Current setup:

2006 350z Enthusiast
Alpine iDA-X305
JL Audio XR650-CSI components
Alpine MRV-F345 amp

It's time I add a subwoofer. I don't want insane power (I produce all sorts of music and test mixes in my car, so it needs to be somewhat accurate...), but I do listen to a lot of electronic music now and want the option of turning up a sub.

First, could someone suggest a few different subwoofers to look at? I do have a good sized budget, but I don't want to spend an excess amount unless it's worth it.

I don't want to lose much trunk space either - I haven't been on these forums in a long while, but last I checked there were some nice enclosures that fit into the side of the trunk....

 

if you wanna stay small and still have a suprisng amount of output. look into the sundown audio sa8's dc lvl 2 8"sub. also dd makes a 1508 8" sub.

if your willing go up to a 10-12" driver? obviously your selection will be much better. my first advice would be buy a non mainstream brand woofer. i know i say this all the time but it's definately worth it. prices are better, quality is better, customer service is better and most are re-buildable incase you have a failure.

also ported or sealed enclosure? this may also help determine what sub to use and a better idea of how much space you may take up.

 

I believe I would want a sealed enclosure? Just did a bit of research, and apparently ported = high output but crap sound quality..

I'm happy to go with a 10" - what brands would you suggest exactly? Anything in particular?

A friend recommended this JL:

JL 10W1v2-4

 

the whole ported boxes sound like crap is a big internet, noob myth. there is way to much of this bogus info going around. have a reputable box builder build you a ported enclosure and don't look back. some may tell you stay sealed. i preffer ported.

i recommend, sundown audio, dc sound lab, tc sounds, finf some used stereo integrity si mags. they sound amazing. ssa ( sound solutions audio) makes some good sounding woofers as well. also you can look into dd, digital designs. they are expensive but some really like them. there is really to many brands to list.

like i said in my first post, i'd stray away from the big mainstream brands. this is what local shops and un-educated/limited experienced people will recommend. look into those brands i mentioned above and don't look back. trust me. i made the switch a few years back couldn't be happier. along with all my friends i have shown the light. not saying jl is bad, but there is much better out there (esspecialy for the price.)

some may dissagree but sign up at a few car audio forums and do some research and ask questions.

 

i agree 100 % with MY LT get some SA 8 ( sundown audio ) ported !
check out Sixdogs1 youtube

 

Can you get a ported enclosure similar to this? This all DIY by the way, so unless I can get this type of enclosure pre-made online, I'll probably go with the sealed enclosure I've linked to..

http://www.ebay.com/itm/350Z-Subwoof...item45f73c85f9

 

I just got a Rockford Fosgate T1 10" with a Rockford Fosgate T500 amp. Box is custom, similar to the Zenclosures box. Deck is a Pioneer, can't remember the model. Will have pics up tomorrow.

 

I did a lot of research before getting a subs for myself in 350z. Could not agree more with My LT Won! + 1000 for every word he says. Also don't forget to get some sound deadening in the trunk area!

 

save the headache, contact bing. As far as brands, morel, seal lotus, hetz. I too make my own mixes(dnb,electro/indie) and I did the mistake of going with mainstream "spl" brands. I thought the stronger the better, now my car ruins every song with ridiculous unecessary bass and highs, no midbass, poor sound modeling.

 

If you're going with one Sub on the side of the trunk look into JL. The W1's are nice, but I think you'll be wanting more eventually. I'm running 2 W3V3's with eclipse components, memphis 2 ways, and a 5-channel. Definitely sounds super crisp for all types of music but can bang hard when I want it to.

 

If you intend to run a lot of power, many of the subs mentioned will do well. However, if you only want to run a couple hundred watts, a sub that can handle 1000w rms probably won't have as much output as a "lesser" more sensitive sub (like the w1v2, but there are many others too).

Do you have an amp in mind?

 

I'm only powering my fronts with the Alpine MRV-F345, so it'll be powering the sub too...

I'll say it again - I'm not going for huge power. I'm just missing the low-low end that I need to judge my very subby mixes..

(Well, and subs are fun.)

 

I added a Vibe 10" Black air to my system yesterday and I am very happy with it. Nice bass without rattling everything or being over the top. It bolts right where the stock bose sub goes. I'm running 175 watts to it (normally takes 400+ rms but that number is cut in half due to infitie baffle/ free air use). I was a little concerned with the free air set up but it is awesome!
No sub boxes taking up space, no crazy down time building a custom box. Cheap and effective.

