help me pick out some subs for my car ?

[djmh]

ok, so im getting some subs for christmas, i get to pick what i want .... i have a sony xplod amp for the subs and a rocksford fosgate amp for my speakers, the speakers are pretty nice ..polk momos ?

but i want a bit more bass... not obnoxiously loud ...i dont care if the guy next to me can hear it or not - but ive been told several things, i cant mae heads or tails of what i should do ?
so maybe you can help....

ok, so i was told that if i get my tweeters..or if i get tweeters hooked up it would produce better audio ?
but i need a crossover, and component speakers i guess ?
if any one can explain, thatd be great.

or should i just hook up some subs to my sony amp ?
now that i was told is bad, apparently the amp sucks and will ruin my speakers ?
if any one can confirm, or explain that i would appreciate it.

i was considering some bazooka subs ... self powered, Bazooka - 10" Single-Voice-Coil 4-Ohm Subwoofer with Integrated 100W Amplifier - would that one sub be enough for me to hook up and get the bass i want ?

or would i need two bazookas ?

or would they not be a good option ?

all i want is a bit more bass, btw, i have a good head unit..alpine something ?

i will have some one at best buy hook up whatever i get.

origionally i was just going to get some subs and plug them into my amp...but idk, do you guys think my amp will wreck them ?

thanks evryone !!!

if i can just use my amp, i will get these probably - what do you think ?

http://www.bestbuy.com/site/MTX+-+12"+Dual+2-Ohm+Subwoofers+with+Enclosure/9528219.p?id=1218119486155&skuId=9528219

heres the bazooka

http://www.bestbuy.com/site/Bazooka+-+10"+Single-Voice-Coil+4-Ohm+Subwoofer+with+Integrated+100W+Amplifier/9036722.p?id=1218011393901&skuId=9036722&st=bazooka

[djmh]

Sony XM-2200GTX Car Amp

thats my amp

[Psumi]

Go get some from Quiznos, Milio's, Jimmy Johns and/or Subway.

[djmh]

...thank...you ?
...care for one yourself ?

[pwnst*r]

ok, so im getting some subs for christmas, i get to pick what i want .... i have a sony xplod amp for the subs and a rocksford fosgate amp for my speakers, the speakers are pretty nice ..polk momos ?

but i want a bit more bass... not obnoxiously loud ...i dont care if the guy next to me can hear it or not - but ive been told several things, i cant mae heads or tails of what i should do ?
so maybe you can help....

ok, so i was told that if i get my tweeters..or if i get tweeters hooked up it would produce better audio ? It can if you get something decent. Keep in mind that depending on your head unit, you COULD run components from it and use your amp for strictly your subs, but you'd be wise not to "crank" it in that configuration because of the HU's low power
but i need a crossover, and component speakers i guess ?Decent component speakers come with passive crossovers.
if any one can explain, thatd be great.

or should i just hook up some subs to my sony amp ?
now that i was told is bad, apparently the amp sucks and will ruin my speakers ? What model is that amp? The chances of your amp ruining subs, is quite small unless the distortion factor is extremely high. You'll ruin speakers quicker from clipping than over powering.
if any one can confirm, or explain that i would appreciate it.

i was considering some bazooka subs ... self powered, Bazooka - 10" Single-Voice-Coil 4-Ohm Subwoofer with Integrated 100W Amplifier - would that one sub be enough for me to hook up and get the bass i want ? Again, what's your amp's model, you don't need to go the bazooka route unless you want to be able to use them in another vehicle or move them around easily

or would i need two bazookas ? What kind of vehicle?

or would they not be a good option ?

all i want is a bit more bass, btw, i have a good head unit..alpine something ?

i will have some one at best buy hook up whatever i get.

origionally i was just going to get some subs and plug them into my amp...but idk, do you guys think my amp will wreck them ? No

thanks evryone !!!

if i can just use my amp, i will get these probably - what do you think ?

http://www.bestbuy.com/site/MTX+-+12"+Dual+2-Ohm+Subwoofers+with+Enclosure/9528219.p?id=1218119486155&skuId=9528219

heres the bazooka

http://www.bestbuy.com/site/Bazooka+-+10"+Single-Voice-Coil+4-Ohm+Subwoofer+with+Integrated+100W+Amplifier/9036722.p?id=1218011393901&skuId=9036722&st=bazooka

^^see red.

