please read my latest post in this thread regarding subs unless you really want the history!!!

I've been doing some research on what to get for my TL

My objective is to build a great sounding system that can shake the hair on the back of my neck yet not distort at all. I will sacrifice volume for clarity. No shrill highs, I prefer my ears do not hurt... in fact, I want it to make me happy when I am stuck in Atlanta traffic.

consider how it would sound with the Star Wars theme song cranked up loud. Then, throw in some Nelly, come back to some NIN, and maybe listen to some Coldplay. Full range, beautiful sound with thump describes it best.

What do you think of the following?

Amplifiers

Phoenix Gold: They have the Octane-R, tantrum, and Titanium (what's what? the cotane looks like the pretty one, the titanium looks like the utility one) the website looks like they are affiliated with carver which used to be the shiznit! (for home audio)

XTant - Seems to some heavy price reductions available and if I recall, aren't these great amps?

MTX: seems that though they have a best buy reputation, people like them alot. I have been impressed with said powered systems

Subwoofers:

Infinity Kappa - Subwoofers. I have experience with their full range speakers and they are the cleanest, clearest thing in the world but sometimes too bright for my taste. The dual voice coil 10 seems to be catching my eye.

JL Audio: everyone squeals about JL Audio, is it deserved?

Polk: I've liked polk in the past

Phoenix Gold: again, any good?

MB Quart: seems lots of people are running these

JBL: another one that's been around

Speakers:

Polk DB6500 (i hear they fit)

HU:

??? any thoughts? Alpine is sort of my stand by


Any other suggestions you may have, please contribute!

let's make this an intelligent, mature conversations, BTW

Meaning, no slamming each other. Just give your opinion (based on experience) of audio equipment.

When we're done, and I have the thump, I'll post my results!

Thanks

 

You're going to get a lot of mixed opinions on the topic. I've used Resonant engineering, JL Audio, Elemental Design, Adire audio, Image Dynamics, Arc audio, and many more. They are all different, so it really depends how much you can spend. If you have mucho dinero, opt for the W7. It has the best sound quality (iobjectively) you can get as far as I know (brahma close behind).

The Phoenix gold octane, IMO, isn't a true PG amp. Its inferior compared to the other PG amps. The quality isn't up there with the other PG amps. Xtant and MTX amps are nice. Audison, Arc Audio, TRU technology, Milbert, Butler, etc...so many brands out there, how much are you willing to dish out?

If you don't like bright highs, look at some of the sets out there that comes with silk or aluminum tweeters. CDT audio, JL Audio, MB Quart (Q-series), or just go and put together a set of your own.

As for headunits, pick and of them that you like. There isn't a sound quality difference (flame on ). You pay for looks, quality, and features. Eclipse, Alpine, Pioneer, Denon, Rockford Fosgate, they are all nice brands to go buy. Got $300 to spend on a $1000 retailed deck that is made by Denon? Go to sounddomain and get yourself an RFX-8250 deck.

So how much do you want to pay total?

 

it all comes down to budget and taste.. personally i would have to agree with gsted on the jl sub... i would probably go with diamond audio or focal components up front and coxials in the rear.. as for amps.. either jl, arc, zapco or pg titanium... headunit... eclipse or alpine..

 

I agree with the other posts. Budget plays a huge factor. My personal favorites:

Eclipse head units and multimedia
Alpine head units and multimedia

Diamond Components

JL Amps

Image IDMAX
JL subs

 

I thought I'd finish up the post for anyone who stunbled on it. Here is what I got...

Alpine CDA-9807
50x4 xTant A4004t to power two sets of Polk DB6500's.
Soundstream Tarantula TR880 to power (Infinity Perfect 12 or two perfect 10's)

I haven't picked up the subs yet but the reviews apeal to me and the price is pretty reasonable.

Now comes the install. When I finish that you will likely get a short scream of delight and not hear from me for a few weeks (though you might hear me coming)

...and let me warn anyone who is embarking down this road. It is a disease! Once you catch it, you're through... You will piss off anyone trying to get on the computer and your entire life will be audio research.

cheers~

 

My system gives me exactly what you want....very loud, but also great sounding

I wouldnt change a thing if that helps any.

 

i figure some of u have high power system in ur ride, iwas wondering if an of u have to buy a new alternator for ur high power steroe. im currently running diamond audio mid and high with a 600watt 6 channel ppi amp and diamond sub with a 800watt ppi amp and two compacitor on them but my light still dimms when the bass hit. i also change my battery to a rockford. does anyone know how i could fix this problem or know where to get a bigger alternator???

 

We need to read our posts before we post them....that took me three times to figgure out what you were asking...

Anyway, yes you can send in your alternator and get it rewound to put out about 190 AMPS, the stock output is 120 AMPS. This is really the only thing you can do if you already have capacitors and a better battery. go to **********.com and look for Austin519, he did this - he has a killer setup. I think the company he sent it too was Ohio Generator.

 

I know about the JL...

I have read the posts and got the idea that the JL are everybodies favorite. But, man, they are expensive!

