# PPI ART SQ series A8SQ Review



## rexroadj (Oct 31, 2008)

Ok so I have had these things in there boxes in my living room for about a week plus now....There not super woofers or anything like that. They are basic non-pressed paper cones, stamped baskets, and foam surrounds with a cool copper dust cap. I personally laugh pretty hard at the people that get all dumb about the cosmetic make up of subs...I want them to last and work, thats about it! Cast baskets dont mean JACK for all those that were all up in arms about it on other threads.....Your clearly just looking for a reason to try and poo poo something you have never seen or touched. They worked great years ago and there is no reason why they still wont. The other things to keep in mind is the extremely low retail price, the extremely low power rating, and what its for! This is not an spl machine nor is it advertised as such! 

Now I will also add my take on subwoofers.....I am very confident I can get almost any woofer to sound great with a little time in building, installing and if needed processing. I personally dont like to have to go through hoops to make something work. I prefer to do a little more research and spend a little more money to make it easier to work/fit in. I LOVE 8"s and have owned TONS of them. I couldnt resist trying out an old school designed sub with a low price point designed for nothing but great sound. I have my doubts about it but figured what the hell....I'll be that guy! 

After talking with Grizz about these puppies I opted to shoot for a ported box of 1.5 ported to 28hz (he suggested 25hz and has had great success with this in his jeep) This is going in as a center console with the port facing the dash. I partially finished the box last night and ran a sample run for about an hour. I have to carpet it, and do a few more final touches to the box prior to mounting it. I had it running at 4ohms off my Nakamichi 1500.1 (450ish at 4ohms). I had the gains almost all the way down till the box was finished and nice and tightly mounted. The first thing I noticed was how transparent and natural sounding these things were. The played insanely low without any effort at all and blended perfect. The thing that I was most concerned with was volume. I like things super loud....not so much bass volume but well blended volume and my component set is running off of a bridged Human Reign 4channel (500x2) and they are SUPER CLEAR AND LOUD! AWESOME! (jbl gti608mkII for the record) I plan on adding a second Human Reign to run subs and if I go 3way or rears with the ms-8. Long story short is for me the volume was FINE! I will say they will not take a ton of power but to me thats a good thing, running a nice four channel amp (ref 4.920) running a set of components and two 8s or a five channel amp and you would have a well balanced inexpensive quality sounding setup (box depending of course I will get more detailed when I get the box in and get time to really play. I have been waiting to find something to replace my favorite sub because I would like to retire it to home use (nakamich spw-1200d) 

Stay tuned for more details! So far so good though!


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## rimshot (May 17, 2005)

Wow, thank you very much for the review, I didn't even now these were out!


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## TREETOP (Feb 11, 2009)

rexroadj said:


> ...They are basic pressed paper cones, *cast basket*, and foam surrounds with a cool copper dust cap.


The one in your pic looks like a stamped basket, with a wrinkle paint coating.


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## rexroadj (Oct 31, 2008)

Correct! I meant stamped...Thanks! (edited) The paint is not wrinkle or anything. Must just be the camera.


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## Oliver (Jun 25, 2007)

Very nice !


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## Dev-1 (Apr 4, 2009)

sounds like interesting sub for the future. was there any talks about how would it play sealed?


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## rexroadj (Oct 31, 2008)

Dev-1 said:


> sounds like interesting sub for the future. was there any talks about how would it play sealed?


I actually never got that far....When discussing with Grizz about my particular needs and setup we both agreed that ported was going to be my best bet. I never even asked him what his results were in the sealed arena. I am sure at some point I can scrap together some sort of box and try it out sealed and give my 1 cent on it. I dont know what kind of volume you would be able to get out of it so a pair might be limited to pickup or small hatch or something like that.....But Grizz would be the guy to ask.


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## ChrisB (Jul 3, 2008)

Great review! I am looking forward to hearing how you like it with different genres of music.


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## Grizz Archer (Apr 3, 2009)

rexroadj said:


> I actually never got that far....When discussing with Grizz about my particular needs and setup we both agreed that ported was going to be my best bet. I never even asked him what his results were in the sealed arena. I am sure at some point I can scrap together some sort of box and try it out sealed and give my 1 cent on it. I dont know what kind of volume you would be able to get out of it so a pair might be limited to pickup or small hatch or something like that.....But Grizz would be the guy to ask.