[pwnst*r]

Sony XM-2200GTX Car Amp

thats my amp

He needs subs, not a new amp.

[djmh]

He needs subs, not a new amp.
that sony amp is the one i have, i just am wondering if its ok for hooking up subs too...

let me clarify, i have a 99 vw jetta...polk momos an alpine head unit and a rocksford fosgate amp powering the momos...

i also have a sony explod amp, but i was told if i hook any subs to it that amp will trash them...

i want a bit more bass added to my system, should i just get some subs hooked to my amp, or will they get ruined ?

or will a bazooka give me the kick i want ?

or should i get tweeters hooked up ?

i appreciate the help man !!

[djmh]

you sound like you do know what your doing though, and i appreciate your help...i suppose i just want to get the best kick i can for as little needs to be spent - but i wont skimp and get bad sound or a ruined sub months later ya know ?

so what would you reccomend ?
getting tweeters hooked up?
getting a bazooka ?
getting regular subs, and trusting my current amp ?

[pwnst*r]

He needs subs, not a new amp.

lol i missed that that was even you. let me look at the specs.

[pwnst*r]

there's nothing wrong with your sony amp.

i would:

run the Sony in bridged mode (500W RMS) to dual 10" subs (no need for 12's in this situation unless you just felt like having them and depending a lot on what you listen to, which will also clarify what kind of sub enclosure you'll need)

give me your model for the rockford amp - you should have no issues running component from that unit.

keep the alpine - use the rca pre-outs and not bother with the HU's built-in power.

your topic title says you want more bass, so concentrate on that first, then go for components later and we can talk more about speaker placements in a Jetta (i used to have a 2000 and we installed a system in my buddy's '97)

[djmh]

there's nothing wrong with your sony amp.

i would:

run the Sony in bridged mode (500W RMS) to dual 10" subs (no need for 12's in this situation unless you just felt like having them and depending a lot on what you listen to, which will also clarify what kind of sub enclosure you'll need)

give me your model for the rockford amp - you should have no issues running component from that unit.

keep the alpine - use the rca pre-outs and not bother with the HU's built-in power.

your topic title says you want more bass, so concentrate on that first, then go for components later and we can talk more about speaker placements in a Jetta (i used to have a 2000 and we installed a system in my buddy's '97)


its a rocksford fosgate punch p450 - 4

ok, do you think the guys at best buy will do that all right ?
i have no idea as far as car audio goes...ill probably tell em to whatever you say i should .

but yes, im really looking for more bass as cheaply as i can - but i also want my speakers to last ...

what would have caused my uncles subs to have blown ?
he blamed the sony amp ?
thats why i was thinking something else ?

[djmh]

oh, i want it for a large variety of music...techno alot...rap maybe, rock - alot of acccoustic, mainly accoustic rock and techno...

[pwnst*r]

its a rocksford fosgate punch p450 - 4

ok, do you think the guys at best buy will do that all right ?
i have no idea as far as car audio goes...ill probably tell em to whatever you say i should .

but yes, im really looking for more bass as cheaply as i can - but i also want my speakers to last ...

what would have caused my uncles subs to have blown ?
he blamed the sony amp ?
thats why i was thinking something else ?

well, that rockford, if you wanted to, you could do a component set and a single 10" in a tri-mode configuration. it won't get super loud, but it would be clean.

as far as your uncle...the subs may not have been crossed over properly, resulting in full range speakers, which, at high levels can damage the voice coil.

could have been a faulty amp equaling clipping resulting in a mechanical breakdown of the subs.

a few different reasons, but you won't blow the subs if your parts are working and the components are hooked up properly.

as far as best buy... i'd go to a local hi-fi shop instead. just make sure they have some certs hanging on the walls and some pics of installs they've done.