There are a few interesting deals out there, can anyone comment...

Here's what I want: accurate, precise music reproduction. Clear, tight, deep bass. Some subs will shake the asphault beneath your ride when the radio announcer says, "sale, sale, sale" but that is not exactly what I want. But when a techno song has a long boom, I want my hair to stand up...

I have a SoundStream TR880 on its way to power the sub(s)

subs
Right now I can get a Polk Momo 12 in its own custom box - sounddomain for $180

or I was looking at the Infinity perfect 10/12 - SoundDomain for $150 (or $160 dual voice coil)

but check this out... anyone have personal experience with Adire? http://www.visionaryaudio.com/adire.htm
]this site[/URL] claims they outperform JL 12w6 hands down... I looked at Adire's site and they are serious! They have more info on speakers and audio then you can possibly shake a stick at.

boxs
This leads me to boxes as there are some sweet boxes for around $100. For that price, it makes sense to buy rather than build.

Anyone have experience with Obcon, Q-Logic?

one or two
I am interested in using as little space as possible. Will I ever reach capacity of one pf these 12's? what about a 10? I would prefer one sub if I can expect it to perform. I usually like 10's better than 12's but I'm judging based on my experience with MTX and Rockford Phosgate subs in the 90's (which I know are floppy, boomy subs). I had a Boston accoustic Ralley 10 in my last setup powered with only 70 watts and it would clip when abused. (no duh) I have an Alpine bandpass in my VW bus and was surprised to learn it is an 8! It sounds awesome!

and if i do two, what is the box interior volume?
Do you double the volume of the single recommendation or is there an equation to find the volume for two subs based off one subs requirement?

thanks y'all!

 

Serriously, the system I have is tight....Im getting is measured in a week or so, it deffinately hits well over 140DB. It sounds amaizing also, the Focals are amazing! Ill post pics also in a week.

 

OU

 

OU Sig,

I'm sure your system is as tight as a cheerleader on prom night! The fact that you listed your db's, however, is the reason I am not convinced the JL's are for me. I listen to alot of Rock, Jazz, Rock-a-billy, alt-country, and of course, techno plus a bit of booty shakin music...

I have read books about the JL's and have come to the conclusion that they are geared for booooooom in a big way.

I am interested in exploring some alternatives that might be a little more accurate even if not as loud.

I am confident that I will love the Infinity perfect series.

Can anyone tell me about the Adire Shiva's or Brahma's?

How many do I need? With 800 watts, will one twelve make me grin like that cheerleader's date on prom night or am I going to need two? In that case, I think 2 tens suits me better. But what about that brahma? Perhaps, for $300, I can call it a day... Then again, do I need all that or will one SHiva do the trick? Or should I stick with the Infinity?

 

I think you're SOL trying to find out what is right for you based on what other people think about a subjective topic like this. But I will say I have two older Infinity Kappa 10s that I'm extremely happy with (matched to 60.5cs and Kenwood eXcelon deck/amp). Very tight (Sevendust hits juuuust right) but still has the boom for some ying yang twins or bubba sparxx. Can't help ya on the jazz tho

 

Rusky,
I'm a big Adire fan. I have two Shiva's in my home system and waiting for spare time to build up a pair of HE12.1. I don't have any Adire in my car but have followed alot of threads over the years. A ton of good info was lost when Ampman site down on Adire applications but Adire's official site is at http://www.acoustic-visions.com/~acoustic/forums/
Concerning your application,
Shiva's need some space, min 1.25 cubes, better 1.5 cubes sealed to get low. The Tempest is the jewel if you can give up ~3 cubes sealed or ~4 cubes ported. Prob one of the best buys out there. Better yet, it makes a heck of a home sub for HT.
The Brahma is a different beast. Due to the XBL tech, it is very accurate. Usually the complaints are that is doesn't pound as hard as some other high-end subs in the ultra low regions, but, in fact, due to very low distortion (XBL tech), below 18-20 HZ or so, the sound is so clean you can barely hear it but you can definitely feel it! Extremely low distortion. The majority of people have liked a 10" Brahma ported, which I would recommend with a trunk mount. I would go sealed with a 12" though.
Personally, I am waiting for Adire's Koda 10/12 with XBL to come out later this year(hopefully) for my truck. If not, I'm going with a 10" Brahma.
Currently, I have an Elemental Designs 12O in my car.
Hope this helps. You will find much more help and experiences at the site I listed for Adire. Very good people there.
Just remember, 51% of a high-end system is the install, and I'm not talking about how pretty it is, IMHO.
Good luck.

 

Hey, thats a good one

I posted the DB's just to show its potential. No sub is totally geared toward anything - unless you look at the ones only for max DB - the 18 inch Kicker L7 for example. My JL's are in a 1 cubic foot SEALED enclosure. So they sound amazing on all types of music.
I didnt want to ruin a quality SQ system with a big ported box. They could go louder with a ported box but I really want to go for Sound Quality. Thats why I went with quality components all around. Good try to make fun though, when you didnt know what you were talking about.


by the way, the Infinity Perfects are really made for low bass - you probably wont like them for your type of music.

