[nimo]

I would like give a review of my new 12" subwoofer corner loaded enclosure. I read the review from ellipsis212 which got me interested and started the research. I had contacted the same builder for ellipsis212 (forum member - e46silverride) and started the discussion:
http://www.e90post.com/forums/showthread.php?t=887456

Background of my E90 HIFI DIY budget build over the last eight months:
Phase 1: OEM amp replacement - JL XD600/6 and Technic’s harness. I found a great deal on Amazon for a new 600/6. Technic’s harness and the amp power cables are worth every penny. Technic’s customer service was quite professional and friendly. A must-do mod for anyone with HiFi. This sub forum made it easy with many existing how-to threads.
Phase 2: Front door speaker replacement. I bought Rainbows Profi CS210 components tweeter/midranges and dynamat the door panels.
Phase 3a: Dual 12” subwoofers and amp addition to trunk. Alpine 600W mono amp and (2) Alpine Type E in dual sealed chamber enclosure. Set up was sitting in my storage over the last 6 years. The Alpine amp was not a balanced input amp and subwoofers were aimed toward the rear of the car. Lots of panel rattle and sound was muffled and distorted.
Phase 3b. Replace Alpine amp with JL XD600/1 (balanced input amp). Sound the same.
Phase 3c. Replace the dual sealed enclosure with corner loaded enclosure and single JL 12W3V3-4. Highly recommended if you don’t have ski pass and/or don’t want to cut a hole in the rear seat. Sound was tighter and more defined. I really wanted a JL12W6V3 but the W3 was only $60 – Craigslist find.
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12” Subwoofer Corner Loaded Review
After researching, reading, and asking questions I went with the corner loaded enclosure. Since I know the E90 trunks are bass trap, I wanted to try a 12” subwoofer. The extra output of 12” size would be nice to have. The enclosure would need to sit on the battery cover so I can get to the XD600/6 for tuning every so often; which is located on the other side of the trunk. Being that I wanted to keep the system mostly JL, I wanted a 12W3V3 or 12W6V3. The spec for the subwoofers would need to be about 1.1~1.2 cubic feet. There were not many online options for my criteria. I do understand now why many builders prefer the 10” subwoofer size corner loaded solution.

I contacted forum member - e46silverride. He showed me some pics of his past builds and I also researched him on the internet. He had reputable reviews online. During the early discussion, he was quite accommodating. I have requested specs for JL 12W3V3-4. Since the enclosure had to be 1.1 cu. Ft, I asked him to shape more like a mound. This however would protrude to opening of the trunk floor storage lid. It was well worth the sacrifice of having a 12” subwoofer though. To get to the storage, I would need to move the enclosure off the battery cover. Being that I had an M3, the floor storage is much smaller and shallower than the other E90s, so I could live with not easily accessing the small storage. Over the build process, the builder - e46silverride sent me pictures and gave me details of every step of the build. He understood that I may move to a 12W6V3 so he added several more layers of fiberglass to handle my future upgrades. He also was professional and patient with my questions.

When I received the enclosure, it was overall nicely done. The fit and finish was professional quality. He made extra provision, so it sat secured and locked down on the battery cover. The enclosure would not rock during any bumps or turns. Carpet color is slightly off, not really noticeable though. The walls of the enclosure felt rigid and thick. The contours were smooth and uniform.

During the initial installation and testing, I did discover that reverse polarity of the speaker wire inputs smoothed out the transition (there is a worth reading Scooby Doo E90post thread) between the under the seat woofers mid bass and the 12” lower frequency bass. I had also notice that there was a little distortion of the JL 12W3. Next, I had polyfill the enclosure (about 13 ounce worth) and that removed the distortion. The polyfill slowed the pressure waves. I am quite happy with subwoofer and corner enclosure now. The bass is a lot cleaner, louder, and more pronounced than my previous dual 12”s set up. I can actually hear the bass than just feel it.

Lastly, I want to add that the corner loaded enclosures are much more efficient than conventional sealed chamber boxes in E90 trunk.
If you have any questions about my corner enclosure, please pm e46silverride. Thank you to Technic, Kaigoss, VP, BMW325i, ctuna, and E46sliverride for leading the way for us.

[.fLip.]

looks clean

[kaigoss69]

Nice! Can't go wrong with that sub for $60!

[bmw325i]

Good deal on the sub. It looks nice and clean

I don't think replacing the Alpine amp was entirely necessary. Even though Alpine doesn't claim to accept balanced inputs most of their equipment does.

Have you considered the new Alpine Type R? It has higher power handling, and a better price tag than the W6. It would also work well in that box.

[nimo]

Actually I have been searching for the type R, it has dvc, supposedly a little louder, and much better value than W6. Since most of the items I have purchase were below market value, I will continue looking for that special deal. Other models I am considering are morel ultimo, HAT, alumapros, and IDv3.

My older alpine amp is a mrp-m650. I called alpine support about the balanced input but they could not answer the question. I could not tell the difference between the alpine and jl 600/1 though. My wife also has a F30 so Im slowly collecting items for her car. Maybe I will save the alpine amp for her. That amp is has a large foot print and more difficult to hide.

[bmw325i]

Originally Posted by nimo

Actually I have been searching for the type R, it has dvc, supposedly a little louder, and much better value than W6. Since most of the items I have purchase were below market value, I will continue looking for that special deal. Other models I am considering are morel ultimo, HAT, alumapros, and IDv3.

My older alpine amp is a mrp-m650. I called alpine support about the balanced input but they could not answer the question. I could not tell the difference between the alpine and jl 600/1 though. My wife also has a F30 so Im slowly collecting items for her car. Maybe I will save the alpine amp for her. That amp is has a large foot print and more difficult to hide.

You can get them new for less than $150. Thats already a great deal IMO.

[kaigoss69]

Yes it is, great deal on that sub!

[nimo]

Originally Posted by bmw325i

You can get them new for less than $150. Thats already a great deal IMO.

Would you mind sharing the where I can find this deal. I live on a island and the local retailers charge a premium.

[kaigoss69]

A vendor on Amazon has it for $129 plus $20 domestic shipping. Even if you pay $50 shipping, still a great deal IMO.

[nimo]

Thanks guys, I'll check it out.

Update: I added to cart and proceeded to checkout, unfortunately it odes not ship to my address. Great deal for you guys in the Cont.-US though, $116 +$33 shipping:
http://www.amazon.com/Alpine-SWR-12D4-Subwoofer-Staggering-Ultra-Responsive/dp/B008IW0UWA/ref=sr_1_1?s=car&ie=UTF8&qid=1384887229&sr=1-1

[kaigoss69]

Originally Posted by nimo

Thanks guys, I'll check it out.

Update: I added to cart and proceeded to checkout, unfortunately it odes not ship to my address. Great deal for you guys in the Cont.-US though, $116 +$33 shipping:
http://www.amazon.com/Alpine-SWR-12D...4887229&sr=1-1

Here man, $17.50 shipping to Honolulu! (I was about to give up, too )

http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00...=AO3YTZ6BCMVCB

[bmw325i]

You can also find them on ebay for a good price.

[Route 16]

any sound bit?