Help me with my bass cannon project! (Deciding on a subwoofer)

[impossibility]

After typing a good portion of this I realize this will be really long... so bear with me...

Hello I have been trying to research the best set-up i can use for my project but all i can seem to find is a lot of personal opinions and speculation... I really need some good solid advice before i can continue on with my project... I am building a portable stereo system on wheels, it is mostly complete but i feel like I need to upgrade my subwoofer. Currently I am using all Infinity products except for the amp which is a kenwood. Since buying my equipment I have come to the conclusion that Infinity makes good speakers but are limited on their subwoofers and kenwood makes simple amps without much control on how you use them... Now to what I want to do. I want to upgrade my subwoofer but my enclosure is only 1.8-2.0 cubic feet and I REALLY don't want to build another box because this one works so well... Now my problem is i don't know if i want to go to a 15" sub or stay at 12". I am looking at a Rockford fosgate T1d415, which in the instruction manual says will workin in a 1.8 cubic inch sealed box minimum which sounds perfect to me. However I have tried asking local audio shops about a 15 inch sub and one I went to directly insulted me saying i would be dumb to put a 15 in anything smaller than 3 cubic feet. I would think that if Rockford fosgate built the subwoofer they would know what it would work in. However I left that sh*t-hole before I could ask the question I'm asking you guys... would it be wise for me to buy a 15 inch subwoofer and mount it in a 1.8-2.0 cubic foot box or am i better off usinbg a 12" in this space... I will mostly be playing techno music and a little rap and occasional other. The setup i have now will not play the low notes in a song i play. The sub moves A LOT but you can't hear the note, but you can feel it... I didn't know if a 15" sub would hit this note audibly? Please if i can get some real information instead of a lot of personal opinion It would be greatly appreciated!!!

Click to read more...

 

[T3mpest 10+ year member]

1.8 cubes is too small for a 15. Many companies say their subs will work in what is in reality to small of an enclosure so they can get more sales. The shop is right 2.5 to 3 cubes is as small as you want to go for a 15

 

[Milk Mayne 10+ year member]

^^^I'd agree with you if he was talking about a ported enclosure. However, being that you're wanting to use a sealed box, I don't see why your space limitations would be a problem as long as they're going in line with manufacturer's recommendations. There's plenty of 15s out there that can be used in a sealed enclosure. 1.8 cubes isn't even on the small side as far as recommendations go. After a quick search I saw that Alpine says their Type-S 15s can be used in a sealed box as small as 1.2 cubes, and no larger than 2.0. Take from that what you will, but you'll never know until you try it. Also, in my experience, 2 cubes would be far too large for MOST 12s in a sealed application.