Since the 12" replacement worked out so well, Tom and I found a pair of 10" JL subs and thought we'd give them a shot in a True Sub or pair of ALiii's. I'm not a sub heavy guy and my Silver's do a good job of getting pretty low. I usually have my Sunfire set at 35Hz cutoff with the volume barely on. It just adds a nice low rumble and you feel it more than anything.
INSTALLATION: I installed one in my True IV yesterday. Bolt pattern is exactly the same and it took a few minutes to swap it in. Make sure you have a set of standard hex wrenches. The only modification I had to make was to remove the clips from the end of the lead wires. My first impression in comparing the OEM driver was the JL driver is much lighter and the surround is twice as thin. Having slight OCD, there is a logo on the front/bottom of the driver that I was hoping would be able to line up perfectly with the housing but because of the bolt pattern, it is slightly askew. Not really an issue, just a little annoyance.
TEST: Previously, Laurie Mayer was the go to gal to test your sub or drivers but this time I wanted to start with something that would have a little more bass definition and not a single ringing note. I went with the Torch Song album "Toward the Unknown Region" played through my CD-80. I did not change any settings on the back of my sub from what I had them set at before. (Crossover Frequency: 35Hz, Phase: normal 90d, Volume: under 0db, right around 8:00).
- First Round: I was not getting the low rumble I was expecting but at the same time I was getting definition I had not heard before. After two songs I decided to play around with the controls. I changed the crossover frequency to 65Hz and raised the volume slightly pass 0db (around 10-11:00). I sat back down and played track 4 which is one of my favorites on the disc.
- Second Round: What a difference. The definition was a 100% improvement, the throw around the room was 10x better. To explain this, I have my sub sitting behind and slightly to the left of one of my Silvers. Because of the location, even if the sub was hidden completely, it was obvious that it was in that location. You could pinpoint the location of the sub very easily. This always annoyed me and has pushed me into wanting to purchase a second sub. Now, the low end filled the room and it was difficult to tell where the sub was coming from. The detail was greater. It wasn't just adding low rumble anymore, it was like an additional driver that was working perfectly in unison with my speakers.
CONCLUSION: Besides the sound, what impressed me as well was the air movement from the driver. Putting your hand in front of JL, it felt like a fan there was so much air coming off the driver. Now, I will say that the only thing I cannot be sure of is if the JL has as low a Hz rate as the OEM driver but it sounds like it does. I'd have to do further listening/testing to confirm/deny. Where the stock Sunfire was like a tank rumbling through your neighborhood, the JL driver sounds/feels like a barrage of artillery flying in and exploding around you. I think this sub is a great substitute for a blown driver, or in the case of a mod, a great improvement in clarity for someone running a pair of CRM-2's or looking for more defined base.
There are much beefier drivers in this JL Series. The ones we purchased were jl w3v3-4 which when compared to the replacement driver they sell at Parts Express, has pretty much the same specifications. That and the Sunfire enclosure is almost the exact size that is spec'd for the driver. Plus, the driver is actually cheaper then the Parts Express one new and can be found on epay or CL used for around $125-150. A very cheap mod I would recommend you try. And if you decide you don't like it, swap your old driver back in and sell the JL to the kid down the street with monster stickers all over his rice burner.
