Inverted or regular mount

Hey aznboi, good to see you again.

I would think with a company like JL it would not really be an issue of "underrated" but more an honest rating. That company is on top of thier game which is one of the reasons they don't release new lines until they are extensivly tested and perform up to thier standards. I remember years ago the delay on the 18w6. I personally perfer multiple smaller drivers over fewer or single large ones but I must tell you, that 18 sounded really good and worked in a very small sealed enclosure. Shook the heck out of the sound room.

As far as overpowering the JL w6's I have done it repeatedly in a usac competition camaro, using 1000 watts rms to a single 12w6 in a vented enclosure. Primarily an SQ vehicle but for the outlaw event we would crank the gain and it would produce incredible SPL levels for a single 12. I think we one a throphy every time. But we had to bring a spare since it would damage the sub (the price we paid for winning) lol

Aznboi...the amp is truly a tank!  On a trip to FL, the trunk was packed full of luggage (a suitcase sitting right on top of the amp) and during the 12 hour trip...the amp didn't overheat until we were already in FL and the outside temps had reached 90+.  Can't imagine how hot it was in the trunk with all that luggage, but after turning the music down for a minute...amp cut right back in and carried on.  Honestly, the amp hasn't proven to be any problem whatsoever.  I love the fact that no matter what configuration you hook it up in, it's rated to kick out 600 watts.  In actuality, mine was birthsheeted at 612 watts rms.

As far as the line driver, I think will prove useful since I'm utilizing the signal from the factory amplifier (which may kick up some dirt in the signal itself) and be transferred to the Xenon amp "soiling" the signal further.  If I was able to install my Pioneer head unit now, I'd carry forward without the line driver, but since I have to wait...I want to try cleaning up the signal to see if I have better results.

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Master5...to answer your question...the Xenon sub has a dual 2 ohm voice and I wired it in series to create a 4 ohm load on the amp.  The Alpine Type-R was the same.  The Audiobahn has dual 4 ohm voice coils and I wired it in parallel for a 2 ohm load on the amp.  According to Phoenix Gold...the amp has the ability to produce the same wattage at impedences as low as 1 ohm (and from my further understand, even at 8 ohms).

I do understand what you're saying about overpowering.  I can tell you the guy with the all Memphis set up is running a 10" Memphis sub with dual 4 ohm voice coils wired in parallel for a 2 ohm load at the amp.  The Memphis amp is rated to kick out 600 watts x1 @ 2 ohms.  When I say the sub pounded loud and clear without sounding like it was being strained in any way...I'm not kidding.   The guy even had it in a sealed box that was bigger than what specs called for.  Go figure!

In your opinion, for the setup I'm running...which sub do you think would serve my purposes better, the Phoenix Gold Xenon 10D2, Alpine Type-R, or the Audiobahn DUB1000???  I've currently got a Xenon 10D2 running in my Xterra, but it's only working off a Kenwood KAC-7020 (460 watts x 1 @ 4 ohms) and it sounds GREAT!!!

I certainly appreciate all the input and guidance.  I have learned in this industry...you can never stop learning.  Having this forum available for guys like me and having guys like you willing to share your knowledge and experience is priceless.  That being said...thanks a million!!!

Mike

Yes, but...the first sub I ever owned was an Audiobahn that lasted 5+ years and went through 3 of my vehicles before being sold.  Not to mention all the other folks I've run into with Audiobahn that love em.  Audiobahn seems to be the brand you either love or hate...no middle ground.

What's funny is...of the 3 subs I've got, the Audiobahn had the smoothest response.  It'll get another chance once I get everything squared away.

No problem allmet33, I enjoy helping out here and it keeps me out of trouble. lol. And I also learn alot here, usually from a mistake, but regardless, still learning every day here and in the field.

As far as which sub will work best for you I am not really the right person to ask. Of all the subs we sell the only one that you are considering is the type r's. I tend to favor JL but mostly because IMO they have the best sound, not just loud but I actually can hear correct tone kick drums and other things a musician like me would notice. Most people seem to like a good sounding sub, but mostly gauge them by loudness.

I think you should work with the one you liked best, which appears to be the audiobahn. And I would have no reason to doubt they will hold up if you don't overpower/overdrive the system. I am not sure about the preamp you are using so I can't opinionate on it but a good adj loc works fine for me. Using the factory system will never be quite as clean as a good aftermarket w/ preout IMO but as far as bass they seem to work for me just fine. Once again you got to be careful with the gain setting and usage of the system. I would think damage can be caused quicker by an amp with a lower rms rating set up improperly then going over and using it properly.

But as my experiment proved to me, if the amp cannot produce enough power to damage a sub...it won't...EVER.

But if an amp is overdriven into power levels that exceed what the sub can handle, thats when you spend your extra cash replacing subs.