Is this a good sub? Need to know fast

[Geeky1]

For some reason, no one on any of the car audio forums ever responds to anything :rolleyes2 so I figured I'd post this here...

Is the Infinity 1230w a good sub? I'm not interested in blowing out the windows of the car in the next lane as much as I am in sound quality... I certainly wouldn't mind a sub with the ability to get real loud, but sound quality is a higher priority.

On paper, it looks good... and they're on sale for $70/each at Fry's, but that deal ends tonight. I may buy two, but I need to know if they're any good or not first.

HELP!

[Mt_Goat]

Just spring for the Infinity Kappa Perfect's tey are the best, period

[Mt_Goat]

Here you go! (http://www.crutchfield.com/cgi-bin/S-EMJYmFd5xcV/ProdView.asp?s=0&c=10&g=67700&I=108PER12VQ&o=m&a=0&cc=01&avf=N)

http://akamaipix.crutchfield.com/products/2003/108/l108PER12VQ-f.jpeg

[astroworp]

give it a good sealed box and an amp pushing 300 watts (rms, not max) and you should be happy. with a sensitivity level of only 90 dB, it'll sound fine... but you may want to spring for one of the kappa perfects that have like 96 dB, so they sound about three times better given the same amount of power. i think you can find the kappa perfects for $170 or so online (for the 12" model) i would say you should look there if sound quality is what you're after.

[Geeky1]

Hmm... The Kappas and the Perfect line in particular have absolutely jaw-dropping specs... they look like outstanding subs, but they're EXPENSIVE! I was considering 2 of the 1230ws, which would still be cheaper than one of the 12" Perfects... Of course, I don't know that I need two subs either...

[JB]

unless you want to rattle your car you dont need 2 subs

[TheBaron]

2 1230w infinity's sound should sound great.

on that note, since none of the rest of the infinity line has decent bass reproduction, i would assume they'd have to make up for it somewhere :thumbsup:

[Geeky1]

Well, since I can get them for ~$70 online anyhow, I don't think I'm going to run out and get them from Fry's ATM, since I don't have an amp or anything for them yet anyhow... And I managed to find the Kappas for $100 and the Perfects for $150 anyhow, so now I have to think about it...

What do you guys think of the rest of the system?

Pioneer TS-A4667 4x6" dash speakers
Sensitivity: 89 dB
Frequency Response: 45-32,000 Hz
Recommended RMS Power: 20W
Peak Power Handling: 120W
Impedance: 4 ohms

Pioneer TS-A1680R 6.5" rear speakers
Sensitivity: 91 dB
Frequency Response: 30-30,000 Hz
Recommended RMS Power: 60W
Peak Power Handling: 220W
Impedance: 4 ohms

Alpine CDA-9807, 9811, or 9813 Head Unit

Subs... dunno yet... any ideas besides the Infinitys? I heard the Sony 12" P5s are supposed to be great, but then I heard that they suck... who's right?

Sub Amp... recommend one?

Alpine CHA-S634 CD changer
6-disc capacity
plays CDs, CD-Rs, CD-RWs, and MP3 files on CD-R/CD-RW
disc naming for 80 discs (text compatible receiver required)
MP3 ID-3 tag and CD Text decoding
5-position adjustable mounting from 0-90 degrees
CD frequency response 5-20,000 Hz
CD signal-to-noise ratio 105 dB

[astroworp]

system looks great, though you might consider amping the 4x6's and the 6.5's, trust me it'll sound much better.

as far as subs, it really depends on just how much bass you want... you have to consider the speaker, the amp and wiring kit, and the box.

i've heard nothing but high praise for the kappa perfects, and would recommend those especially because of how inexpensive they can be had for online. you could either get one 12" or 2 10"s if you wanted a bit more than the 12 but still nothing that will destroy your ears. personally i would get one 12" in a small to medium sized sealed box.

amp- also depends on how much bass and how much you want to spend; amps get way expensive. i would choose an alpine mono subwoofer amp, for the kappa perfect 12" i'd give it about 400 watts...

maybe you should go check out car audio stores and get an idea of what's out there as far as sound quality and price. i definitely recommend doing that before you make final decisions. just go see what all is out there.

[Geeky1]

I may amp the satellites, but I'm trying to keep the system relatively cheap... under $1k would be ideal. You know of any car audio stores here in northern CA? I know Circuit City, Best Buy, and Fry's all carry some stuff, but no one store seems to carry all of the components I'm looking for... are there any car-audio-specific stores in the bay area/central valley?

[astroworp]

hrm, where exactly are you?

[Geeky1]

I'm in San Jose, so ~60 miles (as the crow flies) from UOP...

[astroworp]

well honestly i'm not real familiar with the bay area, but i'd imagine if you just asked around abit and searched online and in newspapers, you should be able to locate quite a few places, seeing as how big cities always have some good car audio to be found.

[Geeky1]

Ok. Will do... thought I'd ask you since you're pretty close, just to be sure.

But yeah, the problem with audio stuff is that you have to hear it to really know whether it's any good or not, since it's so subjective. Part of the problem I'm running into is that I've never heard of a lot of these companies, since all they do is car audio. I mean, MTX, Kicker and Rockford Fosgate aren't exactly household names, and I can't seem to find any info on them... are there any other companies that I should look at besides Infinity, Pioneer, Kenwood, and Alpine as far as speakers go?

[astroworp]

oh man, there are so many good brands out there...

JL is probably the best for subs and amps, also audiobahn makes some killer subs and amps as well (you may have heard of the flameQ). both companies' products are pretty pricey, however. (unless you look online, then things get much better).

avoid mtx, kicker, kenwood subs, alpine subs, and rockford fosgate subs

seriously dude, just go hear everything you can and you'll start to see the big picture (as in exactly what it is you're looking for). good luck bro!

