Bass in A Small Space: Kicker Comp RT Slim Passive Radiator Enclosure!

[@DIYAudioGuy]

Learn more about passives here: kzbin.info/www/bejne/rGXVcp6umNBllbM Get the enclosure here: shop-links.co/cg8vXz4Ihfq

[@Dr12voltinstlr]

Thanks for the video. Also thanks for taking the time to show the inside of the enclosure. There are a lot of people that don't know how much time and effort we put into our enclosures. We say its perfect bass with no mess and no fuss. :)

[@DIYAudioGuy]

I would gladly take apart everything y'all make. Just send it my way.

[@Bobcatspiritdude]

Hey I remember the cool shallow truck enclosures w/ passive radiators from 1980s . They sounded and looked awesome 😎👌 Oh yeah they had horn tweeters also .

[@Greg-kx4nw]

I have one of the down firing 10 inch models in the wife's highlander hooked up to a kicker key 500.1. I was really surprised with how well it performs with such a small footprint, and still being able to utilize the trunk area. Plus the wife loves it!

[@DIYAudioGuy]

Cool!

[@Brian1.]

Good teaching Justin and what a nice review on this enclosure. Us KZbin watchers are very fortunate to have people like you, Big D and 5 Star that Kicker trusts to send their products. Shot out to Kicker for that.

[@DIYAudioGuy]

Kicker doesn't trust me, they trust their product.

[@michaelrodgers6559]

I had two of these 10" boxes behind the rear seat of my crew cab truck... absolutely loved them. Tons of punch without broadcasting it to everyone outside the truck.

[@DIYAudioGuy]

That is what they are designed for.

[@Mr.Bathelus832]

@@DIYAudioGuy is there any 2 15s ?

[@freeair7292]

​@@Mr.Bathelus83212 the biggest they make

[@CactusJack252]

What truck do you have? I have a 2022 F-150 STX and only one of these looks like it will fit behind the rear seat.

[@michaelrodgers6559]

@@CactusJack252 it was a 97 f350.

[@jjthomas9656]

I was jealous of the rich kids in school that had kicker boxes in the 80s😂I had flea market products,started installing professionally in 1990,opened my own SPL geared shops in 94.kicker has great little passive boxes back then,none of the products are the same,but it's very cool to see them,RF,JL audio still putting out great gear,and love your channel and great personality 👍

[@DIYAudioGuy]

I remember those days.

[@dtibor5903]

I have this and it's pretty loud! I added some weight to the passive radiator to lower the bass down to 35Hz. I just used silicone as weight

[@DIYAudioGuy]

Cool!

[@redlinezx6r]

How you did that?

[@tobias.persson]

How much weight did you add?

[@murphyspell7125]

I'm guessing you could add Dynamat or some other brand of sound deadening with adhesive to the back of the passive radiator and choose the weight you want to add...

[@ryanchenault80]

More impressive than the product reviewed in this video is the amount of information presented. I love to learn. And i think i have found the channel to learn about car audio. Great video. Thanks for taking the time to make it.

[@DIYAudioGuy]

Glad it was helpful!

[@slh48]

That’s crazy I just came across your channel today and I wrote you about these kicker competition truck boxes with the passive radiator lol I feel like a ass sorry about that I did not see you all ready had a video about these kicker watching your video now and I’m learning more from you than anybody else👍👍👍👍👍

[@acuralee]

I'll be putting the 6.5 subs under both my driver and passenger seat. Plus I have a rear deck that allows 2x 6.5 speakers and in the middle a free air 8in sub. My acura TL sounds great. It's not to much where I'm vibrating the vehicle next to me. But it booms on the inside. Love it! Thank you kicker.

[@thatguykai479]

Nice ive never heard someone do 6.5 under doesn’t actually sound lik a bad idea i had the thought of adding two bazooka 6 inch subs

[@bryanCLXT]

I bought the CompRt 12 enclosure right when COVID shut down everything I had to move back to south Florida from Denver Co. And wasn't going to make the trip with no bump have it paired to an alpine 600w plenty happy

[@DIYAudioGuy]

Sounds like a great setup!

[@adamopenweb]

I have the 6.75” version as it’s the right size to fit behind my seat. Coming from much larger subs and enclosures, I noticed right away it can’t hit the lowest notes very well. But when you consider the size and price, it really made a difference in my small sports car. They sound really good. I have a second one coming to put behind the passenger seat.

[@DIYAudioGuy]

Yeah, you definitely want to run multiples of these.

[@DIYAudioGuy]

Oh, and if you click on the link in the video description and buy it from Crutchfield, I'll get a very small commission. Doesn't cost you a dime but it means a ton to me.

[@iandavis8755]

I have the 6 75" model too, I used it to replace the stock 8" Sony unit in my 14' Focus ST. It's being driven by a Kicker DXA250.1 (which is being fed a source from an Audio control LC2i), and it plays louder, hits harder, and the in-cabin bass response is nothing short of astonishing for how small the cabinet is. It sounds good in the car, without broadcasting bass to the next block, which is what I was looking for.

