Help With System Upgrade

*******WARNING - NEWBIE + CHIC = PATIENCE PLEASE *********
 
Let Me Start With What I Have Now & I Would Love Advice on Good/Bad/Stay/Go - Drive in River & Start Completly Over  :
*2000 Ford F150 Extd Cab - (w/ no desire or room for 'riders' in backseat)
*Eclipse CD5442 ESN E5 High Power (Don't have the Optional DSP/EQ
*Orion Cobalt CS200.4 running:
 - Polk DX3055 5.25" & 1" tweet's in cust plate 4 front dr panels (just got)
 - Eclipse 85741 5x7  - these were kicked 2 rear b/c Polks were good $
Here's where it gets sticky.... "I Own" these & have been unhappy w/ sound quality since 1st day (Had To Learn the B Stock Lesson)
*Lanzar Vibe240 (I think it is 800 Max?)
 - 2 12" Kicker CompVR (2001) - Prefab deep sealed box (Big, Bulky)
(  I - that said, pls keep in mind keeping these Kickers long term - not happenin'  I Desperately need advice on 2 offers avail now and/or if I should suck it up longer & to go high $$$ (I want 2 12" JL W6v2 in custom box, & a million $'s if anyone is donating!)
 
New Amp on way (warranty swap issue = Here's what u get- like or not!
 - I am assuming it is QXM-2165-GTX since only info I got - "Sony 1000W Xplod Amp" - Is anyone familiar w/ another model they could be refering to?
 - Considering I'm 98% pos. the Lanzar is B stock, will this amp be better for subs? Any sugg's on what to do (short of selling it --- I've been informed strongly of everyone's opinions on the forum boards around the net  when Sony is mentioned!
 
Friend has following subs avail & within my budget Right Now & I am about feed up w/ jacking with these Kickers!
 - 2 12" Xplod XS L1235 in what I can only assume is a custom box b/c I can't find anything on web - Looks like a treasure chest shaped bandpass box (plexi top, blue, crome port holes w/ neons inside says"PowerStorm" on front      *(They r in my truck on loan to try b/c I was if'y on Sony Subs BUT they don't sound bad, only complaint - needs more thumpin bass so my neighbors can hear!! (The dude said if I wanted them he'd adjust amp to proper Ohm  /  (this was b4 I heard about the new amp) (Also are these Subs not Rated bout same as my Kickers?)He's asking $250 but I think that may be a lil too high??
 
 - 2 12" JLW6 (yr?? used??) for $300 but need Box & would b xtra $
 (My issue w/ this - if I'm gonna go JL I'd rather get NEW W6V2 & for their $$$$ - from auth. dealer!)
 
Sorry for such a long post but I am so   on this topic b/c the only responses I've gotten aren't answering ?'s
 
(Maybe I should also add, my 1st system was in a 98 Camero & I went all Fosgate (Unfortly- This was right about the time RF went  ) - Head Unit, CD Changer, 3-ways in all 4 panels runnin off 400.4, 2 12"'s runnin ?800.2? in Hatchback (if anyone knows where I can get a hatchback for my Ford, PLEASE let me know & I suspect all my issues would be solved!!!)
 
Thanks So Much, I've Gotta Make Up My Mind This Weekend! 


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:errr: When there is ever a doubt ..... :) & ;) then he'll figure it out

}:)

Did the bandpass box look like this? Click on the Bandpass link on that site to see the boxes.

Here's some of your specs...
Lanzar Vibe240
200 x 2 @ 4ohms
300 x 2 @ 2ohms
600 x 1 @ 4ohms bridged

Kicker CompVR (CVR12)
Dual Voice Coil
Unknown if you have the 2ohm or 4ohm version
400 RMS
800 Peak

JL 12W6V2-D4
Dual Voice Coil
4ohm
400 RMS
800 Peak

Sony XS-L1235
Dual Voice Coil
4ohm
200 RMS
800 Peak

Sony XM-2165-GTX (I hope that this is not the one they were thinking was 1000 watts!)
165 x 2 @ 4ohms
200 x 2 @ 2ohms
400 x 1 @ 4ohms bridged

Sony XM-D1000P5
500 x 1 @ 4ohms
900 x 1 @ 2ohms

Can you describe how your subs are currently wired? Parallel, series, parallel/series, etc...
If you look here and scroll to the last post I have diagrams on wiring 2ohm and 4ohm DVC subs.

