Topic: Sub Box help

[motox470y]

Doing a full system within the next few months (AKA when I have money). I'm having my uncle who builds cabinets and is very good with woodworking build me one for dirt cheap and I know it will be done good giving him the measurements he needs. Anyways, I have seen pics of under the back seat style box's made by the D.I.Y person along with the D.I.Y midgate built box. Wondering from experience from any of you, what you have, what you recommend is an all around better better to build, better sounding and how difficult it is to cut out that template for the midgate. If you have pics of your own box that is one of the two, by all means, post pics I would love to see them. I am almost beside myself right now wondering wtf I should do 

Thanks for helping!!! 

[MonstaMonsta]

I'm not sure how difficult it is to prepare a template and cut a large piece of MDF wood in order to fit in place of the midgate but I had my Midgate box done by a carpenter here and it did not take too long.  I'll be happy to post up pictures and answer any questions.  I'll take some pictures tomorrow morning.  I just finished carpeting it with some Black carpet I grabbed from an audio shop.  I'm running two Infinity Kappa 120.3se in a box connected to the back of the wood midgate.  I opted to retain the full function of the midgate.  Only when the midgate is down theres a giant box on the end...  haha  still useful if you're going to carry anything long and reguire the midgate down and crossbar+window out. 

The infinity's draw power from a Rockford Fosgate P500-2 Amp.  Its not going to win any competitions, but its defintely loud enough for me.  I think the greatest "Plus side" to mounting subs in a midgate box is the positioning of the subs.  I've ridden in Mannny other Large SUVs and the like with Pretty powerful systems...  they just dont hit you the same way as when you have the subs mounted behind the rear seat facing forward instead of upward. 

I have no regrets on the midgate box.  It allows for larger subs than the under the seat box, allows for better sound imaging "IMHO", and you can get really creative...  The back of my enclosure is Glass 

[motox470y]

I'm not sure how difficult it is to prepare a template and cut a large piece of MDF wood in order to fit in place of the midgate but I had my Midgate box done by a carpenter here and it did not take too long.  I'll be happy to post up pictures and answer any questions.  I'll take some pictures tomorrow morning.  I just finished carpeting it with some Black carpet I grabbed from an audio shop.  I'm running two Infinity Kappa 120.3se in a box connected to the back of the wood midgate.  I opted to retain the full function of the midgate.  Only when the midgate is down theres a giant box on the end...  haha  still useful if you're going to carry anything long and reguire the midgate down and crossbar+window out. 

The infinity's draw power from a Rockford Fosgate P500-2 Amp.  Its not going to win any competitions, but its defintely loud enough for me.  I think the greatest "Plus side" to mounting subs in a midgate box is the positioning of the subs.  I've ridden in Mannny other Large SUVs and the like with Pretty powerful systems...  they just dont hit you the same way as when you have the subs mounted behind the rear seat facing forward instead of upward. 

I have no regrets on the midgate box.  It allows for larger subs than the under the seat box, allows for better sound imaging "IMHO", and you can get really creative...  The back of my enclosure is Glass 

You're really going to have to post pics!!!! you have me eager to see this! but yes my uncle is a very good carpenter and would mimic all the hinges and functions of the current midgate, as well as I would want to carpet it, and instead of two 10" kickers under the seat I would do two 12", not a whole lot more money but who cares. Common sense wise, I think it would sound better and hit harder behind the seats in the midgate, rather then right pressed up under the seats with 10" subs. Another question is, placement on the amp, I see the subs that are mounted in the midgate box, but pics never show where they put their amp? If you could add that to the pics you post, add the amp placement? 

[Enkei]

You will get a deeper Bass sound out of a Midgate box behind the rear seat. Not hard to build Just make sure you seal everything and Weather proof the back of it..  Get some big Cardboard and trace out the midgate Don't for get the hinges and locks to hold it in place. As for the back you might have to slant it a little to clear the crossbar and glass. There are many Custom Opt's you can do from emblems to lights in the middle. Just do a search their are planty on here to look at..

[motox470y]

You will get a deeper Bass sound out of a Midgate box behind the rear seat. Not hard to build Just make sure you seal everything and Weather proof the back of it..  Get some big Cardboard and trace out the midgate Don't for get the hinges and locks to hold it in place. As for the back you might have to slant it a little to clear the crossbar and glass. There are many Custom Opt's you can do from emblems to lights in the middle. Just do a search their are planty on here to look at..

Hey thanks! Iv'e been around on this site and I think if I have heard right your the one to talk to with sound systems? I went to my local shop for sound systems and he said to do that, he helped me out with what i should do for a setup, I don't know if i should do an L5 or CVR in 10", also a question that just popped up in my head, what am I going to do about the gaskets that seals the water out like the existing midgate??? Got quite a few question so thank you all for helping!!!

