Mid life subwoofer crisis...

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Allright... all the chips are falling into place and if the **** bag who bougt the other set of dx9's off me on ebay ever responsds to my email to him, then within a week i'll have all the money i need short about 15 bucks to get all the gear i need for my little project.

i have only one dillema ---

do i sell the mtx 10" 6000's i've got and get two alpine type S 10 or 12's (basically even trade -- i sell them for what i pay for the S's). or do I just keep the 6000's.

here is why i'm saying this...

the mtx is built a bit better - has a slightly further excursion limit - and is 250 wrms.

the alpine is kind of "light duty" - less excursion and 200 rms.

i'll be putting 210 to 225 on each sub.

the alpine type R's do almost double their rms, i just wonder if the S's will do like 30 watts over their rating.

my buddy was telling me that they're junk -- he sold the gear for 3 yrs so i pretty much trust his judgement most times. but i dunno... i really like the S's -- waythey look, the fact that they'd be new insted of 2 yrs old... but i dont wanna get rid of something thats working satisfactory (not superb but satisfactory very satisfactory) for me just to find out that i traded it for something that's gonna suck ****.

ideas?

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((i desperately watned two IDQ-10 D4's but at 250 shipped per pair its well over the budget -- so dont think i've turned my back on id...lol))

RuSsMaN

Sounds like a compromise either way to me cochise.

I say slow down, take a deep breath, and figure out what you REALLY want, and set some goals. For now, keep it status-quo.

Cheers,
Rooster

phuz

Be patient, save and get the IDQs. Or check ebay on a daily basis. I've been seeing IDQ's going for like $50 each.

phuz

Here ya go man.

http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=3014884288&category=3291

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you're both prolly right

*and a little voice said "slowing down"* (u wont get that joke but i'm about to burst with hilarity).

Jstas

What is the budget you are working with? If the IDQ's are 250 for the pair and 250 is too much, what is enough? Remember, Crutchfield is having that twofer deal on the JBL subs. They will handle your power limits and I think they sound pretty good for the price. The Pioneer subs are nice for the price too.

TrappedUnder Ice

If i know Vinnie...His budget is probably $1.50...lol :eek:

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jstas -- i want those JBL GT 120's .. badly -- two for 149 -- badly i want them... but they wont work -- they're single 4 ohm voice coil.. the amp is only 4 ohm stable in the bridge... and i don't think i can get enough for the 302 if i sell it to be able to buy a 500D or any other mono 450 watt 2 ohm stable amp.

but budget is 150/160.

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its sad as hell too cuz those JBL's are the only sub i thought of that i didn't have to think twice about.

which pioneers are cheap / good??

Jstas

Here ya go for the Pioneers. They are the modern iteration and they still use the IMPP technology with updated materials.

Car Stereo Time -- Pioneer TS-W254C -- $69



Car Stereo Time -- Pioneer TS-W254DVC -- Dual Voice Coil -- $69


Car Stereo Time doesn't have the JBL's but these Pioneers are 4 Ohm DVC's and a bit better than the JBL's. I don't know how well they would perform to your tastes but I'd put them on par or slightly better than the JBL stuff. At 69 bucks a piece, they are a deal.

As for an amp, here are a few suggestions that might work for you:

Hifonics --Thor Class -- IX-ISIS -- stereo $259
this amp is bridgeable to 300 watts into 2 ohms on a mono channel. Or you could run it stereo. I think you will be pleased with its output if it fits your budget. There is also a Son of Thor amp on CarStereoTime for $89 bucks but I think its only like 35W x 2 bu its super clean and at $89 a freakin steal!

CarStereoTime -- MTX T4250D -- 250W x 1 @ 2 Ohms -- $215
Its an MTX, your favorite! But the best part is that price. $215 for a 320 dollar amp ain't too shabby and It's the power range you are looking for. Class D too so its perfect for subs.

CarStereoTime -- Kicker KX400.1 -- 400W x 1 @ 2 Ohms $255
And finally a nice deal on a Kicker mono amp. Might be what you are looking for but a little steep on the price range. If you do spend this much, I think the Hifonics for 4 dollars more is a better buy.

I've only made suggestions using 2 subs. If you are wanting 1 DVC sub then there are plenty of 150W x 2 stereo amps that would be perect for a DVC sub.

