# Mach5 Audio: MAW-15 Review



## gleepoy (Aug 19, 2005)

Hi guys,

I just received the driver yesterday. I was quite surprised how well built the driver seems to be; it's much beefier in person than I thought. 

Fit & finish looks great. The basket is finished in a nice glossy mirror black colour. The rubber gasket and magnet boot look great as well.

I was surprised to see that there is venting underneath the spider, which is a nice touch. The tinsel leads are very thick and are woven into the spider...so no need to worry about tinsel lead slap.

The push terminals are very sturdy, but could have been bigger as to allow 12 gauge wiring to fit more easily.

The test enclosure is a 2.5cf ported enclosure with a 25Hz tuning which I previously built for an IDQ15 v.2. With 1000 watts from an older Rockford bd1000a1, peak vent velocity is ~30m/s @ 20Hz...which should be acceptable.


*Subjective Listening* 

I have only had about 20 minutes seat time with this driver on my way to work this morning. I want to reserve my thoughts until I have more time with the driver. But what I can say so far is that I am very impressed.

I'll post more comments later.


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## jearhart (Jul 28, 2006)

waiting anxiously to hear your thoughts


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## legend94 (Mar 15, 2006)

jearhart said:


> waiting anxiously to hear your thoughts


x2


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## Sephiroth619 (Jun 24, 2005)

I swear, the IDMAX has the most gorgeous ass.


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## newtitan (Mar 7, 2005)

im interested in this review too? they are so darn cheap lol, and they model at 1.5 cu ft sealed (Bass Box Pro) for the 15 WHOA.


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## gleepoy (Aug 19, 2005)

Hi guys,

I’m sorry that it took so long for an update. 










After almost a solid week with the driver, from an SQ perspective I think this driver sounds wonderful! As soon as I fired it up, I immediately had a bit of déjà vu. To ME, it tonally sounds incredibly similar to the IDQ15v.2 in the same enclosure. 

_Something to keep in mind: when comparing it to the IDQ15v.2, I am going by solely by memory. While I no longer have the IDQ to directly compare it to the MAW-15, I ran the IDQ15 for several years._

In comparing the 2 drivers in the same enclosure, the IDQ15v.2 seems to do a bit better in the upper bass freqs, while the MAW-15 has a bit weightier bottom-end. I tried several x-over points and slopes. If need be, the driver sounds great even when cross-over high.

I tried all the genres of music I could think of…including some genres I don’t listen to. The MAW-15 in the test enclosure in my Jeep does well with pretty much any music. Whether producing long lingering bass notes or quick double bass notes in some trance music, it seems to have a very nice balance of “meat” and “speed”. In this config, it didn’t reveal much if any peakiness in tonality.

However with one or two rap tracks, I had to take the sub down a touch…the bass was just a bit too intense to sound natural to me. But I don’t really listen to rap, so I’m not very familiar with the genre.

That being said, when I had the IDQ15v.2, ultimately I preferred them sealed. I suspect that I would prefer the MAW-15 sealed as well. HOWEVER, I firmly believe that most (if not all) people would prefer the tonality of the MAW-15 in a ported enclosure.

The IDQ15v.2 and the IDQ series in general have largely been “Love-it or Hate-it” subs. Tonality-wise the IDQ15v.2 and MAW-15 would most likely be characterized as “punchy or quick”. In a sealed enclosure, I believe many might call it “dry”. However in the test enclosure, I am confident that most people will be quite impressed with its SQ performance…without factoring price. When you factor in price, IMO it’s a clear winner. I don’t know of another driver it the same price range that’ll out perform it.

For pure SPL, I believe you could probably do better. IMO, it’ll do much better in an SQ app. In terms of sheer output ability, I’m not sure. I’m sure that I didn’t come close to sending it the 1000 watts I had available though. But what I can say is that I pushed the driver hard enough to cause ringing in my ears, not to mention the splitting headaches. While driving the sub to that level, it didn’t seem to stress the driver at all.

To sum up…the very notion that I’m comparing it to the IDQ15v.2 is high praise. It’s a wonderful driver. 
- Good built quality,
- good SQ performance,
- low price, 
- small box requirement, 
- decent looks, and 
- decent output potential

With so many good things going for it, it easily gets my thumbs-ups. 

