I currently have a Kicker 12L7 being run by an MTX801D, and it gets me some mad bass for now. I plan on upgrading to a JBL1200.1 amp and putting it in a 3.25 cu. ft ported box, but that's later. My question is, for at the moment with my sealed box, what's the best way to face the sub, frontward, rearward, or to the side? Right now it's facing sideways and sounds pretty damn good, but I wanna get the most possible bass heard outside the car as possible. Any help is appreciated, thanks in advance.


BTW: My center taillight and rear-wiper both vibrate pretty badly, is there any way to fix these problems?

I get the best spl with anything facing the rear of the car. I guess the bass just roles around the hatch, it helps.

Originally posted by Uberingram
I will burn you for not searching...then the stabbing.

I got the sonic if you got the boom.

first...dont be obnoxious with the bass. no one likes loud rattly cars, especially when its done intentionally.

now to answer your question, lol. ;)

the loudest will come from facing the box backwards and as close to the back as you can get it without having the sub hit anything. this is called "slot" or "corner" loading. because of the small confines when waves emerge from the driver, they better align with each other rather than dispersing and bouncing all over the place leading to deconstructive wave interaction.

next best is up and as far back as it will go. after that is up and forward in the cabin, next is facing forward and pushed back, and last if facing forward and forward in the cabin. i did a lot of experimenting with this.


edit:

oh yea...for the taillight rattle, disasemble the trunk a bit and feel/listen to find out what is rattling. use a thin piece of carpet/fabric/foam/anything soft to slip inbetween the two pieces. i havnt found a fix for the wiper rattle besides removing it.

Originally posted by SPL_Eclipse
first...dont be obnoxious with the bass. no one likes loud rattly cars, especially when its done intentionally. now to answer your question, lol. ;) the loudest will come from facing the box backwards and as close to the back as you can get it without having the sub hit anything. this is called "slot" or "corner" loading. because of the small confines when waves emerge from the driver, they better align with each other rather than dispersing and bouncing all over the place leading to deconstructive wave interaction. next best is up and as far back as it will go. after that is up and forward in the cabin, next is facing forward and pushed back, and last if facing forward and forward in the cabin. i did a lot of experimenting with this. edit: oh yea...for the taillight rattle, disasemble the trunk a bit and feel/listen to find out what is rattling. use a thin piece of carpet/fabric/foam/anything soft to slip inbetween the two pieces. i havnt found a fix for the wiper rattle besides removing it.

I'm not doing it to be completely obnoxious. I'm doing mostly to impress friend/coworkers and such. The rattling is coming from the bottom of my center taillight and the wiper. How do I remove the rear wiper? 'Cuz it's not working anyhow.

I would recomend facing the subs towards the rear as well, much better. As for a system you dont need much...all i have is two pioneer subs that are a little older and just a jensen 750 watt amp in a truck box (to save room) and it's pretty freakin loud... def. loud enough

Originally posted by AndrewESi_T
I would recomend facing the subs towards the rear as well, much better. As for a system you dont need much...all i have is two pioneer subs that are a little older and just a jensen 750 watt amp in a truck box (to save room) and it's pretty freakin loud... def. loud enough

you obviously are not a basshead :) my next system is going be 2,400 watts on two subs. That might be loud enough.

actually I love bass....but this set up is just really loud. Even compared to my friends systems in their trans ams and SUVs that have been professionally done, mine is still as loud. Enough bass to see the hatch push the center of the spoiler up when i turn it up enough...

Do you guys go to sound competitions? What kind of spl did you hit if you do? I hit a 147.4 with my old 800watt pioneers, 250-500 watt power class. I haven't had a chance to go to one since I got my pioneer spl subs, they are alot louder on the same power hehe.

Originally posted by Uberingram
I will burn you for not searching...then the stabbing.

I got the sonic if you got the boom.

^^holy crap thats loud for what you had. what meter?

i hit 151.xx with 2 audiobahn 15"s( cheap) and 600 watts from an autotek amp (cheap) in an 8 cubic foot vented box (30hz) wall configuration. the meter was a termpro, which is notoriously low.

I can't remember what kind that was, whatever whitely uses I guess. That was off the dash too, sealed box 1.5cu per side. I got all pioneer, PRSX-720 on my subs and PRSX-340 on my highs. Old amps I've had them a while but they work great. Highly underrated hehe. I set a new state record too, first place of course. Now I got the 2000watt 12's in a ported box, too small of a box at that. Its quite a bit louder.

Originally posted by Uberingram
I will burn you for not searching...then the stabbing.

I got the sonic if you got the boom.

I did a 147.7 with a daily driver setup, two ported 12 inch Phoenix Gold Titaniums. I have no idea what kind of meter it was, but I was damn happy :)

So did all that punishment break your rear spoiler too lol.

Originally posted by Uberingram
I will burn you for not searching...then the stabbing.

I got the sonic if you got the boom.

I have mine pointed forward. My subs are hella loud anyways. The volume I lose from pointing them forward is well worth the tremendous drop in rattling else where in the car. They are still so loud my gums hurt from vibrating against my teeth.

I had my 15" Eclipse facing up. I was running like 1000 watts rms to it with a cheap Visonik amp. It was plenty loud and like most systems completely over powering. To be honest with you, unless you plan on going into comps I wouldn't stress over the sub placement too much and would do it the way that is the most functional for the amount of trunk space you need. Sure, if you don't need the space at all go nuts but I did, so I built a box way in the front of the hatch facing up, the amp was built into the same cabinent right beside the sub. It sounded loud and pounded like hell, which is what I wanted at the time. Anything you put in your trunk, no matter which way it faces, will impress most people, because they don't know what sounds good and what doesn't.

Originally posted by Blmet
I have mine pointed forward. My subs are hella loud anyways. The volume I lose from pointing them forward is well worth the tremendous drop in rattling else where in the car. They are still so loud my gums hurt from vibrating against my teeth.

if u are not competing, i agree completely. My W7 vibrated the hell out of my car when it was facing backwards and all you heard outside of the car was rattles. Now with it facing forward it sounds 100 times better, but the volume is a little lower.