[pwnst*r]

oh, i want it for a large variety of music...techno alot...rap maybe, rock - alot of acccoustic, mainly accoustic rock and techno...

you'd probably do best with a ported sub enclosure then. if someone suggests bandpass, dismiss it. sealed would work too (it'll go a little lower in Hz) but you need more power for that type of enclosure.

[djmh]

well, that rockford, if you wanted to, you could do a component set and a single 10" in a tri-mode configuration. it won't get super loud, but it would be clean.

as far as your uncle...the subs may not have been crossed over properly, resulting in full range speakers, which, at high levels can damage the voice coil.

could have been a faulty amp equaling clipping resulting in a mechanical breakdown of the subs.

a few different reasons, but you won't blow the subs if your parts are working and the components are hooked up properly.

as far as best buy... i'd go to a local hi-fi shop instead. just make sure they have some certs hanging on the walls and some pics of installs they've done.


i think i want two tens or two twelves, i think i may just use the sony amp..i assume they werent hooked up right, but how would i tell if the amp is faulty ?
he said the cone literally crumbled ....

i would like to find out if the amp is ok or not before i decide what i get, cause that will really influence my decision....

and how about bazookas, would that one ten give me good bass ?

http://www.bestbuy.com/site/Bazooka+-+10"+Single-Voice-Coil+4-Ohm+Subwoofer+with+Integrated+100W+Amplifier/9036722.p?id=1218011393901&skuId=9036722&st=bazookas

[djmh]

i guess what would you reccomend i do ?
just go to a shop and see what they say ?
get a new amp... just get subs ?

[pwnst*r]

have them test your amp, they'll gladly do that. any reputable shop will do that for you (especially if you'll be doing business with them)

i say forget the bazookas...only because you'll have an amp that won't be getting used.

if the sony amp checks out good, inquire how much dual 10's in a ported box would be from cheapest to middle of the line.

[djmh]

alright man !!
if i cant find any shop, do you think best buy could do that for me ?

thank you for you help !!!
all in all approximatly how much will i end up spending, considering my amps good, i purchase two tens, and have them test my amp, and hook up my subs ?


btw, why do you say tens ?
instead of 12s ?
and what you were talking about enclosures... and all that stuff, what does all that mean ?

[djmh]

ohhhh... just ask for a ported box, ok ...thanks man !!

any thing i should know about making my subslast ?

i dont want them to get ruined ....

[pwnst*r]

best buy should be able to do it no problem. i just like to help the local car stereo shops and not chains because typically their service/work is better.

you'll have to ask them how much, but i'm thinking 10" subs + enclosure, plus install about $300+

i only say tens because of room. 12's will take up a lot of room in a jetta trunk.

enclosure types: http://www.crutchfield.com/S-8KJLq52Hvko/Learn/learningcenter/car/subwoofers_enclosures.html

[pwnst*r]

ohhhh... just ask for a ported box, ok ...thanks man !!

any thing i should know about making my subslast ?

i dont want them to get ruined ....

they'll know how to dial in your amp's gain to maximize output without overdoing distortion. also, if you stick with that sony, don't enable the "boost" feature.

[djmh]

man, you rock !!
but ya, i know i like to help out locally ...i just dont know here to find one lol ...

but ok, 3 sounds great, will 12s be alot more, or worth it ?
worth it i mean sound/kick vs price compared to tens ?

[pwnst*r]

three what sounds great?

look in the phonebook of your local town.

actually you'll get more "kick" from the 10's typically, but more and possibly lower bass from the 12's

[djmh]

300 sounds good lol, uhhhm what is the difference between kick and bass then ?

is it feeling the bass as compared to low bass ?

