# Image Dynamics IDMax 12v3-D4 Review



## typericey

_I know the IDMax is already old news and much has been said about it, but I wrote some thoughts on it during my spare time and decided to post it here for the benefit of those looking for a sub. It was written in a noob-friendly way because the original intention is to put this in my multiply site. So here goes..._

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*Image Dynamics IDMAX 12 D4 Review*

I. Overview

I have used quite a few subwoofers in my 15 years as a car audio enthusiast. The choice of subwoofer depended on the type of setup I had at the time. I had a pair of Bazooka tubes with 4” drivers, a 12” Rockford Fosgate Power Series (already old school phased out and on sale by the time I had them), a JL Audio 10W3v1, a DLS Iridium 15” in a slot ported SPL box, to name a few. Before the IDMax, I was running a PolkMOMO 12-incher in a 1.4 cu.ft. sealed box. It was too tight, stiff and punchy, didn’t go low enough and its low power handling and limiting Xmax was simply inadequate. It was a mediocre sub to say the least. It left me wanting a better performing SQ subwoofer.

I researched for the proverbial and elusive “best 12” sub” for countless hours in online forums and product websites. After a substantial search, I felt the IDMax was right for my needs and usage. I chose it for a 2 major reasons: its high linear excursion capabilities (which assures me of distortion-free bass even in the most demanding and bass heavy music) and its legendary status as simply one of the best sounding subwoofers available today. 

II. Appearance and Build

My Max came in a factory sealed, clean matte white box, and opening it revealed the massive woofer, a single-page laser printed product manual (if you would call it that), another piece of paper with a “Warning! Do not push the cone with your hands…”, and a few stickers. No frills, no hype and all business. Just the way I like it. 

The driver looked very potent and serious. Inspecting it from all angles, I’ve found that the build quality is superb. Aside from a small chip in one of the magnets, the sub is perfect and seemingly built with care and tight tolerances. “Hand assembled in the U.S.A.” is proudly silk-screened at the back plate of the dual stack magnet. 

The nice thing about this sub is that it has its own identity and personality. It uses a proprietary steel basket, not a generic one that you will find in RE, Stereo Integrity, Fi, TC Sounds, DIYMA etc etc. The cone is also unique: the outer part is made of paper with what seems like “combed” fibers. The inner cone, which can be mistaken for a dust cap, is made of metal, maybe aluminum. It acts as a coupler to the black aluminum voice coil former. The Image Dynamics logo is proudly embossed in the middle. In my opinion, the paper and metal cone combination is very handsome, in an old school way. The cone surround is my favorite part. ID calls it “parabolic,” but it is commonly known as high roll or extended roll surround. It’s a dead giveaway to the very high excursion capabilities—27mm one-way linear—of this sleeper sub. Other subwoofers use thick foam which for me is ugly and low-tech looking. Other noticeable design elements are the black progressive spider (not the usual tacky yellow), the woven tinsel leads, and the beefy voice coil that is visibly sticking out of the motor assembly.

III. Listening tests

Eric Stevens, CEO of Image Dynamics, recommends a 1.5 cubic feet sealed box. My installer had a mistake of making a slightly smaller 1.3 cu.ft. box, so I just put fiber stuffing to compensate. Eric also suggests the low pass crossed at 80Hz, 24dB/octave. I wouldn’t dare argue with him so I made that my initial setting. It is rear-firing in a fully sound deadened trunk of a 2007 Civic.

The first CD I listened to is _Norah Jones’ Come Away With Me _which, in my opinion, is one of the best sounding modern recordings, even if it wasn’t intentionally conceived as an audiophile album. Norah Jones for testing a subwoofer? You bet! Come Away With Me has very melodic, musical and articulate bass that is sure to test a sub’s high-fidelity capabilities.

And with extreme fidelity, the IDMax did play! The IDMax is simply the best car audio subwoofer I have ever used. I have never heard a sub play with such grace, accuracy, articulation, texture and musicality. It plays bass as melodic notes, as opposed to muddled, mere low frequency vibrations that inferior subs pump out. It’s also dynamic and fast, without being too stiff. 

