Illusion Audio C12 Carbon Shallow Mount Subwoofer

I posted this on another forum, but wanted to share my impressions with you all. Notice.......this is a SUBJECTIVE review.......my opinion, my car, my tune, my impressions. I took some measurements with REW and was going to post them, but a good friend reminded me that they would be somewhat useless to anyone else. The graph would be different in their set up, in their car, etc. So, it is subjective only....and I'm alright with that.

I was provided the opportunity to evaluate the performance of one of Illusion Audio's new subwoofers, and I would like to share my impressions with you.

First of all, here is the URL for the sub on the web:

Illusion Audio C12 Subwoofer

http://i267.photobucket.com/albums/i...ps723c792a.jpg

Packaging: Excellent job with this - feels 'High End'

http://i267.photobucket.com/albums/i...psc49fac84.jpg

http://i267.photobucket.com/albums/i...psa0a14609.jpg

http://i267.photobucket.com/albums/i...psf4fa455d.jpg

This thing is Shallow! Next to a Cafe' Du Monde mug ;)
http://i267.photobucket.com/albums/i...ps6a4101df.jpg

http://i267.photobucket.com/albums/i...psf9974c0f.jpg


So Let's get started...........

Equipment List:

Vehicle: 2013 Subaru BRZ
Source: Pioneer DEXP99RS
Supporting Speakers: Audison Thesis 3 way components; Ascendant Audio 12” IB
Amplifier: Mosconi AS100.4 – 2 channels bridged at 4ohm providing roughly 300 watts (for a short time, I ran it off of 2 channels bridged on the AS200.4 at a little over 600 watts).

http://i267.photobucket.com/albums/i...pse4c407fd.jpg

http://i267.photobucket.com/albums/i...psb25ae230.jpg

Subwoofer mounting for the Illusion Audio (IA) C12: The speaker was mounted in a 0.86 cu ft sealed enclosure crafted by Mark Worrell.

Another installer I know stated that he has mounted it in enclosures ranging from 0.85 cu ft to 1.25 cu ft with good results.

This is the ugly duckling I put together very quickly one evening after work :blush:

http://i267.photobucket.com/albums/i...ps18861fb8.jpg

My buddy Mark felt sorry for me, so he put the sub in a real enclosure. It only makes sense that if you are going to do an evaluation of a sub, it needs to be in a 'proper' enclosure.

http://i267.photobucket.com/albums/i...psd3129414.jpg

http://i267.photobucket.com/albums/i...ps2e27c9eb.jpg

http://i267.photobucket.com/albums/i...ps0762d774.jpg

http://i267.photobucket.com/albums/i...psee365c38.jpg

Subwoofer locations for this review:
Behind the front seats – replicating the cab of a truck or hatch of a small car

Passenger floorboard – replicating the up front sub – played either as a stand alone sub with a LP of 63hz @ 24db or as an upfront sub complementing the two 12” IB subs in the back of the car (rear subs LP 40hz @ 24 db; IA sub HP 40hz @ 24 db and LP 80hz @ 24 db)

http://i267.photobucket.com/albums/i...psfdeee8e8.jpg

http://i267.photobucket.com/albums/i...psd8f6af67.jpg

http://i267.photobucket.com/albums/i...ps0eb3586f.jpg

http://i267.photobucket.com/albums/i...pseebd2747.jpg

Crossover Points / Slopes – I tried a variety of points and slopes with this sub – some I liked, and some I didn’t like. Some I liked with some music (for example LP of 80hz @ 12 db), but not with other music.

I liked a LP of 35hz @ 6db for much of the music that I played, but it was a little lacking in impact on some of the tracks. The majority of the review was done with the HP 20hz @ 24 db and LP 63hz @ 24 db.


Pros:
• Extremely good tonality within the desired pass band
• Very good low end extension for a shallow mount sub
• Good transients with fast material
• Very good impact when used as a front sub
• Shallow mounting depth – perfect for front mounted sub in a 12” size – especially for large trucks, large SUVs, cars with deep floorboards (especially when passengers are not often expected).

Considerations:
• Very lowest material was missing in my evaluation
• Fairly large recommended enclosure size according to website for a shallow mount sub
• Venting around the voice coil – (more than likely won’t be an issue for most)
• Bigger performance with bigger amount of power (600 watts vs. 300 watts)

Low End Extension


The IA C12 plays with authority down to the 35hz – 40hz range, but is seems to fall off pretty fast from there. With the BASSics CD, playing from 20-63 hz @ 24 db, the lowest material on the recording was not present (verified by unmuting the dual 12’s in the rear of the car). If this sub is used as an up-front sub to compliment a 15” or dual 12” – no issues. If this is the only sub in the car, and you don’t play a lot of electronic music or soundtracks, it should be perfectly adequate.

With roughly 300 watts and turned up to a fairly high volume, the cone did not have a lot of movement – that kept things clean and without a lot of mechanical noise when sitting in the floorboard.

