[abhishek3030]

Gurus,

I am relatively new into the world of "Non - Sony" and "Non-Pioneer" ICE so would appreciate help here.

I have the following setup in my Corolla:

Pio 6050 Double DIN HU
Bull Audio 6" Front Compos
JBL GTO937 Rear
Blaupunkt GTA Mk II 4 channel Amplifier (powering the rears and compos)

I would now like to get a subwoofer installed, but do not want a 'boomy' sound of a bass tube. Please suggest a good subwoofer (any) which:

1. I can run on my current amplifier by bridging 2 channels
2. Works well in a sedan
3. Ideally - can be installed in a sealed box
4. Budget - upto 8000 for box + sub

I know this is a tough set of constraints, but just wanted to understand as I am hearing varied things from different installers/shops.

Cheers
Abhi

[navin]

For 8K you wil get a sub in a sealed box. Your Blau amp might just about drive a 10" sub well. You can then use your HU to drive the 937 in the rear.

[white_vdi]

abhishek i know you are not looking for a bass tube but my experience with the same was very nice. i havent heard a sealed sub in a sedan but was very happy with the tube.
i had a 125rms 12" jbl bass tube in my indigo and the sound was not at all boomy. it was very tight and filtered. i could feel the bass much more than hearing it.
otherwise you can go for a bull sub in a sealed enclosure. will cost you 6500. put your compo and sub on the amp and let the headunit power the rear speakers.

[abhishek3030]

Originally Posted by white_vdi

abhishek i know you are not looking for a bass tube but my experience with the same was very nice. i havent heard a sealed sub in a sedan but was very happy with the tube.
i had a 125rms 12" jbl bass tube in my indigo and the sound was not at all boomy. it was very tight and filtered. i could feel the bass much more than hearing it.
otherwise you can go for a bull sub in a sealed enclosure. will cost you 6500. put your compo and sub on the amp and let the headunit power the rear speakers.

Thanks bro - I agree with you on the bass tube part. A lot of people have found bass tubes to be very suitable, and perhaps even I don't hate them as such. Just that I am more predisposed towards a subwoofer in an enclosure.

I have a feeling that the Blau Mk II won't be able to run a sealed enclosure subwoofer in a sedan- baaki waiting for the Gurus to give their input...

[low_bass_makker]

WHy sealed and why not a ported ?

[superbhikari]

You may get the following subs within your budget -
1) Entry Level Kicker 12" Sub - 6k + box
2) Bull Sub
3) ID CTX, if launched in India
4) GZ entry level
5) JBL CS series are there too within your range

Audition before you buy,

[abhishek3030]

Originally Posted by low_bass_makker

WHy sealed and why not a ported ?

Post was made before I spoke with you, and I had the similar perception which I mentioned - that ported gets too boomy, especially for electronic music. Would love to be proven wrong on this hypothesis.

Have read some where that a ported box tuned at the right frequency retains the SQ very well... so I guess my perception on ported always being boomy is on shaky ground !

[low_bass_makker]

Do not want to start the ported or sealed debate but I think If I am not wrong all the high end home audio speaker which are swear to give good SQ are designed to be ported. I have seen lots of car which are ported and I do not find them boomy.

[karankapoor]

Originally Posted by low_bass_makker

Do not want to start the ported or sealed debate but I think If I am not wrong all the high end home audio speaker which are swear to give good SQ are designed to be ported. I have seen lots of car which are ported and I do not find them boomy.

+1

ported doesn't means boomy,if tune properly can leave sealed behind.
only thing sealed require more power compared to ported.

[low_bass_makker]

Originally Posted by karankapoor

+1

ported doesn't means boomy,if tune properly can leave sealed behind.
only thing sealed require more power compared to ported.

Ya true....The sealed will require more power to go same loud as ported. And sealed tend to distort when played at high volume when compared to ported at same power.

[abhishek3030]

Sounds good, friends. Ported it is then...keeping in mind the sedan construction and budget constraints.

GZ 30T, here I come...

[abhinav.gupta88]

Nice choice Abhishek , Its an amazing sub.
Hope to see a thread of your install.

[abhibh]

Originally Posted by low_bass_makker

Ya true....The sealed will require more power to go same loud as ported. And sealed tend to distort when played at high volume when compared to ported at same power.

As far as my practical experience goes at same power, same gains and same volume a subwoofer in a sealed box will not distort.

I honestly don't think that the distortion is being caused by the sealed/ported story. It's the amp. Sometimes people push gains way up into clipping zone to match the inherently more efficient ported setup.

Don't take this personally. I am noob at ICE. I am learning more by fiddling with my own system. I haven't read as much theory. I will appreciate anyone contradicting this and guiding me to find the correct answer.

[low_bass_makker]

Originally Posted by abhibh

Don't take this personally. I am noob at ICE. I am learning more by fiddling with my own system. I haven't read as much theory. I will appreciate anyone contradicting this and guiding me to find the correct answer.

No issues bro...

30-80Hz Behavior
This is the frequency range that is most important in that it encompasses the vast majority of low-frequency information present in music. Serious audiophiles assign much more importance to good performance in this range than in the extreme low-frequency range.

At moderate power levels all of these enclosure types exhibit pretty decent manners. The ported box and the bandpass designs produce less distortion than the sealed box, but the difference is marginal.

At higher power levels things change considerably. The dual-reflex bandpass, due to the fact that its ports control cone motion over a wider range of frequencies, produces the least distortion and exhibits the best power-handling characteristics. The ported enclosure and the single-reflex bandpass also do a very good job producing high-levels of undistorted bass output, again due to reduced cone motion in this frequency range. Bringing up the rear in this category is the sealed enclosure, which produces higher levels of distortion at high power levels. There is a common misconception that ported designs produce more distortion than sealed boxes. As you can see this is not entirely accurate; it depends on the frequency and the power level.

JL Audio

And I think I mentioned the same thing.

[abhishek3030]

Originally Posted by abhinav.gupta88

Nice choice Abhishek , Its an amazing sub.
Hope to see a thread of your install.

Thanks Abhinav. I am taking baby steps into the technical aspects of ICE, so please bear with me on this stupid question.

The Blau GTA 4 Mk II Amp has the following specs:

RMS Power 4 Channel @4 Ohm (Watt): 4x60
RMS Power 2 Channel @4 Ohm (Watt): 2x180


The Ground Zero 30T has a 400 RMS Wattage mentioned at 4 Ohms.

My question is will this amplifier be able to drive the subwoofer when 2 channels are bridged?

Any light you can shed on this would be great.

I always thought I was a physics whiz but 6 years of post-MBA management consulting have screwed my technical brain !

Cheers