Bass Rehabilitation Needed - 2008 210

[EarmarkMarine]

Don't want to see people getting the wrong idea about marine equipment. Conformally coated gives you added protection against salt air and moisture. But if you get liquids inside an amp, any amp including marine amps, they will fail. So you've still got to be careful where you mount these and how you protect them outside from a driving rain.

Also, all or most tower ProAxials have exposed voice coils around an open midbass former. The coils are enamel coated which provides some resistance from corrosion. If they sit outside, get some Sox.

David E.M.

[gride300]

thanks for a good explanation earmark. i've seen your work and it's totally tits. i know david knows about the wetsounds power. i'm so bias it's not even funny so feel free to disregard me saying ws every post. but when you're bias over a great product i feel it's ok. and winter sucks so i have alot of free time not spent playing in my boat.

[TravisFling]

Word...

[bobchris]

if your running salt then you either buy some conformal coating pull the lid on the amp and martinize it or you buy marine grade, but if your running fresh water and are not in a coastal saltwater area then marine is a little over kill. With most high end speakers today most have mylar or composite material cones which water doesn't effect but the voice coils can be effected if the box isn't sealed properly.

[highrock]

This is the ported sub Box I made for my boat. Just finished it this week. Painted it with the spray on bedliner instead of carpet and will have it lifted up off the floor to keep moisture off of it just in case.

[andyray]

I got the MDF for my ported box yesterday, holidays have been keeping me busy. I did have time to relocate my ipod jack to the drivers side, so that got crossed off the list at least.

[andyray]

Progress Report

Old box out... no wonder why it leaks air??

Doesn't look like there's been much effort at all to make it sealed. These guys could have at least drilled a smaller hole for the wires and put a dab of caulk on the thing.

[andyray]

Box building

Ahh... memories.... reminded me of being back in high school putting junky flea market subs in my buddies civic... only with better tools, better wood, better equipment...

Don't make fun of the obsessive use of caulk, I'm an amateur and it'll all be resin coated and carpeted in the end.

[andyray]

Pre-carpet Testing

I'm blown away. My expectations were greatly exceeded. Big thanks to David from Earmark for making this recommendation.

After making 0 amplifier changes and investing less than $20 in materials, the sound is light years different. The SPL seems almost 2-3 times as much with the gain in the *exact* same place. I went from a sub that I could not even hear, to one that sounds like it wants to burst out of that compartment. Now I understand why people need to vent them! I'm also going to need some dynamat.

Frequency response is also greatly improved, I can hear/feel notes that the old enclosure couldn't reproduce.

All in all - I'm absolutely amazed. I would have never expected this much difference just in a box. If you have the factory sub setup, go do this now! It's low hanging fruit! I'm going to try to post a video on youtube of it playing to give some context for how big of a difference it makes.

I think I'm pleased with the results as it stands, but I'm hooked now, I'm going to keep going.

Next steps - finish + carpet box, then vent. After that, amp #3.

Thanks!

[gride300]

RE: Pre-carpet Testing

what's on the tower? what amp are you thinking of?

[andyray]

RE: Pre-carpet Testing

gride300 - I have the Nautique Alpha 2's on the tower. Any idea what the spec of the speaker is? It looks kind of like a "generic" 6x9 at close inspection. Also, I feel these are kind of tinny, in theory could I swap to a different 6x9?

David@Earmark recommended the Alpine PDX.150, which I believe would push 75rms to each speaker. Sweet amp, but I was thinking of using something cheaper that would push about the same amount of power. Clarion has a marine amp APX290M, the newer version of the 2 channel that's already in there. It would push 90rms to each speaker, and goes for about $125 on ebay, about half the price of the Alpine. I really don't park on the beach that much so the efficiency of the Alpine doesn't do much for me. But I'm still debating.

[AuMDLST]

RE: Pre-carpet Testing

I thought Alphas were Polk 6x9's - They are "tinny" because you are in an open air environment, dont expect to get much on the low end from a car speaker in open air no matter what 6x9 is used.

[highrock]

RE: Pre-carpet Testing

I finally got a chance to put my new ported box with the factory sub back in my boat. Didnt change anything with the amps or adjust anything and it sounds 100 percent better for bass quality in my opinion. I have it downfiring and the whole floor shakes. I love it and would recommend doing that to anyone!

[gride300]

RE: Pre-carpet Testing

i like your amp rack. they are polk 6x9's which are good speakers, but the 6x9 is an almost 80's style speaker. even amped to the max rms i doubt you'll be able to actually listen to the music at 75'. but they do make listenting to music in the boat alot better and you can always catch a tune here and there. im running my rear 4 stock polks's off the clarion 4, and the front 2 on the clarion 2. i got a jl marine sub amp. if you want to spend some money you can upgrade/simplify your system. i would get a jl sub amp, run the 4 cockpit and 2 bow speakers off the 4 channel and run your tower speakers off the 2 ch. i bet there is a better more cost effective way, so wait for someone else to chime in. you could run a wet sounds syn6 on all your in boat speakers and sub, then use your 4 ch. to power the tower speakers.

[andyray]

more finished

Here are some pics of the finished box....