 

At about 300 watts rms, I would check out these subs;

DC Audio level 2

Boston Acoustics G2104

JL Audio 10w3v3

I'm sure there are more.

I just switched from sealed to ported and I'm glad I did. Ported done right = louder and lower than sealed.

The main drawback to ported is that the enclosure generally takes up more space than sealed. (I went from .75 cubic feet to ~1.25)

As for trunk space, I was able to get the 1.25 enclosure to fit between the rear strut tower bar and the front seats.....

Sealed vs ported.


Mounted in the car.


View from the other side.



I ran a JL 10w0 in that spot for a while and it added a lot of bass to the stock non-Bose system. It even sounded much better than the stock Bose systems I sampled in another Z.

However, loading the sub firing to the rear in the .75 cube sealed box was considerable improvement over the stock location.

If space is the top priority, the stock location is the way to go, but it is definitely a trade-off.

 

Ok, as promised, I took pics. Sorry if the quality sucks, used my cell.

Again, I have a Rockford Fosgate T1 10" in a custom box, with Rockford Fosgate T500-1 amp, and Pioneer AVH-P3300BT head unit.

The box is wrapped in vinyl. Tried to match the texture and color of the interior plastic. The gray ring around the sub, was an attempt at matching the color of the car, since the vinyl shop was out of stock on the color that matches the stabilizer bar.

The amp is bolted to the floor under my passenger seat. what you see is the best shot I could take, without unbolting and removing the seat.

 

Almost the same as mentioned before me, just not as customised. I do not have my car(in the shop) so this is the only pic where you can see the sub.
Kicker solo barac l7 10"
Zenclousers box (square pot 10")
kicker 1000.x1
sub is at 800~1000 rms

 

while this is partly true, being invoolved w the music recording industry myself.... it will not play in a LINEAR fashion.. its not in the design. Now, in a car, nothiings really linear, but the non linear playback of a ported enclosure is magnified.

You need a decent amount of power to sound tight and percussive and to minimize group delay.

Might i say testing your mixes in a car is not how to reference your recording.. but im sure you didnt mean exactly that.

ANyways, other things to look into.. keeping the box far away as possible , path lengths still matter w a woofer.

JL Audio flat 13"
W6 or W7 woofers are amazingly musical, i preferred the 10w7, but its heavy, one will do the trick.
i now have the flat sub in the spare tire well.
Sealed, .8 cu ft, and heavily powered. Linear and musical.

 

I had a JL 10W1V2-4 and ended up ditching it for a JL 10W3V3-4 and the better sub sounds 10 times better. If you get that sub, get an amp that puts out at least 350W RMS at 4ohms and a remote gain controller, if it's available. I'm using a JL G1700 amp and a Zenclosure corner box and it sounds great. Just note that you'll need to Dynamat your trunk and hatch if you don't want your trunk space to sound like a maraca once the bass starts to hit.

 

i too was concerned with losing space so i built this box. you can get the same box on ebay it replaces the oem floor ( you do have to remove spare tire ) but you dont lose any space. i used a JL audio 13tw5-3 subwoofer. this design fits a big woofer in tight spaces. this was the best woofer i good get that works with the air volume of the box. JL audio has a good website with all the info you need to match the woofer with air volume of your box. i also spoke with tech from JL audio and they helped make informed decision. i matched it up with a JL XD600 sub amp, which is the correct amp for that woofer. you can use alot of different amps but that one is just right. as far as sound its great, it puts at plenty of sound and pressure and tight. with the system i have in car i wouldnt ever consider i need more sub. the thing with the box design is you dont have alot of depth to work with in the box, and alot of top of the line woofers JL audio makes wont fit. also after much research i found you want to match the woofer with the air volume of your box, its very important. otherwise you can have a expensive woofer that doesnt perform as good as it should. the JL 13tw5-3 was a perfect fit for the box i built. some of the other goodies pioneer stage 4 DEX-P99rs this is their flagship design, focal 165 KRX2 speakers front and back, mcintosh 4 channel amp. under the hood a kinetik battery with 2 gauge wire going to the alternator and to the fuse and fuse block by the sub amp. in one of the pics you can see the hardwired beltonics STi plus and the switchs for the laser interceptor jammer

 

Not to hijack, but I LOVE your rear valence, what is it?


I have a 10w3v3-4 in a zenclosure box with 300w rms @ 4 ohms (Alpine MRP-M500). It sounds amazing. Good luck!