Sundown SA-12: less powerful than I tought?

[Yates]

if its not loud enough then its time to upgrade

LOL don't tell me that I just bought it XD

Well... Get used to to.. Lol its a never ending issue..

yes so true

[Rich Schenk]

its all depends on the box and the car that you run them in. it will make a huge difference in output.. you should try hooking up your buddys sub in your car on your amp and then you would have a better comparison in output.

[ccmotox99]

Sounds like you gotta prefab box, build a box or get someone to build a box that brings out the hell in that sundown. I got 2 sa12's in a built box and they flex my windows plenty. GET THE RIGHT BOX, and add another sa, and a sundown amp I'm very pro sundown, so that's just my two cents.

[g2shuck]

Sounds like you gotta prefab box, build a box or get someone to build a box that brings out the hell in that sundown. I got 2 sa12's in a built box and they flex my windows plenty. GET THE RIGHT BOX, and add another sa, and a sundown amp I'm very pro sundown, so that's just my two cents.

Couldn't agree more. Built my first box last weekend for my sdc2.5 13 and on 500 watts there is some flexing. Ordered $200 of deadener supplieslasr night to try and stop the flex

[SojiaRaggs9000]

I have a Sundown SA-12 D2 subwoofer, an Hifonics BRX1100.1D amplifier and a Pioneer DEH-X7500S headunit

RMS Power Rating (@ 14.4V):

• 4 ohms: 450 watts x 1 chan.
• 2 ohms: 800 watts x 1 chan.
• 1 ohm: 1100 watts x 1 chan.

LOL it is not because it is rated at 800W @ 2 ohms that I cannot run it at 800W @ 1 ohm! The gain can be set to whatever you like you know... Anyway yeah I set my gain with a DMM to get 800W @ 1 ohm (I tested the box terminals resistance just to be sure and it was really showing ~1,1 ohm with the DMM). My gain was already set with the subwoofer output level (on the headunit) to the maximum (which is +6). But some told me that it would more possibly clip at that level so I consider to reset my gain the subwoofer output level at 0 with a -5 dB test tone (instead of 0 dB) and when I want to show off I will just have to crank the subwoofer output level.

SO...... are running it @ 1 ohm or not?? Also sub volume control should be set at max if its clean and undistorted. Sub volume control isn't a bass feature its voltage output for the rca's........... The more clean power on the rca's the loud it get with less volume needed.

Like the others have said its your box. The math on your enclosure is incorrect.

30"L x 16.5"W x 14"H = 3.09245cu ft

3.09245cu ft. is your volume and according to the picture with a 3"W x 12.5" H port...... You'd need 21.623" in length to meet the requirements to be tuned at 35hz. You posted a length of 14.25" + 21.75" ( 36" ). Which also isn't correct because you left off part of the port length (1.75" + .75" which is from the center of the port line to the front of the end of that port wall.)

Your posted length is actually 14.25" + 21.75" + 1.75" + .75" = 38.5"....................... which is like 28.04hz give or take.

So in closing if the information you provided is correct... Your giving the sub 1cu ft of space more than that recommended. As well as giving it 200 more watts than recommended. Bigger box is fine but not if your going to over power the sub. A smaller box is what's needed if your going to over power the sub.

[Golitan11]

I know this is a bit off topic but this is like the most confusing thing I ever seen on car audio forums with so different opinions... Do I set my subwoofer output level (on my headunit) to the maximum (+6) or at 0? Some say it is only an attenuation setting while others say it can cause clipping. But if it is only an attenuation setting, then why the default value is not the maximum?

If it's clean at +6, set it at +6. If it distorts/clips at that level, set it at 0

Pics of install?

At first it was suppose to be like this:

But then, I ran out of wire from my amp to the terminals so I had to put it like this:

I have a Sundown SA-12 D2 subwoofer, an Hifonics BRX1100.1D amplifier and a Pioneer DEH-X7500S headunit

RMS Power Rating (@ 14.4V):

• 4 ohms: 450 watts x 1 chan.
• 2 ohms: 800 watts x 1 chan.
• 1 ohm: 1100 watts x 1 chan.

LOL it is not because it is rated at 800W @ 2 ohms that I cannot run it at 800W @ 1 ohm! The gain can be set to whatever you like you know... Anyway yeah I set my gain with a DMM to get 800W @ 1 ohm (I tested the box terminals resistance just to be sure and it was really showing ~1,1 ohm with the DMM). My gain was already set with the subwoofer output level (on the headunit) to the maximum (which is +6). But some told me that it would more possibly clip at that level so I consider to reset my gain the subwoofer output level at 0 with a -5 dB test tone (instead of 0 dB) and when I want to show off I will just have to crank the subwoofer output level.

SO...... are running it @ 1 ohm or not?? Also sub volume control should be set at max if its clean and undistorted. Sub volume control isn't a bass feature its voltage output for the rca's........... The more clean power on the rca's the loud it get with less volume needed.

Like the others have said its your box. The math on your enclosure is incorrect.

30"L x 16.5"W x 14"H = 3.09245cu ft

3.09245cu ft. is your volume and according to the picture with a 3"W x 12.5" H port...... You'd need 21.623" in length to meet the requirements to be tuned at 35hz. You posted a length of 14.25" + 21.75" ( 36" ). Which also isn't correct because you left off part of the port length (1.75" + .75" which is from the center of the port line to the front of the end of that port wall.)

Your posted length is actually 14.25" + 21.75" + 1.75" + .75" = 38.5"....................... which is like 28.04hz give or take.

So in closing if the information you provided is correct... Your giving the sub 1cu ft of space more than that recommended. As well as giving it 200 more watts than recommended. Bigger box is fine but not if your going to over power the sub. A smaller box is what's needed if your going to over power the sub.

You are wrong (by the way I said that mine was not exactly the same as the one shown in the picture, but similar). The tuning is really 35 hz. Also, with the port displacements, the second baffle displacement and the subwoofer displacement it is 2 cubic feet net. It is 3 cubic feet, but gross:

In this picture Torres does not consider the port displacement.

But if you calculate the net volume directly (in orange), which is 12,125 * 24,75 * 12,5 + 3,375 * 5,75 * 12,5, you arrive at a volume without displacement of 3993,75 cubic inches. In cubic feet, it is equal to 2,3112. Now if you consider displacements, which is 2,3112 - 0,14 (subwoofer) - 0,137 (second baffle), you arrive at a net volume without port of 2,0342 cubic feet. Sundown recommandation: 2 cubic feet @ 35 hz. Voila.

Picture of the overall shape without the upper panel:

[TeamHT]

:facepalm:

Ok

[Noel989]

Flip the box so it's facing the trunk lid

[RobertR]

Still waiting to hear what ohm load he is at. My advice would be to save your money and get a better amp and a new box. Look into aeroport instead of slot port. Dont be scared to give that sa-12 the beans bro. Im pushing 1k per sa-12 in a 4 cube aero with zero issue's.Your sa-12 will take every bit of what your amp has to offer. Especially if your still running stock electrical.

[Golitan11]

I am at 1 ohm and I did Big 3.