[@wilsonrawlin8547]

Can't beat Kicker for a great prebuilt enclosure and sub set up. Hands down one of the best out there.

[@mescko]

Good to hear you liked it. I picked up one of these used for a good price, it's going into a very small 2-seat enclosed coupe. I just want bass reinforcement, so I'm looking forward to the install.

[@DIYAudioGuy]

That is exactly what it is designed for.

[@robsolf]

3:35 I know... I'm gonna get that box and replace the sub with another passive radiator! 😁 Thanks for the vid!

[@iandavis8755]

I have 1 of the 6.75" models in the rear hatch of my 2014 Ford Focus ST. My car originally had the complete Sony sound system, but I found the OEM 8" (7" actually) sub was rather lackluster in it's performance (which I think is actually because the factory amp cuts the gain of the sub channel when you start playing the volume above half). I have the mini box being driven by a Kicker DXA 250.1 Class D monoblock (which is actually more powerful than the box is recommended for), and I used the speaker wires that go from the sub channel of the factory Sony amp to the factory sub as a high level input to an Audio control LC2i, which cleaned up and boosted the signal, and provided a work around for the stock amp throttling the volume/bass, and I didn't have to open the dash or anything to get wire taps from the head unit (Still Sync factory HU). This 6.75" Comp RT box is smaller, and lighter than the stock Sony one made of resin. It also is able to play deeper, hits harder, and plays louder without much effort. It's exactly what I wanted, because I didn't want to sacrifice cargo room in the rear hatch, and I also prefer the sound of smaller subs for in-cabin bass response, without broadcasting bass down the block. This is one of my favorite subwoofers that I have ever had (I have had MTX Blue Thunder and Black Gold, JBL Power and GTX series, SAS Bazooka tubes, and a bunch of PowerAcoustik subs too). Most people that have had a demo of my stereo are baffled when I show them where the bass is coming from. I am so impressed with it, I have bought a single 10" Comp RT box for my 77 Chevy C10 Silverado Resto-mod...

[@DIYAudioGuy]

👍

[@Dave-lm3th]

So question. I have a fosgate 125amp rms class d amp pushing a 10 inch kicker at 4 ohms. I too jumped from the factory high level wires to the oem 8 inch sub, and went directly into the high level/auto turn on of the fosgate amp. Would the lc1i improve my base. 2019 ridgeline rtl-e 8 speaker system.

[@DIYAudioGuy]

@@Dave-lm3th only if the factory system has modified the signal going to the subwoofer in some way. A common thing is to roll off the bass as the volume goes up. In other words as you turn up the volume the factory system doesn't turn up the volume of the subwoofer and this keeps you from overdriving the subwoofer and blowing it. If you think you need a device like that I recommend getting the nvx version. It will do the exact same thing for about half the price. If you buy directly from the nvx.com website and use the code DIY audio 10 you can knock a few more bucks off of it. nvx.com/collections/eqs-and-sound-processors/products/xlca2x-2-channel-line-out-converter-digital-bass-enhancer-with-xboost-impedance-matching-and-remote-level-control

[@Vegas_Baba808]

Great vid Justin. Kicker FTW!

[@DIYAudioGuy]

They really did a fantastic job on the school enclosure.

[@bassahaulic]

I had this enclosure in my 2001 Sonooma Crew Cab paired with a Sundown SAM-500. It wasn't killing the lows or flexing the truck, but man it sounded pretty great and was a good addition to the rest of the Kicker speakers in the truck. :)

[@DIYAudioGuy]

Cool!

[@slh48]

I’m 48 so I grew up when every one had after Market systems in there vehicles in the 90s I had a lot of kicker competition they were actually the first subs I had two12 inch Kicker Comp with Alpine Amps Alpine pull out stero then the detachable faces came out it was messed up because even if you took your radio out if somebody knew what kind of sleeve you had somebody stole a alpine sleeve came out to my truck and lucky I had took my Games and subs out of the vehicle because those about to install some more stuff I had bought some alpine 6 1/2 of the speakers A friend of mine he had a 1992 rodeo he had a Kenwood 1021 amp with a custom box he build with 4 10inch Kicker Competitions and two face straight towards all the way in. The back I can’t remember how many inches away from the back they were then the other two were facing towards the back window 45° angle and he had 4 alpine 6 1/2 I forget what kind of amplifier he had hope to them the base hit so hard because of the design of the box away the subs were facing and they Kenwood 1021 what is their largest amplifier they have at the time after my truck I got the alpine detachable face because they stole the sleeve to my Alpine pull out lol I was so mad When I was young in the 90s I came across a lot of stereo equipment I mean about almost a friend ever then I always had friends and I didn’t have a lot of money and I’m sure the stuff was hard but we used to get it from this guy at the flea market I got rid of those 12s and got two 10 inch kicker comp with The Alpine amps them I got rockford Fosgate amplifier I’m trying to remember I had so much stuff stuff cast on a few times so I got new stuff the last aftermarket system I had was 310 inch JL audio 10 W sixes with the rockford amp with a Kenwood detachable face they were nice subs thsts back in 1996 and all the new Kicker Solor Barricks they had a lot of problems so gave up on the kicker and goe the JL audio 10W6 they were some great subs

[@tysonswing]

Built one with kicker parts and it sounds amazing!!! 8” PR with 2 6.75” subs by kicker.