With tracks like ‘Set Me On Fire’ (dub step from Grayson’s mix disc) – with rear subs muted, the C12 got the lowest note with authority – it wasn’t just sort of there – (it wasn’t like - knowing the song, you can detect that it played it), but it played that note well. Interestingly, a LP of 63hz @ 24 db was not so good with this track (with my EQ tune) – 31.5hz @ 6db and 50hz @ 24db was extremely good. Likewise, ‘So Pray’ from Stacy Orico was overwhelming at 63hz @ 24db, but was perfect at 31.5hz @ 6db with my tune. It played most of the notes very well, but couldn’t get the lowest notes (again, not really what this sub is designed for – may have gotten it in the 1 cu ft recommended sized box). Trentemoller’s ‘Take me into your skin’ was extremely good at 50hz @ 24db, but a bit too much at 63hz @24.

Conversely, some of the heavy rock such as Tool, A Perfect Circle, Ensiferum, Primus, Rage – all did very well with 63hz @ 24db – so you would need to choose the best crossover point / slope and EQ settings that either suit your typical music range or get a good setting that maximizes many types of music (like any sub system).

High End Extension

I mentioned earlier that I really liked the tonality of this driver, and this was especially true at the high end. When the sub was allowed to play up to the 100hz – 125hz range, it did so cleanly – no muddiness that I could detect. Especially used as an upfront sub solution, I felt that I could probably mate this sub with a pair of 6.5” midrange or even 5.25” midrange drivers.

Transients / Pace

This area of the test was very satisfying to me. Especially with the sub mounted up front, I found it to be very quick. It kept up with all of the fast paced music that I played through it. I found the C12 to be very articulate with kick drum strikes and with bass guitar movement. Thom Rotella’s ‘Friends’ was extremely detailed, and Godsmack’s remake of ‘Good Times, Bad Times’ was spot on with the kick drum. Ensiferum’s ‘Battle Song’ was simply Violent (as intended by the artist). Primus ‘Jerry was a racecar driver’ had a very defined triple kick hit that was impressive. It reminded me of my SI Mag V2 that I wish I still had :D

Impact

The impact was especially good when the sub was mounted in the floorboard - obviously. Kick drum could be felt in the chest, and full, thick bass guitar notes could be felt as well as heard. Bela Fleck’s ‘Improv, Amazing Grace’ was a very good example of how strong the impact can be with this sub. Vic plays low moving tones and hard slaps that were well reproduced – sounded authentic / realistic. I feel that this driver in the back of a hatch (thinking 370Z - with one of Bing's false floors) with a sufficient amount of power would provide all the impact that an SQ enthusiast would desire.

Overall Tonality

For me, this is where the sub really shined. When it was positioned at the front of the car, and I put the same passband on the rear subs, I like the tone of this sub a bit more than the dual 12’s. Whether it was Zoe Keating’s Cello or the Basses in L’Orchestra de Contrebasses, the tone was accurate – true to the instrument. Likewise, on the electronic music, the driver was extremely clean – with a full, precise presentation.

Ability to Blend with other drivers

As mentioned earlier, I had the ability to play this driver as a rear only sub, a front only sub, and as a front sub paired with dual 12” rear subs. All of these configurations paired well with my door mounted 6.5” drivers. I felt the sub integrated well with the other drivers it was asked to compliment, and a tweak in crossover setting or amplitude got it blended seamlessly.

Power Handling / Durability

As mentioned above, and conferred with an installer who has used this driver extensively, the sub prefers a moderate (to many on DIYMA) amount of power. I felt the driver was in its element using a bit above 600 watts versus the 300 watts I used for much of the up front sub evaluation. I believe the sub will preform satisfactorily on a sub channel of many of the popular 5 channel amps out there, especially as an up front sub. In my opinion, it would be superb – playing all types of music well – with 700+ watts of power available. I felt the build quality was very solid, with a tight suspension that kept everything in control. I never had a feeling that the driver was struggling or that longevity would be an issue.

I have indicated the various tracks I used above, but I thought it might be helpful to list some of them again here:

Master Blaster – Stevie Wonder
Stay Up Late – Talking Heads
Friends – Thom Rotella
Wanna Be Startin’ Somethin’ – Michael Jackson
Set Me On Fire – Pendulum
Good Times, Bad Times – Godsmack
So Pray – Stacie Orrico
Take Me Into Your Skin – Trentemøeller
Vamp – Trentemøeller
Bird on a Wire – Jennifer Warnes
Jambi – Tool
The Pot – Tool
Judith – A Perfect Circle
Ensiferum – Battle Song
Jerry was a Race Car Driver – Primus
Tommy the Cat – Primus
My Name is Mud – Primus
Take the Power Back – Rage Against the Machine
Improv, Amazing Grace – Bela Fleck and the Flecktones
Digital Bassics disc
Dub Wars – Groundation
Elder’s Dub – Groundation
Celtic Dream – L’orchestre de Contrebasses
Dors Adele - L’orchestre de Contrebasses
Escape Artist – Zoe Keating
Optimist – Zoe Keating

In summary, I was extremely impressed with the performance of this Subwoofer system. Excellent performance from a shallow mount driver - but I think it is important to note that this isn't just a shallow sub that happens to sound pretty good........this is an excellent sounding sub that happens to be extremely easy to mount in tight spots. I feel strongly that this driver is a slam dunk for someone with a large SUV (Escalade, Sequoia, etc) that can mount it in the front floor board - up tight to the fire wall. This sub would also work very well in the cab of a truck - either single cab or crew cab - lots of options.

