smaller sub options?

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01TX_Tahoe

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@ NC_John: no problem. Good thing is those subs really aren't that expensive either. I got mine for around $150 at a local shop by my house. Awesome bang for the buck if you ask me. So awesome in fact, I just bought another one to put in my wife's, son's future car.. :)
 
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NC_John

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@ NC_John: no problem. Good thing is those subs really aren't that expensive either. I got mine for around $150 at a local shop by my house. Awesome bang for the buck if you ask me. So awesome in fact, I just bought another one to put in my wife's, son's future car.. :)

$159.99 Shipped from online carstereo warehouse. $199 from crutchfield. There is a local shop that carries JL. I may stop by there tomorrow.

I'll keep you posted. I have a family road trip in June so it'll need to be done before then....
 

01TX_Tahoe

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You're gonna love it! It makes such a big difference and just brings the music to life. I'm trying to figure out some sort of mount for my iPad so I can mount it on the roof like a flip down TV. I think it would be pretty cool to have it up there and watch movies on then just pull it out and take it with you.
 
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NC_John

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You're gonna love it! It makes such a big difference and just brings the music to life.

Agreed, once you run a sub something is missing without.... I'm stopping by the local shop that carries JL today.

If you've got a picture of the MDF mod you had to do to the factory box I'd sure like to see it....
 
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NC_John

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@ NC_John: no problem. Good thing is those subs really aren't that expensive either. I got mine for around $150 at a local shop by my house. Awesome bang for the buck if you ask me. So awesome in fact, I just bought another one to put in my wife's, son's future car.. :)

OK, picked one up yesterday. $177 locally. Got a small dynomat kit too (I'll use on the outside of the enclosure and inside the quarter panel. The shop gave me a scrap piece of hickory (they don't use MDF) to use for the adapter. If you have any pictures of what you did to fit yours I'd appreciate seeing it. I just spent most of the day in my crawlspace running home theatre wiring in the house so haven't taken the 'hoe apart yet. Its on my to-do list for next weekend...
 
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NC_John

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Its on my to-do list for next weekend...

Couldn't wait until next weekend. Went out to the garage and pulled the factory sub enclosure. I measured the volume (filled it with water, measuring the water) and its 0.35 cubic feet. JL recommends a 0.30 cubic foot enclosure (for a sealed box) so if I put a block of wood in there to take up the extra volume I should be about dead on. The box will be tuned for 55 hz.

If I want to run a ported box the volume is correct but they want a 2" dia, 18" port. The box would be tuned to 35 hz which is pretty darn low for an 8" sub. I just don't know if there is room in that little box for an 18" long port. I might buy a length of 2" PVC and see if I can make something work. I'd have to figure out where to exhaust the port as well. If it came out behind the side panel cover it'd probably both do nothing but vibrate and sound like crap. Hmmm... got some figuring to do.

---------- Post added at 07:45 PM ---------- Previous post was at 07:39 PM ----------

Both. I took measurements of the box and calculated the air space subtracting the wall thickness and thickness of the new face I added. I cut 1/2" off the face and added a piece of 1/2" mdf to fit the 8W3. The stock hole was too small and because it was counter sunk the sub didn't fit.

OK, did you just make a complete new face on the enclosure and cut a hole to fit the 8W3? I think that would be easier than trying to cut an adapter ring (as long as everything fits behind the side panel.
 

01TX_Tahoe

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did you subtract the displacement of the sub from that total? what you came up with is just about the same as what I had and I think after subtracting the sub displacement you should be right on. here's a pic of the face of my enclosure. really simple.
 

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01TX_Tahoe

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good idea on the dynamat too. i sprayed some sound deadener but it didn't seem to work too well. i still get vibration all over. i'm going to have to invest in some dynamat or something similar also. the outer side panel behind the enclosure is going to vibrate something nasty! that's the only thing i hate... so i've got more work ahead of me to get the tahoe just right.
 
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NC_John

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did you subtract the displacement of the sub from that total? what you came up with is just about the same as what I had and I think after subtracting the sub displacement you should be right on. here's a pic of the face of my enclosure. really simple.

OK- thanks. That was what I had figured you made. I've got all my parts in the truck here at work and am going to a coworkers after work to get this done- he has a huge woodshop so what would take me 3 hrs to do will take 15 mins at his place.

We're going to a) make the adapter plate to use the factory box and b) build the 0.35 cu. ft. ported box that JL recommends. I bought the 2" PVC parts for the port at lunch. He says it'll take 30 to build the box so what the heck. JL says its 3 db more than the sealed and is tuned to 33 hz. I'll try the sub in both configurations and see which I like better. I'm guessing it'll be the ported box we build. Oh well, it should be 1/4 the size of my RF 12" box.

One of my concerns abouy using the factory box is what you said- how much is that plastic cover going to buzz? I don't think all the dynomat you can fit will be enough to completely deaden that flimsy piece of plastic.

I'll get back to you with results!
 

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