[@DIYAudioGuy]

Cool! My only complaint is they kicker does not provide any specifications for those passive radiators. They are intended to pair with specific subwoofers in a specific airspace. I thought about playing around with them a little bit and using some epoxy to put weights on the back of the cone.

[@dougmasters3875]

I have the 12" down-firing in my Mini Cooper and I'm super stoked with it!!

[@DIYAudioGuy]

It's the perfect set up for a mini Cooper.

[@gregorywunder6174]

I have a 2017 mini jcw. Do you have the kicker trtp or wedge shaped box.

[@gregorywunder6174]

Also. Where did you tap in for signal

[@dougmasters3875]

​@@gregorywunder6174 Sorry for the long delay. I have the downward firing one. And I replaced everything in my car, nothing Mini left.

[@morbizzle12]

I have the same 12 inch down firing my 2021 Subaru ascent. Sounds so damn good, no hair tricks but you can still feel it in your body.

[@bondalero0074]

I remember seeing one of these in 8” as a kid looking up to teen age boys coming to pick up Diane my GND! I still remember seeing the StillWater Design enclosure back around 89’ in a local camaro when Beastie Boys “License to Ill” was the popular play!#🔊#StillWaterDesigns🔊👑#PaulRevere#BrassMonkey

[@DIYAudioGuy]

That was back in the day for sure.

[@mrkilabotzz]

Thank you for taking this apart for us 😁

[@youtubernotfound1158]

I have a 2006 Ford Mustang gt and I got 2 of kicker RT 12s and it sounds incredible the speakers and tweeters I use are from Sony just love the sound and bass Performance mods: Whipple supercharger Cold air intake Ford performance cam shafts T56 Manual transmission Wolf Twin turbo kit And man it was nightmare installing all that Mustang is my dream car so happy I got mods and a awesome sounding stereo

[@djrez2107]

i had one of these, they actually sound real good

[@gbthegreat]

Thank you KZbin recommendations!!!

[@BStreet666]

I think I mentioned this in Big D's video too but the one thing that kept me from purchasing this was that it only came in a 2-ohm impedance at the time. I love the idea of what Kicker is doing here but a lot of people use 4-channel amps for their entire system (channels 1 & 2 for a front stage & bridge channels 3 & 4 for a sub) and this is a no go for them right out of the gate. The down-firing 12" option would've been perfect if only it came in a 4-ohm option. Regardless, thank you for the video!

[@DIYAudioGuy]

That's a good point! There aren't many 4 channel amps that can handle two ohms bridged. Another option would be to get two of these and just run one off of each of the rear channels. Or get two of them and wire them in parallel and run them bridged off the rear channels.

[@BStreet666]

@@DIYAudioGuy Wiring two in a series would probably be a better option for most 4 channel amps but I know what you meant 😉 Really appreciate your taking the time to reply to your viewers after putting in so much time on these videos.

[@DIYAudioGuy]

@@BStreet666 Yes.

[@MurderousMindstate]

More often than not it is a DVC subwoofer making these 2 ohms final load. In a similar situation I have been known to use 2 other methods than already mentioned. One is to remove the subwoofer and bridge it in series and put it back in. Usually not a problem at 8 ohm as most of these small enclosure subs cannot take large amounts of power anyhow. A second option is to remove the sub and make a way for 2 wire sets one for each coil. In order to get around a warranty situation I remove the metal push terminals from the terminal cup which leaves a small ovalish hole where each terminal was mounted. Using a small enough gauge wire to fit and sealing it with a bead of silicone or hot glue. Can easily be cleaned up and returned back to original. Don't forget to put a knot in the wire just on the inside of the terminal cup to prevent it from being pulled out.

[@beerggls]

Not if you get like a phoenix gold XS4300. Stable at 2ohms bridged, 1 ohm stereo.

[@customsoundnlighting]

Thanks for the video. I am going to install one in my wife’s explorer

[@DIYAudioGuy]

Cool!

[@Grommet2007]

The addition of the basket and spider for a typical PR can help to prevent it from "rocking". Also, I wonder if the resonance frequency of that PR is going to drop after a bit of break-in?

[@DIYAudioGuy]

Probably, things seem to loosen up a bit after they break in.

[@everss02]

I tried 1 in my f150, very under-impressed. had a 12" P3 before that, it was leaps better.

[@spookiiigames3156]

The p3’s are also $1200..

[@everss02]

@@spookiiigames3156 they cost about the same, a loaded 12" P3 is 379 on amazon

[@spookiiigames3156]

@@everss02 oh you’re talking about just the single sub. Honestly, I’d bet it was either down to your amp, sub location, or simply too small of a box/cabin ratio. Harder to build pressure = sound louder. Probably why the ported p3 did better in your truck.

