Sub upgrade - box design question
 

Hey guys! I will be upgrading soon from my two 12" JBL 1214D's to two FI SSD 12's or possibly FI Q 12's. I'm wondering if I'm better off facing the subs and port backwards, or if I should face subs and port forward into cabin but sealed off from trunk. I'm also on SMD forum and there was mixed opinions in it. Pros and cons? This is a daily driver system. Thanks.

face them towards the tailgate.

4.2 cubic feet after displacements @ 33hz

total mayhem.

4.2ft^3 for which subs? the SSD's or the Q's? and should I go with 10's or 12's in your opinion? I currently have 12's. But I like huge hits.

Great advice, thx.

I'll also need some box design help when I get there...

If you have no interest in sealing it off than point it all towards the rear.

If you can completely seal the opening, including the holes in the rear deck with expanding foam, that's better because it blocks the reflecting wave from the back of the car for less cancellation. You also get little rattles because air isn't being moved "inside" the trunk. I suppose the better you seal and deaden, the better it performs. Fiberglass with lots of deadening, blankets, resin, and duct tape.

those enclosure specs will work well with either subs. i miss my fully loaded SSD's with a passion. they were in a 4 cubic foot enclosure @ 38hz and still did very well on the lows off about 1000rms.

as for sealing off the trunk, its a bitch to do properly. just fire it towards the tailgate and be marry.

alright, sounds like a good plan. I'm assuming that with my 1550wRMS amp, the SSD's will be more than enough? I was thinking about geting the Q's, but I don't have enough power for them anyways so I don't know if they'll add anything. I could always upgrade the amp later on, but it would not be for a while, since there's many other non-audio things to do to the car.

Also, any idea that Fi charges to ship their stuff to Canada? I'm hoping it's not too bad, and I'm hoping they can ship via USPS to avoid those heavy customs charges.

the SSDs will be a great choice. as far as shipping, its going to hurt. my buddy's fully loaded Q cost close to $500 CND after all the charges. Contact them and see if you can work out a deal, but it will be pricey unfortunately.

Yup, shipping kills. But might as well go big now. Also the prices are pretty damn good. I was going to go with two jbl W12GTi's but those would be about $700-750 with shipping so I'm still getting a better deal and the SSD's have more RMS anyways. I'll call them and see what they can do. Good thing I'm starting my second/third work terms in January :p

I guess the last question is wether to go with 10's or 12's...since they are a Hugh RMS value and I have a relatively small cabin, it's hard to tell what would perform better in my application. Any input on this? Pros and cons for 10's vs 12's for the Fi SSD subs?

i have experience with both. running a pair of 10" SSD's off an AQ 2200 in a friends corolla, and it digs deep. The are tuned right @ 30hz each sub getting 1.15 cubic feet. Electrical is up to par yet, so gains are fairly low, but once that is taken care of it should be unreal.

depending on the car you have, and amount of space, will ultimately determine whether you should go 12's or 10's

either will be good though