I've got a MTX Thunderform that fits two 8's under the back passenger seat in my 98' F-150 Ext. Cab. I noticed some others have this same box. It's total mounting depth is 3-7/8 inches. Pretty small. f-150initially said he fit some JL Audio 8w0's in there (even though their mounting depth is 4 1/4"?)

I'm looking for quality subs to go back there. Not MTX stuff. Crutchfield says the Rockford Fosgate Punch Stage 2 and Sony XS-L82P5 should fit.

Can anyone recommend a sub for this tight enclosure? I'm pretty green to car audio and I'm having a little trouble figuring this stuff out.

 

I wouldnt suggest the RF P2's either. And DEF. not the Sonys

I know of a lot of 8's, but I dont think any that small, sorry I cant help ya there. Just figured Id tell ya I wouldnt get the RF's or Sonys.

 

Well thats good to know. If anyone else knows some good small 8" subs, please let me know what your using.

 

Yes, you are green if you believe for a minute that Sony is better than MTX. MTX does make some lower end subs, as do most "mainstream" companies, but they also make subs that are very, very nice quality. And since Rockford Fosgate has gone "Asian", I doubt that they are any better than MTX. I only bring this up because I get tired of seeing certain brands "bashed", when I doubt that the "basher" knows what he's talking about. And, I only say that because I find it ODD that you "know" enough to dis MTX, and then you ask for advice on sub selection. Those two things can hardly go hand in hand.

 

Does MTX have different models of their 8" subs? I know that a bunch of guys were buying the preloaded thunderforms and then just swapping out the subs for their higher end counterparts. They'll fit and sound alot better...

 

Well, I should have said "not the Lower-end MTX quality". I simply said that because both my last two cars have had MTX's in them, not top of the line models but not the worse either. I've always thought they sounded flabby and inaccurate. I just go from experience. I'm not trying to trash any one company, just looking for good recommendations. Plus, I never said Sony's were better. I only said those were the 2 models Crutchfield said would fit.....I just got some JLs though. Thanks F150intially!

 

Sorry to have jumped in your **** like I did, but I see a lot of posts on the forums I participate in where a certain product or brand is getting bashed and I know without question that the info being provided is bogus. The whole idea of these forums is to provide GOOD, RELIABLE info to people who don't know. So, I've gotten to the point where I just tell it like it is. Nothing personal.

By the way, I have the very Thunderform in my '97 that you are asking about. I bought it used on ebay and the previous owner had a local shop add some MDF pieces to the outside of the mounting holes, screwed and sealed them to the enclosure really well and added about 3/4" mounting depth. They did that because the owner wanted JL subs, so they came up with that idea to get them to fit. Worked really well. It had no subs when I bought it. I bought some Thunder 8000 MTXs. They are a perfect fit for the box the way it is set up, and trust me, they are nice for 8s. Very tight controlled bass on good recordings. Don't forget that your playback material has MUCH to do with how your system performs. I have some CDs of old blues recordings from the 30s, 40s, and 50s that sound horrible. And having the best playback system in the world only accentuates the poor quality of those recordings. On the other hand, the bass on new B.B King and Eric Clapton CDs that I have is awesome. I got the subs directly from Mitek factory Outlet for 1/2 price. Mitek is the company that owns MTX, Coustic, Streetwires, Xtant(High end), and others. Only problem is that with the added height of the enclosure with the modification for the mounting depth, I had to add a 1" lift to get the room I needed under the seat. Having said all that, they are still 8s, and nothing you can do will change that. They do have limitations, when compared to a 10 or 12" Thunder 8000. The laws of physics take over at a point. But, if you have fair expectations of them and NOT try to act like they are 12s, then you could be happy with them. Nice 8s can provide tremendous performance. They have been documented to do less than 20hz, which is extremely low. But they will not do that 20hz at the same volume level as a comparable 12" That's the main difference.

 

Thats some really good information for me to chew on. I like the idea of not lifting my backseat though. So I'm going to try with the 8w0's and pack the box with about a 1lb of polying stuffing. It's a tight fit but I let you guys know how it goes.

 

http://edesignaudio.com/product.php?cid=1&cur=USD

I love these...and they fit !!!

 

Those look great. It seems they are 3/8 larger than what the Thunderform mounting depth can handle. But you said they fit? Do some companies "under specify" what the actual depth is to give room for error?