Ok, i finally got them to tell me what the size of the box is in my car now, they said it's "right at about half a cube." So I assume that means ~.50 cub ft.? I assume it's around .60 cubic feet since that's what the 10W3v2 calls for with sealed inclosures. Now, looking at the specks on a 10W6v2, it's in the range from .50 - 1.00 cubic feet for a sealed inclosure, so I guess that would work.

Edit:
I talked to JL Audio and they said "The volume of the stealthbox we design is .74 cub ft. However, there is NO way a 10W6v2 would fit in a stealthbox designed for the 10W3v2. Sure, volume is fine, however, the curves and depth of the box just won't allow a 10W6v2 to fit in there. If you spaced it up enough, sure, it could fit in there, but you wouldn't be able to put the grille on. However, another thing to take into account is the difference in mounting between the two. The 10W3v2 is recessed and the 10W6v2 adds another 1/4 inch to the ring." So, I assume I'd have to space the subwoofer, cut the ring of the opening a little more and of course not use my grille cover... Maybe I could take the box back to Hifi buys and ask them if they could fabricate it to fit a 10W6v2 without actually making a whole new box. So, maybe that would cost me a little less. However, this all depends on if you guys think the 10W6v2 isn't worth the money and another sub would be just as good?

2nd Edit:
I asked, they said no. haha.

 

I like the Punch subs....just my opinion. Others will differ. I really like the JL subs, especially the w6's, but they are outta my price range. If you can swing it, I would get the w6. If not, the Punch Stage 3 is not a bad choice.....good thump for the $. I, personally, do not thing the w6 is worth the asking $. There is not THAT much of a difference (IMHO). Opinions will vary. If you are worried about the sound of the Punch series, look into a lower Power series sub. I have not heard these, but I think they are to Rockford what the w6 is to JL.

Alpine makes good amps. You pay for the premium sound, though. If you want to stay with identical brands for highs and bass amps, i would go with Alpine, because their high/mids amps are good (IMO). They have been historically under rated for power, but since the CEA-2006 rating system has come out, pretty much any amp that claims 400W will sound the same with regards to bass volume, as they are all rated the same way. Make sure the amp you get is CEA-2006 compliant, that way you know you are getting "true" watts.

It sounds like you are looking for something that will give good definition to bass lines. The big thing that you have to consider is what kind of bass are you looking for. Me, I listen to a LOT of Bob Marley and other bass guitar driven music, so I need to hear the tonality difference in the bass, not just volume. That is why I got an Infinity amp instead of a Power Ackoustic....Infinity provided clearer bass, where Power Ackoustic provided sheer volume, but not much definition.

Also, just because the sub recommends 400WRMS, doesnt mean you need to give it 400WRMS (which you will probably be doing anyways to meet the volume level you want). My clarion sub is rated at 400WRMS, and I am only giving it 283. They will tell you that if you underpower a sub it will hurt it.....there have been several threads on this board about that, and people like MacGyver, Phil, Dave, and John have pretty much dis-proved this notion.

John

 

I've pinpointed the area where voltage takes a dramatic decrease. It's going to be hard to expain,but I'll try. Maybe an ASCII diagram will work! Ok, if you're looking at the red 4 gauge wire leading off of the battery, there is a big fuse about 1 ft from the original battery connection.

[CODE]

 

Did you use the same ground for all those tests? Just want to make sure.

You might want to wait for suggestions from the more experienced, but did you test the fuse when both wires were connected, or when the outgoing side was disconnected, because if it was disconnected it doesn't have to be the wire that's sapping power, it could be a bad fuse, or the amp at the opposite end of the circuit.

Good Luck!

 

Yes, I actually tried grounding from two different places: 1) The actual - on the battery and 2) a clear unpainted metal point on the chassis. Both gave the same results.

I tested the fuse itself AND when both wires were connected. So, I unscrewed the fuse holder, kept the fuse in place, held the + end of the multi-meter on the actual fuse and to a ground and it read 14.4. When I screwed the fuse back together and tested the wire on the end at which I tested the fuse (the side going to the amp), it read 5.85.

 

Take it back to Hi-Fi Buys....and SHOW them the multimeter readings, and that they screwed up in the wiring somewhere. Sounds like a faulty fuse holder connection to me....any corrosion on the connection leads? Are they gold plated? Take it back in, and ask them to replace the fuse holder, then re-test with new holder installed.

Try just replacing the in-line fuse...could be faulty causing resistance.

john

 

Yeah, I'm going to take it back today. I know they absolutely hate me up there right now. I've been back to them 4 times already and they keep saying "Your amp is dead!" silly bastards. I can't believe that they didn't notice the lack of power hitting that amp. Way to "check the connections."

 

Installers are usually a cocky bunch....they do not like to second guess "their" work. They need to realize that it is YOUR system that is screwed up, and the COMPANY they work for needs to vouch for their work. They need to "check" everything as a duty to the company, but most do not really check anything! This is why I do not let them TOUCH my car!

You might not need a new sub / amp. If the amp is designed to run off 14.4V, and they are only feeding it 12V, the power ratings are most likely differenct at the two voltage levels....look into the JL specs....most amps (that i have seen) have 2 power ratings, one for 14.4V and one for 12V.

John

 

deanjones,

With the fuse of power wire inplaced, disconnect the power wire of the amp, then measure the voltage level of the dis-connected power wire at the amp. If you see 12v or more your amp is shorted, if you see less than 10v your power wire is bad.

 

ok... it sounds like the issues w/ your box is that the 10W6 won't fit in there, which i find surprising. i've seen (or thought i'd seen) people put 10W6 drivers into the JL stealth... either way, if it's going to cost a ton, there's no sense in doing it. do we know how much depth we have to deal with?

i'm not always going to be the best for sub selection... heh, i guess my recent experiences with eD have made me hesitant. but most of the subs i'd normally pick are going to be pretty expensive...

now, looking at it, the Stage 3 punch has some pretty nice numbers associated with it (nicer than i remembered), but you should note that the W6 has about 40% more excursion. moving air (cone area and cone excursion) are not the only factors in a good sub, but they tell you a lot about potential output.

a xmax of 12 mm isn't outlandish, but keep in mind that the 10W3v2 w/ dual 2 ohm VC's has a higher Xmax of almost 14 mm, and the dual 4 ohm VC version has an almost 15 mm Xmax. you simply aren't gaining THAT much more output w/ this new sub. in fact, you may be going backwards.

now, that being said (and i take no responsibility for your choice), in the Odyssey i'm running my wife's 12W3v2 at well over 400 Wrms continuous, and have had no problems in the last 6 months. the 'red area' for the 10W3v2 is around 500 Wrms w/ a warranty void of 600 Wrms.

i don't remember if you have the dual 2 or the dual 4... i'm thinking it's the dual 4. so, think about picking something that gives you 400-500 Wrms @ 2 ohms and try it on the 10W3v2.
before replacing your sub -- you may want to just replace the amp, and throw a lot more power at it. it may solve your problem for a whole lot less.

(i see this thread is a ton long, so i'm posting this and will respond further as needed)