Hey guys, finally finished up my 5-week course in Colorado for my major (Petroleum Geology). Felt like FOREVER but I'm glad to be back to my car and other things. I've decided to not deal with the Alpine PDX 4.100 so I'm selling it and buying something I know will sound good. I'm also getting rid of this tiny sealed box for my 12w6's. So I've found a pre-fab 3cuft sealed box for $30 online (http://www.sonicelectronix.com/item_...S-12-GRAY.html). I can't decide if I want to buy this, stuff a little polyfil in it and be done...or if I want make a IB baffle. I honestly don't feel like doing a ton of work, taking out the backseat again, etc anytime soon lol.

As far as component amps...I've been looking at the new MB Quart Onyx and a few others. Not trying to go too expensive at the moment because I'll be paying for this damn transmission rebuild

 

Hey man, nice to see you back. Congrats on your course completion and your upcoming new mod.

 

IB! Unless you're going for every last bit of SPL. It will take a day of your time to make. You can fabricate stuff ahead of time. I did a rough cut of the baffle, cut out the holes, made the bracing, and screwed it all together in a couple hours in the living room. I did a little here and a little there so when install day came around it didn't take long at all. Just cut the baffle on the small side, bolt it up and worry about sealing it after it's installed. That's the easiest and quickest way. If you try like I did the first time to make the baffle conform to every curve of the car you're going to spend an entire day just fitting. Much easier to seal it up after the baffle is installed.

I say IB if SQ is the most important thing. And included in SQ is great transient response, tight hard hitting bass and waaaaay lower with more impact than the sealed box will ever deliver. I never realized how important that really low end capability was to SQ until I had a system that would play it. Plus you get your trunk back and it requires very little power. One test I saw put the 12W6 at it's physical limits (2" peak to peak travel) at 200 watts so 150 each would be more than enough. Less power, less power compression, better SQ. It will get plenty loud but if you like to be heard around the block, this probably isn't the setup for you.

I believe a sealed box will be somewhere around 3db louder after 40hz but the IB will be the same or louder in the really low stuff and sound clean doing it.

If going for SPL, ported can sound very good while getting very loud but you'll need eq to balance the low end.

The more I learn about this stuff the more I think sealed boxes are the easy way out when ported has the potential to sound better and be much more efficient.

 

Question for you all:

When I turn on the car, my components don't come on when the subs or rears do. They sit there and sound like static and a type of static/clicking type sound (not really loud though but audible from seats no doubt) until I turn the volume up about 5 or higher and they kick in and the static goes away and music starts playing. Is there something possibly wrong with the wiring? I'm pretty sure I've got everything correct...starting to think it's just this damn amp.

Also thinking of just picking having my buddy build me a 3cuft sealed box for these. I don't have the time or money right now to be spending for a ported box or trying IB. Maybe later but I've gotta recoup from this damn tranny build. I'll be putting my RK6's up FS and I've got the 3rd/4th gear Pressure Switches w/ gaskets to sell too (never got around to putting them on the old tranny)

 

With a garage full of equipment and a stack of used/empty boxes, I can tell you from my own experience that whatever you decide will need to be matched with suitable drivers, power and placement. If you match to the purpose, then you can be very happy.

A good/excellent setup of one kind will crush an average setup of any other kind.

If you need trunk space, then you are down to sealed or IB - either can work, but I don't think that the W6 is the best choice for either, but could work for either in the 80th percentile. If you go sealed, then sell the W6 and get a IDq or a FI Q (just 2 that I have used) and drop 1000+ watts to it - they are designed and built to be sealed, go low, play high and pound... there is no comparison between these and a W6, W7 or a "utility" sub that most have used. If you go IB, then get some 15s with some displacement.

My TL IB experiment is going OK, but I appear to like where the sub is located more than the fact that it is IB, or not. However, I am in the toddler stages.

If I was doing this car over again, I would get a 13" Focal KX sub, seal it in a 1 cu ft box and mount it on the seat braces so that it fires through the armrest hole. Drop 500-600W to it and enjoy probably 135db (guessing), excellent SQ and no rattles. I would use it from 20-110hz, or so. Probably 40-45 pounds, 2 hours of work, no deadener or sealing of the deck, lot of trunk space, nice place to mount your amp... simple and effective. However, my corner boxes, FI Qs and T1500s are VERY effective and not worth replacing.