[pwnst*r]

yep, a kick will be more like a swift punch to the chest and not like low bass.

[djmh]

and just in case, if my amps bad - what would you say about the specs of the bazooka ?

would one 10 inch bazooka give me the kick/bass i want ?

http://www.bestbuy.com/site/Bazooka+-+10"+Single-Voice-Coil+4-Ohm+Subwoofer+with+Integrated+100W+Amplifier/9036722.p?id=1218011393901&skuId=9036722


and how much is an amp test/ install ?
a few hundred or what ?

[pwnst*r]

the good thing about the bazooka is you can buy it and try it to see if it's good enough for your needs.

and i dont know if it'll be good enough for you cuz that's subjective and i'm not you :)

test should be free, install will be included with sub enclosure install.

[djmh]

sounds excellent !!

thank you so much for your help man !!!

[pwnst*r]

no problem - keep me up to date on what happens. or you can just PM me if i miss this thread.

[djmh]

what about blowing subs ?

say the bazooka, what would blow it ?

it is self powered so theres no adjustment there really..i think ?

so if i turn it up will i blow it ?

thats the same with my polk momoss, hooked to the rockford...if i turn em up to high, will they blow ?

[pwnst*r]

what about blowing subs?

your bazooka is fine since it's self powered.

don't worry about your polk's they're fine

[djmh]

awsome !!
i was wondering, cause i would turn the bass up on my polks, and there would be almost a rattling noise ...i was worried...but evryone said theyll be fine lol...

thank you so much for your help !!

[pwnst*r]

awsome !!
i was wondering, cause i would turn the bass up on my polks, and there would be almost a rattling noise ...i was worried...but evryone said theyll be fine lol...

thank you so much for your help !!

well the rattling is probably your door panels or something within your door. if you start hearing some distortion, then back off on the volume.

[djmh]

how would i determine whether it is the door or distortion ?

i assume its the door though ...

[pwnst*r]

how would i determine whether it is the door or distortion ?

i assume its the door though ...

does it do it in both doors? you can pull a door panel off to test and listen.

[djmh]

hey man, i decided i dont even want to mess around with an amp...
i would rather just have it all in one small pack..
do you think you could help me pick the best sub out of these ?

http://www.amazon.com/Bazooka-BTA10250D-10-Inch-250-Watt-Amplified/dp/B0017JG47G/ref=sr_1_3?ie=UTF8&s=electronics&qid=1261789349&sr=1-3

http://www.amazon.com/Bazooka-BTA10250D-10-Inch-250-Watt-Amplified/dp/B0017JG47G/ref=sr_1_3?ie=UTF8&s=electronics&qid=1261789349&sr=1-3

http://www.amazon.com/Bazooka-BTA10100-100-Watt-Amplified-Subwoofer/dp/B000CINFQ6/ref=sr_1_8?ie=UTF8&s=electronics&qid=1261789349&sr=1-8

http://www.amazon.com/Bazooka-BT1024DVC-10-Inch-Dual-Passive/dp/B0007WQ7JE/ref=sr_1_7?ie=UTF8&s=electronics&qid=1261789349&sr=1-7

http://www.amazon.com/Bazooka-BT1014-10-Inch-4-Ohm-Bass/dp/B0007WW4XW/ref=sr_1_11?ie=UTF8&s=electronics&qid=1261789349&sr=1-11

http://www.amazon.com/Bazooka-BT1214-12-Inch-Passive-Subwoofer/dp/B000ROOBFO/ref=sr_1_12?ie=UTF8&s=electronics&qid=1261789349&sr=1-12

http://www.amazon.com/Bazooka-BT1224DVC-12-Inch-4-Ohm-Passive/dp/B000ROM3R2/ref=sr_1_14?ie=UTF8&s=electronics&qid=1261789349&sr=1-14

http://www.amazon.com/Bazooka-BTA10200-200-Watt-Amplified-Subwoofer/dp/B0007WRP0Y/ref=sr_1_22?ie=UTF8&s=electronics&qid=1261789349&sr=1-22

[pwnst*r]

well for bazookas i'd go with what you can afford but look at some reviews. i noticed most of those have no reviews. also, find some specs where it shows power in RMS not "max" - that is a poor way to show a power rating and is usually tactics of cheap manufacturers.

