Rusky

I have a tr880 (880 watts at 4ohm) powering a brahma mkII 12. I built a 1 cubic foot enclosure from 3/4 maple vaneered plywood and dumped it in my trunk.

Oh MY GAWD!

I can't even tell you how much fun this is. The sound quality is unbelievable. When I listen to jazz, it sits right in the mix. If I happen across R&B or rap or crank up some techno, the boom comes through. With rock music it is just like a concert. You feel it and hear it and you just wear this shit eatin' grin all day thinking about the beauty in your very own car.

The biggest difference I can relate between this sub and every other sub I have ever heard is this. It sounds "right". You know how most bass-heavy systems make that really smoothed out "thuuuump" when the bass drum hits? That characteristic is not prominent with the Brahma. I've always liked that exagerated thump and, in previous systems, yearned for more. What I liked about the boom is how it makes your stomach feel. Now that I hear a system that is focused on thump, I realize just how much I like to hear the music as it was intended. The bass is limitless and if I want to get more, I just turn it up. The Brahma has only clipped out once on some spacey, sub-sonic filler in a Wilco song that was so incredibly intense, I had to pull over! I have since tuned my amps a little better (and I turned the volume down the [i]second[\i] I heard that slap).

What a driver it is! I wanted to have the smallest amount of space without compromising sound quality and capability. I am so pleased with my result. I really gambled with Adire. Adire does not advertise like JL does. You can't get a Brahma from a chain store. You can't even go demo one at the local specialty shop. You have to trust the people who have one and say, "this is the most incredible thing ever." I bought on faith that there is something special about Adire and something I'd never know I was missing if I went to the retail store and bought the popular brand. I was right.

OU, I happened across Hotel california on my way in, yep, way more bass in that song then I suspected! I wish you were here in my town to hear it.

...and this post is intended without pics. My install is pretty simple and I have yet to reorient my amps so they take less space. When I am finished, I'll post some

go4heat

wow that is really great to hear, because i am thikning of buying the exact same sub. i, however, listen to more rap and hip hop and am looking for a big boom, but also superb sound quality. i have heard the same great things about adire, and am prety close to buying a 12" brahma. your box is sealed, correct? if i get a ported box i should have a little bit less quality and a little bit more bump, which is exactly what i am looking for in relation to the characterstics you have given.

Scott P

Adire is one of the better "underground" brands out out there. I've played with them, RE, and ED and although they are all apples and oranges as a whole (yes i know the RE XXX is pretty much the same as the Adire Brahma) you can not go wong with any of there stuff as far as sql goes. Glad to see you are enjoying it and that another person has found bliss in a non major company.

LIGHTBEING

Word, good choice on the Brahma. I heard wonderful things about them. I'm defintely considering Brahma. Others I'm considering RE and SI D2. Eventually I will get 2-12's in a custome box and a Soundstream Turantula 1600.2 amp.

Question, how many ohms is the Brahma? How much did you get it for?

Rusky

the brahma is dual 2ohm so it can be 1, 2 or 4 ohm. I have mine wired in 4 ohm.

I got it for 359 from Sound Foundations but the price has gone up since then.

Keep in mind it took 4-ever to arrive! They are seriously back-ordered. I suggest ordering as soon as you can and then relax while you wait. You might even get a sub to tide you over until it arrives. Whatever you do, don't be in a hurry. Seth at SF was very simpathetic and responsive to my repeated inquiries.

Yes, my box is sealed, 1 cubic foot. If you port and tune it, look out. I can't even imagine 2 of them with that much power!

I'll be honest, if you like the real deep thump and don't mind sacrificing sound quality for pressure, you might consider different subs. Brahma have a really musical quality to them and they don't color the sound the way a JL does.

As OU will tell you, you won't be disappointed with the JL's. My ears have been ringing since I got the Brahma in. I am actually wondering if I went too far.

LIGHTBEING

Damn, what a beauty!!!!



1600 watts RMS!!!!! Holy shit. You may want to consider a new amp. Is the TR880 a Soundstream Turantula, I think that's what a TR is? Love Soundstream amps. Another great choice!!!!

