DJ SprinklesNJO

ok here is what im thinking. i have a triple 12'' audiobahn sealed box.(ABB123Q) (with like the lowest 12'' series subs in it) im thinking of getting the second to highest series subs they make in a 15'' version(AW1506Q the flame series) im pretty sure the two 15's will out perform the three 12's but my questions is.... do u guys think this is definitly true due to these factors;
1) i will have to build my own box to fit the 15's. ive never buit a speaker box b4 even though i am very handy in the wood working derpartment. and
2) i will still only be running the new 15's off of one amp, its an audiobahn 840watts rms mono into 4ohms (A3201Q) class A/B amp. im not sure if it is 2 ohm stable.

do u think it is worth the extra time and money to get these good 15's or stick with what i have. or go a different route and get alot of 10's or 12's?

Mean Gene

Jimmy - It's your call but here's my experience with comparing different sized speakers & varing the number of drivers. I had (6) JL 12W2's in my S-10 with a RF Punch 200 ( the old waffle iron style ) on each pair. I managed to push somewhere in the low 150's ( but the box was really too small for the subs ). About this time Alma Gates set the World record utilizing 52 ( I think ) 10's. This was in direct conflict with the rest of the competitors who were running 15's & even 18's!! He reasoning ( & Precision Power's who was her sponsor ) was that the 40-50Hz frequency range, although not FEELING like there was much SPL down there actually was better for generating pressure, at least in her Bronco. It varies from vehicle to vehicle & even within the same model due to differences in interior composition ( leather versus cloth, etc ). Try to get a USAC or IASCA test CD with the bass sweep & borrow a meter. Watch the frequency where it feels like it's hitting versus the point where the meter shows max SPL ( U'll also need a watch to pinpoint the frequency by the noting at what time those points R reached as the sweep drops 1 Hx every 2 seconds & starts at 100 Hz ). Anyway, I built two enclosures with (4) JL 10W2's in each & added another Punch 200. Again, the boxes weren't quite as large as they needed to be for generating pressure but my priority was removability ( but that's another story ). The first time I cranked it up I felt like I had made a big mistake ( literally as the truck didn't seem to slam nearly as well as it did with the 12's ). However, the trusty B&K proved otherwise. I managed to hit the mid 150's without any serious tuning!! I had added more cone ( surface ) area with the addition of the 2 extra drivers, plus I was generating pressure a little further up the frequency range as I discussed earlier. I'm not into SPL as much anymore so I haven't taken the time to test the Lexus GS for it's optimium tuning frequency; in fact, I MAY be getting out of the audio scene entirely. Might be going back home to another 'Vette ( specifically a Z06 ). :eek: But in closing, the 15's will play slighly lower but slower so your music type comes into play here as well. Unless U jam with bass heavy rap or something along those lines, I think the three 12's will do just fine because of the additional cone area that (3) 12's will give ya over dual 15's.

Percy

Gene,

Which B&K meter are you using? Just curious... I ordered out an old 2206 meter with a 4148 mic cartridge. The cartridge alone sells for more than the LinearX pcjr package!

Percy

Mean Gene

P - It belongs to my friend who owns Ace Audio so I really couldn't tell ya the model number. All I know is that USAC used this specific model for the 1988 World Championships & beyond. Randy said it set him back almost $2k & this was back in the late 80's ( if this helps narrow it down )? FWIW - he still has it & sends it in yearly for calibration so the next time I'm at his shop ( if ever again ) I'll take a look at it.

Percy

Gene,

Calibration is VERY easy with the Bruel and kjaer meters. It's a 1 minute job AT MOST and B&K wants some good bucks for it. Fortunately, I have the calibration devices over at the college so it doesn't cost me a thing. Works quite well!

Be careful with the Bruel and Kjaer mics. They limit at around 150db for the 1/2 inch cartridge. Any more and it'll tear the diaphragm. Now if he's using a 1/4 inch cartridge or an 1/8th inch cartridge, the SPL handling goes way up.

The mics by Linear X are TOYS by comparison.

Percy

DJ SprinklesNJO

wow guys thanks for the advice. some of it sounds so foriegn to me. i dotn get it. i have no clue what i should do, unfortunatly i have a lot of limitations, space, money, time to do the system etc. hmm we'll jsut have to see. by the way guys, my friend has alot of top notch stereo stuff for sale, ill be posting it up sometime soon, but jsut thought id let u know first. he's got 3 High current amps, 2 10'' insane subs, and a custom made plexiglass box for it all. all by audiobahn. (i know u guys dont like that company but its worth a shot)