Ported or Sealed

[04dezert1500]

Im currently running 2 - 10" kicker comp vr's in seperate sealed boxes. Im getting rid of them because its time to upgrade with some more bass.

I was thinking of running 2 - 12" subs but was wondering if I should go ported this time or sealed again? I listen to some rap to punk mainly and am shooting for SQL/SPL - 50/50 what would you recommend?

I was looking into a set of 12" JL 10w3's anyone back these up or recommend anything better for my application?

[PT99]

It depends on what amp you go with. Ported sounds better with more power.

[FaintReality]

I have always and will always run sealed. There are several drivers on the market that are plenty loud for daily drivers with a good 500-1000w in a sealed enclosure.

[Exalted512]

how much are you looking to spend?
i would never buy any of JL's subs...
-Cody

[04dezert1500]

Price isnt really an issue as long as its not really high. This setup is only for a DD but 2 10's werent cutting it.

[x6369x]

Im currently running 2 - 10" kicker comp vr's in seperate sealed boxes. Im getting rid of them because its time to upgrade with some more bass.

I was thinking of running 2 - 12" subs but was wondering if I should go ported this time or sealed again? I listen to some rap to punk mainly and am shooting for SQL/SPL - 50/50 what would you recommend?

I was looking into a set of 12" JL 10w3's anyone back these up or recommend anything better for my application?
Depending on airspace, the 12's might not sound better than the 10's. How much airspace do you have?

[DSZ71]

Depending on airspace, the 12's might not sound better than the 10's. How much airspace do you have?

Exactly, because a ported box will need more space. If you are cramped on space look into sealed box. I know you were saying you wanted to cut your floor out so that may create enough room for you to go ported.

[TITANIUM]

What are the detailed Theil specs on the woofers? There is much more to it than throwing some subs in a box.

[JAM]

I have always and will always run sealed. There are several drivers on the market that are plenty loud for daily drivers with a good 500-1000w in a sealed enclosure.

What he said. Sealed sounds better.

[x6369x]

What he said. Sealed sounds better.
Not necessarily. It's all in the install, and you also have to take into consideration the musical preference of the listener.

[04dezert1500]

To answer all the questions above...

*Im cutting out the floor and building a lower "subfloor box" so I can get the required airspace out of the box for whatever subs I will run.

*I listen to some rap to punk mainly and Im shooting for SQL/SPL around 50/50. IE-Pennywise, linkin park, Del, Rage against the machine, strung out, 98 mute, defari, j5, gangstarr, outkastetc.

*I was looking into the JL 10w3v2 or the JL12w3v2 (if you can recommend something better for this application let me know since I really dont have experiance with sub companies)

I was happy with my old setup with the 2-10" kicker comp vr's in sealed boxes with a kicker 700.5 amp that powered the subs including the 2-4x6's in the rear and 2-6.5's in the doors. Its been 2 years and I want something louder.

My plans were to keep the kicker 700.5 to power the 2 subs and get another amp to power the other speakers so power shouldnt be an issue.

Once I figure out what type of subs to run, what size of subs, and sealed or ported I will start the project and be sure to post pictures up on how its going.

[95stroked1500]

cuttin' sh1t up and making sql set ups...... i can offer a few cents. if i'm thinkin' right, you have an ex cab. you can put 2 12's or 4 10's in a sealed under you back seat, pound really hard and still sound really good. there's even good prefabs for 2 12's under the seat. now, if you are going to cut, you better make it worth your time and trouble and do a nutty ported box. for what you are after, i would suggest keeping it simple and going with 2 good 12's in a sealed, with hefty amount of power to them. if you want more output and want to do some time consuming custom fabricating, then look into an under rear seat ported without the cut. as far as brands, we all have our preferences. there are a lot of good brands, and a lot of overrated brands.

[DSZ71]

cuttin' sh1t up and making sql set ups...... i can offer a few cents. if i'm thinkin' right, you have an ex cab. you can put 2 12's or 4 10's in a sealed under you back seat, pound really hard and still sound really good. there's even good prefabs for 2 12's under the seat. now, if you are going to cut, you better make it worth your time and trouble and do a nutty ported box. for what you are after, i would suggest keeping it simple and going with 2 good 12's in a sealed, with hefty amount of power to them. if you want more output and want to do some time consuming custom fabricating, then look into an under rear seat ported without the cut. as far as brands, we all have our preferences. there are a lot of good brands, and a lot of overrated brands.