[@anjeljasso8979]

I'm kicking around the idea of getting a couple of the 8" radiators for my comp q 12 box, if you want to add weight look up " elevator bolts " which have a large head that you can use to adhere to the back

[@DIYAudioGuy]

👍

[@kch7964]

recommendation is test the products as they ship from the factory and then once testing is complete take it apart and play with it, just to preclude any issues you might introduce accidently.

[@DIYAudioGuy]

That is what I did. I showed the tear down first in an attempt to make the video more interesting.

[@kch7964]

@@DIYAudioGuy awesome thanks for the reply and your vids they are interesting

[@tyeson3]

Im at odds with those comp rt 12s. I had one blow a month after the warranty fell off. I'm going over to jl audio. They did rumble tho.

[@DIYAudioGuy]

I have had good luck with mine.

[@soundman_caraudio]

🙌🙌🙌

[@DIYAudioGuy]

Thanks for dropping by man!

[@Vegas_Baba808]

'Sup Doug ✌Do you allow Customers to come buy your shop to buy and install a I-Pad Dash Mod Kit there? Going to shoot an email to the soundman email address.

[@clearme2]

Go home Doug you’re drunk

[@bassahaulic]

Passive radiators can't have an "XMAX" as there is no coil, top plate, etc...etc.. What you're referring to is "XMECH" in such an example.

[@DIYAudioGuy]

I think you are correct.

[@MrNside]

4:48 2.5 cubic inch enclosure? That IS compact. Holy smokes.

[@mpfoote]

10" Kicker CompRs will handle 600w RMS with ease. Been running 2 off of a Kicker 1200.1 (gain set with an o-scope) for months now.

[@DIYAudioGuy]

Yeah, they are excellent subwoofers.

[@robertbledsoe6905]

So similar to this but a smaller say 8 inch sub woofer to a then 10 inch passive radiator then to another bigger diaphram that was ported so like this inside of a another diaphram thats ultimatley ported at the end

[@TheSergio1021]

I'm getting a 10 inch powered version of this for my Mazda 3. I want low not loud, so this might be great for me

[@jasonlamour4787]

This is good information.

[@DIYAudioGuy]

Glad you liked it

[@Theoryintesting]

What about just some random sub that has been blown ? As long as you take off the cage and make sure it air tight you think it would work? I just ask for the budget builder and I like to experiment as long as It’s with some spare parts 😅

[@jasonlopez4855]

Passive radiator ⁉️ I thought it was a base reflex. They were big in the 90s you make a box and put one of those on there. Nowadays I just use a dead speaker that's not frozen. But does it sound better than just having two tens in the same box ⁉️ Good video 📹👍🏽

[@DIYAudioGuy]

Thanks for watching!

[@ganeshnarayan5505]

Great video Justin.

[@DIYAudioGuy]

Glad you enjoyed it

[@deviant4life25]

Great Vid Justin

[@DIYAudioGuy]

Thanks man!

[@DayFour2019]

Ahhhh yes an audio test thro my phone speakers, brilliant.. great reveiw though

[@Silentroller93]

Those slim kickers put out good bass for sure, I’ve never tested one of those loaded enclosures but I’m sure they’re nice

[@DIYAudioGuy]

I think they are the best compact enclosure on the market right now, just got to keep in mind that compact enclosures can't put out as much bass as full size enclosures.

[@Silentroller93]

@@DIYAudioGuy I had a 10” comprt in a 1 cubic foot sealed box in my old truck and it sounded good with some fiberfill.

[@Sagittarius-88]

They definitely thump when properly powered, but there's been some discussion about how they handle low frequencies. I have the 48TRTP102 in the back of my F150, powered with a JL audio VX1000/5i amp, which supplies 600w RMS at 2 ohms on the sub channel. Plenty of power. The issue I had was what would best be described as muddy bass, like bad. Fortunately, the amp I'm using has ridiculous amounts of tuning capability. Obviously, acoustics vary from vehicle to vehicle, so some tuning is to be expected. What I found was basically everything from 40 HZ on down needed to be significantly diminished. Now that I found the offending frequency range, it's a matter of fine tuning and selecting the best filter curve for the application. One other thing people may wany to consider when purchasing these down firing kickers...the surface needs to be absolutely dead flat. The mat in the back of my truck has raised contours, I'm guessing for decorative purposes. I recently inspected the sub unit and found slight rub marks on the passive radiator surround ring. It's been hitting the raised contours on my mat. I ended up installing 1 inch rubber feet to alleviate this issue, but be aware...these subs really do sit THAT close to the surface their on.