The 8" and 12" will both work in sealed enclosures. However, when dealing with a small sub, a vented enclosure is not too big. A really good 8" in a vented enclosure can in many cases outperform a 10" in a sealed enclosure with both boxes beiung the same size.

The basket uses a fine wrinkle powder coating.

And the cone is non-pressed with the lumpy backside...


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## rexroadj (Oct 31, 2008)

Thanks for the details Grizz! I think these things are great little performers thus far. I hope to be able to get some time to get them in full time and really listen to them. Yeah I should have been more clear as far as the paint on the basket. It is a powder coat. Its pretty fine though. And I dont know why I said pressed..... It is clearly a NON-Pressed paper cone! I will edit above. I must have been having some serious brain farts!


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## rexroadj (Oct 31, 2008)

ok, too late to edit!


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## luffy (Jul 15, 2010)

thank you very much for the review.


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## rexroadj (Oct 31, 2008)

Ok people, I had a chance to test the piss out of these little boys today! I had a blast Before anyone jumps to conclusions about me being a ppi/soundstream/epsilon/grizz fanboy this will not be all great news! (although grizz is the man!)

I had built a box that was 1.5 tuned to 25hz per Grizz's recommendation. I had it running off both a nakamichi pa-1500 at 4 ohms and then off a soundstream human reign with two of the 4 channels bridged to them. Each setup was pretty much the same power so I wont get into that at all. This is all about the subs! The box sits with the port facing the dash on the right side (passanger side) and down firing. There was a problem with my measuring and where the brackets for the console lined up so I had to up fire it with the port on the driverside (I temporarily set it up with the original intentions just to see if there was any difference and there was not).

I started off with some of the usual suspects to see how these things would sound/respond. I started off with the dvd version of the eagles hell freezes over and did the usual hotel california thing. We all know the bass in the begining of that song is super pronounced and should be moderately tight with a little hang on each beat. These subs did it as well as any other I have had in my truck (it would be easier to name the ones I have not used) It was as tight and responsive as it was intended. I will say this about these 8's that I will say many more times in writing this.....They play insanely low and are as detailed as anything else out there. I went on to different things to see what kind of work out I could give them and see if I could get them to fail me musicaly. I tried some Dave Mathews acoustic "the maker" where there isnt much by way of actual bass but your subs still have some important information to display. These really excelled in this department! I am assuming its because they dont have any "BOOM" to them. They were all business, I really liked that! Next I played some Dave Mathews live cover of SLEDGEHAMMER I absolutely love this cover and cannot play it loud enough. Again the subs performed extremely well but they failed to continue to play with my component set. Now this is not a flaw in the subs, they are 8s and are not supposed to handle more then a couple hundred watts each. I have 500+ watts to each side of my components, they F'ing ROCK! Up until most peoples threshold they were great. Fast attack, accurate, and detailed every step of the way!

I decided to go next to something that is also great loud but has some very unique sounds to it. VAN HALEN!!! Dont worry I listend to both david lee and sammy (without starting a discussion I prefer sammy!) A great deal of there songs had some great intros that were great tests for subs. Try it next time your out, you'll see what I mean! They again sounded great with rock and never did something they shouldnt but yet did everything very well. If I was not looking at them I would not have guessed they were 8s the way they handle the extreme low frequencys. I went on to some old school dre, snoop, warren g, and new school eminem to see what they could and could not handle.....I have to admit I had some real fun with those!!!! These subs really pounded but again could not keep up with the components. I could keep going and going with the components and they would just laugh at me. The subs went as far as possible (well within most people's limits by the way) but again they are low powered 8s that were meant for sq, not breaking windows. I also think that a higher ported box would make a large difference in this as well but I will get into my opinion on all that in my summary!

