Wet sounds 12 sub

[Kvon]

Just bought a wet sounds 12 and after reading some of the stereo posts I am a little concerned about the install . I was just planning on putting it under the steering area, but will that not sound good if I don't enclose it in a box? I was hoping to just cut the hole and mount the speaker. Thanks

[G-MONEY]

Just bought a wet sounds 12 and after reading some of the stereo posts I am a little concerned about the install . I was just planning on putting it under the steering area, but will that not sound good if I don't enclose it in a box? I was hoping to just cut the hole and mount the speaker. Thanks

It will be fine but if you want the full sound you will need to enclose it.

[dingleberry]

I would be careful of saying that it will be fine. I think it will sound well below the design quality of the speaker, and then you may complain about the sub when the problem is the lack of enclosure.

Kvon-
WetSounds' sub designed to be able to just slap into a hole in a wall is the XS-10FA (FA = free air = no enclosure). Both WetSounds 12" subs, the XS-12 or XS-XXX, really need to be installed into a proper enclosure in order to sound their best. Ported or sealed is a choice that can be made based on personal preference for the sound, or it can be dictated based on the available space for the enclosure (sealed boxes take less space).

My recommendation for your 12" sub is to install it into a proper box or you risk being disappointed in the performance. OR ...if you just want to slap it into a wall, then swap it out with the XS-10FA sub (plus, that sub is less expensive). However - you should be aware that even a true "free air" sub does need to have a good, complete wall separating the front side from the back side to sound its best.

[chpthril]

Just bought a wet sounds 12 and after reading some of the stereo posts I am a little concerned about the install . I was just planning on putting it under the steering area, but will that not sound good if I don't enclose it in a box? I was hoping to just cut the hole and mount the speaker. Thanks

Ok, first, what boat do you have? Most boats have room for an enclosure, some just means you need to more creative on it's shape.

Next, what amp do you intend to drive it with and did you get the XS-12 D2 or D4

As noted by others, the XS-12 realy will like an enclosure. You only need 1.0 cu" for sealed, but if you can swing it, do a ported but you need a 1.4 cu"

[Kvon]

Thanks for the reply! Well, that is what I was worried about.

The sub I am getting is the XS-12 and I don't know if it is the D2 or D4. I picked it up off of Ebay for cheap. It was new and never installed and it really was a steal.

I am planning on getting the SYN4 which will run the sub and eventually some pro 60's. All in time though .

I have an 08 Z1.
Can you mount it under the stearing and build and seal a box around it?? Don't know if that is a stupid question or not but this is my first boat and system. Thanks
kvon

[rushin]

I would be careful of saying that it will be fine. I think it will sound well below the design quality of the speaker, and then you may complain about the sub when the problem is the lack of enclosure.

Second this.

Can you mount it under the stearing and build and seal a box around it

Yep. I have a xs-12 and built a enclosure around it. The enclosure only has 5 sides, as you use the wall under the dash as the 6th side.

[chpthril]

Thanks for the reply! Well, that is what I was worried about.

The sub I am getting is the XS-12 and I don't know if it is the D2 or D4. I picked it up off of Ebay for cheap. It was new and never installed and it really was a steal.

I am planning on getting the SYN4 which will run the sub and eventually some pro 60's. All in time though .

I have an 08 Z1.
Can you mount it under the stearing and build and seal a box around it?? Don't know if that is a stupid question or not but this is my first boat and system. Thanks
kvon

My gut says that because it was listed on Ebay, it will most likely be the original XS-12, which was a 4ohm DVC, the D4. That sub will not work when bridged on the Syn4 as it will be showing as a 1ohm load per chnl.

The best sub for the Syn4 would be either of the D2 configured subs. When wired in series, the 2ohm DVC will have an impedance of 4 ohms, when bridged on 2 chnls of an amp, the internal resistance seen by each chnl of the amp is 2ohms, which is as low as you should run it. The D4, would be a 2 ohm load and the amp will then see 1 ohm p/chnl internally. This is too low and then cause issues.

These is more then enough room in the helm storage area for an enclosure. It would just need to be built so it would fit through the door when assembled. The other solution, which is kinda radical, is to cut out a square hole in the wall, build the box to that size, then slide the box into the hole. It was either Evilone or Dan&Christy that this and it looked good and worked out well when done. I'll do a search and see if I can find that thread. There are also plenty of guys that build an enclosure in the foot-well of the helm, works fine, just takes up some leg room is all.