[Geeky1]

Thanks. I've got to do something... I simply can't take it anymore. The 'Benz is a great car, but it's got a hi-fi audio system, circa 1986. 6.5" rear speakers, 3.5" front speakers. No tweeters, no subs. It sounds like crap for anything but talk radio, and I can't handle it anymore. It's driving me insane...

[Ostwald]

Hi guys,

I have two of the 1230w Infinity Subs, and I was wondering a couple of things.

These subs are going into a 1963 VW Microbus :)

First, what type of box should I look for to get the best performance out of these subs.

Second, what would you guys recommend for a good amp?

My system consists of 4 Infinity 5.25" Kappa's and the two 1230w's. I know I will need an amp and a deck.

Any advice is greatly appreciated.

Mike Ostwald

[empty]

I have 2 15" kicker compvr subs in my car, they sound good and have never had a problem with them. I know a bunch of people with kicker subs and none of them has had any problems with them.

[astroworp]

Hi guys,

I have two of the 1230w Infinity Subs, and I was wondering a couple of things.

These subs are going into a 1963 VW Microbus :)

First, what type of box should I look for to get the best performance out of these subs.

Second, what would you guys recommend for a good amp?

My system consists of 4 Infinity 5.25" Kappa's and the two 1230w's. I know I will need an amp and a deck.

Any advice is greatly appreciated.

Mike Ostwald

what's goin on dude.

as always,"best performance" really relies on what exactly you're looking for. if you're looking for a lot of boom, get a bigger, ported box, or even go so far as getting a bandpass box. if you're looking for tighter, more controlled bass, then go with a smaller, sealed box. you have to ask yourself this: when you're stopped at a red light and bumpin' some tunes, do you want everyone stopped at the intersection to be able to feel the music you're listening to? or do you want to be enjoy great sound without destroying the eardrums of others?

for an amp, like i've said before they get pricey in a hurry. you'll likely want one amp for the subs and one for the speakers, unless you want to spend a lot of money on an amp with lot of power.

for the subs, you'll want to give each one roughly 200-300 watts, so that means an amp capable of pushing 700 watts BECAUSE you don't want to be running the amp and full power all the time or it'll blow after a while, and that's bad.

for the other two pairs of speakers, i wouldn't worry so much about getting an amp as i would about getting a good receiver to power them with. go alpine, panasonic, jvc, or pioneer.

[Leonardo]

These subs are going into a 1963 VW Microbus

And gonna play: The Doors, Deep Purple, Led Zeppelin, The Temptations, Creedance Clearwater Revival, Janis Joplin....

That's mellow, dude. :rockon:

[Ostwald]

Thanks alot! I think my goal would be the tighter more clean bass that doesn't annoy the people driving next me -also I don't really want to announce to everyone that I have a nice system in my bus - being that old busses like mine aren't really very secure.

So let me see if I have it down:

I should get a 700w amp for the speakers and a smaller sealed box?

Three more questions: :)

Also, the info on the 5.25" infinitys says 75watts each. They come with cross overs.

To be honest, I really don't know what cross overs do.

What size of amp should I get to power them?

How do amps connect to the deck?


Thanks alot for your help, I am a newbie to the world of car stereos! :-/

Anyway,

Thanks,

Mike Ostwald

what's goin on dude.

as always,"best performance" really relies on what exactly you're looking for. if you're looking for a lot of boom, get a bigger, ported box, or even go so far as getting a bandpass box. if you're looking for tighter, more controlled bass, then go with a smaller, sealed box. you have to ask yourself this: when you're stopped at a red light and bumpin' some tunes, do you want everyone stopped at the intersection to be able to feel the music you're listening to? or do you want to be enjoy great sound without destroying the eardrums of others?

for an amp, like i've said before they get pricey in a hurry. you'll likely want one amp for the subs and one for the speakers, unless you want to spend a lot of money on an amp with lot of power.

for the subs, you'll want to give each one roughly 200-300 watts, so that means an amp capable of pushing 700 watts BECAUSE you don't want to be running the amp and full power all the time or it'll blow after a while, and that's bad.

for the other two pairs of speakers, i wouldn't worry so much about getting an amp as i would about getting a good receiver to power them with. go alpine, panasonic, jvc, or pioneer.

[Leonardo]

Thanks alot! No offense! I like all those groups!

I think my goal would be the tighter more clean bass that doesn't annoy the people driving next me -also I don't really want to announce to everyone that I have a nice system in my bus
You're a good man. Every time one of those cars creeps by with the base sounding like enormous fuzzballs careening into a microphone I want to whip out a phaser gun and vaporize the vehicle its moron driver! :mean:

[astroworp]

cross-overs, to put it simply, give the tweeters the higher frequencies and the woofers the lower frequencies.

if you want to amp the 5.25's, get something pushing around 350 watts or so, and make sure it's a four channel amp as opposed to a two channel.

amps connect to the deck in the rear of the deck, they also connect to the car's battery. if you don't know what you're doing, i strongly recommend that you get everything installed professionally. it'll cost more, but if you do it yourself and you've never done it before, you really run the risk of destroying a number of things.

and yes, get an amp giving each sub ~250-300 watts and a medium to small sealed 2x12" sub enclosure

[Ostwald]

Heheh,

The thing I don't understand is that:

a) Those cars sound like they are going to fall apart

b) What better way to get ripped off?

I guess big stereo = sex appeal (in theory). However, I stand by my notion that a big stereo is equivalent to those monster trucks.

The size of both is inversely proportional to the size of the driver's member.

:p

No offense! I like all those groups!


You're a good man. Every time one of those cars creeps by with the base sounding like enormous fuzzballs careening into a microphone I want to whip out a phaser gun and vaporize the vehicle its moron driver! :mean: