New Subwoofer Advice

hwa786 · 11-22-2010, 07:48 PM

Hey guys, I'm looking to get a new subwoofer, currently I use a 12" Alpine Type R SWR-1242D. It works perfectly fine, but I am looking to upgrade to something better. Right now I am looking at the Kicker CVR 12 and JL Audio W3. I want to keep the same box, just want to get rid of the subwoofer for something else, what else should I consider except the 2 I listed?

Sirrus · 11-22-2010, 09:03 PM

I'm pretty sure the Type R is better than both of those. Maybe something else is going on that we can fix. Do you mind if I ask a few questions?

What don't you like about your current subwoofer?

What is the internal volume of your box?

Is your box sealed, ported, or something else?

What amp are you using to power it?

hwa786 · 11-22-2010, 09:16 PM

I like my current subwoofer but I think something is going bad with the coils. The box is sealed and I'm using a Autotek Super Sport AT1500 amp

bmw325i · 11-23-2010, 12:51 AM

What is your subwoofer doing or not doing. If I were you I would replace that amp with a better brand I couldn't even find the RMS watts anywhere. And also I have no idea how you have a 4 ohm dual voice coil sub wired to a 2 channel amp, considering the amp can't be bridged at 2 ohms. I am guessing you have 1 channel connected to each voice coil or your using it at 8 ohms either way I dont think your using that Type R to its potential. Since your using only 1 sub I would go with a PDX M6 you can get them pretty cheap on ebay.

Sirrus · 11-23-2010, 01:50 AM

So if your sub really is starting to fall apart and you want something better, most people seem to like JL Audio W6v2 or Image Dynamics IDQ and IDMAX. I have a 10 inch W6v2 and love it. I don't know much about the W3, but it seems like a step down from the Type R.

As previously mentioned, make sure you're using a well constructed, reliable amplifier. I'm guessing you've probably got each voice coil in one channel at 4 ohms, so that's about as good as you can do with that amp and sub. If you bridged it, you'd either be at 2 ohms and unsupported or 8 ohms and wasting efficiency.

Also make sure your box is the right volume for the sub. It's hard for me to recommend another sub for your box if I don't know how big the box is.

I'm also curious how you've got things connected. Is this in an E90? If so, where are you getting your signal from? If it's the rear speakers, that's probably your problem. Those speaker wires already have the low frequencies filtered out.

VP Electricity · 11-23-2010, 02:01 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Sirrus

I'm also curious how you've got things connected. Is this in an E90? If so, where are you getting your signal from? If it's the rear speakers, that's probably your problem. Those speaker wires already have the low frequencies filtered out.

How are you connected, and to what stock system? You could be clipping the inputs, saturating the front end of the LOC, have the wrong size enclosure, etc.

hwa786 · 11-23-2010, 10:42 AM

Connected to the rear speakers

Technic · 11-23-2010, 10:44 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by hwa786

Connected to the rear speakers

There is no meaningful bass signal at the rear speakers in your HiFi system.

fdriller9 · 11-23-2010, 11:21 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Technic

There is no meaningful bass signal at the rear speakers in your HiFi system.

lol

OP, I have an Alpine 1242D Type-R as well, powered by a JL 500/1 in a sealed zenclosures box with an internal volume around .9 cu ft.

The thing hits really hard. Sounds great. My gain is set below a 1/3 turn. I can turn it up passed 1/2 and not get distortion but then everything, and I mean EVERYTHING starts rattling lol.

I would first wire the amp to the underseat woofer so you get frequencies below 150Hz....I belive the cabin speakers (excluding the underseats) are actively high-passed around 150Hz.

If you still don't like it, I would upgrade that amp....never even heard of autotek?

TMR · 11-23-2010, 12:43 PM

Look into the Image ID12 or IDQ 12. Great sounding subs.

VP Electricity · 11-23-2010, 02:52 PM

The old autoteks were great. No idea what is out there now.

But as has been pointed out, you could have the most expensive gear out there, blessed by the Pope AND the Dalai Lama, and it wouldn't play sub-bass with a rear speaker signal.

You will be pleased when you change that!

Sirrus · 11-23-2010, 05:04 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by VP Electricity

... blessed by the Pope AND the Dalai Lama...

LOL! Thanks VP, you made my day!

hwa786 · 11-23-2010, 05:06 PM

they may have hooked up with the one under the rear seat? Because I saw them take the rear seat out and were working on something around there

bmw325i · 11-23-2010, 05:21 PM

You may want to get a frequency generator to see if your subs are playing as low as they should. If you have a iPod touch or an iPhone a good one is iFrequency. A bass testing song would work as well though.

hwa786 · 11-23-2010, 08:57 PM

I have that, I'll take a look at the application

Thumperx · 11-23-2010, 10:11 PM

IDQ definitely

fdriller9 · 11-24-2010, 01:17 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by hwa786

they may have hooked up with the one under the rear seat? Because I saw them take the rear seat out and were working on something around there

Quote:

Originally Posted by bmw325i

You may want to get a frequency generator to see if your subs are playing as low as they should. If you have a iPod touch or an iPhone a good one is iFrequency. A bass testing song would work as well though.

No need for that.

You'll notice when the signal is not below 150Hz. It's basically just the sub rattling, making no output because it's only playing like 150Hz-200Hz.

VP Electricity · 11-24-2010, 01:21 AM

Quote:

No need for that.

X2.

There is no speaker under the rear seat. Sounds like your shop is not technically proficient?

Rob G · 11-24-2010, 09:31 AM

Could we please learn the name of the shop at which he received such informed advice.
?

hwa786 · 11-24-2010, 09:36 AM

Hollywood Sound, in Garden City, Michigan. I had this same subwoofer in my G35 when I had it and it sounded real nice with the Bose speakers, then I transferred it into the Bimmer, and now I want to get rid of it for something else, like I mentioned, JL Audio W3 or Kicker CVR, or anything comparable or better then the Alpine Type R

fdriller9 · 11-24-2010, 10:32 AM

How is your amp connected to your speakers? With a LOC? Are there gains on the LOC? maybe those are too low?

Or maybe your using a signal your amp doesn't accept? Like a high level input into a low level or something?

808MGuy · 11-24-2010, 11:48 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by hwa786

Hollywood Sound, in Garden City, Michigan. I had this same subwoofer in my G35 when I had it and it sounded real nice with the Bose speakers, then I transferred it into the Bimmer, and now I want to get rid of it for something else, like I mentioned, JL Audio W3 or Kicker CVR, or anything comparable or better then the Alpine Type R

From what has already been posted, if you change the sub out for something else and leave everything else as is, you're going to have the same issues because it sounds like you have an installation issue. Take the advice that the others have been giving you and make sure you're not tapping a signal that is not full range.

11-22-2010, 07:48 PM	#1
hwa786 Lieutenant 59 Rep 508 Posts Drives: 08 BMW 328xi Join Date: Oct 2010 Location: Metro Detroit iTrader: (0)	New Subwoofer Advice Hey guys, I'm looking to get a new subwoofer, currently I use a 12" Alpine Type R SWR-1242D. It works perfectly fine, but I am looking to upgrade to something better. Right now I am looking at the Kicker CVR 12 and JL Audio W3. I want to keep the same box, just want to get rid of the subwoofer for something else, what else should I consider except the 2 I listed? __________________ 2008 BMW 328xi Sedan - Montego Blue Metallic
	Appreciate 0 Tweet Quote

11-22-2010, 09:03 PM	#2
Sirrus Private First Class 4 Rep 158 Posts Drives: 2013 335i M Sport Join Date: Dec 2009 Location: Orange County, CA iTrader: (0)	I'm pretty sure the Type R is better than both of those. Maybe something else is going on that we can fix. Do you mind if I ask a few questions? What don't you like about your current subwoofer? What is the internal volume of your box? Is your box sealed, ported, or something else? What amp are you using to power it?
	Appreciate 0 Quote

11-22-2010, 09:16 PM	#3
hwa786 Lieutenant 59 Rep 508 Posts Drives: 08 BMW 328xi Join Date: Oct 2010 Location: Metro Detroit iTrader: (0)	I like my current subwoofer but I think something is going bad with the coils. The box is sealed and I'm using a Autotek Super Sport AT1500 amp __________________ 2008 BMW 328xi Sedan - Montego Blue Metallic
	Appreciate 0 Quote

11-23-2010, 12:51 AM	#4
bmw325i Major General 223 Rep 5,120 Posts Drives: 2006 BMW 325i Join Date: Oct 2010 Location: United States iTrader: (8)	What is your subwoofer doing or not doing. If I were you I would replace that amp with a better brand I couldn't even find the RMS watts anywhere. And also I have no idea how you have a 4 ohm dual voice coil sub wired to a 2 channel amp, considering the amp can't be bridged at 2 ohms. I am guessing you have 1 channel connected to each voice coil or your using it at 8 ohms either way I dont think your using that Type R to its potential. Since your using only 1 sub I would go with a PDX M6 you can get them pretty cheap on ebay.
	Appreciate 0 Quote

11-23-2010, 01:50 AM	#5
Sirrus Private First Class 4 Rep 158 Posts Drives: 2013 335i M Sport Join Date: Dec 2009 Location: Orange County, CA iTrader: (0)	So if your sub really is starting to fall apart and you want something better, most people seem to like JL Audio W6v2 or Image Dynamics IDQ and IDMAX. I have a 10 inch W6v2 and love it. I don't know much about the W3, but it seems like a step down from the Type R. As previously mentioned, make sure you're using a well constructed, reliable amplifier. I'm guessing you've probably got each voice coil in one channel at 4 ohms, so that's about as good as you can do with that amp and sub. If you bridged it, you'd either be at 2 ohms and unsupported or 8 ohms and wasting efficiency. Also make sure your box is the right volume for the sub. It's hard for me to recommend another sub for your box if I don't know how big the box is. I'm also curious how you've got things connected. Is this in an E90? If so, where are you getting your signal from? If it's the rear speakers, that's probably your problem. Those speaker wires already have the low frequencies filtered out. Last edited by Sirrus; 11-23-2010 at 01:58 AM..
	Appreciate 0 Quote

11-23-2010, 10:42 AM	#7
hwa786 Lieutenant 59 Rep 508 Posts Drives: 08 BMW 328xi Join Date: Oct 2010 Location: Metro Detroit iTrader: (0)	Connected to the rear speakers __________________ 2008 BMW 328xi Sedan - Montego Blue Metallic
	Appreciate 0 Quote

11-23-2010, 12:43 PM	#10
TMR Brigadier General 394 Rep 3,161 Posts Drives: M3 Join Date: Jun 2008 Location: Torrance iTrader: (12)	Look into the Image ID12 or IDQ 12. Great sounding subs. __________________ 2015 M3 BPM Tuned, Eibach, Magnaflow and more www.tmrmzine.com/m3/f80 SOLD E92 Slēk Carbon Fiber Widebody M3 www.tmrmzine.com/m3/slek/ SOLD E92 335i Stage 3+ with all the toys www.tmrmzine.com/335/ SOLD E39 M5 Modded, What a great car! www.tmrmzine.com/m5/
	Appreciate 0 Quote

11-23-2010, 02:52 PM	#11
VP Electricity Brigadier General 289 Rep 3,201 Posts Drives: F34 xDrive Join Date: Jan 2008 Location: portland oregon iTrader: (3)	The old autoteks were great. No idea what is out there now. But as has been pointed out, you could have the most expensive gear out there, blessed by the Pope AND the Dalai Lama, and it wouldn't play sub-bass with a rear speaker signal. You will be pleased when you change that!
	Appreciate 0 Quote

11-23-2010, 05:06 PM	#13
hwa786 Lieutenant 59 Rep 508 Posts Drives: 08 BMW 328xi Join Date: Oct 2010 Location: Metro Detroit iTrader: (0)	they may have hooked up with the one under the rear seat? Because I saw them take the rear seat out and were working on something around there __________________ 2008 BMW 328xi Sedan - Montego Blue Metallic
	Appreciate 0 Quote

11-23-2010, 05:21 PM	#14
bmw325i Major General 223 Rep 5,120 Posts Drives: 2006 BMW 325i Join Date: Oct 2010 Location: United States iTrader: (8)	You may want to get a frequency generator to see if your subs are playing as low as they should. If you have a iPod touch or an iPhone a good one is iFrequency. A bass testing song would work as well though.
	Appreciate 0 Quote

11-23-2010, 08:57 PM	#15
hwa786 Lieutenant 59 Rep 508 Posts Drives: 08 BMW 328xi Join Date: Oct 2010 Location: Metro Detroit iTrader: (0)	I have that, I'll take a look at the application __________________ 2008 BMW 328xi Sedan - Montego Blue Metallic
	Appreciate 0 Quote

11-23-2010, 10:11 PM	#16
Thumperx Major 88 Rep 1,404 Posts Drives: 335I coupe Join Date: Oct 2009 Location: SE Michigan iTrader: (77)	IDQ definitely __________________ Name: Blanca \| 07 E92 \| AW-Blk \| ZSP \| Alcon BBK \| M3 Bits \| VM RR Links \| Koni \| UUC Sways \| V5 \| Dinan CAI \| ETS IC \| Fge DV \| ER CP \| Cyba \| Raden. Exh \| Mod Step \| Trunk Drawer \| Perf LED Wheel \| Illum Dr Sills \| IS Shifter \| Parrot \| Philps D1S \| 6000k fog \| MTECH RR \| CSL Trunk \| Aero \| Roof Spoiler \| PSS on BBS RS-GT 19s
	Appreciate 0 Quote

11-24-2010, 09:31 AM	#19
Rob G Enlisted Member 1 Rep 41 Posts Drives: 2007 328i Join Date: Oct 2010 Location: Baltimore iTrader: (0)	Could we please learn the name of the shop at which he received such informed advice. ?
	Appreciate 0 Quote

11-24-2010, 09:36 AM	#20
hwa786 Lieutenant 59 Rep 508 Posts Drives: 08 BMW 328xi Join Date: Oct 2010 Location: Metro Detroit iTrader: (0)	Hollywood Sound, in Garden City, Michigan. I had this same subwoofer in my G35 when I had it and it sounded real nice with the Bose speakers, then I transferred it into the Bimmer, and now I want to get rid of it for something else, like I mentioned, JL Audio W3 or Kicker CVR, or anything comparable or better then the Alpine Type R __________________ 2008 BMW 328xi Sedan - Montego Blue Metallic
	Appreciate 0 Quote

11-24-2010, 10:32 AM	#21
fdriller9 Banned 252 Rep 7,089 Posts Drives: '06 AW 330xi Join Date: Mar 2009 Location: North Jersey/Philly/NYC iTrader: (4) Garage List 2006 330xi [6.44]	How is your amp connected to your speakers? With a LOC? Are there gains on the LOC? maybe those are too low? Or maybe your using a signal your amp doesn't accept? Like a high level input into a low level or something?
	Appreciate 0 Quote