JL's or MTX's?
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Post Fiend
Joined: Nov 2001
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From: Coutts Canada
JL's or MTX's?
I need some opinions here. I will be gettin 2 10" subs and amp here in the next couple months. I have it narrowed down to either 2mtx 10" and matchin 250rms amp, or 2 JL 10" subs and an alpine 300rms watt amp. I am building a custom inclosure thats a little bigger than the truck boxes you can buy in stores (i have buckets that give me more room description at end of post of the boxes). The subs are the same price and the alpine amp is $50ish more. (prices are canadian). Also the MTX's have a 4 yr warranty (break it they replace it no q's asked) and the JL's i believe have a 3yr warranty. Any ideas?
Sub description:I am making the boxes so that they face the opposing person (sub behind P-seat points upward and toward driver and vice versa for other box) and the boxes are going to be as large as can be, with a 6x9 box on the end closest to the door angled upward.
Sub description:I am making the boxes so that they face the opposing person (sub behind P-seat points upward and toward driver and vice versa for other box) and the boxes are going to be as large as can be, with a 6x9 box on the end closest to the door angled upward.
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JL is awesome, i have them myself, 12W3's, but i have found that they cannot hold their rated power very well. I've blown 3, but i still love their sound quality. I've seen some pretty nice MTX systems as well, and they do seem to hold their power well. I have no firsthand experience though. Oh god do i love my JL amp though
btw: JL has a 2 year warranty if installed by a certified dealer, 90 days if self installed.
btw: JL has a 2 year warranty if installed by a certified dealer, 90 days if self installed.
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From: Somewhere between Heaven
JL is known the car audio world over for their power handling. They rate their subs power ratings very conservatively! Either you have your gains way too high (clipping), you're using some type of bass boost/loud feature (clipping), your Bass setting is too high (clipping), or the box is too big for the power you're sending them (as box size goes up, power handling goes down, and vice versa).
BTW, in general, JL trounces similarly priced MTX's...everything else being equal.
BTW, in general, JL trounces similarly priced MTX's...everything else being equal.
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Joined: Jul 2003
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i have a pair of 12w3v2's right now but i used to have w0's and they are all great in my old ranchero (1970) i had 2 12w0's behind the seats and a mtx blue thunder extreme ten built as a console type thing but the wo's outdid the blue thunder and in the end they took more power
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well okay, you tell me if this is too much power, JL 5001 pushing the 12W3's, gain/input setting was exactly halfway, and the bass boost was around 2/3's set for boosting the higher bass. Q bandwidth, was about halfway -- 1.0 i think? I'd have to check to be exact. My crossover was set about 10hz above the lowest setting. In my mind, that isn't too much power. I'm not rippin on JL, I love the subs still, but i feel you have to be cautious with them. First one i bought, the damn cone come loose, haha, no biggy thogh
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From: Somewhere between Heaven
What size is the box? What is the preout voltage on your HU? Do you have a DMM? I would never use bass boost, and if I did, it sure as hell wouldn't be at the 2/3 setting. You may very well be overexcurting those subs. Do that enough, and the JL's go bye-bye If they are seeing a severely clipped signal, in a box that's too big, with bass settings too high...ugh
BTW, go to JL's website and look under tutorials. If you have a DMM, they have a great method for setting your gains so you get max power from that amp without any clipping. They also have a tutorial (both of these tutorials come with pictures) on setting the para eq on all JL mono amps.
If they are seeing a severely clipped signal, in a box that's too big, with bass settings too high...ughBTW, go to JL's website and look under tutorials. If you have a DMM, they have a great method for setting your gains so you get max power from that amp without any clipping. They also have a tutorial (both of these tutorials come with pictures) on setting the para eq on all JL mono amps.
Last edited by luvdeftonz; Oct 14, 2003 at 03:18 PM.
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Elder User
Joined: Mar 2003
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From: New Canaan, CT
Go with the JL subs and Alpine amp. I wouldn't go lower then the W3's for the subs. You making your own kick pods for your 6x9's?
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kk, quick question, Define DMM, i'm prolly just too buzzed right now to remember what it is, but yea.... and i dont think my box is at all too big, i think its around 1.5 cu ft per sub, i measured awhile ago, but already forgot the volume, its not very big at all, bout twice the size of a truck box. its an RIT Box, Hatchback style. RCA output = 2volts I love the system, i've spent nearly two grand on it, but i guess i'm still somewhat noobish... lol I'm just gonna keep the amp and by a couple 18s, something that will sound great, but it shouldnt' be as easy to blow.
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From: Somewhere between Heaven
DMM= Digital Multi Meter...can be had at Radio Shack for as little as $15....and as high as $70-$80!
The size of that box is fine, actually Grab (or borrow from a friend) a DMM and set the gains according to JL's tutorial. Turn off all bass boost, too.
BTW, what is your low pass filter set at? It sounded kind of confusing up above. I assume it's set somewhere between 60-80 hz, with the subsonic filter off...? If you're just looking for more output out of your W3's, instead of using bass boost, or cranking the gains, try porting them. The difference in output is night and day...
The size of that box is fine, actually
Grab (or borrow from a friend) a DMM and set the gains according to JL's tutorial. Turn off all bass boost, too.BTW, what is your low pass filter set at? It sounded kind of confusing up above. I assume it's set somewhere between 60-80 hz, with the subsonic filter off...? If you're just looking for more output out of your W3's, instead of using bass boost, or cranking the gains, try porting them. The difference in output is night and day...
Last edited by luvdeftonz; Oct 16, 2003 at 02:21 AM.
Thread Starter
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Post Fiend
Joined: Nov 2001
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From: Coutts Canada
I think that i will be going with the JL's but i'm still not 100% sure on that. I have made boxes for my 6x9s but (i didn't make em' very well) i think that will remake them so the match the sub boxes.
Fleet Mechanic
Joined: Jan 2003
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From: Central Ohio
Note about JL subs... I have had a 18W6 in my '99 running on a mtx 81000 D (1500W RMS at 2ohms) and the sub is only rated like 500W by JL. Its holding up fine, I just dont turn it up past the point of noticable distortion. I had already run the sub for a year on a Rockford Fosgate 800 a2 and that wasnt even driving the sub to its max. I have heard that JL rates their subs very conservatively and I have proven that (atleast for the W6). I also think MTX is very conservative rating their amps. My friends MTX wich he spent less than $200 on (someweres around 200-300 watts) was as loud as my rockford 800 a.2 (we swapped amps just to see). Just my $0.02
Happy thumping
Happy thumping
Senior User
Joined: Oct 2003
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From: north carolina
go w/ the jl audio and alpine. but i would check on the warranty of the subs. both have 1 yr from the factory. the warranty may be from an outside company. if it is from and outside company make sure you have in writing that what the saleman told you is on there. you can go the there web site ( www.jlaudio.com and www.mtxaudio.com) and check the warrany from the factory. i work in car stereo and i have seen a lot of people burned by no-factory warranties. have fun making your boxes and enjoy the bass.
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