Yup Larry knows his chit when it comes to doing "cutouts" ...hell he knows his chit when it comes to audio period. Great guy who is a wealth of knowledge and is always more than willing to help someone out.

[95stroked1500]

Yup Larry knows his chit when it comes to doing "cutouts" ...hell he knows his chit when it comes to audio period. Great guy who is a wealth of knowledge and is always more than willing to help someone out.

thanks Damian, if it weren't for "rent a friend", nobody would say anything good about me. how much extra do i owe you for that compliment? maybe i could find that brew from brea, ca and send you a sixer. :head:

[04dezert1500]

It makes sense what you described 95stroked1500. I for sure am going to have to cut the floor out under the seat. Under the 88-98 extended cab seats there really isnt any room. I also have a 3rd door which GM had to mount the rear seat mount on the floor instead of on the cab wall which takes up more space.

For these setup 2 12's or 4 10's in a sealed box would my amp be enough to power either of these setups if I went this route? The Kicker 700.5 is "claimed" at 900 watts max. Is there anymore info I can get off the manual that you need to answer that question?

Also would any of you for sure eliminate 2 -12's in a ported box as an option for my preferences stated earlier?

[OKLAGMCRUISER]

981500...I don't think you're really reading other member's posts....

It is not necessary to cut out your floor...heck cut out the bed and put the box there and vent it into the cab. Remove the entire back seat and build a hellacious box, but cutting the floor out will be a structural nightmare for your daily driver.

I am running 3 Treo TSX's with a Cadence A7HC in a sealed enclosure with the seat raised 2.5". I believe my box is somewhere around 3 cubic feet or so. There is MORE than enough room to do 2 12's in a ported box in a OBS truck...especially if you remove the seat...which has not been stated that you are or are not willing to do. If you remove the seat you can put more subs and SPL than your body/ears can take.

[95stroked1500]

It makes sense what you described 95stroked1500. I for sure am going to have to cut the floor out under the seat. Under the 88-98 extended cab seats there really isnt any room. I also have a 3rd door which GM had to mount the rear seat mount on the floor instead of on the cab wall which takes up more space.

For these setup 2 12's or 4 10's in a sealed box would my amp be enough to power either of these setups if I went this route? The Kicker 700.5 is "claimed" at 900 watts max. Is there anymore info I can get off the manual that you need to answer that question?

Also would any of you for sure eliminate 2 -12's in a ported box as an option for my preferences stated earlier?

i don't know the specifics of your amp, what does it have in it for fuses? how many channels and what is their lowest rated impedance? i've done quite a few installs under the rear seats of these trucks, it is cramped for space. i've done a couple set ups of 2 10's in a prefab with a decent amp, and it blew peoples mind that a simple set up like that can pound with good subs and a ballsy amp. now when you go custom, it can hurt you without any cutting. like oklagmcruiser said, you can raise the seat, take the seat out, take the bottom off the seat and they can sit on a box/seat.....etc.. you do have a lot of options. you can do 4 forward facing 10's under your seat with no modifications at all. you can also step up to 2 12's in a decent prefab under there. it comes down to how much $ you want to spend and how deep you want to get into custom fabbing.

[Bagged02]

how much are you looking to spend?
i would never buy any of JL's subs...
-Cody

Wht in the world would you never buy any of jl's subd. they are by far one of the best out on the market TODAY. i believe it was last year or 2 years ago jl set the Db record. huh never heard anyone ever say that. but to each his own...

