What amp to power Kicker 12" L7

[Satyr]

I would like to keep my system all kicked, but because my sub is, and the amp powering my speakers is going to be a Kicker KX650.4.

By reading reviews people said it is best to run this sub at 1 ohm, but I can't find any subs that are close to the 750w rms power range. I can find 1200w ones at 1 ohm, but none at or around 750.

Now Kicker.com which can be seen HERE says the impedance is 2 or 4 ohms. So which is it...this is so confusing.

I really need some help with this guys. Thanks a lot!

 

[RSXFMCJWR]

Which model of the 12" L7 do you have? The 2 ohm DVC or the 4 ohm DVC? We need to know this first.

 

[Bel-Dooch]

Here's what I have on my one JL audios DVC 4 ohms

 

[Satyr]

It says:
Specifications:
* Size: 12 inch
* Rec. Sealed Box Dims: 0.88 - 2.00 cu.ft.
* Rec. Ported Box Dims: 1.75 - 3.25 cu.ft.
* Mounting Depth: 6 13/16"
* Mounting Cutout: 11 3/16" Square
* Sensitivity: 86.6 dB
* Frequency Response: 20-100 Hz
* RMS Power: 750W
* Peak Power Handling: 1500W
* Impedance: dual 4 ohms


Thanks a lot guys, if you haven't noticed yet, i'm really incompetent when it comes to wiring schematics/speakers.

 

[Satyr]

bump for my impatience

 

[cobranut]

does the sub have the ability to be jumped into a 2 ohm load? you should be able to find out in the owners manual of the sub..or on the web site..Most allow you to cut the resistance by wiring the dvc posts differently. and by cutting the load down to 2ohms your amp should see a gain of about double the output depending on its internal config..I run jl and there isn't much difference between the 2 and 1 ohm loads.. Im not to familiar with the kicker set ups..if all else fails..take it to a shop and they should be able to let you know what the sub is capable of...i recommend any place that does full custom installs..they tend to know a whole lot more than the 16 year old at circut city.

 

[MonkeysL]

i use to have a 15" L7 and ran it with a memphis 1500d, this was a few years ago, it hit pretty damn good

 

[boostaholic]

It says:
Specifications:
* Size: 12 inch
* Rec. Sealed Box Dims: 0.88 - 2.00 cu.ft.
* Rec. Ported Box Dims: 1.75 - 3.25 cu.ft.
* Mounting Depth: 6 13/16"
* Mounting Cutout: 11 3/16" Square
* Sensitivity: 86.6 dB
* Frequency Response: 20-100 Hz
* RMS Power: 750W
* Peak Power Handling: 1500W
* Impedance: dual 4 ohms


Thanks a lot guys, if you haven't noticed yet, i'm really incompetent when it comes to wiring schematics/speakers.

You will want a class D mono amp that runs the highest wattage @ 2ohm bridged. I'm running an older 12" L7 (silver cone) in my beater with a kicker kx600.1...works it pretty well in a 1.2cf enclosure in 2/3 poly-fil. I would run with something around 600rms to an L7 depending on which model you have (newer have a chrome look to the cone as opposed to the really old ones which were all black and the next gen that were light silver). I have had every gen of L7 and the newer ones seem to take more abuse (800+rms). I ran my new L7 (chrome) with a friend's kx800.2 in 4ohm bridged and it handled it easily, couldn't turn it up very loud because the cd player kept skipping in his accord

 

[Satyr]

what did your friend's amp actually output though? a lot of kicker's are 50-120 watts underrated.

So you're saying that I should be able to use an 800 watt bridged to 4 ohms and that won't be too much power?

 

[BWH2003]

get a kx1200.1 and a solobaric are the perfect combo. If you have the L7 that is 4 ohm then you will wire them down to a 2 ohm load and the amp will give you 750 rms at 2 ohms. If you have the 2 ohm L7 then wire it down to 1 ohm and you will have 1500 watts max. The sub can handle it just fine.

 

[boostaholic]

what did your friend's amp actually output though? a lot of kicker's are 50-120 watts underrated.

So you're saying that I should be able to use an 800 watt bridged to 4 ohms and that won't be too much power?