I listened to a lot more then just what I wrote about but I am not going to bore people with every song I listened to. I ended with my absolute favorite artist......JAMEY JOHNSON He is darker, badder and more old school country then the originals. I hold this mans work near and dear to me because as a part time (not sure what that part means?) country writer I am amazed by his writing talents as well as his dark and rough way of putting it out there. There, in my opinion is no one else like him now or ever. I think even the likes of Cash and Waylon, etc..... would say "thats a bad ass mtf" Anyway........back to the review. He has a lot of insanely low bass lines in his music (to add to the dark feel of his music/his sound) as well as the typical kick. I figure if it will sound great on this stuff I will be super happy as this is what I tend to listen to most (lets call it a learning experience).
It was AWESOME! They blended with everything else in the truck to a frigging T! The lows were low and not boomy, they picked right up where the mids leave off. I thoroughly enjoyed this part of the session. 

I also listened more to the "crazy hear" soundtrack. Again there is a TON of upright bass in this and its very pronounced and rustic (LOVE THIS SOUNDTRACK) I really thought that with the way the subs handled some of the other super bassy stuff (not keeping up) that I would not be able to play this soundtrack very much at all, especially at any sort of real listening level.....I WAS DEAD WRONG! Again it did everything it was supposed to and not a damn thing more. 

It is very very clear that these were exactly as advertised. Simple, no nonsense low powered sq subs. For the price they are a steal. I know there are other subs that are also great at a similar price point BUT your gonna need more power to get them to do as much and the still may not sound as great. I think they should redo the famous 8" sub shoot out. I would like to see which one wins the sq part? I have some crystal cmps on tap? anyone else got the rest  I will be completely honest...They will not get super loud and you really cant push them. They also clearly say so! They sound great without a doubt and for the $ I think they will fit in with a lot of systems out there....Think about it? All those 5 channel amps that dont have a ton of power on tap for subs! These will work like a charm...OR better yet a high powered 4 channel where two channels are for fronts and you can use the other two for the pair of eights either 2ohm a channel or bridged to a 4ohm load! I would really really like to try the 12" version as I think this would fit my needs a little better. While I have the box built I am going to try my favorite sub of all time in this ported setup....just my luck it wants 1.5 ported to 28hz....I cut the port! If it doesnt make me have a super **** eating grin then I will continue to use these 8s. For me and my daily listening they will surely fit the bill. I require the right amount of bass not extra. I just do so at a very high decible level! I would give these subs a try if you need some great sounding moderate level bass on a budget (not a ton to spend on power). I would not bother with them sealed as I think you would loose WAY to much volume. Although I bet they would sound flawless! I will probably give them another shot at 28hz and see what if any difference there is. In this setup there were 0 peaks and flat as could be!

WOULD LOVE TO TRY 4 OF THESE BABIES PORTED!!!!!


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## rexroadj (Oct 31, 2008)

Well I did give them a whirl at 28hz and I got some more volume although it still doesnt seem "peaky" at all. I would recommend not going much lower then this depending on your vehicle, location, rest of system, etc...... They do sound incredibly nice without a doubt! I put my 12 in ported to 28 and am really enjoying that right now. I am not going to use the 8s so they will be up for sale soon. If not then I might put them in the house...They might be great for that!


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## roxj01 (Nov 22, 2009)

pm me when youre ready to let them go


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## rexroadj (Oct 31, 2008)

PM sent!


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## EricP72 (Mar 23, 2008)

hey grizz would these 8" be suitable for midbass duty in a sealed door pod? i'm toying with the idea of using the PPI PC3.65C set but using these 8" drivers instead of the 6.5" driver. if they could be used how much air space sealed would they require? and i'm not opposed to using polyfill. for reference i have 2 boston spg555 for sub duty soi wont cross the ppi drivers lower than 60hz.


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## Grizz Archer (Apr 3, 2009)

rexroadj said:


> Well I did give them a whirl at 28hz and I got some more volume although it still doesnt seem "peaky" at all. I would recommend not going much lower then this depending on your vehicle, location, rest of system, etc...... They do sound incredibly nice without a doubt! I put my 12 in ported to 28 and am really enjoying that right now. I am not going to use the 8s so they will be up for sale soon. If not then I might put them in the house...They might be great for that!


There would never be a reason to go lower than this. I tuned it that low because I have no roof or doors on my Jeep and I needed the bottom end. Alot of people tune 8" all the way up to 50Hz. You may want to try a tuning around 38Hz ish. More output and really "punchy"...