The easiest solution is the XS-10FA D2. It would drop right in the factory location and will thump real good off the 400 watts it would receive from the Syn4.

*EDIT* Here is a thread with a few pics of Dan's sub enclusure, more towards the end of the thread. http://www.tigeowners.com/forum/showthread.php?t=8278

[brett22i]

Here is a pic of the box I made for my 12" sub. This was just the test fit. I mounted the Wetsounds 6.5 in the sharpie circle. I highly recommend using a sealant, I used fiberglass resin and coated the lower half. I ended up using 9" of leg room, I am only 5'10" so it wasnt much of a sacrifice. So if your tall go with the box as Chpthril recommended

[philwsailz]

Don't be afraid of using a good 13-ply plywood instead of MDF. The sonic advantages of MDF are more for full-range enclosures; the very long wavelengths you are dealing with in a subwoofer box are physically much longer than any panel dimension on the box. We use MDF in home speakers where the midrange and tweeter wavelengths can be measured in inches, not tens of feet, and the resonance in the panel needs to be controlled.

The plywood will survive much better in a marine environment. Even when sealed, MDF still swells with changes in humidity, and when the wood swells, the sealer can crack. Get MDF wet, and eventually it will crumble.

An option is out there if you really want to stay with a manufactured board material. There is a product that is called MDX that looks like MDF, but it is put together with a different adhesive and solids blend providing a high degree of water-proofing.


Lastly, do not share the woofer's volume with a coax. If you build a box, put only the woofer in it. If you end up going free-air, and if you have a full range coax mounted in the same wall, consider getting a tupperware container, or some other type of sealing device and put it over the back of the coaxial speaker. This will prevent the woofer pressure from modulating the cone of the coax. YOu would be amazed in the difference in the sound!

Phil
Kicker

[wetsounds1]

I think everyone pretty much covered it. The XS-12 needs an enclosure. The XS-10FA is a free air woofer and can play without an enclosure using a baffle set up like the factory system. (using the space behind the woofer as the enclosure)

So since you already have the XS-12. You can build an enclosure using one of the diagrams in the manual.

You can cut a hole in the panel where the factory sub goes. Slide the box in from the back side and then build a trim panel for the front.

As for the impedance. Chptril nailed it! I too would think it is the Dual 4 ohm. As we just started offering the Dual 2 ohm.

So with the Dual 4 ohm. You will want to get a dedicated sub mono amp to power it. Wire the woofer in parallel making a 2 ohm load.

Tim
Wet Sounds

[Kvon]

Thanks all,
Man, I feel like I would have been a lot better off with the 10!! Well, maybe that great deal you think you are getting isn't really a great deal. I am going to have my friend who knows a lot more about stereo installations look at what I have and go from there. If we think we can figure out the 5 sided box approach then we will most likely do that.
Tim/Chpthril, what amp would you guys recommend for the sub??
rushin- do you have any pics of your install?? I would be interested on what it looks like from both sides.
Thanks again for all of the help!!

[Timmy!]

Just make a box with 6 sides and then screw it in from the backside of the box. Cut the hole in the panel and reach in through the hole and screw the box to the panel. Here's a box that I made for my Kicker 10":
http://tigeowners.com/forum/showthread.php?t=9765

[wetsounds1]

The SYN-1 is our dedicated sub amp. It will do 1000x1 at 2 ohms on that sub. But overkill for the single XS-12. Perfect for the XS-XXX or two XS-12. You could wire it in series making it an 8 ohm load and run the SYN-1 to it doing 450x1 which is more in line with the RMS ratings. And add another sub later!

The XS-12 is 500 watts RMS. You can also wire it in series making it an 8 ohm load and run a SYN-2 to it for 350x1. Close to the needs.

If you find another amp. There are some small mono sub amps that will do 500x1.

We are not building a mono block smaller than the SYN-1 right now since we have the SYN-2. But that pairs up with the Dual 2 ohm XS-12 and wiring that one in series making it a 4 ohm load gives you 700x1 for the single sub. So we have that covered for the D-2

Tim
Wet Sounds

[rushin]

Man, I feel like I would have been a lot better off with the 10!!

No, a 12 is just a little more work, that's all. No biggie.

rushin- do you have any pics of your install?? I would be interested on what it looks like from both sides

I do not have any, I forgot to take some when I did it. I should have though. I will get some.

[Original Wing Nut]

Here is a thread on my install.

http://www.tigeowners.com/forum/showthread.php?t=10120


I love the whole system, especially the sub it thumps hard and growls long.