2 subs vs 1 sub

[Lil Freek]

what's better? 2 subs at 600w each, or 1 1200w sub?? (12")

i'm looking at getting an amp that will push 1200-1400w @ 1ohm (MA Audio HK302SX or eD NiNe.1) and don't know what to slap on it... i'd rather have 2 600w subs, cuz the idea of 2 subs is more visually appealling, but is it the same??

now.. i'm gonna spend about US$500 on the amp.. i'd like to spend about US$400-500 on the sub(s). anybody have any suggestions?? i'm looking at the MA1200XL for the 2 x 600w idea... or the PG Titanium 12D elite for 1x1200w

 

[aznativesilverp]

If you build the right box and have the right power 1 12 could sound like 2.

 

[Poseur]

It all depends on what exactly you're looking for, etc. 2 will very likely get louder. Thatsaid, I'm pushing 1kw+ to a single 12, and I can't possibly see the need for any more output. The bonush of a strong single isthat there's more excursion which'll makeup for the less surface area, and also keeps your box smaller and easier to build. Personally I don't even think thatmuch power's necessary, and infact, I would be just as happy with 500w, but that goes to show the type of listener I am.

Let me warn you against the eD amp... I've done my share of preaching the wonders fo them, but Firstoff, They've fuckedover myself and many others in the past. Customer support is horrible for such a small company. That aside, The eD amps are mande by Avionixx, who made the Tsunamis' as well... I've sent both of my tsunami's in for service once, JUst sent my sub amp out for the second time, and I just realized today that the connections on my 4440 are intermittant (I have to hold my output terminals to get any signal coming out of them) so apparantly I'll be sending it in for the 2nd time as well...

eD claims that these are upgraded, etc fomr avionixx's earleir designs, but eD has said many things in the past that were utter BS as well... such as "oh, those'll ship eary july"

Hard to detach my personal bitterness, but honestly allthat aside, get a good amp, A good deal isn't worth the pain in the ass of having to send them back for repair every couple months. Warranty or not (and who knows, eD may try to tell you it's your fault that your amp fried)

 

[got wake?]

i wouldn't go with either of those amps the tests i've seen done on MA amps shows that they only put out their rated power at 17 volts, same as audiobahn. and i don't really trust ED at this point.

http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&category=18797&item=5718296569&rd=1
reliable JBL amp for about half what you are looking to spend.

http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&category=64572&item=5717895221&rd=1
or you could go with the new RF T1001BD, that on the birth sheets that i've seen puts out over 1600 watts.

 

[TrueProtege]

Don't always look at the "600W"or "1200" rating on subs. these numbers are usually "peak" numbers used by the marketing department as a way to fool people into buying a lesser product. As far as the 1 vs 2 question, unless your willing to drop a load of cash on a high quality sub 2 will usually be louder due to the increased cone area of the two drivers.
Also dont get fooled by "peak" numbers on amps as well, always look for RMS numbers at the impeadence you will be using.

 

[Lil Freek]

yeah. i know to watch for WRMS, RMS and Peak... those are a big pet peeve.. i never pay attention to anybody that only advertises Peak performance.

I've had some problems with my last RF amp, but my 500bd is holding up real well with my e12K.44... so i might give the 1001bd a shot. I've heard lots of good stuff about JBL and JL.

This is months away from becoming a reality, anyways.. i gotta plan lots of stuff, like dimensions of the box and how to FG around it... so I also have to make sure i buy stuff that'll last a long time, cuz i don't want to have to rip out fiberglass cuz of a bad amp/sub that I have to replace.

 

[1sty]

Double the subs, double the power (thumb)

 

[sndsgood]

damn you guys and your mega watt jumbo systems lol

i used to push 140 watts to a single 12 with this setup i could start doing permanent hearing damage after a half hour of listening time. at the power and db's you guys are listening to your systems at you doing permanent damage after a couple minutes time if that long.



now, i'd prefer to have one quality sub versus two middle quality subs, the spl diffrence theoretically is 3db's the two subs will be 3 dbs louder in theory. in the real world it may only be 2 db's and if you spend the same amount on a high quality sub that you would for 2 subs, the diffrence might even be less then that. if your not looking to enter spl comps. 1 sub with that kind of power should be plenty. like i said with that much power your just about instantly doing damage to your ears. so your close on the spl numbers but now your box is half the size so you can save your trunk and maybe be one of the few people smart enough to keep the spare tire intact.

 

[Poseur]

Hey, you're gonna have to speak up there sonny, didn't hear ya.

Actually I prettymuch never crank my sub up allthat loud, but for those occasional moments when you roll up next to an annoying ricer with his chrome flamed audiobahns... ohyea... I live my life one crosswalk at a time... *heh*

oh yea, and I DO HAVE MY SPARE.. lots more functional space than the vast majority in here I'd imagine actually. In all reality, concerning output and power, etc. you could cut my subamp power in half and I'd likely never notice it.

 

[Lil Freek]

yeah.. i'd want to have an amp that i can control really well... my combo is sometimes too bassy, even when it's at the lowest...
i wouldn't really blare it all the time, just when i pop in at car shows and to annoy/show-up the ricers in town

 

[Chiguy_2002]

I use one JL Audio 10W3D4 Sub...Dual Voice Coil at 4 ohms, ran parallel, makes it 2 ohms, running 300W, sounds very good, tight, deep and kicks well enough for me (wow) The box isn't very pretty, but if I paint it or carpet it, should be fine...