[Enkei]

If I remeber right the gaskit is on the truck not the midgate.  As for type of sub..  I do like the sound better from JL's over Kicker  But if you want a clean sound go with the CVR's  more bass the L5's Just give them the right power. Kicker amps Rate there power at 14 volts which is NOT what you are going to get. There 500 watt amp will only give you about 350 at 12.8 volts...  Then there is Sealed or ported?  What do you listen to?

[motox470y]

If I remeber right the gaskit is on the truck not the midgate.  As for type of sub..  I do like the sound better from JL's over Kicker  But if you want a clean sound go with the CVR's  more bass the L5's Just give them the right power. Kicker amps Rate there power at 14 volts which is NOT what you are going to get. There 500 watt amp will only give you about 350 at 12.8 volts...  Then there is Sealed or ported?  What do you listen to?

I listen to mostly rap, a lot of bass in some songs. Also a friend that was talking to me at the gym about this was telling me to consider portholes in the box. I don't know how much better that would sound but I was told by the local sound system shop that if I include those in the box that instead of the Z500 kicker amp I would have to bump up to the ZX750. The same friend also told me a square sub has more surface area then those circle subs because of the cut corners in a circle, the square is almost like a 12" round sub. Back up or critique this information I got please if you could!

[Enkei]

Yes those L5's are a bigger cone area..Just not as clean but with what you listen to it will be fine. As for a ported box as long as it's the right size ports it will sound good.. BUT tuned to sound good only on that type of music.. I do like the sound of Sealed boxes better but thats because they sound good on all types of music...

[motox470y]

Yes those L5's are a bigger cone area..Just not as clean but with what you listen to it will be fine. As for a ported box as long as it's the right size ports it will sound good.. BUT tuned to sound good only on that type of music.. I do like the sound of Sealed boxes better but that's because they sound good on all types of music...

Ya, it all makes sense, but for this build I'm just going to do sealed, easier build and less of a hassle. Have a something all drawn up of it now on the idea, just getting this information is helpful for this but I can get those 10" L5s for a decent price, for two of them so why not, BUT, I think I am going to have to up the amp to the ZX750. And thought about maybe making this compatible with holding the back glass also, too hard and complicated so I can rest the glass else where haha. I do separate the back sub airspace compartments where the sub sits in right? With the correct and up to spec airspace for each sub?

[Enkei]

I always put my glass on my rear seat Or in a old blanket in the bed..  Most people sep the 2 subs.  That will be fine...   Take build pics if you can and post them..

[motox470y]

Appreciate all the help I really do! and I'll try!!! It'll be a while, gotta make some $$$ to pay for this job but when its done this should turn out pretty good looking and great sounding!!! Big thanks to you Enkei!!!

[MonstaMonsta]

here are a bunch of quick pictures...  I need to build an amp rack but until then heres a quick look.  I'm going to have a new midgate box built out of fiberglass in a year or so.  The wood is toooo heavy

[MonstaMonsta]

Enkei helped me out a whole bunch when I was getting myself aquainted with what kind of build I wanted 

Yes, Indeed!  Enkei is quite the soundman.

[Enkei]

Hold on I need to get some Meatballs for all that spaghetti....   Anyway no problem..  It was fun years ago but these days I would not want to be a installer These new cars are such a pain....

My old Av was sweet and That sound system Rocked for 6+ years..  Wish I kept it sometimes...

[motox470y]

Clever meatball joke!!!  not a hard fix haha but damn!!! that's over my limit, I'm going to get my feet wet in this but not like that, that's a little too complicated for myself. but that is SIKKK! My local sub shop told me to "rhino line" the box, what would I do it with, something out of a cheap spray can most likely? And the ZX750, i read up on-line and people who have it the birthsheets read about 950, is that going to be a good amount for these 10" L5's where its not over working itself so it will last? and 2 ohm amp to two ohm subs? I scrounged up more questions, really putting Enkei to the test 

[Enkei]

Not on my watch.....   The 750 will do about 700 watts with 14 volts.. BUT  your truck will give it about 12.8 volts which means you will see about 500 RMS..  I hate Co's that over rate or always put the top power at 14 VOLTS...     

This is why I like the RIPPS system on the JL Audio / series amps..  The 500/1v2 will give you between 500-600 watts all day long at 1.5-4ohms and 11.5-14 volts...

Yes they are more money..  But as I have said many times when I build a system I want to do it 1 time and JL is what I use... 

[motox470y]

Alright well I'll ask the guy at the local shop about what he thinks, DEFF A BIG HELP! He also said its better to stick with the same brand amp to sub. But I really am interested in the L5, and if I did 10" CVRs he recommended the DX500, but I think the DX750 would be used with the two L5's. And a 2ohm amp, with 2ohm subs???