Ive got a Type-R system at the moment...well except for the sony subs. I was looking at a few different types and have narrowed it down to 2 brands. I live in tassie so its really hard to test lots of different types of sub, but I have access to both the Alpine R-Type and Eclipse subs. Both sound pretty nice, but I havent had a chance to really test them out yet.

Im after 2 10" subs in seperate sealed boxes with 2x2Ohm coils.

Actually would it be better to get one higher quality sub like a Type-X or the higher Eclipse sub thats rated to 1000WRMS at 2Ohms and run it at 1000WRMS or get 2 lower quality subs at 500WRMS a piece? I would like to have the extra space of having a single 10" or 12".

Does anyone have any prefferences between the 2 brands? Im leaning towards the Eclipse subs (not sure what model yet) because they suit the look of my speakers better than the Alpines do.
Also does anyone know if the Eclipse amps are any good, Ive asked at the only good Audio shop down here but they've only just got the Eclipse board in last month and havent had a real good go of it yet.

Well I went out today and had a go of both brands of sub. Both went off but Im after SQ and this is where the Eclipse came through, the X types were louder but not quite as clear. Iv narrowed it down to a single Eclipse 12 dual 4Ohm, either the $550 (450WRMS)one or the $650 (500WRMS) depending how much Iv got to spend.

I tested the subs with an Alpine MRD501 500WRMS @ 2Ohm (500WRMS@ 2Ohm) amp. This amp is $799 and seems to be good value, does anyone know of any other amps for a similar price with the same or better performance?

Thanx

you can consider eclipse monoblock ? DA7122? about the same price i reckon. 500wrms/1000w peak

holey dooley! do not pay $799 for the alpine mrd 501!! low $500s easys :cool: me drink too much tonight but i know thesefacts

The eclipse Amps cost way more, cant remember the prices but they were more than the Alpines the DA1722 was well over a grand.

$500 for a MRD501? Wheres this at?

If u want 1000wrms, why dont u go shopping for something like a DD M1, caliber 2000d, or us tech 1600?? they go from around 700-1000 per amp, but any of them would definately be worth your money ;) Second hand, these things should go for somewhere around 500

northfield up here in brisbane would sell the mrd 501 for $550 ish

probably the amp i will get next

mazzazx51 , can I suggest you ask around a little more before you buy anything champ because with all due respect to everyone here, there are much better subs around out there than Eclipse and Alpine and there are also better amplifiers than the M501.

Some examples of subwoofers I definately recommend you check out (if possible - I read you're having issues auditioning) due to your geographical location:

Hertz HX300
Image Dynamics IDQ12
Boston Pro12.5LF
Focal 33V
Phoenix Gold X12D
Adire Brahma 12
Digital Designs 3512
Vibe Space12
RE XXX 12

As for amplifiers to run the sub, go with ones that are battle proven over the years and ones that win the sound offs, not the ones with the biggest marketing campaign. Amps like:

Audison LRx1.400
Phoenix Gold X600.1
Digital Designs M1
Boston GT-24
Vibe MB3
ARC Audio 2100XXK

I don't mean to curb your enthusiasm, it's just that day in and day out we get young guys coming here that have spent literally thousands on systems that sound very average when they could have spend less for better equipment. They are simply victims of the big audio brands' marketing campaigns. :(:(

Thanx mate, big help! Im not planning on buying straight away, prob Janurary. Yeah its a bit hard to audition anything down in Tassie. Basically all we have is Alpine, Clarion, Pioneer, Eclipse, JVC, Fusion and heaps of Sony. I can get hold of pretty much anything through the good audio shops but they wont get much in just to audition. Ive asked around and nobody stocks a single brand on your list.:cry:

Out of the subs and amps you mentioned what would you recommend for SQ 12" dual 4Ohm coils about the 500WRMS@2Ohms mark and an amp to suit? Once I narrow it down I'll beg to get some sent over to audition but I dont like my chances. I dont really care too much for volume, just as long as they have pleanty of punch and clarity. I cant stand the pure distortionbass of the Sonys I have now.

I have a budget of about $1000 to $1300, the less money spent the better.

BTW, what would be a rough figure for shipping to Tassie for a sub and amp?

Thanx heaps!

Well the figure for shipping itself to TAS is around $24 per item registered and insured postage champ. :)

For your needs I am going to recommend the Image Dynamics IDQ12D2. :D

For running the amplifier, I am going to recommend you run it at 4ohm. You really should approach the power / big noise factor another way. Simply loading the amp down is the dangerous way which I am not a fan of.

See the single biggest issue when talking about 'most' amplifiers being stable to resistances like 1 ohm is that while they'll stable at that low level, they're not happy doing it. Like your car engine is stable to 8000RPM etc. When you load an amplifier down you're causing it to work a lot harder. On the surface this seems fine but when one delves a little further into it you see the efficiency goes down, the damping factor (the amps ability to control unwanted cone movement) goes through the floor and the whole unit heats up dramatically. If you want more noise, I suggest you get either a much larger amp or another small amp and sub, not ring the neck of your existing one. :)

The main reason many of our big SPL systems don't stop is that they're all run at 4ohm. We tend to only suggest 2ohm when you're only competing with the system (the amplifier has little trouble with short span burps. I'd run the sub at 4ohms, that way you're amplifier will stay cool and efficient and work all day every day without overheating. :)

haha 1 sub = my whole sound system (endless amounts of money) lol

Running at 4Ohm, sounds good. I havent had a chance to look this sub up yet, but I take it that it is a dual 4Ohm. How would you go about wiring this to make the load 4Ohms to the amp. Also would it be better to run it off a monoblock or a 2 channel with a channel to each coil?


Thanx for the help Fhrx, Im learning heaps:D, I really appreciate it!

Ok, I just had a quick look around and found this info on that sub:
Features of the Image Dynamics IDQ12 D2 include:

SPEAKER SPECIFICATIONS


Nominal Impedance 1/4 Ohms

DC Resistance 9.75/3.9Ohms

Resonant Frequency 19.0Hz

Electrical "Q" .271

Mechanical "Q" 4.59

Total "Q" .256

Equivalent Volume 5.04cuft

One Way Linear 13.5mm

Cone Area 530cm2

Sensitivity 90.2dB

RMS Power Handling 350/700Watts


At $449 it seems pretty good. Or would it be better to get the dual 4ohm version and run a 2channel amp, 1 to each coil, and have 175Wrms@4ohms to each coil?



SPEAKER SPECIFICATIONS



Nominal Impedance 1/4 Ohms

DC Resistance 9.75/3.9Ohms

Resonant Frequency 19.0Hz

Electrical "Q" .271

Mechanical "Q" 4.59

Total "Q" .256

Equivalent Volume 5.04cuft (143L)

One Way Linear 13.5mm

Cone Area 530cm2

Sensitivity 90.2dB

RMS Power Handling 350/700Watts



What amp would be best paired with this sub in your opinion?



I was thinking (not very hard though) to make a dual 2ohm sub seem like a single coil 4ohm to the amp would you have a connection from the -ve output of the amp to the -ve of each coil (2wires) and the same for the +ve? (4 wires in total) Is this the way to do it or would this kill all bystanders with shards of molten amp and sub?

PS. Sorry about the formatting.

Dude, fhrx has the prices on his web site :D

FYI from his price list: the IDQ12D2 retails for $449

There is also an IDQ12D4 which is a dual 4ohm VC sub. Same price.