQ] is directly related to not only box design but box build quality.

If building a box is not an option, buy the best basic box you can afford and "beef it up" yourself. 94

 

Building a sealed box is definitely an option. I'd use 3/4" MDF, wood screws and caulk. Then of course carpeting. I've also heard it is a good idea to stuff the box with poly fill, is that true?

 

You're high passing at 120hz?

I'd probably get a better front stage before worrying about a sub.

Even with a good sub, your soundstage won't blend well since they'll be a huge dip from 120 to 80.

If u still want a beefy 8, i'd probably look at the soundsplinter rli, alpine type r or the sundown audio e8

 

My subs are not lowpassed to 80. They are lowpassed to 220. Perhaps that is why it sounds so muddy?

 

3/4" MDF with a 1" MDF baffle, pre-drill/countersink, [at an angle will prevent splitting] screw and glue, use a router for speaker mounting hole, install bracing at all inside seams, [a few inches apart], use a wood sealer, [better yet, fiberglass resin] to seal the box, ["paint" inside of box with sealer], run a bead of silicon along all inside seams.

If you make the box the correct size, [volume] "poly fill" is not needed, instead cover back and one side, [inside] with a Jute carpet underlay, [poly sheet can also be used]

A few things to keep in mind when building a sub box

1- Proper box volume is very important.
2- Proper construction, [screws/glue/pre-drill/countersink].
3- Box must be airtight, [wood sealer, silicone, router for speaker hole].
4- The more mass the better, [3/4" and 1" MDF].
5- Box needs to be rigid, [bracing along inside seams].
6- At least one (1) angled surface, [a 1cuft box that is 12"x12"x12", will sound like crap even if all the other above is correct] ideally you have at least one angled surface and height, width and depth of box are all diff., underlay on the back and at least one side will also help eliminate standing waves. 94

 

Um..yeah dude, lol.

Low pass your subs at 80-100hz

Ohyeah, when it comes to boxes..imo

ported>all.

My only grip with sealed is low end extension.

A sealed enclosure will be the smallest (for a given response shape) and will have good low frequency extension but may not have the best low frequency extension. If space is limited, this may be your best choice.

If you can have higher efficiency, with more power output, the only drawback is a larger gross volume, isn't that a worthy compromise? You can get a ported box to have as flat of a response as well and extend lower. Vented enclosures just add flexibility, removable/adjustable port designs for changing response and efficiency is a great thing. There is nothing wrong with sealed enclosures(in most cases), but ported enclosures do everything a sealed enclosure does and more, why not use them?

 

once you decide on a sub go to sonicelectronix.com, best prices on the net.

 

The specs on my subs say they play 20hz to 300hz (or something like that, IIRC). I like that top extension as alot of music has tones in those ranges that are not fully accentuated by my regular speakers.

Also, my frontstage is pretty good. It's infinity kappa components, being given 65wrms. They're loud and proud. However the drivers I am using are 5.25", not the normal 6.5".

And the reasons for not using a ported enclosure:
1. Space
2. Cost
3. More difficult to build
4. More specific build (should be build specifically to one sub and must be radically changed if I ever plan on adding another sub).
5. Port noise (I don't really care about that however.)

Thanks all, you've given me alot to think about.

 

in response to edzy's suggestions.....

yes
yes
yes
yes
yes
and yes

 

Eh, never was a fan of infinity mids.

Poor midbass and ear fatiguing highs.

I'd address your front stage first.

 

What would you install? They are in sealed/deadened doors with baffles. They don't sound "warm" necessarily (but one can fix this with EQ) but I wouldn't say they lack midbass. Highs are light and crisp and I can generally listen for hours. I'm not sure what you've heard, but they're pretty decent speakers in my opinion.

 

This means poor midbass.