best sub + amp ?

[tonksy26]

Whats the best sub/amp that you can buy for under £150.

Im not after 2 200" subs with a 50,000 watt amp, or what ever silly things you can buy now.

I basically want a small punchy sound instead of the big vibrations. Hope someone gets what im on about and can help me out.

Thanks guys.

 

[WillyB]

hmm, maybe you should wait and save to increase ure budget, for an amp and sub for around £150.. not gonna get anything that good..

http://caraudiosecurity.com/shop/product_list/c_path/60_98_170/spd/single-10-sub-amp-deal.html

 

[tonksy26]

hmmm ok i want good sound quailty rather than big bass, Forget the budget whats some excellcent subs/amps ?

 

[MT AUDIO]

someone was selling some jl subs cheap i suggest purchasing them

 

[elmo2002]

that was joebristolgym. there a great sub, perfect in my opinion

 

[elmo2002]

http://www.cliosport.net/forum/showthread.php?t=398124

 

[tonksy26]

i currently have a 13" 1300w infinity sub.

I find it to bassy and vibrates like mad, Are the jl better ?

 

[elmo2002]

much nicer in my opinion, i have had some very very loud and expensive installs in the past, and these jbls are great for the money, nice sound quality and not over the top either. The best for both worlds i would say

 

[[NickW]]

I bought a Blaupunkt Subwoofer (brand new) off of Ebay. I've got it amped up to my JBL GTO 4000 amp and i'm running it off of 2 channels.

The bass it produces is really nice and tight. I think the sub and the amp came to about £110.

 

[sofaboy]

If you have a local halfords they should be clearing display subs, There a couple of decent ones in there, youl have to ask for each seperate price as the usual tickets will still be out, but i cant see any being over £150 even the ones with amps.

 

[Pigeon]

Im jus rockin the £100 Mutant pack from halfurts!
Cheap an cheerfull an does the job, as long as its pumpin I dont care how "good" it is, I dont like window rattle noises along wit me tunes so I never have it too loud to appreciate what id get from more "powerful" setups! So it makes no difference to me!

(Was £100 when i bought it new from halfords bout 2 an half years ago so I dunno if they still do it)

 

[littleC18]

http://caraudiosecurity.com/shop/product/products_id/8578.html

thats your best bet buddy!

 

[Iceberg_172]

vibe active 10 or 12"

both give a really nice crisp bass note

 

[littleC18]

nahh go with sony, JBL, pioneer or Infinity. their the best 3. unless you wana fork out for a rockford and fosgate.

 

[Iceberg_172]

nahh go with sony, JBL, pioneer or Infinity. their the best 3. unless you wana fork out for a rockford and fosgate.

isnt that 4 not 3? and sony??? fair do's with infinty or pioneer, maybe even JBL but sony?

 

[wallop]

If it were my car with a budget of £150 for amp & sub I would opt for;

JBL GT5 'Ported Enclosure' at £79.99 exclusive to 'Motorworld'...

Coupled with JBL GTO4000 amp driving fronts & rear ch's bridged for sub....

OR;

Coupled with JBL GTO300.1

 

[cat171]

nahh go with sony, JBL, pioneer or Infinity. their the best 3. unless you wana fork out for a rockford and fosgate.

It has to be said that sony car audio gear is utter tripe ! Unless they have seriously raised thier game they'll still be bad.

 

[littleC18]

i heard some sony subs, and they didnt sound too bad, they weren't partically amazing such as infinity but they werent bad. oh and i meant to put 4. not 3. typo. honest!

 

[wallop]

With regards Sony;

Depends what your talking about, their subs actually sound OK when installed & powered correctly....But will fail quite quickly if ran anywhere near rated input power for extended periods....

Head Units are another matter though, if you compare a later Sony unit with one from the early to mid nineties, then there is simply no comparison, the later units are very poor....

I personally wouldn't use a later Sony head unit, (X_Plop), in my car if it were free with my sugar puffs....

 

[tonksy26]

I already have infinity and looking to upgrade so really im looking for some top notch stuff. Like i say somthin punch rather than the big vibration sorta noise.

And also dont need a box, just want the sub + amp on there own.