The Max will go as low as you want it to without holding back. While lesser subs decrease output as it goes lower, the Max will continue to play with flat response to way below 50Hz. This gave me the feeling that the music that I was listening to is complete, and not missing out on the lowest bass notes. The lower bass may be just a tad thicker than what is natural, but this tiny flaw is very forgivable, and maybe even ideal (if it meets your taste). In playing Norah’s Cold Cold Heart, you can hear the body of the upright acoustic bass vibrating with the string. For me, this sub redefined “low frequency extension.”

The IDMax can be subtle and graceful, but it can also go loud and stay poised! By loud I do not mean pounding the block like some skinhead-oakley-wearing-lowered-civic-driving-adoloscent trying to prove something. I mean the sub can handle bass heavy music such as hip-hop, R&B, electronica and rock with authority and ease. _I played Alice in Chains Unplugged _(which is another “accidental audiophile” recording, by the way) and the sub played the kick drums at a near painful sound pressure levels effortlessly. Looking at the cone movement, it seemed as if the sub was just on cruise control with still a lot of linear excursion to spare! 

Integration is superb. With my system, it has become difficult to tell where the sub stops playing and the midbass drivers begin. The sub can also substantially fool the listener to sounding as if it was playing from the front of the cabin. Although I dare not claim that I have achieved perfect driver integration in my car. What I can say is that the IDMax blends much better than the previous PolkMOMO sub that I used.

In a nutshell, I am very happy with the IDMax and it is my best SQ, all-around, daily driver sub. It performed way beyond my expectations, especially in the SQ aspect. Note that this review was made during the IDMax’s break-in period. I expect it to improve further after being fully broken in. I intend to keep it for its entire useful life. Besides, it would be a difficult challenge for me to find a better sounding subwoofer at any price. I know this is a bad analogy, but the IDMax is like a porn star, which will do anything you want it to do, professionally and with awesome execution.


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## Et Cetera

typericey said:


> _The Max will go as low as you want it to without holding back. While lesser subs decrease output as it goes lower, the Max will continue to play with flat response to way below 50Hz. This gave me the feeling that the music that I was listening to is complete, and not missing out on the lowest bass notes. *The lower bass may be just a tad thicker than what is natural, *but this tiny flaw is very forgivable, and maybe even ideal (if it meets your taste)_


_

Nice review. What amp are you driving it with?

Do try the new iDQv3 if you get the opportunity. Its got slightly better upper end and less of that "thickness" in the lower end._


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## typericey

Et Cetera said:


> Nice review. What amp are you driving it with?
> 
> Do try the new iDQv3 if you get the opportunity. Its got slightly better upper end and less of that "thickness" in the lower end.


It's now running off my Nakamichi amp. It's temporary, and not a very optimum setup for the sub and already it's performing very well. 

As mentioned, the slightly thicker low-end can work in your favor, especially when you're driving with low profile tires on the freeway and the road noise starts kicking in.


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## armed

sup topper...nice review...

thinking about getting one...

b20vtec


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## mojako

Jun,
that's not topper! lol


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## armed

mojako said:


> Jun,
> that's not topper! lol


whoa snap, i thought it was from him, thats what he said from hcp...

nevermind... nice review tho

hay nako sino ba yan??


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## mfenske

I couldn't agree more with all you've said about the IDMAX. It's simply the finest subwoofer I've ever used. Nice review.


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## CulinaryGod

Great review there. In a previous setup I had two of the IDMAX 12"'s in a custom ported box I think that was around 1.75sq/ft with a slot port and it was completely phenomenal. The low frequencies were spot on and maintained its composure throughout the spectrum of bass notes. The only reason i got rid of them is because the two speakers and the large box started to make my car bottom out and that was my only solution at the time. I currently have a DD 3500 12" that pales in comparison to this subwoofer. Although it can play loud and hit the right volumes for someone into high SPL it cannot play nearly as accurate as the IDMAX can. Anywho to cut this short great review again, and anyone wanna buy a DD 3500?


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## typericey

armed said:


> whoa snap, i thought it was from him, thats what he said from hcp...
> 
> nevermind... nice review tho
> 
> hay nako sino ba yan??


hi brother. I actually emailed this review to topper, and he posted it to hcp because i am not a member there. posting a Filipino phrase in this forum made me smile.  

anyway, i'm an acquaintance of Mojako. We auditioned each other's car way back when I had DLS Nobelium components installed and he was curious on how it sounded.


