open air sub
 

I am in need of a new sub for my boat. Its not a fancy system. The sub is installed in the passenger side gunnel. I don't want to spend more than a couple of hundred either. What brand do you guys recommend? 10inch 4ohms.

Kicker KMF104

how do these free air subs sounds? throw limited somehow?

They sound better than not having a sub:)

If by "throw", you mean excursion? Take the KMF10 and its small enclosure counterpart, the KM10, both have the same 10.3MM excursion. An infinite-baffle woofer will have similar output as a same sized acoustic-suspension woofer of the same size and driven with the same wattage.

missed the first and most important question. How do the things sound?

if EXCURSION is the same, they move the same amount of air. sound should be comparable to a similarly powered speaker in an ENCLOSURE (box would be too pedestrian for this discussion).

Would you agree Chpthril?

Well this is way out of my scope of knowledge so I am glad I asked. I was looking at a JL Audio MX10IB3-SCR that was $100 more. Will the kicker sound better?

Sound is always subjective, but with the proper woofer, in a proper IB alignment and a quality amp, I think they perform great.

With the MX10I being a retired model, id expect there to be a deep discount from its original MSRP.

i would get this 2 ohm instead. Works fantastic as 4 ohm oem replacement in my g21...

https://creativeaudio.net/xs-10fa-s2v2-kl/

A higher impedance load will result in less amplifier output for that impedance, for example an amplifier will output more power at 2 ohms than at 4 ohms. Amps can generally be safely wired at 4 or 2 ohms and some even at 1 ohm depending on their design.

I tried upgrading my stock, open-air sub. I bought Dyna-mat to line the hull wall etc as well. That lasted about a week before I had an enclosure made and put a real sub in. Once you’ve had a legit sub, it’s hard to go back to anything else.

I hear ya but there would be hole in the side of my boat if I don't replace it. I have thought about adding a bazooka in the ****ter.

What were you trying to solve with dyno-mate? Most issues with IB woofers is installation and tuning. And yes, they are "real" woofers just as those intended for a bass-reflex or Acoustic-suspension alignment.

Yeah, I put the stock one back to fill the hole, but left it disconnected. What kind of boat do you have?

It was five years ago. I remember being advised on Planet Nautique it was a good idea to do that. Something about making everything behind the sub area more solid or rattle free. Doesn’t matter though. I never followed through with that part because the fancy new JL sub didn’t sound much better than the stock Polk.

Since I am old we got a cobalt 296. Got tired of being beat to death on our lake. Kids are getting into boarding now so I may be in the market for another WB boat soon.

personally, i'd put a speaker grille or some sort of covering over the hole in the boat and put a decent sub in a sealed box behind it.

but I totally get the idea behind sticking a replacement speaker in the hole and going on with your life