[djmh]

well i can afford any of those shown in the links ...

do you see any that look like they would provide decent bass ?

or can you not tell from the specs given ?


is there anything i can look for..
i dont want to make you do my work...i just wanht to make sure i get the most bass i can ...

[pwnst*r]

the specs are flakey even on their site. you're just going to have to trust some user reviews. i couldn't suggest one and feel good about it.

[djmh]

...ehh, makes me unsure - but ill hunt around...read some stuff, if i buy em online i can still take them to best buy and get them hooked up though right ?

[djmh]

and does high ohms, and wattage mean anything ?

or can i not neccassarily rely on just picking the one with the highest watts ?

[pwnst*r]

yep, you sure can, although all it takes is an RCA cable from your HU pre-outs to your trunk. not sure how much that would cost, but it'd be a good way to learn your system a little :)

[pwnst*r]

and does high ohms, and wattage mean anything ?

or can i not neccassarily rely on just picking the one with the highest watts ?

high ohms doesn't mean anything in regards to quality, only configurations which you don't need to worry about with your amp/setup. stick with 4ohm subs.

wattage means a lot, but keep in mind you want a CLEAR rating of RMS, not "omg, max 1000w!!". max ratings typically equal distortion monsters., although higher distortions in a sub amp are much less noticeable than the amp you're using for your front end.

[djmh]

huh, alot to think about !!

but ill probably get bazookas... and the rc cords should already be run...for the amp in my trunk ?

do you know any decent subs with intergrated amps ?

all i can find are home audio subs ...

[pwnst*r]

if you get amped bazookas you need to run the RCA's from the HU to the bazooka.

typically you won't find much in the way of integrated amps for car audio subs, but i know that rockford fosgate sells one or two.

[djmh]

ok, well one more question .... i know you couldnt reccomend one - but given the specs you see... what sub out of those links appears to be best ?

i know they seem rather shady, but what would you assume is the best of those ones ?

[Hwæt]

ok, well one more question .... i know you couldnt reccomend one - but given the specs you see... what sub out of those links appears to be best ?

This one (http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/6/69/Submarine_sandwich.jpg/800px-Submarine_sandwich.jpg)

I wouldn't recommend leaving it in your car, though.

[djmh]

ok, ive narrowed it to these two...which would you chose, that you think MAY provide better bass ?

http://www.amazon.com/Bazooka-BT1224DVC-12-Inch-4-Ohm-Passive/dp/B000ROM3R2/ref=sr_1_14?ie=UTF8&s=electronics&qid=1261789349&sr=1-14

http://www.amazon.com/Bazooka-BTA10250D-10-Inch-250-Watt-Amplified/dp/B0017JG47G/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=electronics&qid=1261796029&sr=1-1

[djmh]

eneral
Product Type Car subwoofer
Width 20.7 in
Depth 10.4 in
Height 12.2 in
Speaker System
Speaker Type Active
Speaker Diameter 10"
Nominal (RMS) Output Power 250 Watt
Max (RMS) Output Power 300 Watt
Response Bandwidth 35 - 250 Hz
Crossover Frequency 80 - 250Hz
Audio Amplifier Integrated
Connectivity Technology Wired

does that help any ?

[djmh]

the other ones 600 watt rms, but is not amped ... so how about the first specs ?

300 watt rms ....is that any good ?