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## KennyT

nice review man. id subs are next in my wish list.


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## adrenalinejunkie

I think this review deserves to come back up, i'm tempted to use one of these.


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## Swanson's Performance

adrenalinejunkie said:


> I think this review deserves to come back up, i'm tempted to use one of these.


I can't decide whether to sacrifice the trunk space in my hatch for the 'Max, or suffer and put two 10s or two 8s in the side walls. I might sacrifice and measure out how big a 0.8 box is, that's the smallest recommended for an IDQ12 V3. I've heard many others, but my ear just keeps coming back to Eric Stevens' wonders of the low frequency world. And that is doing no justice to his midrange and upper frequency gifts!!

God, I can't wait until Eric get something back into the retail arena for us! Pretty please in 2012!!!


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## JJDu4

I've got a few IDMAX's heading this way for my new build......no one around here knows anything about them and they all love JL so it should be fun....


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## Bossmaan

I have 2 12 idmax v3s in my Camry. Too bad the box I have is a prefabbed sealed box. Theyre running @1ohm with a fosgate t2001 amp. Even with the ****ty box. These subs singggg


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## doubledown77

great review, was leaning towards a jl w6 and the idmax until I read this


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## JT34237

This may be my next sub. I wonder how it compares to the FIQ or the SSA ICON. These are supposed to be great SQL subs as well.


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## Swanson's Performance

I have a chrome IDMAX 12V3D2 with less than 1 hour playing time in a professionally made and carpeted 1.5' sealed box with 1.5" thick face that I'm looking to move. PM me if you're interested.


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## BadSS

I was running two 15" MB Quart PWE-354s but bought two of the IDMAX12s for better fitment in the new car. I'm hoping the IDs will dig as deep as the Quarts in a free-air application. I should know next weekend! The IDMAX12s are built like tanks,,, and weigh about as much - lol.


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## Griffith

What enclosure are you guys putting this Idmax in? ID's website states to put it in a 1.3 cu ft enclosure, even though many have said to put it in a 1.5 cu ft enclosure. So, I don't know which is the correct one.


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## jhnkvn

I'm actually throwing them into a 2 cu.ft sealed box. not that I needed the space anyway.


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## meccanoble

Just installed 1 12 IDmax V2.D4 in a sealed 1.25 box with foam. Had a JL W6V2 with a damaged cone. Idmax is built well. A bigger enclosure would probably give me the best output but I'm happy with it so far and my gains on HU are all the way down. Connected to Alpine PDX 1000.1 and bass seems to keep up with dynaudio 362 setup in the front. So far so good.


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## BadSS

I almost forgot about this thread. Instead of starting another, I thought I’d just add to it from an IB perspective.

I used ¾” and ½” MDF screwed and glued together mounted underneath the rear deck. I welded a 48” long ½” square bar stock to about the midway point of the deck to stiffen it and to give me a way to better distribute the weight. The IDMAX12s are spaced as far apart as I could get them and the trunk lining would fit. Also, I wanted to get them as close as I could so as to fire up through the factory 8” subwoofer openings. They are well isolated from the cabin as well.










I’ve run a pair of IB 15s and IB 10s in every vehicle I’ve had in the past 20 years to get the “best of both worlds”. It required a little finesse to blend the two pair,, not to mention another amp (to “get it right”). My first impression of the IDMAX12s was I had messed up and should have wedged in a couple 15s. I seriously considered a complete redo on the entire system since I’d have to run different amps to get 15s in the car. 

However, I noticed the IDMAX12s started sounded a little better every day. I know it wasn’t psycho-acoustical because I kept backing down on the equalization and making slight adjustments to the gain. Anyway,, after about three months I finally made some measurements on the subs and it confirmed what I could hear. With the system set flat, no equalization, a 20Hz, -6dB sub-sonic filter and rolling off at 70Hz with a -18dB slope, gain set by ear to blend with the fronts,,, the subs are measuring: -4 @ 20, [email protected] 25, flat @31.5, +1 @40, +2 @ 50, and flat @ 63Hz. I guess no longer than my drive is to and from work it just took that long to “break-in”.