 

[Dink]

i've got an infinity perfect 12 vq you can have for £65??

punch nicely in a sealed box with about 600w up it

 

[Rojer]

My friend Ya55er on here is selling his subs for £200 two 12 inch vibes they are good, if you want sound quality then get some good door speakers not that powerfull sub and same for the amp. I will be ordering an Orion Hcca thats some serious bass Look at passive boxes i think they are called they come with amps built in.

 

[wallop]

I already have infinity and looking to upgrade so really im looking for some top notch stuff. Like i say somthin punch rather than the big vibration sorta noise.

And also dont need a box, just want the sub + amp on there own.

I think I get you now, your not after the standard 'boom boom', you want musical bass which hits hard rather than rumbles away shaking the car to pieces....

I'd go with a smallish 'sealed' wedge shaped enclosure loosely filled with fibre glass loft insulation to improve low end extension & SQ....

For this kind of application your going to need a good dose of input power to get the best from the sub, (smaller enclosure = lower efficiency), something like a 10" 'Polk Audio' dual 4ohm sub in a 0.5 cubic foot to 0.75 cubic foot enclosure driven with an amp rated at around 500w rms into 2ohm....

OR,

You could follow the usual course of action that people do to improve system 'punch', which is improve the installation of the front end mids, (system punch should come from the front end, not the sub), by sound deadening & sealing the front doors, couple this to lots of un-clipped power & the difference should be very apparent....

My friend Ya55er on here is selling his subs for £200 two 12 inch vibes they are good, if you want sound quality then get some good door speakers not that powerfull sub and same for the amp. I will be ordering an Orion Hcca thats some serious bass Look at passive boxes i think they are called they come with amps built in.

The Orion HCCA subs are renowned for being quite inefficient, before stumping up the cash for this sub I would suggest you give serious consideration to your power supply, these subs require a good dose of input power before they start to sing & big amps require well sorted power supplies....If you've already done your research then forgive me, just trying to help you save cash, (poor power supply could result in premature amp failure)....

With regards subs in enclosures;

Passive = amp not inc
Active = amp inc

 

[ash26ace]

http://www.cliosport.net/forum/showthread.php?t=400517

same sub as someone has posted earlier put ill link it anyway cause theres an amp as well

 

[VibeFliClioGrande]

go for 1400w vibe cbr 10inch enclosure powered by vibe slick/blackbox amp, its small and will beat most subs to be honest, clean sound, hits all the notes, try looking for some on ebay though as they are quite expensive when new

 

[tonksy26]

I think I get you now, your not after the standard 'boom boom', you want musical bass which hits hard rather than rumbles away shaking the car to pieces....

I'd go with a smallish 'sealed' wedge shaped enclosure loosely filled with fibre glass loft insulation to improve low end extension & SQ....

For this kind of application your going to need a good dose of input power to get the best from the sub, (smaller enclosure = lower efficiency), something like a 10" 'Polk Audio' dual 4ohm sub in a 0.5 cubic foot to 0.75 cubic foot enclosure driven with an amp rated at around 500w rms into 2ohm....

OR,

You could follow the usual course of action that people do to improve system 'punch', which is improve the installation of the front end mids, (system punch should come from the front end, not the sub), by sound deadening & sealing the front doors, couple this to lots of un-clipped power & the difference should be very apparent....



The Orion HCCA subs are renowned for being quite inefficient, before stumping up the cash for this sub I would suggest you give serious consideration to your power supply, these subs require a good dose of input power before they start to sing & big amps require well sorted power supplies....If you've already done your research then forgive me, just trying to help you save cash, (poor power supply could result in premature amp failure)....

With regards subs in enclosures;

Passive = amp not inc
Active = amp inc

Your the man ! :star: Dont really understand much of what your saying but you sound like you know your stuff and could help me as all i know is weather somthing sounds decent or doesnt lol thats were my knowledge of sound stops lol.

From what your saying it sounds to me like i need to look at what im storing the sub in and what box im using. Atm im using a custom made boot build which ive just put together and stuck a sub into lol so god knows about all the dimentions to power ratio or what ever the hell you was on about lol

I think you know what kinda sound im after now and i heard that the smaller the sub (say 10") the punchier the sound is rather than rumbles. is that true ? if so am i best off going for a GOOD quailty 10" sub ?

If you prefer to PM me mate thats fine, not sure if other people really want to know much more about what im after. Could you give me a few reccomendations for some decent subs/amps to suit what im after please matey.