[@leleetifra8818]

Skar 10 inch 600w. I've bought all of them for money can't beat these😊

[@user-sh5dy5tr9d]

Interesting! Yeah it's tough to know what I might like without really being able to test or hear anything for myself. (10" vs 12") or ported vs sealed, 2ohm vs 4ohm...dual...) 👍

[@SimranSingh-uf7xb]

10 inch more bass than 12 inch

[@DanielGuzman83]

I have the down fire and I wasn't that impressed. I also had the single down fire CompVT and I feel that it sounded better. I ended up using the CompR ported and it was louder in the lower frequency. I like the bass headedness when I'm driving, I like my car to sound like a Club. But this down fire version of the compRT. The compRT with passive actually has a lot of bass and sounds a lot better than the stock sub on my B&O Q8. With the double pane windows and the 23 speakers, it sounds like I have good headphones on.

[@Hammerback0]

4:54 definitely not what i thought when I heard "this is a 2.5 cubic inch enclosure"😂..... 2.5cubes i thought would be the size of a pack of cigarettes.

[@TRONMAGNUM2099]

Mine sounds pretty good, but like the video says, get the biggest sub you have space for. I'll probably be upgrading to a 12 inch box in a couple of months.

[@DIYAudioGuy]

Cone area is king.

[@BillyLinn]

Very informative, thank you!

[@DIYAudioGuy]

Glad it was helpful!

[@robpayne2089]

I would like to see a video of you reviewing the kicker comp c in a ported truck enclosure.

[@DIYAudioGuy]

Ask Kicker to send me one!

[@graybeard2113]

Decades ago, I built what would be a large bookshelf speaker enclosure, that I equipped with early 90s Blaupunkt automotive speakers. Each speaker has a 5-1/4" 2way, a 6x9 3way, and a 2"x6" port tube, in one corner. Still sounds great. Enclosure is 3/4" Oak veneer plywood. The exterior dimensions are 12" x 13" x 24 - 1/4" with interior volume of approx 1.5cuft.. They are sitting on the floor. Speakers are powered by a Kenwood rack system, 100 watts/ch RMS. Thoughts on additional bass? Music is classical, instrumental, 60s, 70s, 80s rock, Big Band Era music and vocals, Classic and Contemporary Country, Celtic, and Sousa Marches. Bass recommendations. Add to existing speakers? Or a separate sub-woofer? Receiver has sub RCA jack.. thoughts-options? Changing gears: I'm thinking of adding the Kicker Enclosure to my Tacoma 4dr, 8" or 10" thoughts. My front speakers are 6x9 kickers, back are the 6-3/4" Rockford Fosgate, and dash are Kickers. I need more sound from the back seat area. I need an Amp for the current speakers, would like to keep head unit. Thoughts? Retired and limited budget.. I love Crutchfield, but they quoted me over $800, Amp, DSP, and wiring.. after I had told them limited budget.

[@DIYAudioGuy]

Cool!

[@josephsaucedo8691]

When I bought my rt 10 and 12 they didn't have this I bought them the first day they they hit the shelf the passives boxes came out a year after unfortunately. My 10s and 12s that I have are the first gen rt models and there actually different there rated higher on the box it says the 12 rated at 800rms each and 10 600rms most people don't believe me but I have the original package's the cone is also different there isn't a center cap like the new models and the new models are rated for less power. I remember Parker testing them and I commented his ratings were wrong not knowing they had changed it know one believed me or back me up on this I'm positive kicker knows. Most people still don't know the first gens RT are different. Kinda strange

[@Bradimus1]

I've had the idea of the down firing one of these for awhile for my Durango. But to really redo the sound system to my liking will be a couple grand installed.

[@DIYAudioGuy]

Oh yeah, it gets expensive in a hurry! You should have plenty of room in that big Durango, consider a larger enclosure.

[@Bradimus1]

@@DIYAudioGuy gotta save space for kids medical equipment. Rarely get to crank it up anyway!

[@DIYAudioGuy]

@@Bradimus1 I get that.

[@firebirdude2]

Kicker's TRTP boxes are exactly that. Downfiring version

[@Theoryintesting]

Remember the sheer amount of people that didn’t divide up their box when using 2 subs in the same box

[@mikejackson5125]

Hello, great vid!!! I've got a jeep 4 door jk, I was wanting to mount something like the speaker in your vid to my tailgate. Do you think it would rock out if properly amped or should I buy a high quality shallow mount and build my own box?

[@JoshM7]

Did someone say passive radiators? Love me some passive radiators.

[@DIYAudioGuy]

Hell yeah!

[@chrisa9035]

If you want a good passive radiator go earthquake for larger more powerful subs. Drops the frequency and raises DB

[@DIYAudioGuy]

I have had good luck with this one: parts-express.sjv.io/0JN2QV

[@jamessouthworth1699]

I'd like to see you review a 10 inch JL ported microsub.

[@DIYAudioGuy]

JL knows where to find me.

[@michaelreynolds867]

I have a question towards an spl build..but wayyyy different...lol Suppose a standard 2dr car with trunk..wall build..but like this.. The trunk is a sealed box ie trunk wall..maybe a high xmax 18 or pair of high xmax 15s..now build the wall box in the back seat where the active subs fire into..so instead of a 4th order port you have a sealed wall with 6+..12"+ passive radiators...?.. The radiators are your cabin "cone area"..driven by the internal sub,s... I know you would 180 phase the subs to correct the phase of the radiators to the cabin mids..etc But would it work..???