Got any pics?

uncleb

wat the hell?? that's amazing!!!
how do you guys find out about these speakers??
i've heard of other subs that are awsome, re xxx and digital designs 9900, do you guys know anything about these? (o, and i think lightbeing said SI D2, i'm figuring this is in the same range)....i know nothing about these subs, all i know is that people say they're reeeaal nice, i just can't find ANY info on them
sorry if this is a highjack, its just that you guys know about "underground" speakers, and i would rather spend $$ on the speaker itself rather than on the marketing.

LIGHTBEING

uncleb,

Here is the price break down for RE last I heard. However it could have went up slighty.

www.reaudio.com

RE8- $49
RE10- $59
RE12- $69

SE10- $149
SE12- $169
SE15- $199

SX10- $239
SX12- $249
SX15- $269
SX18- $309

XXX10- $359
XXX12- $369
XXX15- $399
XXX18- $429

MT10- $409
MT12- $419
MT15- $449
MT18- $479

there is a $25 charge to upgrade the MT or XXX line to a quad voice coil configuration.

Here are the SI D2's:

http://www.stereointegrity.com/Magnum12.html

2-12's would definitely make a serious system.

But IMO the Brahma and RE XXX are superior. They are vitually the same speaker. Although Brahma can handle a bit more, I wouldn't be pumping 4600 watts into a single sub anyways. The amp I'm seriously considering is 1600 watts @ 4 ohms. That would do a single Brahma or an XXX justice.

Originally I was thinking 2-12's but now I may just go with one Brahma or XXX due to wiring options and trunk space. I don't think I will be disappointed.

If you want to take it to the extreme, look at the RE MT, HOLY SHIT!!!!!!

Rusky

I will try to take some pics soon. I will be doing some cleanup this weekend.

uncleb

but does wattage really = better speaker....i doubt any stores near me carry these, so where ican read judgement of their sound quality from??

...damn, i'm like amazed, you guys opened a whole new door for me....prior to this, the w7 was the most powerful speaker i'd heard of

go4heat

yeah i felt the same way when i started researching subs about 2 weeks ago. splbassx.com is a really good forum for learning about more "underground" and less marketed brands. as far as the sound quality goes, you will probably have to just go on hearsay as most major stores dont carry these, though you might be able to find them if you look hard. i think it is sort of a consensus deal here, though, that these subs are GREAT and that you cant really go wrong as far as subwoofer quality.

uncleb

hey rusky, i saw that the speaker handles a lot of wattage, and the amp also pushes good power. what's your power supply?? any kind aftermarket alternator or battery?

LIGHTBEING

uncleb,

I would join a forum like www.caraudio.com or the like. Many of the members use "underground" equipment. I'm sure they would be more then willing to let you hear their system. Actually someone already offered to let me hear there SoundStream SPL subs. They are very accomodating, and ofcourse they love to show off their system anyways

other then that you are just gonna have to take peoples word for it. Plus do some research and look at the design of the speakers. Brahmas and RE XXX have a superior build quality. I would much rather have either one over a W7. My friend has a 10" W7 and although it sounds good, i was slightly disappointed. It's powerful but The SQ isn't all that. He has a sealed box with JL 1000.1.

Not to mention just by looking at these subs, they awe me. Their huge magnet and spider casket should speak for themselves.

And Rusky has a 880 watt amp at 4 ohms. Although a very nice amp, it's not going to need any aftermarket power supply. Probably just a 100 watt fuse. Some people say Capacitors help. But it's not really neccesary in his case.

Rusky

If you're lucky, you can find a place to demo the subs. Call around. I went on hear/say. I saw that they were designed for sound quality as a musical sub. Adire is highly respected in the home audio, audiophile DYI community. Then, I saw that people were winning competitions with one sub!

I only have 1100 watts total to my whole system, 880 to the sub. (I know, only?!)

I have been running with a 60amp fuse. I blew one at first but not since. That leaves 40 amps for the car and charging system.

I have been busy tuning and getting the balance just right. The sub has never distorted and I have never turned it all the way up. It is incredibly clean & powerful.