Thanks to everyone who has recommend me a sub but i think 'wallop' Will be able to help me out more for the specific type im after

 

[wallop]

With regards;

From what your saying it sounds to me like i need to look at what im storing the sub in and what box im using.

The single most important aspect of how any speaker works is its enclosure & mounting....

With regards the 'effect' you desire I would opt for a small 'sealed' enclosure with the sub aimed either directly rearwards or upwards with a rearward deflection....

Like so;

With regards;

I think you know what kinda sound im after now and i heard that the smaller the sub (say 10") the punchier the sound is rather than rumbles. is that true ? if so am i best off going for a GOOD quailty 10" sub ?

Your always better off opting for the best items that fall within your budget....
The smaller cone area of a 10" sub in relation to a larger cone means it will move less air, it will still play the same frequencies, but with less air movement so fewer or rather less noticeable wobbles....The smaller cone area lends itself to slightly higher crossover settings to give added system punch where front end mids are lacking....(ideally the mids should handle frequencies down to around 60hz which requires decent installation practices and plenty of input power)....

You can further modify the subs output by enclosure size or volume, I personally prefer 'sealed' enclosures over any other type because I seek flatter response curves to cut down on system adjustment, (I don't like altering sub levels or EQ settings from one disc to the next, much prefer flat responses in my car)....

As a basic rule;

Smaller enclosure = lower efficiency, tighter cone control, higher power handling....
Larger enclosure = greater efficiency, less cone control, lower power handling....

So, by using a smaller enclosure with more input power you increase cone control, (SQ), with similar output volume....By using a wedge shaped enclosure you limit the possibility of standing waves within the enclosure itself, (basically sound waves will not simply reflect of the rear face of the enclosure causing cancellation issues)....By loosely filling the enclosure with fibreglass loft insulation you are basically making the sub react or perform in a similar fashion to how it would in a larger enclosure without sacrificing any cone control, (gives increased low end extension & warmer bass with a slight increase in power handling to boot), this works because each individual fibre reacts to each sound wave, which in turn create their own pressure waves, in effect dissipating large pressure waves but creating many more smaller waves.....

Techno babble is boring:nono:

 

[Rojer]

I think I get you now, your not after the standard 'boom boom', you want musical bass which hits hard rather than rumbles away shaking the car to pieces....

I'd go with a smallish 'sealed' wedge shaped enclosure loosely filled with fibre glass loft insulation to improve low end extension & SQ....

For this kind of application your going to need a good dose of input power to get the best from the sub, (smaller enclosure = lower efficiency), something like a 10" 'Polk Audio' dual 4ohm sub in a 0.5 cubic foot to 0.75 cubic foot enclosure driven with an amp rated at around 500w rms into 2ohm....

OR,

You could follow the usual course of action that people do to improve system 'punch', which is improve the installation of the front end mids, (system punch should come from the front end, not the sub), by sound deadening & sealing the front doors, couple this to lots of un-clipped power & the difference should be very apparent....



The Orion HCCA subs are renowned for being quite inefficient, before stumping up the cash for this sub I would suggest you give serious consideration to your power supply, these subs require a good dose of input power before they start to sing & big amps require well sorted power supplies....If you've already done your research then forgive me, just trying to help you save cash, (poor power supply could result in premature amp failure)....

With regards subs in enclosures;

Passive = amp not inc
Active = amp inc

Yer dont worrie i know that i will have to upgrading my wiring somewhat to get the full potential out of the HCCA, i will be upgrading the BIG 3 haha the wires to and from the battery and the alternator wires etc, and will be putting the sub in a custom made ported box with the frequency set at about 30hz then i will get a d5000 amp to power the sub lol then i should be sorted. Thanks for the help.

 

[Dan R]

With regards Sony;

Depends what your talking about, their subs actually sound OK when installed & powered correctly....But will fail quite quickly if ran anywhere near rated input power for extended periods....

Head Units are another matter though, if you compare a later Sony unit with one from the early to mid nineties, then there is simply no comparison, the later units are very poor....

I personally wouldn't use a later Sony head unit, (X_Plop), in my car if it were free with my sugar puffs....

Il agree with all of that apart from the sony subs sound ok?? hmmmm

 

[Dan R]

With regards;


The single most important aspect of how any speaker works is its enclosure & mounting....

With regards the 'effect' you desire I would opt for a small 'sealed' enclosure with the sub aimed either directly rearwards or upwards with a rearward deflection....