The two IDMAX 12s off one amp (Zed Deuce, 475watts x 2) sounds as “tight” and digs deeper than any combo of dual 10s and 15s I’ve run before. Overall, I couldn’t be happier now. The two IDMAX12s blend perfectly with the front speakers to the point that it gives the illusion all the sound is coming from the front - detail and dynamics are outstanding as well. 

While I still think there’s no replacement for displacement in an IB system (especially for SPL), if all you can fit are 12s, I think you’ll be hard pressed to find any better.


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## file audio

Well... its a dead thread but ..yesterday I nstalled my idmax 12.... I would like to have more idmax input.. im in thr break in process now but I if interested I keep you in formated. .. for now thes aub sounded very nice today..im changing subs every month with this audio vice disease. .matbe it stop s now..maybe may be


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## kizz

Griffith said:


> What enclosure are you guys putting this Idmax in? ID's website states to put it in a 1.3 cu ft enclosure, even though many have said to put it in a 1.5 cu ft enclosure. So, I don't know which is the correct one.


I recently bought an id max12. had it for about a week now. according to the website and sheet that came with it, it recommended a 1.8 cu ft sealed enclosure for .83 QTC. I went with about 2.25 after sub displacement in a down firing sealed enclosure. It sounds very good in this size enclosure and gets super low easily. I haven't tried 1.5 but I personally would think it's too small for this sub. 

If the goal is to reach a .7 QTC which is the said SQ golden spot, why go so small where the QTC is high?


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## file audio

so whats displacement? meaning...... then the box is sopposed to be bigger than 1.8???


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## AudioBob

Displacement in the case of IB is the number of speakers and their sizes. Kind of like the old addage of a big block motor versus a small turbo charged motor.


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## djPerfectTrip

Want one of these as a SQ sub, but the box requirement is too big unfortunately. Anybody have any input of a good 10" SQ sub with box volume around .5 and power handling around 600?


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## kizz

djPerfectTrip said:


> Want one of these as a SQ sub, but the box requirement is too big unfortunately. Anybody have any input of a good 10" SQ sub with box volume around .5 and power handling around 600?


It might be more beneficial to ask that in the "help me choose equipment" section


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## kizz

file audio said:


> so whats displacement? meaning...... then the box is sopposed to be bigger than 1.8???


I was talking about the QTC of the sub in relation to it's enclosure size. Displacement is what was said above. Total cone area and excursion is your displacement. A motor is a perfect example. bigger piston longer rods = more displacement. Just like what was said above!


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## djPerfectTrip

kizz said:


> It might be more beneficial to ask that in the "help me choose equipment" section


Done.


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## Pseudonym

Despite what the ID site says, the max has been a very well known small enclosure sub. Do some research on this site and you'll find people running them in boxes smaller than a cubic foot and giving high praises.


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## djPerfectTrip

Any idea how much smaller? Would it work in a .5ish enclosure?


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## iScream

djPerfectTrip said:


> Any idea how much smaller? Would it work in a .5ish enclosure?


I came across this thread while searching for what size ported enclosures people are using for the idmax 12 and I happen to have sealed and ported models open in WINISD.

I adjusted the sealed model down to 0.5 cubic feet for you and it looks terrible. At 50 Hz, with 1000 Watts, the output is barely more than the model for my IDQ 12 in a .8 net cube sealed box. The QTC is 1.06.

My IDQ 12 sounds great in .8 net sealed plus acousta stuff but I don't think I would want the box any smaller. Personally, if I only had .5 gross to work with, I would look at the IDQ 10.


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## djPerfectTrip

^^^Interesting. Thank you.


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## AirDontCare8thgenAccord82

I've used ID for about 10 years, I have been more impressed with there IDQs then there IDmax. The IDmax tends to make me want to baby them compared to a W7.


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## SilkySlim

I found with the IDmax I had to be much more gentle on them than expected til they broke in and then holy crap. After that you can through them the beans. I takes a good 3-9 months depending on use. Great subs deep extension yet still tight, punchy, controlled, plenty of output, but not quite as translucent as a Morel or Dyn. great sound but they are localized more than a morel. Great all around subs, unbelievable daily driver value.


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## BigG022

Has anyone tried these side by side with the IDQ 12 D4? I was thinking of getting an IDQ and putting it in a custom sealed enclosure with a net volume of around 1.2. Is the ID max worth th extra money? I'll be running passive and do so slight sound deadening.


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