[@DIYAudioGuy]

You could do that, but it is probably not worth the trouble. Ports are affordable and effective.

[@vonzuriel4341]

I'm a base head since🤔...ever. Bought a Audio Pipe 2,200W 4 stack Sub. for my hometheatre. Yet, I have not found the right box, Amp and crossover for it. Recomendations🙌🏽🙏🏽? Thank you for your info. Love sound systems world.

[@DIYAudioGuy]

🦾

[@firepaint33]

What do you think now after 2 years, any new developments or alternative comparable products out there? I have a Gen 5 4runner and want to hide this thing so well you can still sleep in the back... Also whats your favorite amp for this unit?

[@DIYAudioGuy]

One of my kids has been using this in their daily driver. No change in my opinion. It's good at doing what it's designed. As far as other products, nothing else out there. As far as amplifiers pretty much anything that matches the ohms and RMS will work just fine.

[@grimmmful]

you just got a sub great video

[@JonesCoWoodworks]

I have four of the HCY-15 WLLDSE DUAL 2 ohms subwoofers and I am curious about what the best option would be for me to get the most out of them as far as the enclosure. What would you recommend ?

[@outyomind5150]

Why doesn't the radiator cancel out the sub? Wouldn't it be out of faze from the woffer?

[@dalienware668]

Have you done a review on MESO 6.5" subs yet?

[@DIYAudioGuy]

I have not. I think it would be cool to do a shootout video with a bunch of 6.5-in subs. Just need to convince a bunch of companies to send me some!

[@future62]

Great review and cool concept. Would be cool to see a custom build with a 15" sub designed for a small ported enclosure with a PR. That could potentially make good on the small, low and loud concept.

[@DIYAudioGuy]

That would be cool.

[@ricardonoyola2309]

Imposible, but cool

[@s.o.s.exploration2412]

Well explained...

[@DIYAudioGuy]

Thanks.

[@brianh6272]

Awesome. Totally 💯 Awesome 😎

[@DIYAudioGuy]

Thanks ✌️

[@mullinperformanceaudio5902]

I think the SPL build would be easier if I just installed 50 of these things.

[@DIYAudioGuy]

HA!

[@jimmyjam5588]

To get those number you want, it always takes months

[@juiceboxjigga]

audio genius

[@DIYAudioGuy]

Thanks.

[@broken51N]

I’ve never used passive rad in a vehicle. RT is boss! I use Kicker or JL that shit is bom

[@DIYAudioGuy]

Quality gear for sure.

[@avishaiankri]

Great review.. I am really torn which sub to put in my boxster.. ive seen projects with JBL FUSE but this kicker sounds more promising but i need to understand where i can put it.. any thoughts ?

[@DIYAudioGuy]

You don't have any good options in that car, just less worse options. If you are short you may be able to cram something behind the seats.

[@MadScientist512]

Since radiators cover the lowest frequencies on their own there should normally be 2 of them, or be capable of twice the excursion of the main driver; it may be the latter here, or the active driver is simply underpowered.

[@DIYAudioGuy]

It is the former.

[@jefferychambrovichjr6681]

Thinking of this for my c7 corvette. Which one would you do? Downward firing or regular? Also which amp would you hook to this?

[@DIYAudioGuy]

I would go with this one, maybe two of them. howl.me/ci6uZaS2VOX

[@ryanlittle1525]

Super helpful video, also watched your video on Hofmann's law. If I were to run 2 of these enclosures, would that allow me deeper sound without it being crazy loud? Or would I just need a larger enclosure?

[@DIYAudioGuy]

It takes space to make bass. So if you can you should always choose a larger enclosure. These enclosures are designed for situations for a larger enclosure just simply will not fit. Like the space behind the seat of a regular cab pickup truck. In that situation grab two of these. If you are putting subwoofers in the trunk of a car or the hatch of an SUV then just get a normal sized enclosure.

[@kjbad1]

It depends...I ran two of these under the cargo area floor of my SUV for about a year, they sounded best when I wired them in parallel (1 ohm) on the 5th channel of a KXA800.5 getting 400W total (200W each). Whenever I put more power to them, like 400W each from a KXA800.1, they were too muddy for my liking. I eventually split the pair - gave one to my nephew and the other is connected to a 100W home amplifier and used with a soundbar in my office. Plenty of deep bass without the mud at that volume level. I still have a 6.5 version, I use that with a JBL Xtreme bluetooth speaker to play the lows that the Xtreme cannot.

[@seanwalsh999]

I find passive radiator subs much more musical, like a low bass guitar note as opposed to a kick drum thump, but hey some like the thump.

[@DIYAudioGuy]

I just in general like the concept of a passive radiator. No harder to do build than a sealed enclosure. Just have to cut an extra hole.