If you are interested in some ID CXS 6.5s, then send me a PM - I need to get ride of mine.

 

Actually the W6 is amazing in IB, better than any other enclosure. It gives up very little to the IB15s other than displacement. You would want two of them for IB for sure. I couldn't get over how badly the W6 killed the Tempest in SQ. Not even in the same league but unfortunately I had listened to people over on DIYMA and took a brief step backwards. I think the IDQ would be a step backwards, or at least the only once I heard in a sealed box. The two IDQ15s in IB sounded very nice. The 12W6 sounds so nice in a 1.7 cubic foot sealed box, I don't like the sound of them in the JL spec box. If space is an issue then there might be better choices.

 

Forgot the prefabs and just save up for a tuned low ported box

Amp wise, look into soundstream stealth, reference, and rubicon.

 

Might have found a very nice buy! I just found a guy selling a PPI art 600.2 (the white one) for $20!! These are supposedly very nice older SQ amps! I've seen them go for $200+ all day on DIYMA, CarAudio, etc. It's a little scratched up but whatever..I'm not showing it off. I'm going to check it out tomorrow.

Also, I'd REALLY like to go ported but I have a feeling it would use all of my trunk. I guess the sealed box is 2.9cuft I'm looking at, the ported would be around 3-3.25cuft so not much larger. I don't have the skills to do IB I don't think lol. Might go buy a local store and see if they have any scrap MDF for me.


Edit: The more and more I listen to the RK6's...they aren't "eh" per say, but I figure I'd like a warmer more punchy set so if anyone wants to try them out...hit me up!

 

If I can do IB, you can do it. My wood working skills are terrible. Get some scrap MDF and cut two 11" holes. Cut it to a rectangle shape, mount the subs, and find a temporary way to prop it up to the back of the seats for testing. Stuff some towels or something to temporarily plug up the gaps and see how you like it. It will not be anywhere nearly as loud as it's going to be once it's actually sealed but you can get a good idea of what it will sound like.

If you like it, cut another piece of MDF with two 12.5" holes which will go on top of the existing piece and around the subs to reinforce it and screw the two together.

 

If it really is soo much better than sealed and ported then you just may have talked me into it. It doesn't sound "hard" to do but I'd have to wait to see if my pops will let me use the saw and the garage for a bit. I'm pretty sure he's fed up with making the ported box and making a mess in the garage for the few days I was putting on deadener, etc. If it sounds that good then I might just have to try some 15's!

Are there any good vid's online of IB? Can you make a nice, quick vid of yours? I know it wont capture everything...but you know what I mean. I just want to see and get a feel for it. Plus you'll get to show it off!

 

Sure. It will probably be Saturday if that's ok.

All IBs won't sound better than all sealed and ported boxes. But the 12W6s you have will sound extremely good. Just keep in mind, the output will be a little less than the sealed box in the 40hz and up range but IB does not fall off at all in the really low stuff so it can actually be louder for the low, low bass. It will be significantly less output than the ported box but you will only have to run 1/3 the power to them.

When going IB, displacement matters, that's why most run a pair of 15s. The two 12s will probably be enough though, unless you like to be heard from a long distance. I ran a single and it was good enough for SQ listening. Xmax is 16.5mm one way but they still sound good and won't bottom until you get around 25mm one way.

The reason I'm so confident is I've run the same subs in the same car in 4 different setups. I was expecting them to sound bad based on people's guesses over at DIYMA and I was certain they would have no output. The first time I turned the radio on with the single W6 IB I was like WTF? It was way louder and deeper than I would have thought based on the reviews. You will love it...

Have you got the ported box installed yet?

 

If you wanna get up early and made the roadie up to KC, we can whip up whatever you want. I have a miracle box sitting here that you can try, but it is huge and isn't much of a miracle for my tastes. Cutting some IB boards would be like a 15 minute job.

I have probably a dozen subs, a dozen amps and a few sets of comps laying around if you want to try some out.

 

What type of box is the miracle box?

 

It was the band pass through the armrest hole that I got off of this site when I got the car.