I decided on the Brahma based on the reviews I found online (Just search google for "adire brahma") and the fact that one sub would perform as well as two top shelf subs. My goal was to have headroom! My previous system has a point where the sub would distort and I had to turn down the bass and always wished for just a little more, every now and again. Not anymore. In fact, for the first week, my ears were ringing. I have been consciously trying to keep it under control but when that 5 o'clock bell rings and I land in heavy traffic, the radio almost turns itself up.

LIGHTBEING

Rusky,

Well said. Where do you live btw? Hopefully in NJ so I can hear your Brahma

Also. your amp is Soundstream right? Turantula?

Love Soundstream, one of my first amps was a Soundstream Reference 700s

uncleb

wow, those look pretty amazing, AND their cheaper than w7....what kind of amp would you run, that would deliver a clean 1600 watts (besides the tarantula mentioned earlier on the thread). how come you're running only 880, is it cuz youre at 4 ohms?

i see a bunch of amps that claim up to 2000 watts, but then don't specify if its continous or just a burst

LIGHTBEING

There are plenty of amps to chose from that are 1000+ watts. Which would do a single Brahma or an XXX justice. Just an FYI, for a single DVC 2 ohm sub you would need an amp that has either a 1 ohm load or a 4 ohm load so you can wire it like so:



or



There are plenty of companies to chose from. Check into these:

Cadence, Hifonics, JL, Orion, Rockford, Phoenix Gold, US Amps and many more. Must do a lot of research before you get a serious system. Let me know if I can help with anything.

Rusky

You don't need to push as many watts as the drivers are capable of. The Brahma likes a lot of juice but 880 is plenty. Keep in mind, a TL-P only has 100 amps to work with, the S has like 120. Electrical power is measured in watts. In an electrical system power (P) is equal to the voltage multiplied by the current. So, figure you need 30 amps to run the car, that leaves 70 amps for the stereo. multiply 70 by 14.4 (maximum charging voltage) and you get 1008 watts. That's all you can push without replacing your alternator (S-Type owners enjoy a 1300 watt max). Now subtract the watts going to your interior speakers and you can all relax, 880 is pretty monsterous.

But the important point is that the amp can push the speaker past the limits of my cranium. I truly think I could crush my skull with this sub woofer if I tried. If you had 2000 watts, you would just have the volume knob a little lower or the gain turned down with the same result, amazing bass.

Lastly, be wary of amplifiers rated to be rediculously high. The soundstream weren't inexpensive, its a first class amp. I am sure it is pushing every watt they rate it for. But like I said, I haven't turned it up high enough to hear what that woud do. I did blow a few fuses while I was absolutely shuttering in a field of bass, but I have since turned it down and gotten a better mix.

If you are thinking about this sub, go ahead and email adire, they are very responsive and will recommend wattage and possibly brands. I mentioned the Soundstream TR880 (yes TR is for Tarantula) and they said, "that'll do donkey, that'll do"

I should also point out that the box is critical. Depending on your preference, you may want to port it. I chose sealed. There is a SubZero sealed box made specifically for the Brahma that is just incredible. I couldn't afford it ($250 for single 12, $300 for dual + shipping). Its perfect! if someone is seriously considering 2 brahma's, the dual has isolated chambers so you could install one at a time.

I'm way off on a tangent. The sub can handle anything you throw at it. one is totally enough unless you want to compete. It only needs about 400 watts to really slam but get a little more to be safe.

And I am not in NJ, sorry.

uncleb

although i was initially interested in the xxx (probably cuz it looks so damn sexy!), i think i'm also going to end up going with a brahma adire, 15"

...i'm planning to run it off a usamp 1000X (1000 watts bridged at 4 ohms), and from what i've heard, if you're going to underpower (1400 or less), then the brahma will handle it better (compared to xxx)

still debating wether to go sealed or ported.....i'm sure i have some waiting to do either way, for the sub to come in, so no biggie

LIGHTBEING

Good choice!!!! Awesome, cuz I like to have an original system that no one else has. I'm ordering a 12" XXX very soon and I'm gonna pick up the TR1600.2 and a second battery probably by xmas. Can't wait. Good luck guys.