Amp/Sub question

[Ghionw]

Hey Guys,

I am thinking of getting either 1 or 2 8" Alpine Type R sub. Focused more on nice tight bass than rolling bass. Do you think 300W RMS running at 4oms will be enough for a single 8"? Or even 500W RMS running at 2ohms for 2? I was looking into the JBL GTO-3EZ amp and that is what it would give me on the sub channel. Penny for your thoughts.

 

Note: Subs are rated at 350W rms and I am considering a sealed enclosure.

 

Any down side of having 2 separate 8" enclosures as opposed to a single enclosure with 2 holes (given that they are chambered)?

 

I am open to other recommendations as well.

[Dbl_D718]

Definitely run them in their own chambers because if one blows or otherwise quits functioning, the second will suddenly have double the air space in the box, which could be a bad thing for it. I'd get one dual-chamber box for simplicity.

 

I'd go 10s or 12s tho because 8s aren't going to hit all that low. If you're going through the trouble of putting subs in the trunk, get something bigger than an 8. It sounds to me like one 12" in a sealed box would be perfect for you.

[Ghionw]

They would definitely be in individual chambers.

 

I really don't want to go too big. Doubt I would go as big as a 12".. 10" max.

 

What about the power the amp is providing? Will it be sufficient?

[KSpan]

I agree with Dbl about considering a single 12 over 2 8s, as I have been running a single 12 in a sealed box for a looooong time with great results (I also prefer tight, accurate bass rather than straight window-rattling). It shouldn't take up any more space than a box for 2 8s, possibly less depending on the driver you choose, you'll get more cone area out of a single 12 than 2 8s, and you'll have an extended range in the low end. My system for years has been 40 watts to my interior speakers and 300 watts @ 2 ohms to my single 12 in a sealed box, and the double-kick and low end in general sounds perfect to my ears.

 

To your original question, 350 @ 4 or 500 @ 2 will be fine, esp. for 8s, as long as you're not feeding a ton of wattage to your interior speakers. Since you're not looking for a ton of sub-bass, perhaps consider an amp with a subsonic/infrasonic filter around 20 Hz or so, possibly even 30, to save some strain on the amp and protect those small drivers.

[Ghionw]

Thanks Fellas. Back to the drawing board I guess.

 

I chose those 8s because heard amazing things about them. I have even heard they outperform a single 10 and is comparable to a 12.

[KSpan]

Thanks Fellas. Back to the drawing board I guess.

 

I chose those 8s because heard amazing things about them. I have even heard they outperform a single 10 and is comparable to a 12.

 

An 8 can cartainly sound fantastic, but physics are physics and an 8 still has less than half the cone area of a 12 - box them both properly for your application and there will be no contest. That's not to say that an 8 would not work, but if I'm understanding your goals correctly there's just no significant reason to go that route. If you either really don't care about low bass at all or were very space-sensitive, an single 8 could make more sense.

[Dbl_D718]

I think doing 8s in the trunk would be a waste. A box for one 12 would probably take up less usable space than one for two 8s anyway. Getting a 12 doesn't at all mean that you'll get trunk-rattling, annoying, gansta-type bass. My last dual 12 setup in a sealed box hit as fast and clean as anything I've heard, and it could still play nice and low.

[Ghionw]

Thanks Fellas.. I will take that into consideration.