Got some new W6 subs, have a few questions.

[cool 84]

I love theses subs but I have one problem. I heard them in a couple other cars and the bass is much better, not louder, but deeper and just "better" sounding, I don't know how to describe it. I have a cheap interfire amp and I figure this is the cause but had to ask before I go out and buy something better. I was wondering if since the others I heard were in higher end Mercedes if the tighter structure of the car (non vibrating) would make them sound better than a Regal with all else being equal.

[6APPEAL]

True, your amp may be running out of juice, but check your battery voltage before changing amps. Try to keep it as close to 14 volts as possible. What is the wattage? A high end amp will have more balls.

The biggest thing that will change the sound of the subs is the box design and construction. 3/4" MDF is the best construction material, very solid, but VERY HEAVY (about 90 lbs a 3/4" sheet). What size is the box? Is it one chamber or seperate chambers? Sealed or ported? How many subs?

Many years ago I had a pair of 12W6's in my GN. Seperate chambers, ported at 32 Hz, 2 cubic feet per. The 1st amp was a modified Linear Power 452 running all voice coils parrelled (1.5 ohm load). Pounded pretty good for a 45 watt amp (power tested at 135 watts). Next added a 2nd modified 452 for 1 on each sub. Much louder. Rebuilt the box and added a 3rd 12W6 and moved up to a modified Linear Power 5002 (1700 watts mono). loud!!! After a while got tired of ground pounding and went back to a smaller system (also wanted to go faster) .

[noslo6]

Which direction are your subs pointing? I have two 12" Eclipse subs in my 2004 Monte Carlo and I've experimented with different locations and directions. With the trunk open, my bass output is doubled. Take a look at this link and read carefully. Subs in a trunk need to be all the way to the back of the trunk facing backwards. The difference in sound is unbelievable!!!

http://www.teamrocs.com/technical/pages/aiming.htm

[6APPEAL]

Not necessarly true. My box was up on the package shelf, but I had the front of the box sealed off from the rest of the trunk. The only place for the sound pressure to go was into the car. Did a box for 2 10's in an 84 Cutlass. Tried facing the box foward and backward on the package shelf and it sounded better pointed backwards. This allowed the subs to 'load up', much the same as in a hatch back. All the boxes I've built for the late model stuff I've faced the subs back into the trunk to get the loading effect. This does effect the sound. The sub bass is louder, but not as defined. But, that is just my opinion.
John

[noslo6]

It's not a matter of sound pressure it's the sound waves that get out of phase from the reflections. If the incident wave and reflected waves are out of phase, they cancel each other out resulting in decreased bass effect. Sound waves come out of the back as well as the sides of your box, not just the speaker side and the reflected waves created can cancel some of the primary bass wave. I've tried every one of the scenarios noted in that link and my results were dead on to his. However, this is just one isolated incident and all cars are different, but the principle is correct.

[cool 84]

The speakers I am using were bought used (1 month old) from a friend with the Mercedes. They were facing backwards in the Mercedes so that's how I faced them in the GN. They sounded great in the other car and the big difference is I'm running a $120 Interfire amp and he was running a nice JL audio amp. I'm going to give it a shot anyway.