 

Have you had a chance to try it yet? Even though I love my current setup I can't get rid of that box. It was very efficient and musical and I keep thinking one day I'll find a use for it but unfortunately that would require getting another 12W6 to go with it.

 

I had it in last year for a month or so. There were some positives, but it was not for me. The sound was decently nice and so was the lack of rattles. The size was NOT going to work - I use my trunk daily to run 2 small businesses. The output was not great and my current single 12 kills it - the output in my garage was double without the "front" on it... I am still convinced that we choke out sound with the small port. I used a pair of W6 as well as a pair of Fosgate T1s in it at 4 ohms on a Kicker 2500.1 (1250 real watts) - they were both nearly identical in use/sound and both are collecting dust in my garage and probably need to be sold.

I got the thing to have nearly the same output with only one sub as I did with both - again making me wonder if the armrest port limits output. I think that it could be in the 130db range, but I am only guessing. More than enough for driving around.

I could have jacked around with it more, but the trunk space issue was never going to be overcome.

My favorite thing about the box is that I could mount the huge Kicker 2500 to the back of it.

I just need to throw mine in the burn pile. I will never use it again, but it took me a while to construct that thing, so I am kind of attached.

 

I loved the SQ, particularly the tightness. I also had to cut the gains back when I went from ported to the bandpass. There was definitely an efficiency bump over ported which was a huge bump from sealed.

The size was the reason I got rid of it, I like my trunk and I'm too old to make compromises like that. Maybe if I was in my early 20s it would be different. The other thing was it didn't like to get down to the 35hz range very well but for 95% of the music out there I loved it. One of the best things about it was that there was practically no excursion from the subs even at very high volumes. You also didn't have to run a low pass if you didn't want to. This thing played up to 90hz and then dropped like a rock.

I never tried it with a single sub since the enclosure volumes would have been way off but the design was straight from JL and slightly modified to fit in the TL. I would like to think they took port size into consideration. My two 15s IB are louder than the 12W6s in the sealed box but the bandpass was quite a bit louder in the range of most music. Obviously below 35hz and above 90hz the IB blows it away.

 

The SQ was well above average, for me, but not exceptional. However, those are not exceptional SQ subs, so we cannot expect more.

If you were using a LOC at the time, then that could be why you got the drop off below 35hz - could have been a signal thing. Mine was fine down to about 25 where I had a subsonic set. I don't remember trying to play them higher.

My w6 were terrible sealed, so I can see why the miracle was better. There are MUCH better sealed subs, even if you build a large box for the w6.

The only thing that I know for sure that JL takes into consideration is selling products. If they took sound into consideration, then most of their boxes (HO in particular) would not be made. Ok, this is hyperbole, but their boxes and most subs do not work for me AT ALL.

After the IB experiment, I am going to port a single 12 mounted to the rear seat braces with the port firing through the stock sub hole. Then, I am done... until I buy a RL or something and have to start all over again.

 

So would a few FI q 12's sound much better sealed or ported than the W6's? People go crazy for JL so I know I could sell them for $500 decently quickly here in Oklahoma. If I could get ahold of those AE IB15's then I'd do that for the trunk space and SQ but it seems IHC wasn't too happy with the customer service and I wouldn't get them for months. What about FI's IB sub? I don't need any louder than these 2 12w6's as they get plenty loud for me on rap but they lack down low.


Just found some MINT JBL WGTI MKII 12's for $250/pair locally. Aren't those supposed to be awesome SQ subs that can get loud.

Guy is selling a set of authentic Focal K2P's for $175 too. He said, and the pics show, like something spilled a little on one of the mids but it's still intact and works perfect.

 

The FI Q with the sealed options (there are options) was the best-of-breed for a sealed sub for me when I choose last year. I use a corner fiberglass box, but next time I would just build a thin MDF box and mount it to the rear seat mounts IB style - about 7"deep, or so, and no/minimal rattles. I just use a single 12" and a shop here in town said that they measured it over 140dbs at 40hz... which seems high to me - I would have guessed more like 135dbs. In any case, you can do permanent hearing damage with my 1 FI Q and it still sounds good, so I don't need any more.

FI knows how to make subs. I have not used their IB line, so I cannot comment specifically... but I would have no issue trying them since they have never let me down.

If you get AEs, then don't get them from AE... try and get some used ones from a responsible person.

