Sub Location?

[awoollie]

I took my boat to my stereo guy who does most of my stuff for me. I told him that I wanted more bass so he put in an additional 250 watt diamond amp and a 10" diamond sub. I can definitley tell a difference but it didnt make as much of an impact as i was expecting. My boat now has the two factory clarion amps, the additional diamond amp, and two diamond 10" subs. I would think will all of this that the bass would still be too much for me but it still isnt. The only thing i can think of is that when he installed the 2nd sub, he mounted it behind the kick panel but facing up towards the sky instead of out towards the drivers feet. Would this make me lose all of the bass that this sub is creating? Im pretty ignorant when it comes to stereos but i would really appreciate some help. I can post pictures later if anyone needs to see it to give me some advice. Thanks in advance and sorry for the long post.

[Laketexoma]

Most ofthe ones I have done under the drivers foot rest faced either the outside wall or the front of the boat. That way the bass has something to reflect off of. I might think about either going with a 12 or 15 under there. In my last boat (bu) I had a 15 in the passangers compartment and another one under the driver side. In the New 230 I did 4 12"s. 2 under the passanger side and one on each side of the motor.

[awoollie]

I asked him if i should go with a 12 or 15" sub but he said that the subs that the 10" subs are more efficient and will actually sound a lot better and also give me more bass than the bigger ones. Does that make sense? Yeah i saw the pictures of your install, that thing is sweet. I wish i could do something like that. Probably would but the wife would probably make me sell the boat all together

[Laketexoma]

I would have to disagree with him. But that is my opinion. you will move alot more air with the larger sub. What boat are we talking about? I have never heard a 10 that could keep up with a 12 or a 15. Is it a sealed box or a ported? For a open air enviromet like a boat it take quite abit of power to be able to feel the subs, that being said I think the 250 is kinda small, If you want to add another 10 it WILL be to small. I'm not trying to trash the guy but it doen't sound like he has done many boat installs. Like I said its just my opinion.

heres a like to the Bu's system i did. http://www.themalibucrew.com/forums/...c=5020&hl=

[verbier123]

There is always a debate about subwoofer size. A quality 10" sub can sound better and put out a higher SPl than a crappy 12". But the greater surface area of the larger subs is a huge advantage. I would say that 250 watt amp is the limiting factor in your system. If your sub can handle it, I would upgrade to a class d amp in the 400+ watt range. My own experience is that it takes atleast 350 watts to "pound" in a car and boats have a much greater area to cover.

[Laketexoma]

Yeah I see your point about a quality 10 verses a POS 12. I guess I was thinking alone the lines of equal quality speakers.

[EarmarkMarine]

Awoollie,

I think you are fine with dual 10-inch woofers.

Optimally you want both drivers symmetrically loaded into the same environment, cavity or surrounding planes. You could accomplish this by side-firing both woofers from opposite sides of the same enclosure.

Both woofers should be driven by identical amplifiers with identical gain, crossovers and slopes or one large amplifier. All of this relates to phasing. If both woofers are in the same location its relatively simple. Woofers in different locations can get more complex.

Hopefully the displacement required for both woofers wasn’t compromised when a second one was added. And, the woofers should get individual chambers.

The crossover frequency in an open-air environment needs to be set higher than in a vehicle’s cabin. Otherwise, your woofers and amplifiers will be over-taxed.

It’s a short list. I hope this helps.

David
Earmark Marine

[awoollie]

Thanks for all the help guys. Hey David, are you at the store in Lewisville? If so and yall aren't already booked for the weekend, could I bring it by and have you guys take a look at it for me?

[jhiestand]

EarmarkMarine -- you mentioned phasing as a major factor and that if both subs are in the same enclosure that they should be oriented in opposite directions. I was looking to make some changes to my sub setup with currently has two Solobaric L5's downfiring in the same enclosure. They each have their own separate space, but the spaces aren't identical in size. Have I committed two "sins"? :grin:

My plan was to still have both subs firing in the same direction but to orient them into the boat cockpit and to make sure they both have same enclosure space. Should they be firing in opposite directions, as well?

Sorry for the threadjack, but it's extremely similar situation as far as I can tell.

[EarmarkMarine]

jhiestand,

The previous recommendations were specifically for under the driver’s helm console of a Nautique 220. Side-firing drivers from opposite sides of the same enclosure into a tight cavity would be one way to fit two subs behind the façade and still have a uniform phase response.

In other applications, where you have plenty of space, dual woofers facing the same direction is the ideal way to go.

Down-firing is a legit approach as long as the drivers are elevated off the sole enough as to not change the Q and not choke the output. And of course, you’ve got to have an effective method of venting the output from within an enclosed console or locker. Optimally the vent or collective vents should equal the surface area of the drivers.

The individual boat will often dictate what you can and cannot do so a variety of techniques are necessary.

David
Earmark Marine

[gride300]

i have a jl 10" w6 with a jl500/1 on it in my yukon. it sounds way better and hits way harder than alot of my friends who have 2 12's with crap brands or just under powered amps/crap amps. since a boat is an open air environment having a ported 12 is really the best bet b/c you really want more output than amazing clarity. imo 15's are just poop and take up space, but it depends on what kind of sound you want. if you are a bass head then you might like it