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Need advice on new sound system.

Old 03-15-2007, 02:17 PM
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Need advice on new sound system.

I just bought an 86 Camaro, one with T-Tops and I'm thinking about getting a new system. My old 92 Camaro has a 15" L5 Solobaric Kicker Sub. The way the box is designed though, the t tops wouldn't be able to lay back there.
The sub is in a sealed box and sounds it's best at 35 hz. Does 20 to 60 hz real well.. Anything over 60 hz for some reason sounds like crap. The speaker barely moves and sort of just hums the note. So yeah I'm not sure if I'm satisfied. Oh and the amp is a Memphis amp putting out 500 watts at 2 ohms. Would getting 2 12"s and making a box to fit the well so the t tops could lay flat sound better than trying to make some huge ported box for the L5? I'm thinking about doing the 2 12s but I've never built or heard a ported box so I don't know how they sound. Anyways.. What are you suggestions for speakers and amps for the 12s? I don't really want to spend over 6 or 7 hundred but that is probably not possible

-edit- I'll put some pics of the old box up just for fun. No carpet yet but oh well


Last edited by The Dalton; 03-15-2007 at 02:22 PM.
Old 03-15-2007, 03:24 PM
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it wouldnt play over 60hz just because its a 15.. cant expect them to go to higher.. for subs.. what are you looking for? just plain loud like your L5? or you want more sound quality.. or both? once you pick out subs we can then help ya out with the amp
Old 03-15-2007, 05:55 PM
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Well I'm looking for two good 12s. The 15 I think has really good sound quality. I had 2 10s before and personally I think they were louder than the 15. What I like the most is to feel it so I'm guessing SPL has more to do with that. I was looking at the Rockford Fosgate P312D4 and getting a 1000W rms amp to push 2 of them but I'm not sure what is good really

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Old 03-15-2007, 06:05 PM
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I have an '86 with two 12 and the tee top bag lays flat just in front of the subs box which is in the well. You don't want your tee bouncing around the well. Plus I would rather have two 12's than one 15. But that is just me. I have the same setup in my '92 and both cars sound great.
Old 03-15-2007, 06:31 PM
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Cool. I think that is what I'm going to do. I just have to decide on what subs are good. I'm looking for 500Watt rms per sub and a 1000 watt rms amp
Old 03-15-2007, 06:50 PM
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Originally Posted by The Dalton
Well I'm looking for two good 12s. The 15 I think has really good sound quality. I had 2 10s before and personally I think they were louder than the 15. What I like the most is to feel it so I'm guessing SPL has more to do with that. I was looking at the Rockford Fosgate P312D4 and getting a 1000W rms amp to push 2 of them but I'm not sure what is good really
Well if you are happy with the sound q of your L5 15 then about any 12" on the market short of a SPL Comp model is going to keep you happy.

Where do you plan on mounting them so the t-tops can lay flat? Are you going to build a really small box for the cargo compartment in the far back?

If you are stuck going down there I would strongly recommend going 2 10's instead, simply because of air space...

As far as ported boxes go, if you like the tight crushing sound and feel from the sealed box, you wont be happy with a ported, they don't go as low, they go a bit higher, but you lose smoothness in the output unless you have a engineer build it.. But anyways back to the point, they don't have the same kind of impact.

If you need something for a real small box, and want some serious power handling I would tell you to take a look at the Audiobahn AlumQ, SoundQ lines, they require really small boxes, take tremendous amounts of power, and sound really good. Those are audiobahns top of the line SQL subs, "Sound Quality LOUD"... Lol the 12's take like 1100 watts rms.. They have also won multiple world championships and awards, they are not fancy and cheap like the most of audiobahns stuff you see at Circuit City and such.

As for amps, look at Hifonics, Alpine "V12" line, Audiobahn High currents, kicker, you can generally find most of those refurbished or just last years model pretty well priced online and on ebay. Good amps and the price you can't really beat.

I do this stuff for a living so I know my stuff, if you have any questions feel free to pm me.
Old 03-15-2007, 10:12 PM
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For the box I was planning on doing one of those that fit the well. That gives a little over 2 cubic feet and the subs I were looking at need one cubic foot each so that box should work well I think. Those 12s you mentioned seem a little too powerful I think though? I was planning on getting a 1000 Watt amp so I would have to get subs with about 500W rms each right?
Old 03-16-2007, 11:45 AM
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Car: 72 Fbird. Want another 3rd gen :(
Engine: Poncho 350
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i wouldnt buy audiobahn.. if you want an aluminum sub i think eclipse has there titanium one that is very good.. look into DD (Digital Designs) Fi car audio, Soundsplinter, Audioque... they have very good subs at affordable prices.. the audioques i beleive have a woofer in the 500watt section.. mayb the 2.5's.. but not sure.. and the audioqques are at a great price
Old 03-17-2007, 01:09 AM
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Originally Posted by nikos89
As far as ported boxes go, if you like the tight crushing sound and feel from the sealed box, you wont be happy with a ported, they don't go as low, they go a bit higher, but you lose smoothness in the output unless you have a engineer build it.. But anyways back to the point, they don't have the same kind of impact.

how do you figure ported boxes dont go as low?? thats why they are tuned..sure, sealed are real tight bass..but ported is whats boomy and low.. i had my 15" L7 in a sealed box of about 4 cubes and that wasnt bad...need to be ported tho so i put a 3.4 cube box tuned at 25 hz and the difference in sound was dramatic...was way louder than that sealed box was.and better sound quality...the sealed made the sub sound like it was farting.....and also band bass are the boxes that dont go as low and are higher pitched......its all about havin the right air space and tuned right and you will have a H E L L of a box
Old 03-17-2007, 01:52 AM
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Sealed for sure, at least that is how I feel......Depends on what you listen tho.......And yes, the air space must be matched t the driver....
Old 03-17-2007, 01:57 AM
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very good point...fogot that..make a not to myself..dont post anything after 1 AM..toooooo tired i listen to alot of metal and rock on my ported box and love it..its a love hate thing i guess
Old 03-19-2007, 05:36 PM
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thats a sick box style man i would have never thought of something like that extended down into the well for more cubes , i think i am going to have a box made for my type r's ported
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