Infinite Baffle/fee air sub in the kick panel

[cachais]

I found a screaming deal a while back on a rockford fosgate marine IB sub and would love to throw it in the kick panel, but posts on this site about subs in the kick panel make me nervous even though the negative posts using the kick panel were non ib subs. Wondering if anyone has experience with placing an Infinite Baffle/free air sub in the kick panel or know if that would make a significant difference over a non ib sub?



specs to my sub
http://www.rockfordfosgate.com/products/product_details.asp?item_id=112085&locale=en_US

[EarmarkMarine]

Are you talking about a removable panel/facade or are you talking about through the floor hump and into the bilge?

David
Earmark Marine

[moombahighrider]

I am not sure what sort of bass you are looking for, but I believe it will leave you wanting more, imo. I have an IB sub in the kick, and for a while it sufficed, but after one season, I was looking for more. The sealed enclosure option will leave you much more satisfied. It takes more work and money, but your bass response will be that much better as a result.

[cachais]

David, I am referring the kick panel where the driver rests their feet. I think it does open to the bilge area but I am not sure. Is that the problem?
Thanks for the response moombahighrider.

[jmvotto]

i have a non ib in the kick panel a polk momo 10" seems plenty for me with the ws420 or a bass knob on your amp. if i did not get such a steal on ebay i would get the JL IB 10" for the oem spot. my. 02

[EarmarkMarine]

cashais,
As stated above by two different members an infinite baffle sub may or may not be enough to satisfy you long term. One was not satisfied and one is satisfied and this can be for several different reasons.
The overall size of your system, if a monster, can exceed the abilities of an IB set up. It has limits if you use boost or play the bass at very high levels.
Some boat owners want bass that is more balanced with the fullrange and some are looking for a more dominant bass experience. Both are correct when its right for you.
I see very few IB woofer set ups executed correctly in that a) the woofer isn't totally isolated front to rear, b) the system isn't tuned correctly for the higher inherent resonance of an IB woofer, c) the baffle, or mounting surface, is not rigid enough, and d) the wrong type of woofer is used in an infinite baffle application.
So assuming that you do not have a removable panel and we are referencing the angled floor hump, then this is what you need to know before committing and making the opening.
Boats don't come off the line like Toyotas so there can be differences in the wall thickness of the hump face. The woofer mounting surface must be completely rigid with no degree of flexibility. If its not then you will want to reinforce it with a 3/4" thick carpeted (marine grade only) HDPE or similar panel.
A true 10-inch IB woofer (like the one you have) optimumly requires an enclosure of 2 cu ft minimum up to infinite (like a trunk or attic). So you may want to carve out a little of the immediate floatation foam in the bilge so the sub has the adequate initial space.
The bilge cavity must be totally and acoustically sealed in near proximity to the woofer (an opening six feet away shouldn't matter) so you would want to seal up the openings where the steering cable and wiring pass into the bilge.
If you attend to all those issues and execute this right you will get very good bottom end that will fall just short of a sealed 10-inch woofer at higher volumes.

David
Earmark Marine

[cachais]

thanks for all the information. i have to give this one some thought.