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2nd gen Toyota Sequoia

• stock JBL Navi HU
• JL LoC-22
• JL 500/1V2

• gain set slightly below the 9 o’clock position
• Infrasonic freq is set to 25Hz
• Q is set to 1.6
• Center freq is set to 45Hz
• Slope is set to 24dB
• LPF is set to 80Hz

• JL 12W3V3-4
• Ported enclosure (LAB OEM-Spec™ 1.75 ft^3 Ported MDF Enclosure for Single JL Audio 12W3v3 Subwoofer)

I was looking to add a single 12″ to get that tight punch thump bass I can feel at low / moderate volume. While I got bass, it’s more boomy than punchy even at low volume. I don’t know how else to explain it other than I hear the bass booming in my ears more than I feel the punch in my body if that makes sense. I had a band pass box back in the early 2000s and this is what it reminds me of. Just boomy obnoxious bass for the sake of loudness. From the sound of the boominess you would think you would feel the bass just as hard but you don’t. It’s very annoying!

I’ve tried adjusting the amps settings up and down and tried adjusting the LOCs gain but nothing has helped. I even used the front speakers instead of the rears for the LOC but it didn’t change a thing. I tried lowering the HUs bass and it helps with the boominess but the overall bass disappears too and you wouldn’t even know I had a 12″ sub in the back which defeats the purpose of this project!?

The factory HU volume goes up to 62 and starts to clip at 55-56. I set the gain on the LOC with a 0dB 50Hz test tone and I set the amp’s gain with a -10dB 50Hz test tone with the HU’s volume on 47 because the loudest I usually listen to is around 30-40 depending on the song and if the windows are down. I found clipping and with the gain set how it is now the sub is no where near clipping, I have headroom to spare. If I turn the volume up to 40-45 I can feel the bass but the boominess also go up too and the volume of the words is really too loud to be enjoyable at that level. I’m looking to feel the bass at low to moderate listening levels.

I know this is not a fair comparison but I have a 400w RMS 15″ sub in a ported box for my HT and playing the same songs on my phone the bass sounds so perfect, not overly boomy but you can feel the bass in your body. The bass thumps and goes to the next note, it doesn’t hang like an echo reverberating. I don’t have to turn the volume up overly loud to accomplish that either. It will shake all the windows in my house and everything on the walls and the kitchen cabinets but the bass does not sound overly boomy at all.

I’m at a loss. I’ve had several setups over the years from a band pass box to a few sealed enclosures (all single 12″ and 1 dual 8″ setup) and the enclosures were always in the trunk but I never experienced this before. Is it because the enclosure is not in a trunk and the open air from the SUVs cabin is making it reverberate like this? I don’t want to start throwing good money after bad money but If I went with a sealed box with JLs specs would that give me the bass I’m looking for or is this boomy bass just the nature of a large SUV interior?