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## Grizz Archer (Apr 3, 2009)

manish said:


> hey grizz would these 8" be suitable for midbass duty in a sealed door pod? i'm toying with the idea of using the PPI PC3.65C set but using these 8" drivers instead of the 6.5" driver. if they could be used how much air space sealed would they require? and i'm not opposed to using polyfill. for reference i have 2 boston spg555 for sub duty soi wont cross the ppi drivers lower than 60hz.


Have not tried it in all honesty. They truly are a sub, but you may be able to pull it off. I typically would want a lighter cone,but I already know that a bunch of people will use them from midbass when they can fit them. .4 ft^3 will give you an F3 of 50.18 without damping. I would suggest damping to smooth our response a bit and eliminate any potential "hollowy" sound... .25 ft^3 will also work if you are tight for space. But with the smalley enclosure you will have alot of acoustic spring, requiring more power. A larger overdamped enclosure will yield better transient response, imho...


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## rexroadj (Oct 31, 2008)

Grizz Archer said:


> There would never be a reason to go lower than this. I tuned it that low because I have no roof or doors on my Jeep and I needed the bottom end. Alot of people tune 8" all the way up to 50Hz. You may want to try a tuning around 38Hz ish. More output and really "punchy"...


I figured as much.... I had already spent so much time with the box that I didnt keep trying it out....I was to amazed at how low these puppies would play! My jaw dropped every other song! You werent kidding though, they are true sq performers all day long! Great pairing to the 3way set. You can have a full well blended system running off just a 4 channel amp. JOB WELL DONE! this is what the industry is really calling for (in my opinion of course)
Thanks for chiming in and providing mo' better details!


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## Grizz Archer (Apr 3, 2009)

BTW, we just launched the bare PPI website today, it will grow alot over time, but we needs even something basic for now so people can see the new products well and know we are trying hard to develop and grow the line properly... What do you guys think so far?


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## fertigaudio (Jul 18, 2010)

I was looking at doing these in an install for my wife. I don't need a crap ton of bass in her car like I do mine. I am planning a coming home party for me and guess what is going to be on the guest list... The kids and my wife all hold their ears the way I play the bass.

Did you take pics of the enclosures, install, etc? I see you sent someone a PM about them did you sell them alreay, I read your review and from it I got the feeling you were going to hold on to them. 

Thanks for the review.


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## rexroadj (Oct 31, 2008)

I didnt take any pics of the enclosures since they were console test pieces and not much to look at. I did sell them. I really dont need stuff hanging around at this point. I did like them very much and for the $ I could buy a new set if I really wanted. Def. toss a set in the wifes car! WELCOME HOME!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! (when you get here of course)


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## fertigaudio (Jul 18, 2010)

rexroadj said:


> I didnt take any pics of the enclosures since they were console test pieces and not much to look at. I did sell them. I really dont need stuff hanging around at this point. I did like them very much and for the $ I could buy a new set if I really wanted. Def. toss a set in the wifes car! WELCOME HOME!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! (when you get here of course)


Home is quite some time away, around this fall.


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## rexroadj (Oct 31, 2008)

Well hopefully it will come sooner then later although I'm sure not soon enough! Be safe, and thanks for doing what you do!


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## Darth SQ (Sep 17, 2010)

rexroadj said:


> Ok people, I had a chance to test the piss out of these little boys today! I had a blast Before anyone jumps to conclusions about me being a ppi/soundstream/epsilon/grizz fanboy this will not be all great news! (although grizz is the man!)
> 
> I had built a box that was 1.5 tuned to 25hz per Grizz's recommendation. I had it running off both a nakamichi pa-1500 at 4 ohms and then off a soundstream human reign with two of the 4 channels bridged to them. Each setup was pretty much the same power so I wont get into that at all. This is all about the subs! The box sits with the port facing the dash on the right side (passanger side) and down firing. There was a problem with my measuring and where the brackets for the console lined up so I had to up fire it with the port on the driverside (I temporarily set it up with the original intentions just to see if there was any difference and there was not).
> 
> ...


