Audio Gurus, help me with my future setup

[AZ89two4Tsx]

Okay, I'm looking to get an amp and a sub. The amp would not only drive the sub but would help out the speakers too. I'm kinda leaning to only one sub as I don't want a ton of weight in the hatch of my 240. I'm just now learning all about amps, bridging and such and wanted to ask before I go out and do something.

I was thinking about getting a four channel amp, running four speakers off two of the channels, and then bridging two of the channels to power one subwoofer. Is that do-able and a good idea? Some questions I'm wondering:

How big of sub should I go with?

Would I absolutely need two?

Ported or sealed box for that sub?

Is that the right selection in amp?

How many watts RMS should I be looking for?

Is the bridging thing okay?

Sorry if I sound like an ignoranus, I'm new to this and am trying to learn. Also, if you know of any good deals on stuff fill me in, cause I'm trying to make this as budget friendly as possible. Me and my dad can make the box ourself no problem, we just need dimensions. And should I stray from used amps?

Thanks a bunch.

[240sx_dad]

wally world is the best for stuff like this. pick up a sub, a deck, box, wiring kit, and harness kit all in one shot. one 700w 10 on a 6-800 watt amp will hit plenty hard in the hatch. also make sure you get the right wiring kit rated for the wattage.

[AZhitman]

Ugh.

I wouldn't spend a dime on audio components at WalMart.

Chris, you'll do better with used (quality) components from the local forums.

[Looneybomber]

Check ebay.

I bought an Infinity BasslinkII for $93 plus I think $12 shipping and Infinity reference 6020cs (6.5" component speakers) for $52 shipped. Both refurbished and with factory warranty from Harman International, the parent company of Infinity, JBL, Revel, Harman Kardon, etc...

To answer questions.How big of sub should I go with?However big accomplishes your goals. If you want it to sound nice but don't care if the people in the next car over can hear you, get a single 10 or 12.

Would I absolutely need two?Depends on what sub you got and how loud you want to be.

Ported or sealed box for that sub?Depends on how much room you have, what sub you have, and how loud you want to be.

Is that the right selection in amp?Depends on how big the amp is and what goals you have. If you want it to sound nice, a quality 75x4 amp could work fine. If you want it to be a lot louder, then get a 75x2 and a 200x2 for the sub(s)

How many watts RMS should I be looking for?Depends on how much sound you want.

Is the bridging thing okay?Should be.

[AZ89two4Tsx]

Thanks dude.

So I want two amps? One for the sub, other for the speakers?

I want it to be pretty damn loud for a single 12."

Idk which one is louder, ported or sealed. My dad is really handy with tools/wood so all I would need is the dimensions.

[Looneybomber]

Well, if you really want it loud, you'll need to upgrade your charging system, as in, new high amp alternator.

Amps x volts = watts. So, if you want 600w to your sub, 600w/13.8v=43.5amps and that's if the amp is 100% efficient.

Ported vs. sealed. This is a debate that's way old and way too complex for this thread, but suffice it to say, going ported will give you more output at and above the tuning frequency than a sealed enclosure.

Sealed is so easy though. You build a box (ideally with a Q or .7-.8), put the sub in it and you're done.

Ported you have to figure out box volume based on what frequency you want, and then figure out port size; Too small (cross sectional area) and it'll cause chuffing and compression, too big and the port is rediculously big which eats up too much box volume and drops your 1st port resonance too low.

***Warning, I'm going to sound like a salesman below***

If you want loud and want some attention, there are so many choices/options out there for subs, but I would highly recommend looking at Acoustic Elegance. Their subs are made in the USA with the majority of all parts (including adhesives) sourced from the USA. I have talked with the owner and transducer engineer personally.

I also own a couple of their lambda woofers and they're top notch, so is customer service. Because they're built in the USA, they're also rebuildable if you happen to blow one, which will be rather difficult. I was told by the owner that you can plug the AV15h subwoofer into a 15A wall outlet and it'll be fine. He didn't tell me for how long, but alluded to at least a minute.

Their 12" is 229, their 15" is 249 and I would recommend the 15" (AV15h) if you want attention. And, because they're all built in the USA, you can have a custom logo, your screen name, etc. on the dust cap. Or at least that's what I was told by the owner.http://www.aespeakers.com/shop/catalog/

Testimonials have put it in the same league (sound quality wise) as the TC-Sounds LMS Ultra and RE-XXX. Both have an MSRP over $1500.Because of their excellent sound quality and power handling, they're being used in some exotic home subwoofers.

That rectangle thing in the middle of the sub is an active cooling air vent.