CPHILHOWER

PBD, I'd like to help you out. But, I broke both of my Blaupunkt OverDrive 15's. One rattles, the other the Surround seperated. Last time I used them was on my RF Punch 800.2. Dumped 500 watts rms into each at 2 ohm stereo. Went to try and sell them. They were blown. Last time I buy thier subs. I already burned through the first pair. Burnt the positive lead off the Voice Coil on each coil. Both speakers. Got the last one they had. Blaupunkt had to go back to the factory to get them to assemble one for me.
Did you look at the Dayton DVC. 12" runs $120 each. 8 ohm DVC. Check it out at WWW.PARTSEXPRESS.COM Part #295-185 Have a 15mm X-max and 350 watts rms per coil. They have others as well.
Chris

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wow -- i think i really amp the king of cheap

JBL BP 600.1 -- 600 x 1 rms at 2 ohms or 1 ohm (same power at both) .... 185 dollars shipped to your door new in box.

after doing a lot more thinking, soul searching if you will... and considering all of your suggestions from all you guys -- believe me I spent about 7 freakin hours today thinking about this -- the last 2 hours being the most "painful" if you will...

i've come to a psuedo decision...

- Keeping the amp i've got
.... - as a result of the above, stuck using 8 ohm / 4dvc subs
- doing one of the following
.... - keeping the 6000's / getting the pioneers.

I did a little looking on those pioneer dvc 4's -- they're not bad -- 350 rms - its pioneer so throw it down to 300 but all i was lookin for was 250 so that's good.

I can't find anywhere that lists what the surround is made of -- imma keep lookin for that.

get this -- i found two NIB on ebay for 91 bucks shipped... killer.

i've cut about as many corners as i can and i've been able to get it so that I can get all the junk i need to do the car for 149 bucks, and i've sold everything i dont need for 146 (one still pending but the auction ends soon and i'm basing the 146 on current high bidder's bid).

what i'm gettng --->
- two pair 12 foot stinger hyper series patch cables (twisted pair OFC construction with dual foil shields -- something between the streetwires ZN 2.5 and 3.5 but only 10.50 per pair from sounddomain)

- JBL GTO625 coaxials for the rear deck (60 rms / 120 max -- specs pulled up close to the polk dx6's - i wanted something in that ballpark but new in box -- my gf is starting to get leary of used stuff from ebay - as am i ) -- 52 bucks shipped

- buttload of 4 and 8 gauge / 30 feet of 16 awg / bunch of ends and crap.

- 6.5" semi-hard plastic speaker baffles so that when the subs hit in the trunk they dont beat the crap out of the deck speakers -- have to coat them in bed liner for rigidity -- if not that i'll just bondo inside them... either way -- 9 bucks.

- carpet / mdf (yes i know mdf sucks...lol) / etc etc

---

i dont think i'm makin out bad for 149

my plan with the subs is as follows -- do the car at my leisure -- if at some point between now and when its done, the kid that wants my 6000's for 150 coughs up the cash and at that time i can still get the pioneer's for that price or less then its the pioneers i get... if not the pio's then new in box 6k's -- that way at least i get more lifespan... or if all else fails i keep what i got.

i had gotten so wrapped up in this i intended to buy a blue thunder 150x2 (same as a 302 just difft color case) and run both of those 425 watt amps to a couple of type R 12's -- when the dollar total got up to 370 and i realized there was no way in hell i ws getting anywhere near that much money... my buddy john was like "dude -- relax -- one amp is enough -- its not the end of the world".

i wish my grandparent's money tree for car audio extended to other people's vehicles than my own, if it did, this would be so much easier "honey we're pullin out the back window -- putting an idmax in the deck - gettin you a big ol Hifonics amp and goin to town".

but noooooooooooooooooooooo, they say "we've spent our retirement on your truck, that's enough." and i say "well--- **** on you".

hey chris -- remember -- Blaupunkt - Blow Junk -- Crossfire = Catchfire. JL = we covered that.

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other things i realized...

1- type S isn't built well enough to stand up to my abuse.

2- montgomery gentry "speed" is a great song / video.