Will it be replacing my IDMAXv.3? No. But it's going to make a great Christmas gift!


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## jearhart (Jul 28, 2006)

wow, comparing to the sq of an IDQ that is awsome. really glad to hear you like it


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## Aaron Clinton (Oct 17, 2006)

*nice review*


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## mrogowski (Jul 7, 2006)

Hi Gary,

Thanks for posting that. Its unfortunate (but fortunate for the one receiving the Xmas gift) that you didn't have more time to play the unit. It really begins to open up after ~30 hours.

I like your box. Is that paint or a vinyl?

Best,
Mark


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## ArcL100 (Jun 17, 2005)

I can never google the website for MachV, anyone know that offhand?

Nice review 

-aaron


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## MiniVanMan (Jun 28, 2005)

http://www.mach5audio.com/


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## |Tch0rT| (May 7, 2005)

<EDIT>

LOL didn't see there was a second page...

Ryan


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## lv_v (Aug 24, 2005)

Your kidding, $68????? Wow, may have to get a pair just to play with for my room


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## gleepoy (Aug 19, 2005)

mrogowski said:


> Its unfortunate (but fortunate for the one receiving the Xmas gift) that you didn't have more time to play the unit. It really begins to open up after ~30 hours.
> 
> I like your box. Is that paint or a vinyl?
> 
> ...


Hi Mark,

I forgot to talk about driver break-in. Before this, I didn't really believe in driver break-in. To date, only the Orion HCCA significantly improved after break-in. However with the MAW-15, the difference was quite noticeable. Although I don't have 30 hours on them, I think they're pretty broken in. I exercised the suspension very well running all sorts of sine sweeps free-air.

Also, I won't be giving to driver up until later on in the month, so I still have quite a bit of time with it.

Thanks for the compliment on the finish. It's a tar-based truck bed liner. Because it's just a test enclosure, I wanted to find something that was quick and easy. The stuff is very thick and rubbery, so it hides imperfections well and is durable. I imagine that it serves to dampen the enclosure somewhat too.


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## mrogowski (Jul 7, 2006)

That's a good idea actually. I like the way it blends in with the sub. I suppose it would be resistant to bumps and scratches as well...


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## Ga foo 88 (Dec 18, 2005)

Great review, the 10s seem so tempting to try out...


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## fhl (Sep 20, 2006)

Nice review! Does anyone know how much power this driver needs? I have an Orion 225HCCA amp which I want to use for a sub. It puts out 200W bridged in 2 ohm. So far, the IDQ-range has been an interesting option.

Frode


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## mrogowski (Jul 7, 2006)

The unit is rated for 500 watts RMS.

Best,
Mark


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## newtitan (Mar 7, 2005)

very nice [email protected]!!


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## Puggsley456 (Dec 6, 2006)

I will second the quality of these drivers. I have been very impressed by them since getting 2 of them installed. Absolutelly incredible for the price!


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## ArcL100 (Jun 17, 2005)

Would they work IB?

-aaron


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## Wild Child (Feb 16, 2006)

ArcL100 said:


> Would they work IB?
> 
> -aaron


yes, I'd try and fit the 18's though if possible.


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## mrogowski (Jul 7, 2006)

They should be fine provided you watch the power you feed them and the excursion. Expect a lower power ahndling when goin with this config.

Best,
Mark


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## Beau (Oct 8, 2005)

mrogowski said:


> They should be fine provided you watch the power you feed them and the excursion. Expect a lower power ahndling when goin with this config.
> 
> Best,
> Mark


Mark, 

I bet you could sell a flat zillion of your products if the shipping costs to those of us in the US could somehow be reduced. 

Based on what I've read, I (for one) would jump all over a few.

Beau


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## jearhart (Jul 28, 2006)

Beau said:


> Mark,
> 
> I bet you could sell a flat zillion of your products if the shipping costs to those of us in the US could somehow be reduced.
> 
> ...


 even with shipping they cost half of what anything comparible does.

when i got my 18 in the preorder it cost me $45 for the sub and $45 for shipping, which is $90 for an 18, hell if the thing works at all that is a good price.


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## Aaron Clinton (Oct 17, 2006)

*SoundSolutionsAudio will be a US dealer for Mach5. Initial order will be made soon.*


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