MM12 in a Miata ?

Wardsweb

I'm looking to add a sub to my wife's Miata. There is not a lot of room in the trunk, so I was looking at the MM12 single 12 sealed enclosure. I was planning on placing it facing down. The grill would keep it from resting on the woofer and allow it to "vent" 360 degrees. This configuration also keeps the height at a minimum. Now I read in this forum where many people have had problems with the MM12. So, if I'm looking to only as a little bottom end to the sound system and not for serious slam, would the MM12 be ok? Would you recommend something else? The amp is a Alpine MRD-M500 with RUX-4180 remote.

Jstas

Problem is that the MM124 will hit the grille.

Honestly, I'd but just the sub itself and build a sub box to fir your installation needs. The guys at Polk Audio here are pretty helpful at giving you box construction ideas.

Now personally, in a small environment like teh trunk of a Miata, I'd go with what I just did in a Jeep. Two MM2084DVC's in sealed boxes. The boxes are only .35 cu. ft. a piece and those DVC 8's will dig deep but not blow your budget or your hearing. Hell, you could proabably just go with one of them and be happy. Very potent subs for the money and they will work well in a small area. They don't take up alot of room and they are efficient too...for a sub.

Overall though, since the trunk space is so small in a Miata, I'd get the one or two 8's and either fire it across the back of passenger compartment or fire them towards the rear of the car. It helps with corner loading and when a sub is stuffed in a trunk, you want all the help in the volume department you can get. ESPECIALLY in a convertible! Facing it down though, you aren't going to get much benefit. It will stifle the sub and just serve to help vibrate things that shouldn't. If you had the sub mounted in the passenger compartment then down firing would be OK because you would be sitting so close to it.

Hope that helped a little.

Grimster74

I second going with either a single 8 or dual 8's like I did. Click here to see the install.

http://clubpolk.polkaudio.com/forum/showthread.php?s=&threadid=22477

Wardsweb

Wow, that's a really nice install. Clean and professional. Guess this will require more work than just placing a sub in the truck. I could build a custom box using the entire floor area and incorporates the recessed portion of the trunk for woofer depth. Just need to have a heavy grill to keep the wife from laying something on the woofer. Time to breakout the table saw and fiberglass, but first some paper and pencil.

exalted512

its generally recommended to keep the sub an inch or two from where the surround would actually hit...
-Cody

MacLeod

First off, great amp.

Im a single sub kind of guy so my recommendation would be to buy a new MM2124 DVC and build a box for it yourself.

I agree with Jstas in that putting it in a corner and firing it across the car would be good or toward the rear seat. Actually youll probably have to experiement with placement to find which sounds best.

Wardsweb

I'm thinking about opening up the trunk into the passenger compartment by adding two 4" speaker ports behind the seats. There is a thin piece of metal that separates the passenger area and these two tunnels that run from the trunk on either side of the gas tank. Another option would be to remove the panel all together. It just bolts in.

MacLeod

Try it with the panel in and out. It may actually sound better with it in.

Bass frequencies dont sound that good when fired straight at ya. Go to any stereo shop and play one of their subs as loud as you want and it wont hit as hard as youd expect. Now go in the other room and itll sound a lot better.

Wardsweb

If I wanted to go with two twelves. Would a single sealed box be better, a single box but with each driver in it's own sealed chamber or a ported box. I'm looking for more musical bass and not just so it can be heard a block away.

neomagus00

firstly, a ported box can work very well, be very musical, and be very loud - with the right sub and the right box and the right car... so, assuming you don't want to risk/try that, go with a pair of sealed boxes... or, if you have the space, build it as a single big box with a solid divider in the middle (ensuring, of course, that there's the appropriate volume within each chamber)...

LittleCar_w/12s

I would reccomend a 10, or even an 8 if you have to. The miata has two front seats with an area between, and if you are any good at constructing things, I would make a rear-firing console box. You will need a small sub that has conservative construction... no fancy aluminum work on the back.
The good news is that you won't need as much power, and you could put the amp even under a seat to help with wiring. The bad news is you have to be real good about carpentry or glass, and vinyl will look best on it, which isn't as easy as carpet. Also not the best theft deterrent to have it visible.
If you are willing to consider it, there are plenty of guys here that can reccomend just the sub to fit there.
-Jerry