Sorry to hear you had probs with RF. I've run Rockford subs since '93 and have never had any problems. I've only been running their amps for a couple of years now and have been extremely satisified. I knew several people who ran RF back in 93/94+ and they were all impressed as well. Right now I'm running 2 RFD2112's (Punch HX2's) from a Power 1000bd. I still need to get it measured, but I'm guessing it's hitting around 160db+

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Squirrel
"No more Cpt. Kirk chit chat"
If its too loud, then you're too old
Donate to the12volt.com

wvsquirrel wrote:

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Did the bandpass box look like this? Click on the Bandpass link on that site to see the boxes. 

No. The best way I can describe it is literally like a trreasure chest.  The Clear Plexie is like dome (sp?) curved, you can see completley thru both sides (I can see my truck seat thru it) atleast far enough down you see the full back of the woofer (they are mounted facing down) & there are neons that line the bottom area.  Below the clear  it is like the material on a prefab box but it isn't exactly and it is a bright blue almost like the blue on this screen above where it says "...install bay / ".  There are 5 or 6  port holes in the front that are crome-plated.  In Red / White Lettering is the "PowerStorm"  logo (which looks no less professional than one on JL's PowerWedge type box".

I have searched and searched and searched.  If you can find it I would start jumping up & down like a lil kid!!

Here's some of your specs...                    
Lanzar Vibe240                                  yeah i forgot but it says 800w on the amp
200 x 2 @ 4ohms
300 x 2 @ 2ohms
600 x 1 @ 4ohms bridged

Kicker CompVR (CVR12)
Dual Voice Coil
Unknown if you have the 2ohm or 4ohm version
400 RMS
800 Peak

Specs 2001 Series?.... This is just the beginning of the unknowns for the Kickers, I have no idea if it is 2 or 4, when the guy put the Sony's in he said that the Lanzar was running @ 8 (?) & that it "was running ver cool" and "not pushing much power to the Sony's & if I wanted to keep them he would adjust the amp to where it should be??   (This was before got other amp exchanged)

JL 12W6V2-D4
Dual Voice Coil
4ohm
400 RMS
800 Peak

These are not the other subs he gave me to choice from he has the W6  I believe.  That's why I said I had a prob. w/ spending $300 plus a box $ plus $ install !  If I'm gonna start talkin bout all that ++++ I would prob prefer a new pair from auth. dealer, because I know my luck!!  So what amp / brand would you recommend to push them ?  

OK Wait - So If Im reading these specs correctly- are you saying that the Kicker CompVR compares the same to JL W6v2? * And * Super Newbie ? - Why is the Sony's Specs the same except 200 RMS?  And, do they REALLY suk as hard as every post I've made has replied with.  I have several Sony Electronics and I've had a couple of their H/U's.

How would you personally compare/rate or if you've had any past experience w/ subs in extended cab trucks what they ran?

Sony XS-L1235
Dual Voice Coil
4ohm
200 RMS
800 Peak

 
Sony XM-2165-GTX (I hope that this is not the one they were thinking was 1000 watts!)
165 x 2 @ 4ohms   -                   200 x 2 @ 2ohms
400 x 1 @ 4ohms bridged

I don't even want to post this in public, oh well the guy who owned this truck before used Best Buy and paid for the 4 yr warnty.  I sent a friend who's an expert @ BB & Circut City Warranty Exchanges  & loopholes & he said (*said*)he exchanged for 1000w ?!  So the Sony amp is coming from there :(  but it is free so if it is crap, I can prob sell.  

Checked BB website & it shows they carry that amp but their specs show of 780 w Peak, 380 RMS x 1 @ 4ohms Bridged .   

BUT, check Sony's site & they are even diff there????

https://www.xplodsony.com/products/?CATEGORY=Amp/EQ&MD=XM-2165GTX :

!  -
Can you describe how your subs are currently wired? Parallel, series, parallel/series, etc...
If you look here and scroll to the last post I have diagrams on wiring 2ohm and 4ohm DVC subs.

I know there is some issue about the way the speakers were ran. I think that I have tried several different wirings & was finally told to pick one that sounded the least worse. & can't remember which one finally won!  And I really think that all the jacking with has not helped the matter. I've had a several shops, and many do-it-your-selfer friends try to tweak the amp & settings, to the point I finally just told everyone to leave it alone!............  and  lil less than yr ago, when I got the Eclipse HU I had the shop test the box b/c I wanted to see if a diff one would help & they told me it was fine, that was just how they were going to sound in my truck!  So it could be just my personal preferences most of what I don't like are noises / sounds that sometimes I think I'm the only one who hears!

Sorry to hear you had probs with RF. I've run Rockford subs since '93 and have never had any problems. I've only been running their amps for a couple of years now and have been extremely satisified. I knew several people who ran RF back in 93/94+ and they were all impressed as well. Right now I'm running 2 RFD2112's (Punch HX2's) from a Power 1000bd. I still need to get it measured, but I'm guessing it's hitting around 160db+

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Did you buy any Fosgate during 98-99??  I mean, for my 1st system it sounded like heaven to me.  My main gripe was their amps, I think the fact that I blew apart the speaker might have been my fault!  I have heard good reviews of the bd series that you have!  I haven't even considered them. but if they are as good as they were before (here's that darn word again!) they let Best Buy sell them, I may need to do some checking up on what's new.

Ok wheeewww.... My heads spinin! Sorry for the what seems like longest posts ever!  If you could answer just one of these questions, I would possibly be able to sleep at night since it is driving me crazy! 

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When there is ever a doubt ..... & then he'll figure it out

The Sony amp you are talking about shares a common product designation with an older amp that was also "rated" at 1000 watts. But, the only way this amp can make 1,000 watts is by running it to 64 volts with a reactive load. (Bad, bad, bad idea) BB WILL exchange that amp (if it is broken) under the 4 yr. PSP and probably give you the new Sony amp, which I would sell right away. I worked Car-Fi sales at BB and now install there, so I pretty much know what I'm talking about.
     The box IS a bandpass box. Also, your lanzar amp running at 8 ohms mono bridged I'm guessing, which would make it run very cool, but would also restrict power output big time. If your amp crapped out running an 8 ohm load, I don't know what to tell you other than the fact you probably got a bad amp.
     I'm sorry, but I'm not familiar enough to answer your questions about JL subs on here, but not to fret, there are plenty of people that are. The CompVR's are a fairly well respected sub, but I understand if you want to go with JL.
      I have an extended cab S10 ZR2, so I'm here to say you can hit well with a small cab. I run two Kappa Perfect 12's powered by a bd1000, and it sounds very good. (Dynamat..yum)
      So, the answers to the questions I can answer are these.
1.) Yes, it is a bandpass box,

2.) If you return the amp under the PSP, they will more than likely exchange it, and yes, that IS the one they are thinking can make 1,000 watts

3.) Get JL subs, they're worth it.

4.)Use the parallel/series calculators on this site to decide which way to run your subs. The Sony makes 200 x 2 at 2 Ohms, so if you want to keep this amp, get two 4 Ohm DVC subs that are rated at about the same RMS rating. If not, just post up with the new amp's ratings and we'll help out as much as can.



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Ever heard of the box I've described?????

On Lanzar Amp / Kicker Wiring:
If the guy really knows what he's talking about & the Lanzar is running @ 8 ohms, I Better have the KickerComp VR's with Dual 4 ohm wired Series.  But my question is would / could the Kicker's sound better wired Parallel in a diff. box or are they crapped out by now prob.?  ***Note the Lanzar has never crapped out.....

On the Sony Amp / Subs:
1. The amp Best Buy Exhanged was a Pioneer Amp that came in my truck when I bought it
2. The suppossed "1000w" Sony amp in what they gave in exchange and so are you saying the amp they gave is the one that runs 200 x 2 @ 2 ???  Any idea what I could ask for it?
3. Can you clarify for me if we are talking about this 200 x 2 amp, doesn't the specs wvsquirrel posted for the Sony XS L1235 match up?  and why do they list 800 peak ..... could you get anywhere near that with them?????  I son't think 200 will even be close to enough for me

On JL Subs:
Get which JL's the used W6 or new - W6v2

Any other opinions for diff new subs / amp?     Thanks soooooo much!!

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When there is ever a doubt ..... & then he'll figure it out

I've actually seen the enclosure you mentioned before (the PowerStorm). I saw one in a pawn shop about a year ago down here, still trying to find one on the internet for you though. Looked interesting, but I've never had much luck with bandpass boxes. I prefer sealed, unless you can get a really good tuned ported enclosure.

If he was telling the "truth" about being run at 8ohms, then you would absolutely get more/better sound out of the CompVR's if you wired them to a lower ohm load.

It's still hard to say about the ohms/wiring because you haven't said how they are wired. Is each sub going to it's own channel, or are the subs both using the same channel (bridged)?

If its bridged running at 8ohms, then you have the 2ohm DVC's. If each sub is on it's own channel running at 8ohms then you have the 4ohm DVC's. The simplest way to to pull one of the speakers and look for a model number somewhere on the magnet.

If you have the 2ohm version then you could wire each sub to 4ohms, and run 1 sub per channel. You would only be getting apx. 200 watts per sub (which is still underpowering them), but it would deffinately sound better then at 8ohms.

If you have the 4ohm version then you could wire each sub to a 2ohm load (using 1 sub per channel) and get 300 watts per channel. Or you could wire in series/parallel to get a 4ohm load and bridge the amp for 600 watts (still 300 per sub though).

Personally, I'd ditch the bandpass box and go with a sealed.

I don't know a reasonable price for the sony amp, but yes the Sony amp matches the RMS rating of the subs (two 4ohm DVC's wired in parallel (1 sub per channel) for 200 x 2 @ 2ohms). The 800Peak is where Sony says the sub will "theoretically" blow if more power is supplied. Kinda like the tensile strength of steel (it can hold a certain weight, but after that it breaks).

If you have the money, I'd suggest getting the new W6V2's versus the used.

I ran two RF HE's (RFP3412 4ohm SVC 200RMS 400Peak) from an RF Power 500bd and was hitting apx 142db. So it is possible to be happy with apx. 200watts! Even though I'm pushing 1000+ (500+ per sub) right now, I was still satisfied at the time with 500 watts (250 per sub) which is apx what you're looking at right now with your current equipment.

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Squirrel
"No more Cpt. Kirk chit chat"
If its too loud, then you're too old
Donate to the12volt.com

OK, I've pretty much decided not to go with the Sony speakers...... the amp I will prob either sale or sometimes they will just give you the $ - either way it's just free $$$

I am supposed to see the guy that wired my Kickers 2morrow & I'll find out how the speakers are wired.  I can't look @ mag's now, but I will check 2morrow also.

The Kickers are in a sealed box now,& I think I've seen that they can go ported also?? One of the things I noticed rigth away with the Sony's in the bandpass was the diff in the sound.  Can I reproduce the cleaner/tighter bass with the Kicker's in either a custom sealed box (cuz this one if just ghetto bulky lookin) or a ported one.

Thanks for all your help, you've really helped me sort thru all my mess!

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When there is ever a doubt ..... & then he'll figure it out