[pwnst*r]

yah that doesn't look too bad. dunno, that other one looks good too, but not if you don't trust your amp.

[djmh]

yeah, i just dont trust the amp...cause it could be..and probably is fine...but if it does something in a few months then im screwed...but 300 watt rms is decent ?

[pwnst*r]

yeah, that's not too bad. should be okay with decent volume, but won't be a ground pounder.

[djmh]

yep, just ordered it !!

thank you so much for pointing me in the right direction and helping out !!

[pwnst*r]

np, hope you enjoy it

[Exodist]

ok, so im getting some subs for christmas, i get to pick what i want .... i have a sony xplod amp for the subs and a rocksford fosgate amp for my speakers, the speakers are pretty nice ..polk momos ?

but i want a bit more bass...

Get the subs that match your amp and system.

I have a Pioneer Super Tuner III running my car speakers on the inside, they are sony explodes. Now my sub in the trunk is a single generic 10" metal cone sub in a band pass box. Powered by a highly over exaggerated and falsely advertised 250w Jensen amp. Its all the AMP can do to power the sub which really is only about 50w @ 4 Ohm.

Now my system can rattle the trunk if playing Eminem, but its not over powering as it actually compliments the system. In addition if you go the single sub route to save money and not be over powering, you can not tell the diference of which direction (left or right) the base if coming from,

Hope this helps.

[pwnst*r]

n addition if you go the single sub route to save money and not be over powering, you can not tell the diference of which direction (left or right) the base if coming from,



are you implying that dual subs are wired for stereo?

[steveneddy]

I have had custom audio in all of my vehicles since I started driving.

I was a professional musician while in my 20's and I still own a recording studio.

I have owned a live sound company that was very successful and sold it for a tidy profit.

I think I know good audio and where to get it.

If you want one of the best sources for custom mobile audio for your vehicle, a company that will listen to you and your needs, then this is the place to go:

http://www.toby.com/CarAudio/caraudio.htm

They installed a custom sub box with two 10's in my 2002 Chevy P/U when it was new and tweaked the stock system with passive crossovers and filters and it sounds like a much more expensive system than it actually is.

At the very least you could call them for advice. These are great people and they are always there to help.

[pwnst*r]

or he can get advice from someone that's also a home/car audio enthusiast and worked for 7 years in the mobile audio industry including competing in IASCA during the days when SQ meant something.


but ok.

[Gizenshya]

edit: just saw that you ordered it, so I'll just remove most of the now non-relevant post.

a few notes for reference, or for others wondering, though...

fyi, I've been installing systems for over 10 years. I've never done it as a source of income, but installing and car-audio competition are long-time favorite hobbies of mine. I'll send you a PM of a site where the majority of people know their stuff *very* well.

for your purposes, the size of the speaker only matters for space reasons. Larger subs can generally go lower, but with only a few hundred watts, a 10" can do just as well. The box matters far more in your case. I would recommend a dual-10" ported enclosure tuned to about 40 Hz. You would probably not have enough room to tune a dual-12" ported enclosure to a low enough frequency to meet your needs.

The only reason I would ever recommend a sealed enclosure would be where there is only a very small space to work with.

Amps are usually pretty durable, and last years (if not severely abused or misused). I would have checked it out first, but you should be satisfied with the bazooka. Since you weren't sure about your amp, better safe than sorry.

ohms matter when wiring up subs, and in some advanced system design. For your purposes, as long as the ohms matched the amps' outputs, you'd be fine. Lots of amps die because of being wired outside of their impendence ratings.

I strongly suggest getting any install done at a specialized car audio shop, by a certified installer (like MECP). A Bazooka might not apply to that, though... I'd still prefer it, but I doubt even a Best Buy installer could screw that up. Personally, I'd just post here and get help doing that install yourself. You'd save a bit of money and get some invaluable experience.

I get impatient with things for time to time, but for all who have a few days, I would strongly recommend waiting to get all the info you can before making a decision. Most of the time it takes me weeks to get a system design that I'm completely satisfied with.

Some things that I always take into consideration are:

music type (which you did... kindof. You mentioned it, but didn't really apply it to your decision).

resonant frequency of vehicle. If you tune your box to (or buy a box that is tuned to) this frequency, waves combine, making the sound louder with each wave. If it doesn't match, it can cancel out the frequency, and cause unwanted reverberations, and quiet or silent ranges in sound. There are various ways of addressing different problems, but it is much easier designing a system with this knowledge ahead of time.

rattles and noises. You can fix these later with Dynamat or other similar products. It isn't always necessary to think of this first. Dynamat et al aren't cheap...

power supply of vehicle, and when you listen to the music. Even an amp like you chose can quickly drain a battery, or even dim lights when the bass hits. This is a good sign of a bad install. It means you need a larger alternator (ormore than one), and/or capacitors. If you don't think of this at first, you can be stuck with a system that drains your battery, doesn't get the power it needs to function properly, or even be dangerous. The draw of your system at full output is probably more than all of the vehicle's designed draw combined. In other words, you could end up draining the battery even while the vehicle runs. A system that you couldn't listen to because you don't have the money to buy the alt or cap needed to get it working sucks even worse than having a stock radio.
Caps and alts aren't cheap.

Tweeters... I don't recommend getting them unless they are hooked up with a proper crossover. I haven't really found an internal crossover that I liked. The quality is always better with an external crossover. (At least, for separate components like you're talking about). If they aren't set up right, they can easily (and often do) result in reduced overall sound quality.

Space... I didn't see it mentioned. this is a huge factor in system design. Not just how much space there is in the trunk (or whereever), but how much you are willing to sacrifice for the project.

There are lots of other things to consider, and it just takes time.

All that being said, in your situation, you should be fine with your choice. I would suggest moving the box around to get the sound to suit your tastes, though. Moving it around, beleive it or not, can easily (and WILL) change the loudness of given frequencies by a factor of 10x or more.

[steveneddy]

edit: just saw that you ordered it, so I'll just remove most of the now non-relevant post.

a few notes for reference, or for others wondering, though...

fyi, I've been installing systems for over 10 years. I've never done it as a source of income, but installing and car-audio competition are long-time favorite hobbies of mine. I'll send you a PM of a site where the majority of people know their stuff *very* well.

for your purposes, the size of the speaker only matters for space reasons. Larger subs can generally go lower, but with only a few hundred watts, a 10" can do just as well. The box matters far more in your case. I would recommend a dual-10" ported enclosure tuned to about 40 Hz. You would probably not have enough room to tune a dual-12" ported enclosure to a low enough frequency to meet your needs.

The only reason I would ever recommend a sealed enclosure would be where there is only a very small space to work with.

Amps are usually pretty durable, and last years (if not severely abused or misused). I would have checked it out first, but you should be satisfied with the bazooka. Since you weren't sure about your amp, better safe than sorry.

ohms matter when wiring up subs, and in some advanced system design. For your purposes, as long as the ohms matched the amps' outputs, you'd be fine. Lots of amps die because of being wired outside of their impendence ratings.

I strongly suggest getting any install done at a specialized car audio shop, by a certified installer (like MECP). A Bazooka might not apply to that, though... I'd still prefer it, but I doubt even a Best Buy installer could screw that up. Personally, I'd just post here and get help doing that install yourself. You'd save a bit of money and get some invaluable experience.

I get impatient with things for time to time, but for all who have a few days, I would strongly recommend waiting to get all the info you can before making a decision. Most of the time it takes me weeks to get a system design that I'm completely satisfied with.