Is your down-low-lack from a LOC? If so, then wire the sub direct and see if that helps. LOC will drop about about -24db per octave in the low range, so it falls off fast with a sub.

Get pics of the K2Ps and post them. Great set for $175, but make sure that they are K2Ps. Those still go on eBay for $400-500, or so, used, so make sure that you are getting the real deal for that money.

Make sure that they at least have the TN52 tweeter. I have seen a few sets of "K2P" with TN47 tweeters which are not nearly as nice.

If they are authentic and you don't like them, I will buy them from you on down the road.

 

Many people started hating JL once they went mainstream. I've heard the FiQ sealed and it sounded terrible to me. I think the JBL would be a downgrade as well. The 12W6 is a low end monster in the right box, trust me. I ran mine since '05 and was always keeping an eye open for something better but I ran them to 2011. That should say something. I have no loyalty to JL, I would've switched in a heartbeat if I found something better. I've heard the IDQ, IDMax, FiQ, etc, etc. IMO, stick with what you have and put it in the right box. Don't sell them just because another person hates JL, you have a badass sub already. An opinion is an opinion. If you want facts, look at the Klippel tests of the W6 which showed it being one of the most linear or the most linear they had ever tested. I'm not saying my opinion is the right one but it's much easier and cheaper to build the right enclosure for your existing subs than to sell them and buy others and build another enclosure. IB is just so easy to build, a "test" baffle won't take more than an hour to build.

My AE IB15s are considered some of the best SQ subs out there and the W6 gives up very little to it besides output. The AEs do sound better but not by much at all.

Honestly, you're going to get shit for mentioning the word JL, it's a fact of life.

 

Everyone seems to love the FI Q and compares it to the w6, etc all the time, but it takes gobs of power in a sealed box to get moving doesn't it? I'd just like a 'tigher', harder punch to my music. I'm not sure if thats a product of my subs, box, amp (x-over, etc) or a need for tuning. I don't think I'm pushing the w6's all that much still as I'm still getting a feel for them and don't want to blow them. I need to just suck it up and build a ported box or build IB.

Mids look authentic and look like the K2P's. He said the tweeter is the TN45..which is weird. Not sure if he's changed tweeters or these are older or what.

VERY true and I get what you're saying. It seems many people bash JL on every forum b/c they are can be a brand that's purchased in store. Many like that feeling of no one else knowing or having their type of sub. I still feel like it gets compared to top notch subs constantly and many say its great that have heard other top notch subs. I don't think I'll give up on them quite yet but I figured I'd post up those JBL's in case they were awesome at IB or something. I just want a hard kick in that upper bass range and be able to drop down <30 like nothing.

 

It's the price point + 99% of jl owners think it's the best thing since sliced bread.

*cough* biggs *cough*

 

I've heard those JBLs sound good in everything including IB. Supposedly one of the best "one sub fits all" subs. I still wouldn't put it up against a 12W6 in the proper enclosure.

 

TN45 is not a K2P tweeter. Might be K2 mids, but not a K2 set. Those are not great tweeters - older and Focal has made many improvements. Offer him 100 - the mids and xovers are worth that. The K2 mids can take every bit of 250W and really shine in the doors.

Both subs do well with small power, but there are differences when power increased.

I own a pair of W6 and have had them in one of my cars at one time or another for over 2 years. They are good subs, they just are not great subs - I did really like them ported. I think that there are better out there, many for less money, but I don't hate them... it took me years to form my opinions. For the record, I love my JL Slash amps and will never sell them. I had this pair of w6 in my possession and bought two new FI Qs. I have developed my opinion based on actual experiences with time, trial and error and tinkering/tuning. Take them for what they are worth... I do have a few opinions based on what I have heard, but I always try and qualify those.

Point in case: I don't know if I will end up with IB in my TL, but I have a pair of 13" subs in there now to see how it works... in my car, with my own ears. This is my 3rd set of subs that I have tried IB - 1 more to go after these. I got to where I cannot trust too many reviewers on sites any more, so I have to try stuff myself, but I was convinced enough to give it a try.

If you have wires ran and make it up to KC, we can play around with all of my old stuff if you want...