Anyone who may have an interest in purchasing, you can reach out to Orca to locate a local dealer, and there are folks on DIYMA who are dealers as well. Let's keep those discussions on PM instead of in this review thread.


ORCA Design & Manufacturing

http://i267.photobucket.com/albums/i...ps31bbfbf4.jpg


There were some good feedback provided by a couple folks who had these Subwoofers installed or had heard them in other's cars. They asked about the low end extension, and I decided to do some additional listening with more power and with no High Pass filter. This is what I added:


I completed this task today, and I wanted to provide some feedback. In summary, the Illusion Audio C12 sub powered by 640 watts of power with a Low Pass crossover of 80 hz @ 24db and no High Pass was superb. It had very strong low end, it played sustained bass notes while playing fast paced kick drum hits, and I felt everything was well defined - the sub wasn't struggling to keep up or play low, so there was no muddiness or blurriness. I set the sub behind me on the back of the seat and adjusted Time Alignment until it sounded in front of me and blended with the mid bass drivers.

A quick run down of the tracks (from my upcoming September DIYMA meet in NC) and the notes I scribbled for each.

7 Brothers / Oi Va Voi - the sub bass and the mid bass blended very well - very clean on the bass strings and the kick drum was very distinct.

Amazing Grace / Victor Wooten - the big slaps were very fast - the sub could keep up with what Vic was doing - the sustained notes were solid and full - very good low end.

Artist Supreme / Steph Johnson Trio - very well defined opening stand up bass plucks - very well balanced between the 6.5's and the sub - good tonality of the stand up bass.

Blue Moon / Cowboy Junkies - this is a 'dirty' bass part, but the C12 played it cleanly - I would think a lower resolution sub would blend all of the bass notes into one big sustained mumble, but the sub did a good job at keeping things distinct - the lowest notes were full without being bloated.

Carey / Sara Gazarek - very tight presentation - the stand up bass moves from higher register to lower register very quickly - to me, this showed the capability of this sub to play well on either end of the spectrum - could pair up with a good set of 5.25's.

Elves vs Mecha / Praxis Axis - defined hits with lots of body - not thin little strikes - with the volume up - this was shaking the car (really impressive for a shallow sub that weighs almost nothing) - deep rumbles with good tone - lots of cone movement on this one.

Eternal Wait / Ensiferum - thick bass guitar! very good weight to it and the kick drum was very well defined.

Government Cheese Keb' Mo' - tight, articulate bass guitar and kick drum - good finesse and maintained that when the volume was increased

July / Lee Ritenour - very good on lowest bass guitar hits - very good low end extension (as you experienced in your truck Joey) - no problem at all with the lowest material - very good with large tom strikes - full, moving bass guitar parts - played with authority - good slaps on the frets.

Know You / Bonobo - very thick synth tones - still hitting hard on the kick drum - again, the cone was moving on this one and the drum and synth bass were very strong - had the appropriate weight / thickness / speed.

Master Blaster / Stevie Wonder - kick drum was well defined between the 6.5's and sub - very good balance - bass guitar was quick and plucky.

Mo Better Blues / Joseph Vincelli - very low bass guitar - with good definition - just didn't drop down to mud - the kick drum was punchy and the whole presentation maintained control even at high volumes.

Sail / Awolnation - the bass hits were SOLID - lots of excursion of the cone - at 00:49 - there is a quad kick drum hit that was extremely well defined.

Summertime / Steph Johnson Trio - huge low strikes as he goes up and down the range on the stand up bass - the bass solo was extremely well defined - very blended with the 6.5's as he moved up and down the register.

They Came in Hordes / Whitebear - solid, deep bass - not struggling to sound bigger than it is - very solid low synth bass - good ambience with the odd sounds in this track.

Umo / Ooioo - good body, tone of the drums that are played by multiple people - I heard this track on another car at a meet and the drums sounded thin - sounded full on this sub.

Want 2 Need 2 / Trentemoller - very fast synth bass, and the sub kept up with little trouble - very full low bass with speed - the sub didn't get out of control even with a lot of cone movement - even with the strong synth bass, the kick drums were well defined.

When Sunny Gets Blue / Steph Johnson Trio - very quick, defined stand up bass part - perfect transition between the 6.5's and the sub as he goes up and down the register (again) - could really make out the body of the double bass - could visualize the instrument while listening - good heft, but good resolution as well.

Awesome write-up!