Eclipse vs. Kicker vs. Fosgate vs. Audiobahn

[onebadbird]

I am getting new subwoofers, The only problem is which brand. I plan to run them on my RF Power 550s at 1ohm impedence. This shouls produce a little over 275 watts to each sub. The only requirements i have for them is such:
1. Must be Dual Voice Coil
2. Must be 12"
3. Must work well in small sealed enclosure (1ft²)
4. Cannot be more then $400 for the pair

I know i'll probly end up gettin them on ebay so i'll find them cheap, so thats not a problem.

The Subs i've been looking at are such:

RF Punch He2 -or- Hx
Kicker L5 -or- L7
Eclipse SW8122DVC
Audiobahn Flame Q

I like the Fosgates because I have heard them before in a friends car and they were awesome, plus I like that they would match the amp.

I like the Kickers because they are stylish, but are know for performance, but i have never used kicker before, so i dont know the quality.

I like the Eclipses because not many people are running them around here, and they look awesome. But I havent heard much about how they perform.

I like the Audiobahns because they are really cool looking, and are in the price range, but I dont know about their quality or performance.

I am open to suggestions of other brands, or any comments you may have in general, help me decide on which to get. And O yea my Polk GNX124s are for sale, let me know if you are interested. (pics are in signature link)

[01blackbird]

Audiobahns= [img]graemlins/thumbsup.gif[/img] SPL, [img]graemlins/thumbsdown.gif[/img] sq
heard kicker comps, cuz has them, he paid $1500 for his setup of box, amp, and 2 10's!!!! DEFINATELy not worth the$$. they sound ok but are overated.

If i were you, i'd get infinity Kappa Perfects, no less. excellent subs for the money.

these are merely my opinions, take them as you will.

[ January 03, 2003: Message edited by: 01blackbird ]</p>

[01blackbird]

because your only running 275 watts to each speaker, it would be wise to get subs w/ high sensitivity, ie. &lt;90Db

[mcG]

a friend of mine had 2 10" eclipse subs, not sure the model, a directed 650 5 channel amp pushing them, and they hit pretty damn hard, it used to knock his radar detector off
audiobahns are supposed to sound pretty decent, but from what i've heard they fall apart kind of quickly, and they are a new company
hope this helps

[camaro_speedemon]

I've heard Eclipes fall apart very easy.
Had a pair of Fosgate 10"s They kicked *** , I dunno about 12"s I have also heard mixed review (FYI Lightning audio is the cheaper line of RF I belive)
Kicker L7's rock, the only downside is you need massive power to get them to move.
I don't know much about audiobahn I have heard they are decent.
Another good sub is Lanzar. I have 1 DC12-D and its sounds awesome. Most people can't believe I only have 1 sub. But they also need a little bit of power as well.

[onebadbird]

I think i've ruled out the Audiobahns. But im still deciding over the others. I'll look into the infinity perfect kappas. They might also be a good choice

[96firebird311]

First off, why must your woofers have the dual voice coil design? Why must you run at 1 ohm? Your amp will not run at 1 ohm. It is rated at:
275 watts RMS x 2 at 2 ohms
550 watts RMS x 1 in bridged mode
meaning you get a pair of 2 ohm (or 4ohm DVC) subwoofers and wire 1 to each channel. (275RMS each)OR you get the same subwoofers, wire them together in series (4ohm load) and bridge the amp.(275RMS each in mono) I recommend the second option. Also, don't let anyone tell you that "you need a lot of power to get them moving". It's BS. It's all in the box design. Now we can move on to which woofers... [img]smile.gif[/img]
<blockquote>quote:</font><hr>Originally posted by mcG:
audiobahns are supposed to sound pretty decent, but from what i've heard they fall apart kind of quickly, and they are a new company<hr></blockquote>
Audiobahn is NOT a new company. They have been around awhile now, but they just started making quality stuff. Their old gear was s#it. Their new stuff (the flame line) is decent, but I have heard mixed reviews about them. I would stay away if I was you.
<blockquote>quote:</font><hr> I've heard Eclipes fall apart very easy. <hr></blockquote>
Then they weren't installed correctly. Eclipse makes high quality equipment. Especially head units. But they are a tad on the expensive side.

