tCeeJay

Delivered by FedEx today:






First impressions
* Packaging looked really good. The plastic cover in pic #2 is a nice touch to help protect the cone.
* Frame looks exactly like the Image Dynamics ID series subs.
* build quality doesn't look that good. The cone and dust cap don't look seamlessly glued on (Can be visible in pic #3). Magnet cover is made from cheap plastic/rubber material. Paint on the bottom of the motor structure chips off easily.
* I actually prefer the look and finish of the black version 3s than the silver version 2s
* I liked how the terminals are close together which make wiring easier
* MADE IN THE PHILIPPINES???? Could be a good or a bad thing. I'm not being racist either - I'm actually FILIPINO. With the amount of cheap labor there, the sub could have been better put together. Take a look at the aforementioned Image Dynamics sub. Its made in China but looks 200% better quality.

So far the looks of this sub has disappointed me but hopefully the performance meets all the hype.

I'll update the review when I get a week's worth of listening.

wazzu_coug

if you can't stop comparing it to an Image Dynamics sub, why didn't you just buy one of those? you sound like your from ID trying to bash Elemental Designs.

nebster

1. its the same basket as the ID series, that basket is on 3-5 different brands of subs i believe, it happens get over it
2. made in the phillippines?!?! who cares, as long as it performs it doesn't matter, 90% of companies based in the usa have gone to overseas production because of inexpensive labor, simple as that, just because its made there doesn't mean it sucks ___.
3. subs are known for sound not looks so don't judge a book by its cover, don't judge a sub by its looks, the prettiest looking sub could sound like ___ and the worst looking sub could sound great.

tCeeJay

No I don't work for ID and my first impressions are just that... impressions. I tried to be as honest and candid as possible. If there was something i didn't like then I said it. And I did buy a ID8 and ID12 sub and I liked both how it looked and how it sounded. I like buying and trying different sub setups. I heard all the good things about ED subs so I like to try them out. I have a pair of 9kv.2 as well. I like how they look and how they sound. Just didn't have the time to write a review on them.

tCeeJay

ok.... for me to state that the basket is the same as an ID basket is an OBSERVATION! A Pontiac Vibe and a Toyota Matrix looks the same is also an observation. I didn't infer anything. SO YOU GET OVER IT.

made in the philippines.... you're right, as long as it sounds good then it shouldn't matter. But the thing looks like it was made by a 10 yr old <---- my opinion

yes a sub should be judged by sound and for some people looks. I'm one of those people that likes a balance of look and performance. I haven't tested it out yet, so I just gave my first IMPRESSIONS on how the thing looked and I stated I would write about my experiences later.

nebster

oh i am over it lol i was just saying that basket is a very widely used basket and shouldn't be a positive or a negative it is what it is

it probably was made by a 10 yr old ;)

don't get defensive man i'm not attacking you at all i'm just stating my opinion as well

tCeeJay

for the record, I'm not a Elemental Designs basher.... I have owned a nine.4, nine.1, edi6000 components, edead, 2 9kv.3 and now a 11kv.2. I loved the nine.1 and liked the edi6000s.

nebster

i don't think anyone was claiming you are a basher

tCeeJay

well... I've seen on other forums where ED fans clash with ED bashers and it gets pretty ugly

nebster

yeah thats bad news and honestly i don't want that here now either

enjoithis

CHILDREN! stop arguing

im considering getting ED subs myself... never heard one nor seen one. Im glad you posting your IMPRESSIONS

nebster

i don't think anyone was arguing.

tCeeJay

After being disappointed by its looks, this sub redeemed itself through good sound.
If you want mirror shaking, hair moving, impress the guys, wake the living dead, kind of bass this is not the sub for you. But if your budget or install calls for a $100 sub and musical, SQ type bass you need to check this guy out.

My setups:
The sub was tested in the same enclosure through each setup. 1.0 ft3 Sealed
#1 Alpine 9887 HU, Diamond Audio D31000.1 monosub amp pushing 400watts at 4ohms
#2 pioneer deh p4900ib HU, Elemental Designs Nine.4 running edi6000 comps and the sub seeing 150watts at 4ohms
#3 Alpine 9887 HU, OLD SCHOOL FTW! a/d/s ph15 6 channel amp, sub seeing 100watts at 4 ohm

In setup #1 it was seeing watts in its upper recommended range and it was liking it. However at first they sounded like poo. That was my fault since there was a slight air leak and I fixed the problem. I listened to as wide of a variety of music as possible with the majority of it being hip hop. In my rock tracks, bass was quick with authority. In my hip hop and r&b tracks, notes were deep and low. In any type of music the notes didn't drag out and were very clean. It has decent SPL but does not get crazy loud like a 12" Kicker CVR for example. The 13kv.2 seemed to blend in so well with my system that I was actually loving it.

This sub will actually be calling setup #2 its home in a 2005 Subaru Legacy. This settup was actually a recommended setup listed on Elemental Designs webpage. I think they should take it down. Both the 13kv.2 and the edi6000s performed really well in my car but the Nine.4 couldn't handle running this combo. Bass was muddy and uncontrolled. Sounds coming from the ED comps were equally as disappointing. In the end we just bridged the amp and ran the comps off the bridged connections and will install another amp to run the sub.

Setup #3. I gotta talk about the amp: a/d/s ph15. Originally sold in late 80s, early 90s for around $640. It has 6 channels with ratings at 50watts x 6 and bridged 100watts x 3. Not great numbers now but great back then. This was a well regarded amp known for its clean power output and sq. It doesn't even have a crossover built-in so thank god the 9887 has built in crossovers. The crazy part: at 100watts to the sub, it sounded better than the 150watts it was seeing from the nine.4. Maybe it was the HU, who knows. Anyways, again it performed like a champ in this setup, cleanly hitting the bass, never adding or taking away anything from the notes.

To summarize:
good sound quality
great sub for the price
don't expect crazy spl
silver versions cosmetically don't look all that great
black versions look better to me

tCeeJay

And another thing.....

Filipinos FTMFW


Support Philippines by buying Elemental Designs! lol

jallamas

John

ZTC

yeh thats sorta why i dont have my system now because im still tryin to find some good subs.
i was on the eD bandwagon alot and still am on their amps. but i heard the sq10 setup in the cubby hole and it was meh sounded a notch better than the sub offered by scion and ive heard my friends 13a's (i dont remember the specific brand) and those sounded good but gave out on higher levels and i didnt really hear any clipping but it still sounded bad when cranked. i believed the box was at 32 hz but idk.
and ive heard so many bad things about them after joining diff forums

nebster

i told you you'd like them dude

and about other forums, they all have grudges with how the company acted 5 YEARS AGO. they've dramatically changed and are making solid products and are standing by them.

tCeeJay

yup, sure did like it but the nine.4 disappointed me. I'm gonna go talk to ed about it.