[@seanwalsh999]

@@DIYAudioGuyThank you for replying. I found it interesting that by adding weight to the back of the passive radiator, it can be tuned,

[@2ZH]

I have a 19 golf GTI and want to keep and much room as possible. I don't need anything crazy for bass. Just to have some fun. What would be a good size? And would I need to update any of my electronics? Thank you for the help!

[@DIYAudioGuy]

That is exactly what these are designed for. Most stock electrical systems can produce enough juice to power the type of amp that you would use for this type of enclosure.

[@2ZH]

@@DIYAudioGuy awesome thank you! Good to know. would the 10' be over kill? I'm not well versed in knowing sizes to air volume

[@DIYAudioGuy]

@@2ZH I recommend that you get the biggest you can fit/afford. It's also important to make sure that you pair it with a good amplifier. I recently did a test on a Sound ordnance M350. That a would match well with one of these 10 in enclosures.

[@2ZH]

@@DIYAudioGuy got ya! Thank you so much!

[@johnq6123]

Can these be stacked and stay in phase? One under the SUV trunk floor and one in the trunk cargo area. Any concerns? Thanks for the vid and any reply/guidance.

[@DIYAudioGuy]

Probably not, the wavelengths are so long that it won't make much of a difference. If it did, you could always try adjusting the phase on the amplifier.

[@LeandroJack]

I never understand why Kicker don't power these type of sub boxes. Someone looking to find a small bass solution isn't interested in having to mount an external amplifier

[@DIYAudioGuy]

That's a really good point.

[@NBSV1]

With a slim box like this adding an internal amp would take up room which would make the box bigger. For the box to be powered would also mean running the same wiring to the box that you’d run for an external amp. So, you could just mount an amp to the box and you’d effectively have a powered box.

[@LeandroJack]

@@NBSV1 amps have been mounted to slimmer boxes by other brands

[@NBSV1]

@@LeandroJack Sure, but they're usually a small amp that's moderately low power. Which still would need a power cable, ground cable, and inputs just like a regular amp. At the end of the day all you're getting is a small cheap amp that's mounted inside the speaker box. If that's really something you want you can just buy a cheap small amp and mount it inside the box. Ideally you can buy a bigger amp that would more properly run the speaker and just mount it externally.

[@James.Markham757Va]

@@NBSV1 They did just that Kicker 49PTRTP10

[@chrisfiske]

Would this work good as a mid bass... my door speakers don't play low enough for mid bass, I was gonna do door panels but this could work if I could use it for mid bass

[@DIYAudioGuy]

The challenge would be mounting it in the front to get proper staging.

[@JoshM7]

Depends on what you call mid bass but I've used one of these in someone's truck to give back the missing bass. Really filled it in nicely. Just depends on what you're trying to fill in.

[@bencarignan2711]

Help me out here. I'm concerned that using a 15" passive for a 12" active will introduce sounds/frequencies that aren't present in the source material. If a frequency is determined by the distance the cone travels, and the passive radiator isn't exactly matching the excursion of the active driver due to differences in volume, then wouldn't that introduce sounds/frequencies that aren't present in the source material? If an active 12" driver is playing 40hz, how does the 15" passive radiator match that frequency if the distance that the cone is travelling is different? Would it make sense to use a passive radiator with the same shape/size/displacement as the active driver, but with perhaps 50% higher xmax? With a sealed box and 2 identical drivers, 1 active and 1 passive, wouldn't that force the passive driver to match the excursion of the active driver and thus play the same frequency? The increased xmax would simply let the active driver reach the lowest octaves with less resistance, but the passive driver should still match the movement/excursion of the active driver. Shouldn't it? Asking for a friend. lol

[@DIYAudioGuy]

The frequency is not determined by the distance that the cone travels.

[@bencarignan2711]

@@DIYAudioGuy Doh! lol Momentary lapse of reason. I was mixing up amplitude and frequency. Gotta lay off the pipe. lmao

[@djroydj7857]

nice job i get to no a litte more about this box am looking to buy one

[@DIYAudioGuy]

Awesome. The best way to say thank you is to click on the link in the description and buy it from Crutchfield. I get a small commission and it cost you nothing.

[@MateusRochadeMedeiros]

The passive radiator out of phase is not a problem?

[@sehendrix75]

Boy I wish they made square passive radiators. Can you run the round ones with the L7t subs? If so, what size would you use? Thanks for all the info!

[@DIYAudioGuy]

I think you can, I would recommend calling Kicker tech support. They've got fantastic tech support. Since the square subs have more coin area I would imagine you want to run the 12 inch passive with the 10 inch square subwoofer.

[@firebirdude2]

you can absolutely use a round passive with a square active

[@robertweekes5783]

Are these passive radiator enclosures responsive like sealed enclosures?

[@96MustangBoy1]

I bought the 12” version. It sounded great while it lasted. But I heard the xmax is around 13mm. Is this one way or is it both ways total? Sounds like a dumb question, but I couldn’t find anything regarding this. The reason I am asking is that I’m looking for a replacement 12” shallow subwoofer that will not dent my wallet.

