I decided to increase my budget to $400 to $450 for my subwoofer setup. I've been eyeing a single Kicker 10" Solo Baric L5 or L7 sub. Does anyone have this in their max with the kicker enclosre it comes in? How much space does it take up? Sorry for posting so much, I just want to settle on something that I will like and not regret.

 

I'm planning on going the same route, bro.

I'm going with a L5 in the sealed enclosure. Once I install my amps, I'll throw up some photos of it. If you're talking about the "trunk-box", it's VERY small, but if you're talking about that other sealed box, it's pretty big. I was quoted somewhere in the neighborhood of $350 for the larger L5 box with a single L5 in it. I was going to get my small L5 box from eBay for about $215 (s/h & taxes included), but I went by a local Best Buy and saw the size of the box (which they were selling for $249). The guy there told me that even though it's a small box, the thing kicks some serious bass out. I'm going for the small "trunk-box" setup since I don't want a big a$$ box in my trunk any more.

Good luck with your setup!

 

Off topic but I have two 12L5 you want a pic of that? Why dont you just go to circuit city and measure the box and then pop your trunk and make an outline with masking tape so you see how much space it'll take up.

 

Just a heads up, it doesnt make much sense having a L7 and putting it in a very small box. You will be dissapointed. A 10" L7 should have at least 1.5 cubes sealed and about 2.5 ported to sound decent and get loud. WHy dont you just buy the subs and build the box yourself or pay to have it built, that way it would at your specs.

 

kicker recommends the 10 L7 to be in box that's between .66 to 1 cu ft when sealed. nothing wrong with putting the sub in a smaller box, it's just harder for the sub to hit the really low notes.

 

I'm going to go with a 10" L5. My max is still at the body shop, so I'm not able to measure it. Here's apic of the box I was talking about.



It's $250 shipped with a 6 month warranty except brunt coils. Pit5Bull, you mean the truck box? Circuit City had one with a 10" L5 for $250. I'm all for getting something that doesn't take up a lot of space. I also saw a brand new 10" L5 subwoofer with one year warranty for $134 shipped. I f I buy the subwoofer separately, I'll have a sealed custom box made for it; I've received estimates for like a $100 sealed from Circuit City.

 

Enjoy your 10' L7, had one in my 240sx, and it hit pretty dam hard, i got a 15" L7 in my trunk now, my trunks pretty much gone.

 

That may be the recommendations but I personally had one in a small box and couldnt stand how it sounded. However, everyone has different taste.

 

i would tell you to get 2 L7 10" and make the box yourself. each woofer should have 1 cu ft and by going sealed your subwoofer will last you longer.

good luck, Freddie

 

@97GLES...

Why would a sub in a sealed enclosure last longer, especially if the sub is built in an enclosure to manufacturer's specs? I've never heard of this, so I'm curious as to where that information comes from, and the fact that I have a pair of 10 Kicker Comp C10a subs in a bandpass enclosure that still kick and I've had them for at least 12 years (I bought the box and the subs together, brand new)...

@athlon omega...
That box you show is the one I finally got the chance to hear over the holiday weekend, except that it was a 12" L5 instead of a 10" L5 in the same Kicker enclosure. A single 12" L5 in that sealed enclosure seemed kinda "boomy" to me, but that L5 in the "truck box" is the one I'm getting - that little 10" L5 was kicking like it was trying to get out of the box or something!!! I was sold on it after I heard it for myself. I think a 10" L5 will be plenty enough for what I want now. Tigher sounding bass that what I've been used to hearing. Can't wait to get it

 

On the first L7 Solo-Baric Kicker recommended that you give the sub lower wattage for the Solo-Baric in a ported enclosure unless of course you had a sub-sonic filter. Then you can run full power to them. I think the lower frequencies can damage the sub in a ported enclosure which is why the sub-sonic filters on their crossovers filter out everything below 25hz.

Look at page 10 of this pdf. If you scroll down further you'll see the wattage for the speakers in different enclosures.

http://www.kicker.com/05/tech-suppor...ch%20Brief.pdf

It has a note stating that the use of a subsonic filter is necessary to insure the life of the woofer in a ported enclosure.

The 12L7 handles 750w RMS in a sealed enclosure or in a ported enclosure with a subsonic filter. 400-420 w/o the filter. The wattage doesn't drop on the 15L7 when a subsonic filter is not in use.

 

a subwoofer in a sealed box will last longer in the same use as a subwoofer in a ported box. the pressure in the seal box will help control the coil in the woofer allowing more wattage to be used with less clipping. a sealed box will also produce cleaner bass.

when using a ported box you will be using more of the area on the coil because of less pressure in the box (a % of the pressure is going out the port) while at the same time using less watts and more likely to clipping. also if the port is in the car (not in the truck) you run the chance of hearing the coil as it gets olders because it gets looser and starts to bottom out.

kicker states that all solo's must have a break-in time before normal use. it's just to give the coil time to loosen up before you beat on them. you also can't use them as a free-air woofer.

your woofer will sound it's best just before it blows.

the reason i said to use 2 woofers is because most of the bass will stay in your trunk. by using 2 woofer you creat twice as much pressure.

 

I may go the same route if getting 2 10" bazookas in a custom made box proves too expensive. There is an L5 in a truck box on ebay for $198 shipped. I may grab that one;I still need to check the warranty though.

 

@97GLES...

Thanks for the explanation. I didn't know that. Like I mentioned before, I've always had my subs in a bandpass enclosure, so I'm ignorant to sealed/ported enclosures and their benefits/advantages/etc...
BTW - Love the trunk setup in your signature! What's the empty space between the L7's for?

@athlon omega...
I'd get the L5/L7 instead of the Bazookas. Have you seen one of those bad-boys in action? I think it'd change your mind if you haven't... Oh, and I hope they've got more than one of those L5's in the trunk box for that price. If so, I'm scoring one of them...

 

I've finally decided to settle on an 12" L5 in sealed enclosure with 600 watt (actually rated 745 watt) Crossfire amp. I went to circuit city and heard the 10" and 12" L5s. The 12" of course was booming. The 10" in the truck enclosure wasn't anyway near as loud. The salesman said it may be blown. I'll stick with the 12" but will lower the gain on the amp. A guy at a mobile audio shop said he could build me a sealed hatchback enclosure (not too big but within Kicker specs) for $70 ,and sell me the amp for $350 with 2 year warranty.

 

thanks Pit5Bull

the empty space between my woofer is to allow some of the bass to get threw the arm-rest in the rear seat.

i wish i had a hatch-back.