 

[got wake?]

damn you guys and your mega watt jumbo systems lol

i used to push 140 watts to a single 12 with this setup i could start doing permanent hearing damage after a half hour of listening time. at the power and db's you guys are listening to your systems at you doing permanent damage after a couple minutes time if that long.

actually the research i've been reading through has been saying that low frequencies do not damage hearing, or at least they don't damage it nearly as much as higher frequencies. if it does damage hearing, it's only the low frequency hearing that you'd lose and outside of my car, i know i rarely ever hear anything below 60 hz that is of any importance. it's the high frequencies i am worried about. and the people that put like 10 tweeters in their car, and other stupid crap like that really disturb me.

 

[sndsgood]

yeah but if were all into audio and we all know how much better a system sounds with some accurate bass you'd be just as willing to protect your hearing at all frequencies. yes higher frequency sounds are more damaging but most people are putting out 140dbs of cymbal crashes.

 

[chuyler1]

If you were installing this system in a convertible or a full size Suburban I wouldn't question your choices but 1200 watts isn't necessary for a quality system in a compact sedan like the Protege. 400-600 watts is really all you need but its your money.

With that aside, the two subs IMO are going to be louder based on cone area, however the single sub is going to be tighter sounding...but at 1200 watts I seriously doubt you'd notice the difference. You might also get a lower rolloff with the single sub because most of that extra power is used to throw the woofer way out of its basket to generate those notes below 30Hz. So unless you listen to rap/hiphop all the time its a big waste of your money.

Just don't forget, once you drop a 1200 watt amp into your car your next post on this board is going to be about why your lights are dimming now...then you gotta fork over the cash for 1/0ga wire, a capacitor (or 2), a new battery, and eventually an alternator. The stock electrical system was not designed to deliver 1200watts on top of its normal duties.

 

[Lil Freek]

i'm aware of the rewiring (went from 8 to 4, now from 4 to 1/0)
I intend on buying a Yellow top to support my crack-habbit of music.

I actually listen to dancehall, rap/hip hop and raggae/ragga all the time.

I currently have a 500w sound system.. although it can easily take the 500w I push to it. The e12K.44 has a RMS of 400 and peak of 900, i believe.. but when asked about power, they said that 500w should be safe so long as it's not cranked 24/7 - and it's not, and it's lasted a year already.

I had a 250w system, then a 500w, so next logical step is 1000w i may settle for 800-900w in the end... I do, however, want 2 high quality 12" subs in the trunk.

 

[chuyler1]

Settle for 800 watts and get 2 JL 12W6v2s...you don't get higher quality than that.

 

[Poseur]

Be careful with what eD claims. but as long as it's not bottoming or showing any signs of distortion you should be alright.

Nowthen, let me first say that these guys know ALOT, I fully respect them, and they do have a good point, All that aside, dude, run 1kw if you want, hell run 2kw, it's your car. I said I wouldn't notice having half the power for everyday useage, but it IS really nice to have it there damaged hearing or no, It goes boom and rumbles my belly *heh*

Even more than the yellow top, I'd look into doing the engine grounding kit thing. That made a HUGE difference for me. Yes your lights will still dim, but alot less. my voltage used to drop about 1.5v and now it only fluctuates about .5v not to mention my car does drive smoother. it's evne more noticeable since I've got 2 p5's to play with (mine and my g/f's) I did it to mine and she noticed it just feels smoother now even more than I did. and she didn't know I'd done it. She was wondering if there's something wrong with her car. Oh, and look into a redtop, or possibly blue. Yellowtops are good, but they require a special, and fairly expensive deep cycle charger be used if they're ever run down below a certain point. (leaving your lights on or something)

The 2 w6v2's is a good suggestion, though, good boom. Personally I'd stick with a single 12, if you were around me I'd let you hear mine, it gets plenty loud, and it's jus sealed, I coudl get more out of it ported, but to me the space is an issue, PLUS, it's way fun to out-hit ppl with trunks full of subs with just a simple single 12 that's out of the way. You could also consider splitting the difference and going with a single 15. IT's been mentioned before, One good, quality sub that can be had for the price of 2 decent subs will sound better because it's a better driver. Take a good look at Adireaudio's Brahma... That's the single 10 that wakey was destroying his hearing with for awhile. But put it in a simple sealed box, and all sorts of SQ with KW power handling and more bass thatn you'd imagine a single speaker capable of producing. A Brahma 12 or 15 is hopefully in my near future.

 

[Lil Freek]

yeah. i want 2 12s because of the look.. as odd as that sounds.. In the next 10 months or so, i'd like the car to be a top10 amateur class showcar.
I, personally, find 2 subs more visually appealing than 1 or 3. 4 is just silly if you're not an SPL car.

Hmmm... Ground kit.. i had forgotten that i needed to do that ^_^ That's gotta be put on the list too - dang it all. Knuconcepts is gonna like me over the winter

I looked at the 12W6v2's... they have the right RMS power to sustain 900w into 2... however.. where do i find the specs on the w6v2's? There doesn't seem to be any specs on http://jlaudio.com

 

[chuyler1]

http://jlaudio.com/subwoofers/pdfs/W6v2_MAN.pdf

 

[Lil Freek]

oh... cuz you know... the manual NEVER has the info (hand)