You want to try some ID CXS 2 ohm? I have a set that I am not going to use. I can ship 'em to you and you can send 'em back in a few months. Everybody is liquidating ID stuff right now and they aren't worth anything anyway...

 

Good idea.

If i had the money, i would be snatching up a lot of their stuff.

 

How do you think those mids and x-over's compare to your CXS's? What do they compare to? Hertz HSK's, Hat Imagine's or Clarus? etc..

What IB subs have you tried and what's your last one? With you and IHC trying all these IB subs and having nothing but good things to say about them, I just might have to find some 15's.

I would LOVE to try those CXS's out! That's awesome

 

If you're looking for some 15s, I've listened to a pair of IDQ15s for about an hour and a half and they sound very nice IB. I think they were the v2 version but I'll have to check on that.

Never mind, here's the car. http://caraudiomag.com/articles/acura-tl-sub-install

Very nice guy and he spent a ton of time showing me every detail of this system.

 

I am reserving my specific comments on the IB until I am done with my trial. I already know that I want to put one set back in and listen to them again. I am using stuff that I have: 12w6, Fosgate T1, Focal K2 13" and Orange Basket 15" Mojos. Generally, I really, really, really like where the subs are physically located - very little rattles and tremendous efficiency getting sound into the cabin. I have pretty flat response from 25 to 100 hz. I have put about 400w each to all of the subs so far. The output is more than enough for a daily driver although we have all heard louder. SQ varies on the sub used - go figure. I would do a pair if you have 12s - one would likely not be enough when you want to crank it. You get lots of trunk space back. I did NOT seal the trunk since this is just a trial for me. My guess is that displacement matters a bunch, but the different from 12 to 13 is noticeable, but it could be the subs too - I am going from 12 to 13 to 15 so that I can use the same boards and just enlarge the hole. I don't expect the Mojos to sound good, but I do expect more output due to displacement.

The Focals look the best in the trunk - the backs of those things look better than the fronts.

Get the model of the Focal 6.5 and I can tell you more. If they are 6K2P, then they are very nice. If they are KP3, then they are very good 6.5" midrange. Post, or email me, the pictures of the 6.5s and the crossovers. The TN45 is in the 60 percentile IMO - the Imagines or HSK are probably in the 50 percentile for me. The TN45 are very detailed, but you have to be careful with the install when approaching max RMS or they can get screechy. I would put the CXS in the 50 percentile too, but they have a totally different sound (not better or worse, just different). I would not install TN45 on-axis - the stock TL location are good for them. The mids and xovers are above anything that you listed, but the TN45 is on par with the HSK... but different. The TN45 is very musical, but needs to be kept under RMS. On axis, or over RMS, and you will not be happy, but this is true of all inverted domes that I know of. The TN45 has a phase plug IIRC - make sure that you get it if you get the set since it helps to tone down the sound over 12K which is also common in inverted domes. It is a mid-grade Focal tweeter, but that is no slam.

For reference, the TN45 is not as good as the Phass Alcino (metal or soft) or the DLS or Dyn higher end.

FWIW - the TN52 is in the 75-80th percentile IMO, so it is a nice upgrade over the TN45 or TN47. If you like the mids and want new tweets, the TN53K ($350 or so used) is Focal's best effort outside of the Be.

If you PM me your address I will send you the CXS. As long as you send them back to me in the same condition that you received them, then I am cool with it. If you want to keep them, we can work something out for market value at the time. I think that they are a very good set for a $350 (what I got them for which is too high now), and probably comparable with most $500-600 sets.

I just put a set of KRX3s in one of my TLs and I really like the pair of 6.5s. If you could afford it, the CXS set with the K2 6.5 would really slam. It is only money, right?

 

I'm glad someone is doing some IB testing around here. I'm looking forward to your results.

One thing I found from the 3 different subs that I tried IB is that subs with somewhat similar specs can sound vastly different. I'm very curious if your results agree with mine, at least on the W6 since that's the only one we have in common. Would you be willing to test one IB15 if I were to ship it to you?