3- 85A current draw on a 65 A alternator / 600cca batt is not a good thing and i'm glad i didn't do the 3rd amp.

4- having a "wimpy" 200 and change per sub is not the end of the world

5- i'm glad i waited on buying **** or else i'd be in frickin world of **** right now.

6- circuit city repair staff is retarded....

oh u haven't heard why? let me tell u the tale of my 302.

... once upon a time I bring my 302 into circuit because it works great in bridged mode -- puts out its rated power -- but in stereo the right channel is dead.

why? who knows.

I call mitek before i ever take it in.. mitek says "we dunno what it is, but chances are its nothin good unless its a loose connection on the right + terminal... if its anything else u're gonna need a new board".

so circuit takes it -- and after 2 days i call the center in ohio for an update -- they say "oh - we diagnosed the problem ... its a 180 dollar part -- we're fixing it.. give us a few days and cal back"

... so few days later - I call -- that's yesterday -- "Oh we had to send it to mitek, our tech couldn't repair it - it needs a board"

"well no ****" i say.

mitek gets it this morning.

i call mitek "got my amp"

"yup"

"so whats wrong with it?"

"board is friend -- and some psycho with a soldering iron made abstract art out of it."

me--- "oh" *worried voice*

tech -- "dont worry about it, we're not fixing this mess... we're just slapping everything into this -- all you're going to get back that was your's originally is the case"

total cost at this point -- 270-ish bucks. or at least that is what they tell me.

Now I'm waiting on a 3 week turnaround at mitek -- so maybe sometime this annual quarter i'll get it back -- but if not.. i dont really mind the wait because you see i'm NOT PAYING A RED FKIN CENT... oh how do i love the 5 yr circuit city unconditional warranty.



other great moments in circuit city warranty history
1- i take my dx 10's -- one blew up on its own, the other i blew myself so i got two new subs (alpines below)

2- i take my 2 alpine type R's that i got sick of, hook them to a plug outlet, fry them, bring them back and get store credit i use to buy an amp.

3- 4 pioneer TSA 100 watt rms 6x9's -- i no likey -- i wire them to a 1507 the kid in the shop had and get my first set of polk speakers -- the db 6x9's -- this was a great day in the history of my life.

4- the worst / dumbest thing -- i got my first two subs -- polk dx -- and just cuz i wanted everything to match -- i took the AC plug outlet to the DB 6x9's -- frying them and getting dx9's - i cried for 30 days and 30 nights.
.... to this day, i wear a black hood in public and am shamed.

5- i get kicked outa my house and need money for **** -- so i fry 1 set of dx9's to get enough cash to buy 5.25 " dx comps needed parts to put my first system (all the polk dx gear) into my girlfriend's car as she wimpers and cries that i'm going to "kill her little 'car-car' " -- not to mention for some rearson this was at 2-30 AM.

6- i bake a pair of dx9's i got off ebay and retun them on the warranty slip for the one good pair of dx9's i still had -- i paid 100 on ebay - i got 199 from circuit toward -- hell i dont remeber what it was toward.

7- the 302 fiasco.

I can honestlysay this is the first "honest" repair i've ever had --- nice to know the system works like it should (har de har har).

yet somehow after all this -- I still have like 4 pair of dx9's -- what the hell -- its like -- weird as hell --- i must have bought lke 9 pair of polk db/dx 6x9's in my life -- its sick -- but i've still got one mint pair running in my truck for the last year / another perfect pair in my old man's pickup / the third perfect pair in my girl's car in boxes / and a jacked up pair layin in the garage.

I should open a friggin DX9 dealership.

on that note -- i'm havein a smoke and goin to bed -- i really have been ramblin like -- like -- a ramblin man. *singin the song now*.

oh i didn't buy the 600.1 if u were wonderin -- i knw the post "Sounds" like i did - but thats just one i found -- 600 watts for 185 bucks aint too shabby -- if i buy a mono 500 -600 watt amp at any point that's gonna be it unless i've got hte pockets lined.. i'm still waitin on the money tree (grandmammy and pappy) to shed some more leaves for me to get those hifonics amps for the truck, as i've yet to find employment - which is another saga which pisses me off even more. i need a friggin job.. grrr...

TrappedUnder Ice

Yawn....

j/k::o