So here is my dilemma...

I had two JL 10s in my xA powered by an Eclipse (m#EA3422) amp that I have no idea how much power it provides.

My girlfriend has harped me about how much room it takes up and is REQUIRING me to do something about it when I get my xB. The two 10s are in a joined box and we're looking at upping to one 12 or some sort of box that would decrease the room used and still keep two 10s.

The major dilemma surrounds the amp, as I said I have no idea what power it provides. My friend who came up with the system didn't leave me with much information afterwards I was just happy with it and now my knowledge of audio systems is minimal since I haven't messed with them at all for over 2-3 years now. The amp was powering EVERY speaker in the vehicle obviously including the subs.

Can someone help me out with an idea of what to do. Would this amp be too powerful for ONE 12 or even for two 10s? I am trying to find a pdf or something that might help me provide more information but eclipse's website appears to be 2005-2006 only.

Either way the stereo bumped pretty good, granted not some competition system but that's not what I'm looking for. She's hard of hearing and loves to feel the beats so that is somewhat important. I'm not a fan of ALL bass and NO definition of the beats. I listen to mostly electronic music, rock, and country.

Any suggestions would be appreciated!

 

Found this on a dealers website...

123W × 4 Channel Max. Power Output at 2 Stereo
70W × 4 Channel 0.1% THD at 2 Stereo @13.8V (RMS Continuous Power)
50W × 4 Channel 0.1% THD at 4 Stereo @13.8V (RMS Continuous Power)
ChannelFlex Crossover
Adjustable High-Pass Frequency (50–200Hz, L/R Independent)
Low-Pass Frequency (90Hz)
Adjustable Bass-Boost Level (45Hz, 0–9dB, F/R Separate)
High-Current, High-Speed Output Devices
High-Efficiency, High-Energy MOSFET Power Supply
Audiophile Grade Component Selection
Intelligent 7-Way Discrete Protection Circuitry
Noise Reduction with Low Distortion & Ultra-Low Negative Feedback
High-Level Input – Add on Capability
Epoxy Composite PCB
2 Stable Design

 

http://mobile.jlaudio.com/pdfs/10_12W6AE_MAN.pdf

And this looks like the two 10s I have.

Now to explain a little further, I would like to continue using the amp and the subs or the amp and a new sub

 

First, let me congratulate you on having a very NICE amplifier! The EA3422 is a 4-channel amplifier that can be used in a variety of ways, including using it in a mixed-mono setup which is what it sounds like you are running in the xA. As for the JLs, W6's would be nice, but that may not be what they really are. JL Audio's main line of speakers all looked the same for that particular generation of woofer. W6 woofers were, and still are, designed to handle a good deal of power and be optimum in a small enclosure. JL also made a W5, W3, and W1 line that looked VERY similar from the front. All of JL's woofers are good quality, but they each have their own mix of benefits. You probably will need to pull one of the 10s out of the enclosure to see the back of the magnet in order to truly distinguish what woofer it really is.
The first thing you need to do is figure out exactly what you have. Once this is done, we can get you headed into some alternative solutions including a new box design to optimize space in an xB, or even point you in the direction of an upgrade.

 

Ok I'll do that right now......seriously haha

It says 1004 10W08 which I just found some model information.

Thar she blows!

Question, my box has a type of filler in it. I can't think of what you would call it but it's like stuffing for pillows. Is that good, ok, bad? never knew it was in there.

 

