fadeaway

I'm new to the car audio scene, and I'm a bit confused with the subs. I see many online stores sell more of the non-enclosed subs (not in boxes). Do they expect us to build a box for the sub, or what? I think I'm missing something here..

Thanks,
Dan

kgb006

you can build a box or you can buy a pre-built boxes.

Robert_J

To elaborate on kgb's posting:

If you decide to build a box, you will save a lot of money. Custom shops will charge up to $200, $300, and up, to build you a box. Depending on the complexity, they may have $20 to $50 of materials tied up in materials. The rest cost is labor and knowledge. We can't help with labor but we can help with knowledge. Here's a good tutorial on box building. You also need to know how to use power tools without cutting off your fingers.

If you decide on a pre-fab box (like the cheap ones from Wal-Mart) then you need to look the quality of the box. Is it made out of 3/4" MDF and not 1/2" particle board? Is it adequately braced? It is the correct size for my sub? If it's ported, what is the tuning frequency? Is the mounting hole the correct size for my sub? Again, we can help you here. A good pre-fab enclosure should be build like the ones from Sub Zero.

-Robert

slickrick

iTrader: (12)

if you want cheap yet solid for the price prefabs check out bigdogaudio.com

SKYRockerr

Screw the box, i am thinking 12" inch kicker sola bacric subs, what do you guys think of those?

slickrick

iTrader: (12)

which one, l7, comp vr's. how many and what size, and what box?

kcidmil

Talking from experience. Memphis dealers have on hand boxes built especially for Memphis subs. JL and Rockford have the same thing. U can buy a box and subs anywhere from $300- $900 dependin upon materials, class of sub, and box design.

But the thing is, you don't have to worry about if the box has the right airspace for the sub, or if the porting is at the right freq. That has already been done. You just have to worry about the box fitting in your car.

fadeaway

So the easiest way to get some subs would be to go to Best Buy and buy an already boxed or enclosed sub, right? It'll just save me $ to buy the sub separately and box it right?

Thanks,
Dan

kcidmil

Yep, the easiest way is to go buy the subs and box together. And buyin seperate won't necessarily mean you save money. Not saying best buy is bad, but they do carry mid line subs.

But if you like something there, get a price, and Best Buy's best offer. Take it down to the local car audio place that sells the same stuff Best Buy does. And see what kind of deal they'll make you.

I've notice that the local car audio places will work harder to get your business than Best Buy will.

Rider69

iTrader: (2)

Easiest..yes. Best way...no
The boxes you get at Best Buy are cheap and they usually sound like crap.

If you don not have the ability to build a box, I recommend getting a prebuilt sealed one from one of the places linked above.

The problem with buying a particular companies ported box is that it might not be tuned to your specific application

kcidmil

I know for Memphis and JL they have contracted a company to build boxes for the subs. Memphis uses a company called Audio Enhancers. They have a green AE logo on the box. Recently, they've started putting the M logo on their boxes.

But then you do run into the problem of the box's tuning not sounding well you car like Rider is saying. A box built for Memphis M-class 12"s may sound good with the subs on display. But could sound like total crap in your car.

But lets also say you get a prebuilt. The prebuilt could have the wrong specs for the airspace needed by your sub. And could end up sounding like crap.

It's a gamble either way. And I'll give the same advice I alwayz give. It's your money, get what you want to try.

Rider69

iTrader: (2)

But for what it sounds like he wants, a sealed box prebuilt for close to the recommended sealed volume will sound much better than anything he can get a best buy or wherever. Sealed boxes are much more forgiving for volume discrepancies so if it is only slight, no one would be able to tell.

SKYRockerr

I have a box , with 12" kenwoods in them, i am thinking rockford punch 12" to replace kenwood, buy a mono kenwood 1000 watt amp, another amp to pump internal 4 speakers.. question can i do this with the stock deck?

kcidmil

SkyRockerr, you can do it with your stock deck. But you're not going to have great control over your speakers as you would a aftermarket deck.

Just run your sub's amp as you have now. Then you have 2 choices. Put a RCA splitter in the sub's amp cables, and run another RCA cable to your interiors amp. Or unhook your interior speaker wires at the deck, and put in a converter. And run RCA from your converter to the interior amp.

Then reroute your wire for the interior speakers to the amp.

I can't remember if they make them or not. But try to find a 4 channel amp that has 2 sets of RCA inputs. That way you run for the front on one set, and rear on the other. That'll keep it clear on songs that puts the music at certain speakers. Lessens your chances of a signal accidently going to a speaker it shouldn't and possibly being distorted.

Rider69

iTrader: (2)

SKY, what is wrong with the Kenwood subs? Why RF to replace it? what model are you looking at? What size is the box?

Sorry for all the questions, but this information will help us determine what you need to get it working right. It can all work with the stock deck, depending on the amps, you might need to get a Line Out converter, but it can work.

SKYRockerr

I have 12" Kenwood Subs, the old one, the blue ones, not the new ones.. my amp is a kenwood 600 watt 2 channel amp.. i just wanted to have a amp pump the interior speakers and another amp to go straight to either JL or Kicker subs.. 12" inches.. 15" is just to much bass..