Very helpul.
Did you ever try the A.12SQ?
Would love to hear about it.
Thx,
Bret
PPI-ART COLLECTOR


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## rexroadj (Oct 31, 2008)

I did not try the sq12. If I could fit one ported I would do it in a heart beat! 
I failed %100 with the 8s install. They are clearly some absolutely amazing sounding woofers and done properly will yield amazing results and can only expect the same from the 12" version! Grizz and the boys really did a fantastic job with this line. I only wish I could have done them justice in my truck rather then in the house. If you want pure sq then these are absolutely the ticket!


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## Darth SQ (Sep 17, 2010)

rexroadj said:


> I did not try the sq12. If I could fit one ported I would do it in a heart beat!
> I failed %100 with the 8s install. They are clearly some absolutely amazing sounding woofers and done properly will yield amazing results and can only expect the same from the 12" version! Grizz and the boys really did a fantastic job with this line. I only wish I could have done them justice in my truck rather then in the house. If you want pure sq then these are absolutely the ticket!


Thanks for the thumbs up endorsement.
I will likely be running three a.12sq subs.
I will post later on this year when I get to that point.
Just wish I could hear a set beforehand.
Oh well, the price is right.
Bret
PPI-ART COLLECTOR


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## The_Grimy_One (May 9, 2011)

SO you are really liking those JBLs? I heard they were muddy, but I am assuming its because they are power hungry. Lol. Most people who really like them are throwing 300 or more watts per side at them. 

Thanks for the review and your opinions.


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## rexroadj (Oct 31, 2008)

The_Grimy_One said:


> SO you are really liking those JBLs? I heard they were muddy, but I am assuming its because they are power hungry. Lol. Most people who really like them are throwing 300 or more watts per side at them.
> 
> Thanks for the review and your opinions.


Are you refering to the JBL GTI608s? If so, YES I absolutely loved them. I dont think I could ever imagine getting a better set of comps in that price range. I am in the midst of going all brax right now but with the more detailed/heavy duty install I am planning (new door pods specifically) I still think about how much fun I could be having with that set right now
Muddy? Not a farts chance in a wind storm. If they are muddy, or tweets bright then someone is lacking install or power or something else. Its surely not the comps fault. Gotta do it right, and if you do, your gonna be real happy
I ran upwards of 500 at times and they laughed at me the whole time. 300 is great for them! VERY dynamic


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## The_Grimy_One (May 9, 2011)

rexroadj said:


> Are you refering to the JBL GTI608s? If so, YES I absolutely loved them. I dont think I could ever imagine getting a better set of comps in that price range. I am in the midst of going all brax right now but with the more detailed/heavy duty install I am planning (new door pods specifically) I still think about how much fun I could be having with that set right now
> Muddy? Not a farts chance in a wind storm. If they are muddy, or tweets bright then someone is lacking install or power or something else. Its surely not the comps fault. Gotta do it right, and if you do, your gonna be real happy
> I ran upwards of 500 at times and they laughed at me the whole time. 300 is great for them! VERY dynamic


Wow, thats insane, especially since they cost only about $250 or so. I just picked up a HAT Clarus set, but will consider selling them, to save some money, since I got them for pretty cheap. I do not have that kind of amp power for my front stage right now. I have an Autotek BTS 7300, just got it back from Zed. It should give close to 200 a side. I may consider going active and will pick up a smaller Autotek BTS to run my tweets, but thats for a later time, and I must track down an active deck. 

Thanks again.


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## rexroadj (Oct 31, 2008)

200 will do the trick as well.... I have not heard the clarus set but I hear its a real performer!!!
Running active with 200per mid and something smaller to run the tweets would be PERFECT! 
There are lots of great sets out there....It all depends on what your setup consists of, mounting locations, power, musical preference etc....... I would do what you can with the clarus first..... If your not thrilled after exausting all methods of tuning/install, then look else where but that set seems more then capable?

Happy Listening!


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## Darth SQ (Sep 17, 2010)

rexroadj said:


> 200 will do the trick as well.... I have not heard the clarus set but I hear its a real performer!!!
> Running active with 200per mid and something smaller to run the tweets would be PERFECT!
> There are lots of great sets out there....It all depends on what your setup consists of, mounting locations, power, musical preference etc....... I would do what you can with the clarus first..... If your not thrilled after exausting all methods of tuning/install, then look else where but that set seems more then capable?
> 
> Happy Listening!