[Exalted512]

Wht in the world would you never buy any of jl's subd. they are by far one of the best out on the market TODAY. i believe it was last year or 2 years ago jl set the Db record. huh never heard anyone ever say that. but to each his own...
i never said they werent good...the w7s are great subs by any means
but i would never buy hardly any of their gear b/c its so overpriced
theres MUCH better stuff for the price out there...especially the sub line
theres nothing better than the w7...well...nothing much better...theres adire's brahmas and resonant's XXX and id's max....but theyre not going to edge out the w7 by much if at all in sound quality...and if done right a single xxx could out do a w7 in spl if both boxes were built to specs
thing is the xxx is almost hald the price of the w7
you can get a brahma 12 or like 370 and a 12w7 is almost $700 i believe...
having heard both, i like the sound of the bramha better anyway
pretty much any audiophile will tell you...JL makes good stuff but theyre WAY overpriced for what you get
-Cody

[98cepektahoe]

Wht in the world would you never buy any of jl's subd. they are by far one of the best out on the market TODAY. i believe it was last year or 2 years ago jl set the Db record. huh never heard anyone ever say that. but to each his own...


youll learn very quickly that hes not a big fan of jl :crazy:

[04dezert1500]

95stroked1500 - to answer your questions I attached a picture of the specs. Its a 5 channel amp with 30 amp fuses. Will that be enough amp for the setups you described earlier (2-12's or 4-10's)

Also as far as which way the amps fire does it matter?

OKLAGMCRUISER - I have been reading everyones posts I dont think you are reading my posts. Unlike the 99+ chevys the 88-98's are really cramped underneath the ex cab seat. Especially mine because of the 3rd door.
*I dont want to cut up into the seat its allready uncomfortable.
*I dont want a box protruding out into the floor area since its allready tight and I think that looks tacky.
*The 88-98's seats are tougher to raise than the 99+ seats, plus they are allready high as is and would look funny IMO.
*Im not cutting into the bed because I dont need to for what I have in mind maybe if I wanted a crazy SPL system with some big subs but I dont.
Im not going to run into structural problem with cutting the floor, I allready looked into what Im going to do. Under the rear seat there is alot of wasted space where nothing is below the humps in the floor. I attached a picture to give you an idea of really how small of space is under there.

Once I get this figured out and the ball rolling I will post up the install.

[95stroked1500]

is that only 2 30 amp fuses? by that and looking over the specs, i would use that amp on your highs and get a bigger one for the subs.

[04dezert1500]

Its 3 30 amps. Now subs seem like they would be harder to compare which is better, but as far as amps go what are some I should look at to power these subs?

Does it matter which way the amps fire?

[Exalted512]

youll learn very quickly that hes not a big fan of jl :crazy:
you noticed? :aniteef:
i like the XR comps and they have a cool 5 channel...thats about it
-Cody

[95stroked1500]

Its 3 30 amps. Now subs seem like they would be harder to compare which is better, but as far as amps go what are some I should look at to power these subs?

Does it matter which way the amps fire?

3 30's, looking a lot better. it could be a bigger amp, but this should do the job for a while. i think you meant with direction the subs fire? each direction will have it's pro's and con's. also depends on how picky your ears are. personally, in my opinion, down is a little more boomy and has some gains there, forward and up are a little better transience, less boomy effect.

[OKLAGMCRUISER]

95stroked1500 - to answer your questions I attached a picture of the specs. Its a 5 channel amp with 30 amp fuses. Will that be enough amp for the setups you described earlier (2-12's or 4-10's)

Also as far as which way the amps fire does it matter?

OKLAGMCRUISER - I have been reading everyones posts I dont think you are reading my posts. Unlike the 99+ chevys the 88-98's are really cramped underneath the ex cab seat. Especially mine because of the 3rd door.
*I dont want to cut up into the seat its allready uncomfortable.
*I dont want a box protruding out into the floor area since its allready tight and I think that looks tacky.
*The 88-98's seats are tougher to raise than the 99+ seats, plus they are allready high as is and would look funny IMO.
*Im not cutting into the bed because I dont need to for what I have in mind maybe if I wanted a crazy SPL system with some big subs but I dont.
Im not going to run into structural problem with cutting the floor, I allready looked into what Im going to do. Under the rear seat there is alot of wasted space where nothing is below the humps in the floor. I attached a picture to give you an idea of really how small of space is under there.

Once I get this figured out and the ball rolling I will post up the install.
Ok...how many installs have you done in this type of truck? Prolly less than ten...I have done plenty more than that and have had little problems with SPL or SQ boxes for 2 12's in an OBS truck...I have even taken the back seat out...cut the seat brackets...extended them...and reinstalled the rear seat. to gain 3 more inches of space...