Like so;

With regards;


Your always better off opting for the best items that fall within your budget....
The smaller cone area of a 10" sub in relation to a larger cone means it will move less air, it will still play the same frequencies, but with less air movement so fewer or rather less noticeable wobbles....The smaller cone area lends itself to slightly higher crossover settings to give added system punch where front end mids are lacking....(ideally the mids should handle frequencies down to around 60hz which requires decent installation practices and plenty of input power)....

You can further modify the subs output by enclosure size or volume, I personally prefer 'sealed' enclosures over any other type because I seek flatter response curves to cut down on system adjustment, (I don't like altering sub levels or EQ settings from one disc to the next, much prefer flat responses in my car)....

As a basic rule;

Smaller enclosure = lower efficiency, tighter cone control, higher power handling....
Larger enclosure = greater efficiency, less cone control, lower power handling....

So, by using a smaller enclosure with more input power you increase cone control, (SQ), with similar output volume....By using a wedge shaped enclosure you limit the possibility of standing waves within the enclosure itself, (basically sound waves will not simply reflect of the rear face of the enclosure causing cancellation issues)....By loosely filling the enclosure with fibreglass loft insulation you are basically making the sub react or perform in a similar fashion to how it would in a larger enclosure without sacrificing any cone control, (gives increased low end extension & warmer bass with a slight increase in power handling to boot), this works because each individual fibre reacts to each sound wave, which in turn create their own pressure waves, in effect dissipating large pressure waves but creating many more smaller waves.....

Techno babble is boring:nono:

That has to win an award for being the most hideous install i have ever seen!!! PMSL. Who did that??

PS- WALLOP, do you know jonny from BBG??

 

[agithegreat]

That has to win an award for being the most hideous install i have ever seen!!! PMSL. Who did that??

Looks ok to me, apart from the co-ax's, but at a show open that bad boy up and pull the crowds easily suppose!
As the subs are sealed they already have something to load onto, so can boom with boot open!

 

[Dan R]

Looks ok to me, apart from the co-ax's, but at a show open that bad boy up and pull the crowds easily suppose!
As the subs are sealed they already have something to load onto, so can boom with boot open!

Yeah its the components in the boot that concern me. and i have to be honest i cant stand when everything is on show. Looks so cluttered!!!

 

[sideways danny]

Yeah its the components in the boot that concern me. and i have to be honest i cant stand when everything is on show. Looks so cluttered!!!

Xplod amp makes me feel a bit ill

 

[wallop]

Yer dont worrie i know that i will have to upgrading my wiring somewhat to get the full potential out of the HCCA, i will be upgrading the BIG 3 haha the wires to and from the battery and the alternator wires etc, and will be putting the sub in a custom made ported box with the frequency set at about 30hz then i will get a d5000 amp to power the sub lol then i should be sorted. Thanks for the help.

With regards^^; I would be looking for a second battery also mate....

That has to win an award for being the most hideous install i have ever seen!!! PMSL. Who did that??

PS- WALLOP, do you know jonny from BBG??

With regards^^; I actually put that together in an afternoon of madness, it has undergone many upgrades over the last few years in respect of kit used but has kept the basic layout....

I don't personally know Johnny from BBG mate....

Yeah its the components in the boot that concern me. and i have to be honest i cant stand when everything is on show. Looks so cluttered!!!

With regards^^; I'm not one for sticking to rule books or other peoples opinions on whats right or wrong when it comes to my own car stereo....

The stereo in question needs to play with the hatch open for extended periods, hence the need for boot mounted components....

It is also used on a regular basis as a teaching aid for newbies, I find it far easier to give a practical hands on demonstration of each control function than to simply explain and send them on their merry way....Hence the reasoning behind keeping everything on show & accessable....

We can all blabber on about crossover points & roll off slopes or using a 1khz 0dB tone on repeat to set gains, but I can actually demonstrate the difference each adjustment makes....

Xplod amp makes me feel a bit ill

X-Plop amplifier was used for around 2 weeks, then it was replaced by a JBL GTO1201 which was subsequently replaced by a JBL/Crown BPX2200....
Currently undergoing another upgrade to increase the overall impedance the BPX2200 actually sees from 1.5ohm to 4ohm, (2 GTi subs to 3 GTi subs)....