Classy

***ok done with the salesman***I swear I have no affiliation with AE and get nothing if someone buys something from them. I just really like their products.

[AZ89two4Tsx]

Dude, you're awesome!

Question, why are the "passive radiator" ones so much cheaper? Idk what passive radiator means.

http://aespeakers.com/shop/cat...id=40

[Looneybomber]

Passive radiator = no motor, just the speaker cone.

Ports and passive radiators work the same; they're both Helmholtz resonator. They both resonate and this resonance is dependent upon its' total mass (air mass with the port, material mass with the passive radiator), and powered by the subwoofer driver.

So, a passive radiator is just a replacement for a port. The usual use for it is when you need to tune lower than what you're able to with a port because the port will be too big. It's used a lot in home theater (HT) because people don't want big honking sub boxes in their house, so they'll buy something with a 10" sub and 2, 10" passive radiators, and the the sub box is 13" cube.

Remember, you don't have to buy anything from AE, there are a lot of options out there. Shop around and see what you find.

Exodus audio used to have their Shiva-x's on sale for 149.00. They're good too, but I've never used any of their products. They (Exodus) do get pretty rave reviews from the HT crowd because of their 18" long throw sub (33mm xmax) and now their 21" sub (again, 33mm xmax).

[AZ89two4Tsx]

Well, that's like an awesome price for me, and if you say it's a good brand, it's probably a good brand, lol.

$65 for a 15" sounds pretty swell to me.

Is there a sound difference I should worry about? Also, how much power would I be wanting to run to that specific sub?

I'm also looking into a high-er amp alternator to compensate so I should be good in that area.

[Looneybomber]

$65 for a 15" sounds pretty swell to me.

I think you missed this part of my post.

Passive radiator = no motor, just the speaker cone.

And this part.

Ports and passive radiators work the same; they're both Helmholtz resonator.

Since passive radiators and ports function the exact same, you can't hook an amp up to a port. You need an actual speaker driver. A passive radiator is not a speaker driver. It has no voice coil, magnet, or any other parts of a speaker motor.

AE's 12" subwoofers are $229 and their 15's are $249. If you want to know more about them, you can join their forum and speak with some of the employee's on there or give them a call...John (the owner) is pretty busy so you usually always end up talking to someone else.

I also own 2 CSS SDX-15's (15" sub I think they're 270 shipped.) and will highly recommend them. But for the money and your application, the AE AV15h may be better. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ODm5G4nA ... eMRHg&NR=1 <- Not my sub. Mine are used in my house.

Oh and 4 of these DIYMA R12's (12" sub). They're good for the money and my particular application (bass at the pool). But can't be bought anymore.http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=u9AOuOaxNlQYeah that pole vent has a protective screen which causes chuffing.

And I have 2 Acoustic Elegance TD15h 15" woofers (not subs) to be used in my front left and right speakers of my house setup.http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=R6vVv41hSFY

But they can still make your house shake.http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OPCwYrdKv0c

[AZ89two4Tsx]

Lol, I'm stupid. I see what you're saying now. It's just a "shell" if you will.

I'm just looking for something simple and cheap. I mean cheap cheap. Basically just making my ok speakers sound a little better with some bass. My windows are down most of the time, so that in itself makes spending alot of money kinda pointless. That and my car is loud and uncomfortable.

Is there anything around $100 for the subwoofer itself? Used from Crutchfield looks pretty good to me.

I know I sound like a cheapass but w/e.

[Looneybomber]

I picked up an Infinity BasslinkII on ebay from Harman International. It has a 10" sub, 10" passive radiator, and a 250w amp. I think it was 105 shipped and it comes with a factory warranty.

This, or another powered sub, might be worth looking into.

[AZ89two4Tsx]

Yeah, I was thinking about something like that. It's not a sealed trunk or anything, so nothing big is necessary.

The cheapest I'm seeing the BassLink for is $179 (shipped). And that's the I not II.

[Looneybomber]

keep an eye on ebay. I've bought a lot of refurbished gear from Harman Audio; I have the 6.5" Infinity reference components up front I got for a little over 50 shipped, the Basslink2 for 105 shipped and just saw 4channel infinity amp (75x4) go for 49.00 shipped while I was watching Family Guy on hulu. The next one sold for around 70.00 shipped.

I'm on ebay multiple times a day watching a lot of items, yet I don't buy much. I always bid real low so I don't win too often, but when I do...

[AZ89two4Tsx]

Screw the basslink, here's what I got.



I'm very pleased. I just need to find a permanent location for the 6x9s, and tuck the wires.