The last box that I made for an application such as yours had two 12" JL's in it..sealed...with aprox 1.33 cubic feet per sub...taking into account the sub mass as well. We used a PPI A600 for each 12...not my choice of amps, but the guy had em laying around...He later cracked the windsheild in his truck playing classical music...1412 overture, I believe.

I encourage you to think outside of the box, but I still stand firm that with the proper box...amp...and subs...I can get your system to slam without cutting the floor out.

[04dezert1500]

I pretty sure im going to go with the 2- 12's in a 'sealed' box. Ill probaby have them fire up since I dont want the subs getting kicked and I dont care for those grille protectors.

I think if I went the 4 -10's route I would need a bigger amp to power the 4 subs. Ill most likely run my current amp for the subs and go from there.

If anyone else has some input let me know. I should have the project started within two weeks so Ill post pictures then. Thanks for the help.


Are capacitors "caps" a good idea on a setup like this?

[OKLAGMCRUISER]

3 30's, looking a lot better. it could be a bigger amp, but this should do the job for a while. i think you meant with direction the subs fire? each direction will have it's pro's and con's. also depends on how picky your ears are. personally, in my opinion, down is a little more boomy and has some gains there, forward and up are a little better transience, less boomy effect.
I've been considering a rear firing setup...just to lengthen the wave length and see how that would go...seeing how there is little room to do this...I'm now having second thoughts...lol.

[OKLAGMCRUISER]

I pretty sure im going to go with the 2- 12's in a 'sealed' box. Ill probaby have them fire up since I dont want the subs getting kicked and I dont care for those grille protectors.

I think if I went the 4 -10's route I would need a bigger amp to power the 4 subs. Ill most likely run my current amp for the subs and go from there.

If anyone else has some input let me know. I should have the project started within two weeks so Ill post pictures then. Thanks for the help.


Are capacitors "caps" a good idea on a setup like this?
DO a big three up grade first..before considering a cap...see the sticky at the top of the audio forum for a how to...then I would consider a battery upgrade...then alternator...and cap last.

[04dezert1500]

OKLAGMCRUISER - Ill cut the floor make it clean and make it work. I think It will be alot simpler to build a box with the floor cut and it will protrude out alot less than keeping the floor bumpy. I dont doubt you and your knowledge on building systems. I honestly appreciate your input.

I will be running an optima, and will do the BIG 3 for sure just recently heard about that from this site. :D My trucks amps barely dropped before with the truck running and my system at its full playing hip-hop w/ the 2 10's. So Ill probably be able to get away without the cap and if not Ill just add it.

[04dezert1500]

OKLAGMCRUISER - You could get the rear firing to work if you raised the seat, angled the seat the other wayt and CUT the floor :D

[95stroked1500]

I've been considering a rear firing setup...just to lengthen the wave length and see how that would go...seeing how there is little room to do this...I'm now having second thoughts...lol.

i can't remember who it was on here, but i designed a box for their ex cab that was 4 12's rear firing. never heard how it turned out, but he was removing his back seat completely.
i know most everybody rear fires subs in a trunk application (unless they seal it off), but back in the day, i tried 2 aura force 10's forward, up, and rear firing in the back of a vw bug. facing rear was wicked! sometimes there are some good gains to be had that way.

[OKLAGMCRUISER]

OKLAGMCRUISER - You could get the rear firing to work if you raised the seat, angled the seat the other wayt and CUT the floor :D
:middle:

I got owned...

[OKLAGMCRUISER]

i can't remember who it was on here, but i designed a box for their ex cab that was 4 12's rear firing. never heard how it turned out, but he was removing his back seat completely.
i know most everybody rear fires subs in a trunk application (unless they seal it off), but back in the day, i tried 2 aura force 10's forward, up, and rear firing in the back of a vw bug. facing rear was wicked! sometimes there are some good gains to be had that way.
I have seen noticable gains doing it that way too...

Maybe a new center console should be in the works...muhahahaha and do a set of rear firing eights just for midbass...great now I'm thinking like Demon...crap.:LOL: