JL stealthbox vs Custom box JL 8w3

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bayarea4x4

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Hey Everyone,

So I am looking at putting in a sub for a little more bass. I definiately am not looking for a loud let everyone know you are hear sub. I am debating between the stealthbox which has a 10w0 paired with 250/1 or a 8w3 in the same spot similar look but spec'ed to that sub also with the 250/1. Both setups are within $100 of each other installed. I am going to the audio shop this weekend to hear both subs but its in a totally different situation than in stealthboxes in my car. I am assuming the 8 will sound better but any thoughts?

Thanks,

Josh
 
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The w3 is a better speaker than the w0, but I've heard both a single 8 and a single 10 and they each have their high points.

The 10" will give you better low end than the 8" because it has more surface area. The 8" should have nearly similar frequency response, but there won't be as much of the low end yet it will have more punch. It will be very close between these in the low end response.



If I were in your shoes, I would buy based on what I listen to.

I listen to mainly electronic (house, dance, trance) and I would choose the 10" (personally I'd go with a 12") so I get more of the rumbling low end that I crave.

If I listened mainly to rock or country, I personally would choose the 8" to bring out the kick drum.

It really comes down to what YOUR ears like.

With all that said, you can get a single speaker of just about any size that will do it all well, but I am guessing you are trying to keep price down, hence my advice above.
 
Well for comparison I have 2 10s in my 99 m3 and it's perfect but also has lots of deadening between trunk and car. Cost is not a huge issue but trying to keep below 1200 installed which is what an 8w3 in custom box with 250 amp. The other sub I was looking at was image dynamics but the shop I like to use likes jl better (probably bc of profit margin). Thoughts? Not sure what I want to do. I want clean bass and usually listen to hip hop and rap.

Josh
 
bayarea4x4 said:
Well for comparison I have 2 10s in my 99 m3 and it's perfect but also has lots of deadening between trunk and car. Cost is not a huge issue but trying to keep below 1200 installed which is what an 8w3 in custom box with 250 amp. The other sub I was looking at was image dynamics but the shop I like to use likes jl better (probably bc of profit margin). Thoughts? Not sure what I want to do. I want clean bass and usually listen to hip hop and rap.

Josh
Click to expand...

$1200 for that is a huge rip off. Box is no more than $200, install is $100, so that's $900 left for the sub and amp. No way those the sub and amp cost that much.
 
:iagree:

And the w3's are not that much money. And a 250w amp? Come on.

I bet the shop you like to use likes using you too!


I'm not sure what you mean by "clean" bass. I can give you clean bass with a $20 sub.
 
Not sure on pricing but it broke down to roughly 550 for stealthbox with 10w0 300 for jl amp and 300 for install. This is all rough. Then the only real switch is for the 8w3 the cost for box/sub goes down but my labor goes up. It is high but I am failing to see how its wayyy overpriced. I know I can go cheaper on my amp instead of using JL but where do you see the cost is too high?
 
$300 to install a single amp is ridiculous in my opinion. He's gotta run 3 wires for power and a short chunk of speaker wire to connect the sub. I also looked up the cost of a stealthbox, I can't believe JL charges $600 for those. Crazy.

A 300w mono JL amp can be had for around $200.

Anyway, have you thought about installing it yourself?
 
I'm not sure how to descrive JL W0's.... like, i think i rather hit myself then have those in my ride... just my opinion... you can get a one ten, or an eight that hits harder then ten of those....
 
Installing myself...ehh rather not. Mostly a time issue or lack there of. Besides JL has anyone heard of or used image dynamics? They are used a lot in my BMW forums but I have never heard one in person. In my m3 i have alumapro.
 
ID's are good. Better SQ than that crappy W0.

Please either change shops or bring a ton of lube when you pay for that stuff(no offense intended).

Maybe we could help you find better equipment or the same equipment for cheaper and have them do just the install.
 
Yeah...I am well aware that JL you pay up the a$$ for. They will install anything but I bet their shop rate magically might become higher with outside products. It does not need to be this shop but my brother was not thinking too well and took his car to BB for an install and they messed it up big time with cutting wires and all sorts of stuff. I would rather pay and have it done right than cut corners on my install.
 
Yeah, JL is more expensive than some brands, but not that much. The shop is making a killing if they sell the subs for that price.

I agree with not taking it to Best Buy, but there has to be other shops in your area. If a shop raises their rates when you bring in your own equipment I would not go there, maybe that's just me.
 
no I agree making a custom box should be the same if its JL equipment or ID. I talked with an audio shop that sponsors a BMW forum I go to. I can get a 10 IDQ for 240. Then he thinks I should pair it with an Alpine PDX 250w/300W whatever they make in that area and have a fiberglass box roughly .8

Thoughts on that?
 
If you have two 10s in an M3, I think you'll be disappointed with a single 8 or 10 in a 4Runner. It'll give you some low end, but there's an awful lot more interior air space in a 4Runner than a small car. I've had single 10s for a number of years and they were okay, but they always left a future upgrade on my wish list. Since you're looking at JL stuff, I'll share my experience with JL in a 4Runner.

For my first attempt at bass 10 years ago, I installed a powered 10" Bazooka. One thing I liked about the Bazooka was I could throw anything on top of it and it was nearly indestructible at the bottom of the pile.

Then, a few years ago I considered a JL StealthBox. I liked the idea of keeping the sub out of the way. However, the outrageous price for a single woofer StealthBox enclosure with a W1 driver turned me off, and that was before paying for the amp.

For the second incarnation I moved up to a JL 250/1v2 pushing a JL CS110RG-W1v2. This was better than the Bazooka. The PowerWedge tucked in behind the rear seats and could be moved around every time I used the back for cargo. For much less money I'm pretty sure I got the same sound (and driver) as a 3rd Gen 4Runner StealthBox. That's the way I would go if you're watching your budget closely.

For most recent incarnation I put in a JL HD750 amp and a JL CVS110RG-W6v2 ProWedge. Now I was getting somewhere, but felt like something was still missing so I wired my old PowerWedge in series with the ProWedge and decided two 10s balanced my system perfectly. Now I'm running a JL CVS210RG-W6v2.

I've been a JL fan since I installed my first gear from them. I also prefer the sound of the sealed boxes. I didn't want to mess with a custom box that would probably take up more space than my ProWedge anyway...so I just paid for the JL engineered box and have been very happy with it. Cargo space and portability were key discriminators once I decided two 10" drivers hit the spot. The entire game changes a bit if you consider a ported box, but that would not be my area of expertise.

Hope this helps, and best of luck putting tunes in your ride.
 
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