 

OU,

thanks for all the great advice. Sorry if I may have sounded pompous, I can see your point!

I decided on an Adire, they are all about SQ. JL's do sound awesome, I agree. I've also learned that the install is the deciding factor no matter what sub you pick.

I'm off to start my install! Wish me luck

 

very true, the install makes or breaks the subs sound. have fun, be sure to dynamat your trunk and rear deck though...the sub will shake the hell out of it! good luck and no hard feelings .

 

Got the speakers (Polk DB6500 all the way around) and head (Alpine 9807) unit installed!

I used dynamat on the front doors, placed the front tweets on the triangle plastic pieces in front of the widows and the rear tweets just forward of the stock speaker basket behind the speaker mesh. I drilled a 1 inch hole in the plastic behind the cloth cover by chewing a little at a time with a hole saw until I could pop it out. I cleaned the edges with a utility knife. You can only see it if you know its there! The speakers mounted to the stock rain baskets perfectly and the corssovers were no trouble to mount behind the door panel. On ascale of 1-10 for speaker install difficulty, I'd give this a 4. Definitely something the average do it yourselfer can do in a weekend. Give yourself at least two full days.

I hooked everything up to stock wiring and swapped out the Bose with the Alpine head unit.

The clarity is amazing! You can hear the bells and cymbals in the music that were just swallowed by the stock audio. I'm very pleased with the results. I am going to have to pull it all apart again to install the amps and the sub. If anyone is wondering if its worth installing in two phazed like this, don't. It would have made alot of sense to do the amps yesterday but I had no interconnects so, well, I guess I'll be posting again in a couple, few weeks.

There is some distortion when I turn it past half. As is, it would suit the average person quite well. I expect the amp hook up to clean it up tremendously. Further, when I take the lows out of the 6 1/2's, the mids won't be competing for time. You can hear the bass drown out the tone. Again, the highs are sugary sweet without any harsh edge. I can turn it up if I roll off some bass and the highs don't have the shrillness I have heard in some components. Definitely recommend the Polks and frankly think the components all the way around is worth the extra money and effort. After all, that's where my boy will be riding and he deserves good sound too.

Can't wait for the sub. I'll be back

 

Do diamond audio hex S600 up front
rears do M6 speakers
one diamond audio 12in TDX sub
use diamond D5 amps

and u wont regret it, I am a die hard JL and Alpine fan but diamond is so damn awesome, I wanna do all diamond audio for my next system

 

yeah, that's great. diamond. too late! I've already run the credit card
Maybe in a year or so after I have some money. Oh, I just biought a house. I won't be having any more money.

I am STILL waiting for my sub! I can't believe it has been over 6 weeks and no freaking sub woofer. Adire confirmed that they are seriously backordered on the brahma

So... when its in,. I'll let you know how it sounds.

Anyone thinking of Adire at the moment, go get yourself something to keep you sane while you wait, and wait and wait.. and wait... and...

btw, ou siq, go ahead, tell me you told me so. I know you want to. What should I have gotten? JL w7. I would bet my right testy that I'd not have regretted that. We'll see how the brahma turns out

 

:diablotin haha oh well, I have heard they are nice subs, but I bet you would be happy if you had a JL in your ride for the past month just getting broke in perfectly now, aahhhh the good life - haha, but good luck and post some pics when you get the goods bud.

 

I have boston acoustic pro's 6.5 all around and so far there 1 of the cleanest and acurate speaker i've heard. And they also fit in pretty easy. I also have 3 jl audio tens which I think are a little too much and was thinking of downsizing. But they are very tight and clean. I also listen to a variety of music and i'm also using the stock H/U.

 

From what I have been hearing out of the Adire camp on other forums, is that you are going to be waiting a while longer for the sub, serious back order doesn't begin to explain the situation. Nonetheless i having been in the exact same situation as you as far as what I want performance wise chose almost identically. The only difference i came across is the hu (i went with pioneer out of brand loyalty) and Elemental designs for the sub (I'm probably going to use their mids to once they are released) sole because of the price and sealed requirements (considerably less than adire, while in my opinion only a minute fraction of sound quality. ) Good to see you got what you wanted so far though, I would love to hear a brahma in a tl.

 

Apparently, the UPS guys kept giving them the finger! Finally arrived

 

Since I'm at work and don't really have time to read the whole thread, the Diamond hex's are excellent choices. I have them in my camaro and they are truley amazing. One thing though, I saw you said you don't want really "shrilly highs", make sure you get the S600s. This has the silk tweeter you will not like the titanium version most likely. Second as afar as the amps go, PG has had their quality control go down quite stedily over the last few years. They use to be top notch, but not so much anymore. From those choices Xtant is a no brainer. The make great amps. If any of this is repetitive I'm sorry.

Jim

 

What amp did you buy for the sub?

 

I got a soundstream tr880 to power the sub. I haven't had any time to work on the install in a while, the stuff is still not in yet.

I got an XTant 4 channel (50x4) to power the polk components. Glad everyone likes them. I can't wait to get it running.