Have you tried the W6 yet? The reason I ask is they will bottom at around 220w free air. I'm sure the trunk adds a tiny bit of control but I don't see it taking anywhere near 400w. I have no idea how much power I was feeding mine but I have a 1,000w amp rated at 2 ohms and I was running it 8ohm with the gain at about 1/3 of the way. It couldn't have been more than 200w. That's where I found out it had considerably more suspension than xmax. I was pretty much right on in the review thread where I guessed 25mm each way. The guys on DIYMA said it started bottoming around 25mm. Still sounded good though, way past xmax. One thing I noticed was a lack of motor and suspension noise. The Tempest X made some noise but then again I would guess I was pushing it past 30mm one way.

It's interesting looking at cone area. Going from a 12" to a 13" is about the same difference as a 10" to a 12".

Here's the DIYMA thread on the W6. Very good reading if anyone is interested about this sub or the customer service. This is page 4 where they comment on the free air power handling.

http://www.diymobileaudio.com/forum/...-12w6v2-4.html

 

FWIW - I am using a AB Class Older Fosgate 800a2 for this test. This thing should be a top-10 ever amp. I just love it. I am running the subs in stereo at 2 ohms. The amp will do about 1100 full tilt, so I don't let it get that high.

I have put 400w to the w6. It does bottom out, but I would have never been able to tell unless I saw it (or it broke). I need to put those back in, but I would guess that in our trunk with the lid closed, I was closer to 300-325 watts - I will measure it next time. The Fosgates with their massive excursion did not bottom out at all. The Focals have not been to 400w yet - they appear to be the most efficient of the bunch. They will be at 400w before long...

Oh, I forgot - ALL of them played differently with the trunk open (true IB) vs with it shut. We should probably classify these systems as leaky sealed systems with a 25 cu ft box (or whatever the cu ft the trunk is). However, none of the ones that I have used are real IB or free air subs, they just stayed at a Holiday Inn Express last night and are sucking it up.

Since this is not true free-air the 220w from the w6 might go up a bit with the trunk resistance... but who knows.

Which 15 is it? I need to find the ID of the hole so that I can see if I need to test it before, or after, the POS Memphis 15s that I have. I am not testing any frequencies or anything, rather just formulating opinions and taking notes. I have not even taken any pictures yet, which is stupid of me. I mostly do this stuff for me. I can give you a comparison to the other 4, but I don't have too much to offer other than words and wattage used.

Somebody will design a IB sub that can take 1000w and that thing could be awesome. It seems like most companies have just started to work on IB stuff.

 

I believe the FI IB sub is 800w, so 1000w shouldn't be too far behind

 

It's the Acoustic Elegance IB15 that's currently installed (2x). Cutout is 14" exactly. Very efficient subs made solely for ultra low distortion IB use. Most call them the "ultimate IB sub"

The IB15s have a sensitivity of 90.6 1w SPL.

Ultra low LE of .163 which is as low or lower than some mid ranges. These 15s will play well into the vocal range if you want them to.

Lighter moving mass than most 12s at 152g.

Large cone for a 15" at 830cm2.

Decent xmax and xmag at 18.5 and 25mm.

They're just very quick, punchy and handle the lows with ease.

I modeled these vs the Tempest X 15" that I had prior and the results were exactly what I heard with my ears....

The Tempest was VERY low end heavy. I had to cut nearly 10db from 20-40hz and boost 8db from 50-80hz.

With 300w to the IB15s and 500w to the Tempests, they are nearly even from 10-28hz with the IB15a just a little louder and then the IB15s start to pull away in SPL rapidly after 28hz.

With 300w to the IB15s and the Tempest's max 750w:
The Tempest is only 2db louder from 10 to 20hz and 1db louder from 30hz, tapering to a tie by 45hz where the IB15 again starts pulling away in loudness.

To make it interesting, with the IB15s at half the power (375w), they're just .5db down from 10-20hz, even out by 35hz, and put a 4db beating on the Tempest by 100hz......with half the power.

At an equal 200w which is about the max I run them at, the IB15 has a 2db lead from 10-20hz. 3db by 30hz, 5db by 60hz, and 6db by 80hz. This sounds so much more musical and not muddy like the Tempest.

This is why a 1,000 watt sub is just not needed. The IB15 at it's pmax of 500 watts is going to be louder than most "1,000w" subs. In fact, with 500 watts to the IB15 and 1,000 to the Tempest, they're within .5db of one another to 35hz and then the IB15 opens up the lead to 3db by 100hz.