No you have a dual 4 ohm speaker so you can either wire it in series for an 8ohm load or in parallel for a 2 ohm load, the latter being the obvious choice. A kx1200.1 is going to be overkill unless you feel like spending the cash to run the amp at less power then it is capable. I have seen plenty of 1200.1's on 12" or 15" L7's @1 ohm and they do handle the power, just make sure you know how to tune or you will pop easily (esp. ported). I have never benched my 600.1 but I'm sure it is in the 800 range, plus they are about 1/2 the price of a 1200.1 and take up minimal space for the amount of power they produce :thumbsup:

 

[Satyr]

In that case I think i'll stick with a 600.1 amp then. So far I plan to flush mount the sub to my trunk floor, pad the inner spare tire well with dynamat and foam and have it sit in there with some type of brackets supporting it to the floor to prevent rattle.

how's that sound?

 

[99caddysts]

i recomemd you go to www.sounddomain.com forums or www.ecoustics.com forums and search or ask around there.

they seem to be very knowledgeable when it comes to car audio...

 

[Satyr]

just posted there.

do you guys think my sub setup will work that way? or will it overheat?

 

[boostaholic]

just posted there.

do you guys think my sub setup will work that way? or will it overheat?

Subs don't really overheat...unless they're rockford's :-D I have sunk quite a few enclosures and all have sounded excellent, just make sure you measure twice and cut once. I use spray sound deadener along with some form of dynamat and plenty of fiberglass for the enclosure. I have no idea how much space is available for your enclosure but the kickers seem to react very well to a 50-75% poly fil in just about any size application. When you do build the box you should be confident enough to throw it around a bit without it breaking, otherwise it won't be strong enough to hold up to the abuse it will take in your car for the years to come :thumbsup:

 

[holtsch]

as someone already said...if you have a d4 speaker you want to wire it to 2 ohm. I would look elsewhere besides the kicker 1200......why pay more $$ for power you can't use? You want to find an amp that delivers maximum output at 2 ohm. Not sure if i missed it in this thread..but is it going to be ported or sealed? You should go ported...L7's generally aren't well known for their sound quality...thus put them in a ported box so they will get loud. You don't need fiberglass for the enclosure...just use liquid nails on all the cuts..screw them together and then use silicone around all the edges to ensure they're air-tight. MMATS, Kicker, Orion, DD, etc. are all good brands for amps that are fairly cheap. Do you already have the L7? I've had a few L7's..and I currently have an older set of L7's (the originals.....black dust caps) and I'd recommend beyond audio, treo's, or digital designs for an all around sub. Those subs have been best for me...and i've tried quite a few...RE, Eclipse, MTX, Alpine, Strokers, Vegas, etc. It just depends what you want to use your system for....how much you want to spend and how much power you will give them.

 

[holtsch]

you'd be better off posting questions at www.termpro.com if you want more information about brands, which are good for sq and spl and which amps are the best.

 

[boostaholic]

as someone already said...if you have a d4 speaker you want to wire it to 2 ohm. I would look elsewhere besides the kicker 1200......why pay more $$ for power you can't use? You want to find an amp that delivers maximum output at 2 ohm. Not sure if i missed it in this thread..but is it going to be ported or sealed? You should go ported...L7's generally aren't well known for their sound quality...thus put them in a ported box so they will get loud. You don't need fiberglass for the enclosure...just use liquid nails on all the cuts..screw them together and then use silicone around all the edges to ensure they're air-tight. MMATS, Kicker, Orion, DD, etc. are all good brands for amps that are fairly cheap. Do you already have the L7? I've had a few L7's..and I currently have an older set of L7's (the originals.....black dust caps) and I'd recommend beyond audio, treo's, or digital designs for an all around sub. Those subs have been best for me...and i've tried quite a few...RE, Eclipse, MTX, Alpine, Strokers, Vegas, etc. It just depends what you want to use your system for....how much you want to spend and how much power you will give them.

I think he already has the speaker otherwise he wouldn't be stuck finding a 2ohm compliant amplifier. He said he wants to sink the speaker ina false floor in the truck so I am guessing he wants an acoustic suspension (sealed) enclosure. I wouldn't have recommended getting an L7 for his application either but plenty of speakers will sound good through a trunk. I was recommending he fiberglass an enclosure since he is using some awkward dimensions and it is usually easier to bend than mdf. Sounds like he will get plenty of help from the audiophile forums, I just didn't want them confusing him since he is a self-proclaimed novice who probably hasn't used q programs or sat in a car with a mic for hours at a time :bash:

 

[boostaholic]

Might wanna check these guys out for suppressing any unwanted noises:
silencio!

 

[holtsch]

i'd recommend brownbread, visceolastic, or hi-temp mastic for sound deadening.