[@DIYAudioGuy]

The listed x-max is supposed to be one-way, so it would be 26 mm peak to peak. Fairly typical for a shallow sub.

[@dliriumtrigger]

JUMPSCARE audio trigger at 8:31 HEADPHONE WARNING

[@abdomination]

I've been super tempted to get that downfiring 12 inch version for my convertible for a while. The only thing holding me back is I've had some big bass in there, although I can't put my top down when I have them in my trunk, so I would hate to downgrade the sound. I just haven't got the space and tools yet to do my own custom box that's short enough in height for the top to go down and still have the big bass of my full sized boxes.

[@DIYAudioGuy]

If you don't have time or space to build a box there is nothing wrong with going with a prefab enclosure. I recommend that you get two of them.

[@chrisa9035]

You ment 2.5 cubic ft for your ported sub enclosure

[@flyhouseoftruth470]

I went to alot of trouble making two 10" Kicker XPL subs work in my 2004 Ranger standard cab. Had to cut out the bracing on the truck. Now I had to take out the driver side sub just to be able to move the seat back enough to keep my gut from pressing against the steering wheel. This in the 6.75" might be just the fix I need, have to do some measuring. But what am I looking at in the way of ohms with this on the driver's side and the XPL 4 ohm on the passenger's side, with a RF prime 500 amp?

[@DIYAudioGuy]

Definitely get two if you go that route, maybe see if you can fit some underneath the seats, and get four. The 6.75-in is really small and doesn't move that much air. To

[@BrandonK80]

Have you ever tested one of Kicker's base tubes with the passive radiator? I'm looking to get one for my Xterra but there's very limited info / reviews out there.

[@DIYAudioGuy]

I have not tested one, but you can expect similar results to this.

[@SimranSingh-uf7xb]

Sir ..i bought the 10 inch subwoofer because i feel more bass as compared to 12 inch subwoofer.. My Question is 12 inch subwoofer should have more bass but when i played 10 inch and 12 inch 10 inch subwoofer has more bass … Why is that ??

[@DIYAudioGuy]

No idea.

[@digitalbilly]

i cant decide between Kicker 48TRTP122 vs Kicker 49L7TDF122

[@brando8791]

What would you do: this set up (10in active with PR) OR two 10in active subs? Crew cab pickup with down firing sealed box.

[@DIYAudioGuy]

I would go with two of these boxes.

[@brando8791]

@@DIYAudioGuy Thanks for the reply! I don't think I'd have enough room for two full boxes with 4 drivers...only have space for 2 10" drivers in a box. So it's either two active or one active / one passive.

[@DIYAudioGuy]

@@brando8791 If that is the case then go for the passive radiator box. You will not have enough airspace for a single 10 sealed.

[@DIYAudioGuy]

@@brando8791 kzbin.info/www/bejne/pGjNZZiVgbefbpo

[@brando8791]

@@DIYAudioGuy Thanks Justin. Your videos are great! The box I'm looking at has 1cuft total airspace. Kicker CWRT10 subs need .4-1.25 sealed...so *technically* 2 wired 10's would fit and have enough airspace to live. It would just be a tighter sound from the sealed box. If the passive radiator acts like a port, I guess the output from a single sub with a radiator would be closer to a ported box sound? I haven't ever heard a radiator set up and don't have any audio shops around me any more (thanks, COVID) to sample this set up.

[@lildrummergirl]

These Passive radiators from Kicker seem to be set for a certain tune and box size. Do you think there would be any benefit in putting these in a slifhly bigger enclosure if I had the space?

[@DIYAudioGuy]

I honestly do not know. Kicker does not provide any parameters for them. You would have to do some experimenting.

[@wandersonuhuu5902]

Tenho um woffer de 4.5 polegada com uns 60 hetz de fs e um radiador passivo de 12,8 cm de largura e 20 cm de altura..qual o tamanho da caixa pra que eu obtencia uma sintonia de 60 hets?

[@gerardojaquez6135]

I don't know anything about amplifiers and subwoofers but I would like to put this in my truck but I don't know which amplifier is recommended and also what wiring would I need?

[@DIYAudioGuy]

I think this amp would perfect: kzbin.info/www/bejne/e6nHZGepq9KLndU and this would be a good wire kit: kzbin.info/www/bejne/e6nHZGepq9KLndU

[@Camoburb]

I'm running an old school orion xtr pro 10 4ohm dvc in a sealed box with 600 watts going to it. The box is .65cf I have it under the rear seat of my 03 dodge ram. I need my seats for kids and the space under the rest of the seat is taken up by an amp. My question is, would adding a 10" or 12" radiator produce more bass or muddy it up? I love my bass to hit hard and snappy. Seams like alot of ported or vented boxes will start fairly snappy then kinda flutter with alot of fast bass. Would really appreciate your input on this.

[@DIYAudioGuy]

I have an '04 ram and I've been thinking the exact same thing. I have no idea if it will work, or the best way to make it work.