With the Tempest X and W6, I lost a ton of bass by opening the trunk. For some reason with these, I lose very little bass with the trunk open.

I guess my biggest point is why would you want a sub that takes 1,000 watts when you can get a sub that does more with only 500 watts.

 

With a 1000w IB sub that keeps the other characteristics, you could probably get away with only one in your install - less money and less weight. That is why I would want one that could do 1000W, and do it well.

Sounds like AE makes a nice IB sub. ...now if they could only get their sh*t together as a company...

 

Yeah, I had a court package together that was getting filed at the 6th month mark. I received mine in 5.5 months. Honestly, I still would've gotten them if they told me it would be 6 months from the beginning and I would not have complained.... But saying 3 weeks and taking nearly 6 months is crazy.

One thing I hate to admit is when I first installed mine I somehow screwed up the connection at one of the subs. I only had one playing for the first hour or so until I caught it. Even then I was impressed at the output. After hooking the second up I was really impressed.

As to the wattage, I was referring to two of each sub. 500 watts each to two IB15s will be louder than 1000 watts each to two Tempests as long as xmax is not exceeded. With a subsonic filter at 20hz that shouldn't be a problem. Two IB15s at half the power will literally be louder than two Tempests. Now if we were talking HT type bass, the Tempest might get louder in the 7-10hz range.

When I had the Tempest X, I had the gain nearly maxed out on the amp. Right now it's maybe 1/4 of the way up.

I'll have to model the IB15 against some of the more efficient 15s like the IDQ.

One interesting thing is the cabin of the car has a large effect on spl at the higher volumes. I can crank them up and roll a window down and watch excursion increase along with SPL.

I'm a big fan of low excursion, efficiency, and lots of cone area, it solves several problems.

 

Just got a few videos of my tweeters making the static/clicking sound and a few vids of the RK6's in action. Not sure if it'll sound like I hear it but they're uploading now and I'll post here shortly. I switched my PDX from the 3+4 setting to the 1+2/3+4 and, maybe it's just my imagination, but I swear they sound better and more full now. Definitely dig lower and punch a bit more. I think the PDX wasn't bridged so they were getting all of 100 watts, seeing double that now. Again..maybe it's just me "wanting" to hear a difference but whatever.

Also! A few things I find annoying. The tweets seems to have a sort of resonance sound every once in awhile. I'm still trying to pinpoint the a good song where it occurs often and can ask you all if you hear the same but I sounds more muffled and almost like its a bit blown. The mid can get a bit hollow sounding at some frequencies. Again, still trying to pinpoint where its at and if it's low then I'll just High Pass them a tad higher than that. Vid's shortly...

 

Watch these in HD...sound is more like what I'm hearing.

Tweeter Noise: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nzBzCYSHPYY

Demo's: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LqOWqRec3S0

The other demo is in my vid's

 

And yes...it's 115 freakin degrees here!!

 

When you are critiquing speakers, make sure that you have a quality recording playing... like radio with good reception or 320 mp3, etc. I have spent half a day before wondering why I cannot get good sound and I was playing a mp3 from 1995 ripped to about 2MB, or something awful.

The PDX probably should be running dual mono - channels 1&2 having 1 RCA cable split (Y adapter) to both inputs... channels 3&4 having the other RCA split (another Y adapter) into both inputs. Effectively, 1&2 are the right and 3&4 are the left (or whatever). If you are not using a Y adapter, then it could really suck. You can damage a lot of amps if you bridge with only one RCA hooked up - you need signal coming into both. You have to set BOTH gains. I have never had a PDX, so I don't know for sure, but this looks to be the way that I have seen pics of them hooked up.

My guess is that you have it wrong. If you went 1&2/3&4, but have them bridged, then it probably does sound better... but you are running mono with the same summed signal coming from both sets of channels.

Are you using Y adapters?

 

All my music is in FLAC format. Bitrates at 850 or higher

And yeah..using 2 sets of Y-adapters. Cut one end of RCA's and wired them into pre-amp signal. RCA's go into ground loop isolator (still seeing whether this helps the pdx) and Y's after that into the amp. It sounds fine...just can't figure what the hell this noise is that happens from the turn of the key until music starts up at around a volume of 3 or 4. Gain is a little over half with high pass at 70.