Some things that I always take into consideration are:

music type (which you did... kindof. You mentioned it, but didn't really apply it to your decision).

resonant frequency of vehicle. If you tune your box to (or buy a box that is tuned to) this frequency, waves combine, making the sound louder with each wave. If it doesn't match, it can cancel out the frequency, and cause unwanted reverberations, and quiet or silent ranges in sound. There are various ways of addressing different problems, but it is much easier designing a system with this knowledge ahead of time.

rattles and noises. You can fix these later with Dynamat or other similar products. It isn't always necessary to think of this first. Dynamat et al aren't cheap...

power supply of vehicle, and when you listen to the music. Even an amp like you chose can quickly drain a battery, or even dim lights when the bass hits. This is a good sign of a bad install. It means you need a larger alternator (ormore than one), and/or capacitors. If you don't think of this at first, you can be stuck with a system that drains your battery, doesn't get the power it needs to function properly, or even be dangerous. The draw of your system at full output is probably more than all of the vehicle's designed draw combined. In other words, you could end up draining the battery even while the vehicle runs. A system that you couldn't listen to because you don't have the money to buy the alt or cap needed to get it working sucks even worse than having a stock radio.
Caps and alts aren't cheap.

Tweeters... I don't recommend getting them unless they are hooked up with a proper crossover. I haven't really found an internal crossover that I liked. The quality is always better with an external crossover. (At least, for separate components like you're talking about). If they aren't set up right, they can easily (and often do) result in reduced overall sound quality.

Space... I didn't see it mentioned. this is a huge factor in system design. Not just how much space there is in the trunk (or whereever), but how much you are willing to sacrifice for the project.

There are lots of other things to consider, and it just takes time.

All that being said, in your situation, you should be fine with your choice. I would suggest moving the box around to get the sound to suit your tastes, though. Moving it around, beleive it or not, can easily (and WILL) change the loudness of given frequencies by a factor of 10x or more.

Great points, especially about how smaller speaker can make more volume that a single 15" speaker.

[steveneddy]

or he can get advice from someone that's also a home/car audio enthusiast and worked for 7 years in the mobile audio industry including competing in IASCA during the days when SQ meant something.


but ok.

I didn't read the entire thread, only posted after reading the initial post.

I only posted what I did because no one knows me from Adam and I was just qualifying myself on this "voodoo" subject.

IMHO though, car audio competition is wildly different than planning a good sounding system that you can listen to daily and not make your ears bleed. The OP stated that he was simply needing a small sub to complement an almost complete system that did not need to be obnoxiously loud.

But you guys seem to have it under control, although I stated that I wouldn't and have rarely used off the shelf components for custom mobile audio.

I also feel that a well designed system doesn't have or need large bass boxes to have acceptable bass response. Maybe the OP could get a better value for the money he is investing by actually taking the vehicle to a professional audio designer and look into having a redesigned "custom" system installed that would sound great but incorporate the bass response activities throughout the remaining speakers and only adding subs that are hidden and incorporated into the existing vehicles already existing interior.

Like I said, I still didn't read the rest of the thread and this in only my .02 which matters not, just wanted to throw that in.

No disrespect for your apparent qualifications.

[djmh]

he was simply needing a small sub to complement an almost complete system that did not need to be obnoxiously loud.

that is exactly what i am aiming for...i want to feel the bass hit nice,hard, and low - but i dont care if anyone outside hears it or not .


my system is pretty close to complete, and i think the bazooka will give me what i want for the bass, the next thing i will work on is my tweeters...

there for the highs correct ?

what all do i need to get those hooked up ?

cause i was under the impression the polks were my tweeters ?

[pwnst*r]

what model are the polks

[djmh]

polk momos ?

thats all i really know... you need an actual model number ?

i was told that there really good speakers, but to make them better the tweeters need to be hooked up ?

i dont really know what that means... but when i asked my uncle about it i think he didnt really know, (i bought the car from him thats why i asked)

but he said just hook the tweeters up, you will need a good set of component speakers with a crossover and about 500-1000 dollars to make it sound great..

i dont really know what that means...and im not sure if he does either ...