Most recent pics from last year;
BPX2200 parallel bridged configuration

Boot showing GTi subs, Infinity Kappa components, PX300.4 & BPX2200

Please feel free to diss the design or kit used, I like a little mickey taking, brightens my day.....:rofl:

 

[Rojer]

Personally i like it, with buying another battery do i just hook the amp power lead on the battery and leave it there in the boot? I dont know very much about putting a new battery in if i needed it, does it selfcharge what?? lol i was also thinking about gettin a hifonics brutus amp instead of the d5000 not sure yet.

 

[wallop]

Personally i like it, with buying another battery do i just hook the amp power lead on the battery and leave it there in the boot? I dont know very much about putting a new battery in if i needed it, does it selfcharge what?? lol i was also thinking about gettin a hifonics brutus amp instead of the d5000 not sure yet.

With regards secondary battery wiring;

You have two options;

Connected directly to each other in 'Parallel', which would require batteries of similar type & age, using 0awg cable fused at 200amps....

Use this method if you plan on only using your stereo with the engine running....

Split-charged, this method is best if you plan on running your system for extended periods with the engine off, it is also wise to use this method if different types of battery are being used, (lead acid starter battery with deep cycle gel battery in the boot)....

With regards Amp choice; I personally would want around 2.5kw rms for a single HCCA sub....

@ OP--- Please forgive thread hijack....

 

[Rojer]

Okay so if i wanted a second battery installed i would go for the second option personally. And all i would need is a relay connected between the two batteries and alternator. Do you fancy wiring it all for me haha i could do it the basics but it so much better when someone who knows more then you can help. I have learned alot about car audio but there is still so much i dont know, but thats for another time. Do you really think i will need another battery cant i just get a heavy dutty battery and some caps?

 

[wallop]

Okay so if i wanted a second battery installed i would go for the second option personally. And all i would need is a relay connected between the two batteries and alternator. Do you fancy wiring it all for me haha i could do it the basics but it so much better when someone who knows more then you can help. I have learned alot about car audio but there is still so much i dont know, but thats for another time. Do you really think i will need another battery cant i just get a heavy dutty battery and some caps?

With regards wiring;

The split-charge wiring is extremely simple to do, on most Alternators there are two wires, the larger diameter cable is the charge lead, the smaller diameter is the Batt warning light sense lead, simply remove the connector off this lead & replace with a piggy back connector, (if its a ring terminal then simply use a ring terminal for the relay switching lead), then connect both as normal....

The actual split-charge relay should be located within the cars cabin to protect it from the elements, so you could take the relays switching feed from behind the dash if you find this easier....

The subject of 'powercaps' is a complicated one, in some installs they can improve certain aspects of the power supply, in others though, they will do nothing but harm it....

A powercap or battery will place a heavier load on your current charge circuit, but, the battery carries a far greater reserve capacity & so is the better option....

You should also try to understand this;

If your charge circuit will support a powercap, then you simply don't need one....

Using a renowned inefficient beast like the HCCA sub is going to depend heavily on your charge circuit due to the necasary amount of amplifier power required....A cap will stabalise voltage,(in some cases), but an amp requires amperes, the only way to guarantee the required amperes is to use a supply which has a good reserve capacity, be it from upgraded/extra batteries or upgraded/extra alternators....

I have heard of a few HCCA's suffering fried coils due to clipping bought on by weak power supplies, you must understand that to run these higher output amps you will require to feed them the power they require....If you can't supply the power required, then its simply a waste of time fitting them....

 

[Rojer]

Okay well from the sounds of it i think i will go for the spilt charging method and install another battery seems like the safest option. The last thing i want to do is clipp any of my components or subs. But its money money money, also whats your view on sounddeading? my friend doesnt have it and all of his panels and windows flex and vibrate and it just sounds horrid the sound quality is awful. So would you just recomend another battery thats it?

 

[YA55ER]

Okay well from the sounds of it i think i will go for the spilt charging method and install another battery seems like the safest option. The last thing i want to do is clipp any of my components or subs. But its money money money, also whats your view on sounddeading? my friend doesnt have it and all of his panels and windows flex and vibrate and it just sounds horrid the sound quality is awful. So would you just recomend another battery thats it?

suck on my knob, i have other important things to spend my money on then abit of sound deading, i dont care about the sound of my panels flexing as im inside the car not outside.