Kicker makes great gear. Not fantastic, but still very good. The cheapest you will EVER find the L7's is here: http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll...tem=1949318321 You'll want the dual 4ohm version. (S12L74) That is a truely AMAZING price. And those are the 2002 line with the silver cones. They are not refurbished and are brand new. I have a friend who has already jumped on that deal and has them in his car now. FANTASTIC price! The L5's are one step below. If you can afford it, get the L7's.
I am currently running 3 Fosgate HX2's in a sealed box. They've been great to me. Sound decent, pound hard. They only come in a dual voice coil design, so get the dual 4ohm.
Some other recommedations would be Alpine Type R, JL 12W3v2 and the JL 12W6v2. That last one my be a bit out of your price range. I would recommend the Adire Audio Shiva, but they only come in a dual 8ohm design so your amp will not output full power. Great woofer though.
[img]smile.gif[/img]

[ January 03, 2003: Message edited by: 96firebird311 ]</p>

[onebadbird]

Damn, good thing you pointed that out. Thanks man, and that is a sweet price on the L7s i might have to jump on that thanks again.

[silicuda]

I bought kicker comp subs for my bird as per a friends recommendation, the biggest waste of money I have ever done.

They do not hit low notes well, so in my opinion they suck!!!

I had to go out and buy a new 12" sub to satisfy my craving for proper sound, came across great product line from Concept Audio... their subs are awesome and can hit really low frequences... Im running one 12" in a ported enclosure, and damn does it sound smooth adn does it ever hit hard when the big BOOM comes in such songs as NELLY - EI EI, oh yeahhhhhhh!

I'd recommend Concept for sure...!! F*CK KICKER!!!!!!!

[96firebird311]

You had the Kicker Comps bro..... what do you expect?? We are talking about the L7's.

Were the Comps in a sealed box? Your new concept sub is in a ported box. That right there gives you a good 20Hz+ of extra low frequency extension. Either way ...Concept does make good gear. [img]smile.gif[/img]

[dan miller]

Alpine Type R's (i love em)
-100$ apiece
-1 sqft. sealed
-dual voice coil

'too bad that you are only running a small amount of wattage. The type-r's take up more to produce quality sound than you can provide'

[ January 05, 2003: Message edited by: dan miller ]</p>

[96firebird311]

<blockquote>quote:</font><hr>Originally posted by dan miller:
Alpine Type R's (i love em)
-100$ apiece
-1 sqft. sealed
-dual voice coil<hr></blockquote>
true.

[FireFighter]

2 12'' hx2's from ikesound $139 each.
actually I would go he2's because your not going to be running much power unless you are going to upgrade your amp sometime.

[camaro_speedemon]

96firebird311: I should have been a little clearer. I have heard they fall apart in competition use.
As for the L7's I can get them 10% markup from retail. Last I checked I could get $250 when I was thinking about redoing my sub. I love having connections in car audio :D

Kicker Comps are decent, but puting them in a ported box doesn't give you a lower frequency extension. Porting allows you to adjust which frequency you want it to hit its loudest at. Ported boxes also meter better for competition-more air being moved.
Sealed boxes are better for covering ALL frequencies. When you have a ported box, due to the design, they free air on certain frequencies which is bad for your sub. Sealed boxes also sound cleaner than ported boxes. Each design has its pros and cons. I am running a ported box, just my personal taste, I like the boomer, more filling sound they have.

[96firebird311]

<blockquote>quote:</font><hr>Originally posted by camaro_speedemon:
Kicker Comps are decent, but puting them in a ported box doesn't give you a lower frequency extension. Porting allows you to adjust which frequency you want it to hit its loudest at.
Sealed boxes are better for covering ALL frequencies. When you have a ported box, due to the design, they free air on certain frequencies which is bad for your sub. Sealed boxes also sound cleaner than ported boxes. <hr></blockquote>
A ported enclosure DOES give you extra low frequency extension. It's a known fact. Can't argue with science! And porting does allow you to adjust which frequency you want it to hit its loudest at, but by tuning low you can also make it have no peaks are valleys and play linear throughout the frequency spectrum. Yes Yes. Sealed boxes are generally thought of as having better SQ, but a well built ported box can equal. And a sub will only play as though it was free-air below its tuned frequency. If you tune low, as mentioned before, you should have any problems with that. And sealed sound cleaner? Read after "yes yes".