Perfect. That is a JL 10W0 with an 8-ohm voice coil. They handle around 125 watts, are extremely efficient, and do not require very much air space. They are optimum at .75 cu. ft. sealed, so the two would only need 1.5 cubic feet together. These are VERY forgiving when it comes to an enclosure, so the .75 cu. ft. can actually range from .5 all the way up to .9 cu. ft.. The foam you see is called Poly-Fil. It is used to fake the woofer into reacting as though it were in a larger enclosure, thereby moving a bit more air at lower frequencies and producing a little more bottom end. It's a pretty common trick with small sealed enclosures.
This setup makes very good sense, since the woofer is not going to "hog" tons of power from that Eclipse amp. Also, since the woofer is very efficient, it does not require tons of power to produce a reasonable amount of response. The JLW6 will produce a considerable amount more volume and clarity, but would require a MUCH larger amp, if not a dedicated one.
The next step is up to you. An xB has considerably more space in the back for woofers and such. Would you like to continue using the same equipment, or would you like to see how much you can actually sqeeze out of the xB? As I'm sure you know, the xB has a false floor with a cubby and spare tire area. You could easily ditch these and have enough room for the two 10W0s without sacrificing ANY available space behind the seats. Of course, you would need to put some sort of protection (grills) over the woofs to protect them from cargo. You could also make a removable enclosure to accomodate the two 10s, leaving the spare tire, but using the storage cubby for the amp location. Keep in mind that the xB offers TONS of room with the rear seats folded down, so space is not such a limited commodity.
An upgrade would be more expensive, but could also turn your xB into a heck of a huge system while occupying a similar amount of space as your current setup.
Let me know what you think.

 

I see what you're saying, you mentioned a "removable enclosure to accomodate the two 10s"? Is this really possible? Every enclosure I have seen that utilizes the cubby hole allows only one 10.

What would you say my options are on using two single boxes? Would the enclosures be large enough yet offer more space? Example, the truck boxes, are they just as good cause I know they are much thinner?

I understand there is MORE room, which is kind of why I want ot get an idea before I actually own the xB but also take the opportunity to attempt using the two 10s I already have. She's the one who is stuck on changing to one 12 haha.

Is there a more real time way i could talk to you?

 

Unfortunately, I'm in and out of my office area and away from my desk, so I don't really get too close to AIM or anything of that sort. Ah, such is the life of an IT guy, right? I could PM you my cell # and you could give me a call, but it would be after 5pm before I get out of here for the day.
As for the removable sub enclosure, I was thinking something similar to the average truck box, with a slant face angling the 10s toward the rear glass. The rear glass offers a deflection that will converge more bass up front rather than just rattling the $#!t out of your rear hatch, although it's going to do that as well. The box could be tailored to fit in the general area while accomodating the necessary .75 cu. ft. (give or take) for each 10. This would allow for the cubby to be your amp location and also allow you to retain the use of the spare tire. You would also be able to use the amp to drive the rest of the speakers in the xB.
The in-floor enclosure would require both sides of the false floor, not just the cubby. This would mean that you would not have a spare tire. I know, it doesn't sound promising, but several others here have done it. I'm not one of them.
If your g/f is mind-set on going to the 12, tell her that you will still need an enclosure that is probably going to occupy near the same amount of space and would require that you spend additional $$$ in order to power it. The Eclipse amp is probably not going to happily handle a good 12 on top of the rest of the system, nor would you be satisfied with the sound. To go all out with a true JL Audio 12W6v2 and the amp to adequately push it, you would be spending in excess of $600+, and that is considering that you found good deals on the sub, amp, and enclosure. This setup would be a DRAMATIC difference from your current setup and would leave the Eclipse to power the rest of the system. Trust me, you would need the amp just to hear your highs over that beast!
I'll PM you my cell # if you need it.

 

Lord almighty, I would rather stay with the two tens and just alter the box.

This is the box I have...



The box's measurements are 32"L x 14"T x 12"W (base, 7"W at the top). If I get a chance I'll try to call you.

 

Unless you are really wanting to build a big system, I would stick with what you've got. You might consider getting a small mono amp to push the two 10s and just use the Eclipse to power highs only. Something like a JL Audio A1200 or the like. You don't want too much or you'll blow the 10s. Something pushing approximately 110-130 watts @ 4ohm would be perfect. Wire the two 10s parallel (positive to positive, negative to negative) and you should be set.

 

I think they are already wired like that but I am not sure, would have to pull them out to find out. Yeah I think we'll wait and see how much room the box takes up and maybe look into seperating the 10s into two single unit boxes. I wish I wouldn't have lost all my knowledge even if it wasn't that much to begin with!

 

Thanks for your help, I'll be in touch when I know more about what's going on. I hate this game with the insurance company waiting to find out how much they will offer.