I am going to resurrect this thread because I am bouncing around the idea of adding two A8.sq 8s in a custom center console-box assy in the front ever since you mentioned it to me in my thread. The 8s will add to the existing 3 a12.sq 12s going in the back.
BTW, this build I am doing just seems to get bigger and bigger.
Anyway, what I would like to know is how you mounted these 2 8s downfired and ported towards the dash in a truck.
If you have pics, great!
If not, can you describe it so I can have a good starting point.
Also, how much spacing below the console did you allow for the 8s between them and the floor?
All details you offer will be greatly appreciated and put to good use. 
Thx,
Bret
PPI-ART COLLECTOR


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## rexroadj (Oct 31, 2008)

Well here is the box with two type R 8s.... Its not the prettiest thing in the world but its functional as all hell Its a work truck and the bedliner coating is GREAT!
Its tuned to 34hz and is 1.4cuft internal. Dont mind the holster for my 45
Its a big carry gun and that little setup has been a great addition! It also keeps the mechanic honest

I would say the spacing to from the sub to floor is about about 1.5"s or maybe 2"s in some spots

My box for the art 8s was the same size but I mistakingly made it for 27hz or so? It was WAY to low, I know that.....They would ROCK in this box! Still easily some of the BEST sounding 8s I have ever heard. Musical as all hell! and could get super low without any effort whats o ever. 
Hope this helps? Feel free to ask anything if I missed something! KEEP ME POSTED WITH THE BUILD!!!!!!!!!! I think your setup is going to sound astounding!


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## Darth SQ (Sep 17, 2010)

rexroadj said:


> Well here is the box with two type R 8s.... Its not the prettiest thing in the world but its functional as all hell Its a work truck and the bedliner coating is GREAT!
> Its tuned to 34hz and is 1.4cuft internal. Dont mind the holster for my 45
> Its a big carry gun and that little setup has been a great addition! It also keeps the mechanic honest
> 
> ...


Thanks for stepping up with the pics.
I am really liking the downfiring design.
What kind of truck does this box fit into?
Why only one port but two 8s?
Looking forward to your response.

Bret
PPI-ART COLLECTOR


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## rexroadj (Oct 31, 2008)

PPI-ART COLLECTOR said:


> Thanks for stepping up with the pics.
> I am really liking the downfiring design.
> What kind of truck does this box fit into?
> Why only one port but two 8s?
> ...


This is for a ram quad cab. 
The port is designed for the box regardless of the amount of drivers. I had a single ten (g5) in the same box design before the 8s. The 8s are also sharing the space, they are not seperated in any way.

If you want to see some sick center consoles look at Clineselects build on here http://www.diymobileaudio.com/forum/diyma-member-build-logs/13527-dodge-ram-install-thread.html One of the best threads on this forum (imo). He was my inspiration for giving this a go. He has done some amazing things with a center console and fit things that just didnt seem remotely possible


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## Darth SQ (Sep 17, 2010)

rexroadj said:


> This is for a ram quad cab.
> The port is designed for the box regardless of the amount of drivers. I had a single ten (g5) in the same box design before the 8s. The 8s are also sharing the space, they are not seperated in any way.
> 
> If you want to see some sick center consoles look at Clineselects build on here http://www.diymobileaudio.com/forum/diyma-member-build-logs/13527-dodge-ram-install-thread.html One of the best threads on this forum (imo). He was my inspiration for giving this a go. He has done some amazing things with a center console and fit things that just didnt seem remotely possible


Absolutely perfect attention to detail!
Wow.
Thanks for the link.

Bret
PPI-ART COLLECTOR


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## rexroadj (Oct 31, 2008)

That guy is amazing!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! I would kill to be able to have 1/16th of his ability 
He makes it seem like ANYTHING is possible in a center console!


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## Vitty (Feb 26, 2011)

Wonder how 4 of the 12's would sound? Each would have 1.5 cu. ft of airspace.


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## DAT (Oct 8, 2006)

Vitty said:


> Wonder how 4 of the 12's would sound? Each would have 1.5 cu. ft of airspace.


did you just buy some zuki audio 12's ?


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## Vitty (Feb 26, 2011)

No they are HSU ASW-1203's


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