18 out of 18 people found this review helpful.
Disappointment in pairs... MTX
Date of Review: Mar 15, 2007
The Bottom Line: If you are looking to purchase a lower level subwoofer setup, then I would suggest looking elsewhere, as these will surely disappoint.
I have been a HUGE car audio fanatic for the last ten years. Ever since I was capable of driving, I have had a desire to blast my speakers at levels that weren't fit for anyone's ears. This has led to thousands of dollars in purchases, countless maxed out credit cards, and eventually led to a huge interest in the car customization business in general.
Over the last ten years, I have done countless installs on my own vehicles, my friends' vehicles, and customer vehicles after I started up my own customization business in 2000, which eventually would be put out of business, by the economy crushing September 11th. Porous
Since the time September 11th, I have still maintained a great deal of side business, including work done for a local shop on a need basis. I now perform the majority of my installations as more of a hobbyist than for income. This affords me the opportunity to try out the latest equipment and improve the car customization scene within the state of Alaska.
Sound Quality
Personally, I didn't find anything worth ranting about with this particular setup. The MTX Thunder 4500 enclosed box just didn't deliver the quality that I was hoping for. I think that it provided a large improvement over the factory sound quality and clarity, but there was a very limited range of bass that they could produce. I found that the majority of the time, the sound was somewhat distorted, especially when turned up.
As an overall subwoofer setup, these definitely aren't up to par, with speakers by Rockford, Kicker, Pioneer, or even the lower priced Lanzar. I even tried to experiment around with different box styles, sealing, rubberizing, etc. and regardless of what I did, the poor sound was a direct reflection on the speakers themselves and not on the box. While improving the box does make a significant difference, ultimately the speakers are what cause the distortion at somewhat higher loads. They are relatively flawless when used at a general listening level, but when you power them up to jam out, you'll probably be somewhat disappointed. They hit hard, but they just don't produce the crystal clear clarity that you should expect after spending so much on a full sound system.
If you already have an amplifier however, this is a cheap method of obtaining additional bass, but if you have to shell out the cash for an amplifier as well, make sure you just wait until you have the money for good speakers as well.
Durability
MTX makes a quality speaker, that does last for a long period of time, but on these speakers, I just can't see purchasing them in the first place, let alone have them for a long period of time. They just don't have the sound quality to be able to degrade much more. In my experience working with speakers, I have only seen these speakers replaced with better speakers, not replaced with the same. This generally tells me that the speakers just aren't living up to the expectations of the user.
I have replaced more MTX speakers than most other brands, even cheaper ones. In fact, Lanzar and Boss, which are both quite inexpensive, consistently outperform and outlast these particular MTX speakers.
Suggested Sound Improvements
I have a real issue with metal touching wood. Just the thought of it screams with distortion. However, everyone is doing it this way. Why? I couldn't tell you, because there is an easy solution that will make the sound quality substantially better, and it doesn't cost much money either. What I recommend for these speakers and any other one that comes already enclosed is to unscrew the sub from the box, and take rubber tubing, run it around the edge of the sub, and screw the sub back into place. What this does is create a soft barrier between the sub and the box, preventing that minimal distortion. It will give you a much more quality sound and will cost you about $2 to do. It is definitely the best improvement you can make to any box.
The next step that I take is to spray the inside of the box with silicone. Why? Well, fiberboard, is a rather porous box type. Because of this, distortion to some degree is inevitable. By creating a protective layer between the bass and the board, you are able to eliminate some of the shock distortion. You could also use foam, but this deadens your sound somewhat and makes it somewhat muffled. I always suggest the silicone spray. It's a really fine spray, throw on a few layers, and it will give you a little more crispness to your sound.
Finally, if you don't have a port to your box, then my biggest recommendation is to create a small port. A port is essentially just a hole in the box, that allows for better airflow. I generally cut two small holes, as opposed to the single large hole that many shops use. My reasoning behind this, is that if you create two holes, on opposite sides of the box, it creates a similar air flow to that of a HI-C can. With only one hole, the HI-C doesn't pour all that easy, but with a second hole on the opposite side of the can, suddenly it pours out substantially better. Why use one hole if two can force air through better? Now, keep in mind, these two holes have to be relatively small, both only about 1-2" in diameter. If you create them much larger than that, you are defeating the purpose of uses the box to boost the sound. Also, do not port directly out the back of the box, port out the sides. This will create more boom for your buck. Also, make sure that you spray silicone around the edges of the ports so that the sound quality retains it's crispness. You could also throw rubber around the edge, which creates a higher quality sound, just ensure the rubber has no gaps in it or you could create a slight flapping sound as the rubber moves.
Specifications
10" 4-ohm subwoofer
carbon-filled poly cone with foam surround
power range: 50-225 watts RMS
peak power handling: 450 watts
frequency response: 35-150 Hz
sensitivity: 87.6 dB
top-mount depth: 4-5/8"
sealed box volume: 0.6-1.0 cubic feet
ported box volume: 1.25-1.75 cubic feet
Recommended Q-Logic Box Type: 1, 2, 3
warranty: 1 year
Final Thoughts
If you are just looking for a simple set of speakers just to improve the overall quality of sound in your vehicle, and already have all the other equipment, then these speakers will work just fine. However, if you are looking to also hear incredible bass and have the ability to blast your music, you will be sacrificing a lot of clarity by choosing these subs over other brands.
Keep in mind, it's a good starter set, but I'm sure that over time you'll realize that you want something that is substantially better, with a more crisp, quality sound.
