Seaton-ize your lackluster UFW-12 and get what AV123 promised, but didn't deliver...

[Stereodude]

If you find yourself with an AV123 UFW-12 that frustrates you with poor low end extension, obtrusive mechanical noises, and not enough output, but you don't want to do business with AV123... Well, there's a map for that...

Thankfully, Kevin (Sandbagger) has teamed up with the guru of bass, Mark Seaton, to deliver the Motor City Custom Audio UFW-12 Big Block Upgrade. The short version is that the Big Block Kit replaces the stock 12" driver with a beefy custom made 15" driver and swaps the amp for a modified version with the EQ, high pass, & limiter reworked.

I recently had one of my UFW-12's upgraded and the result is nothing short of amazing. There's gobs more low end extension, more output, and no mechanical noises.

To start, here are a couple of pictures.

With it's yet to be modified twin...

Here's a nearfield frequency response comparison of a UFW-12 and the Big Block Kit UFW.

I'm pretty sure you all can guess which is which.

Here's the unsmoothed in room response of the BBK UFW with and without EQ (QSC DSP-30) after I moved it around some to find the best spot in the room for it.

In my completely open & untreated Great Room (open to the entire house) I'm getting solid output down to ~14Hz. The bass is very visceral. I can't want to get my 2nd one converted.

 

[jostenmeat]

Do you mind if I ask how much the kit is? Congrats on the upgrade!

 

[Stereodude]

Do you mind if I ask how much the kit is? Congrats on the upgrade!

It's $425. You get a new driver and your amp and grill reworked. I'm under the impression that you also get a temporary loan of the router templates and router bits needed to modify the box to accommodate the larger driver. Since I'm local, Kevin wanted to confirm the templates and bits were all up to snuff, so he did the modification on mine.

 

[Warpdrv]

Very nice bro... a great offering from them to be certain, looks like the Submersive driver in there to me...

 

[Stereodude]

Very nice bro... a great offering from them to be certain, looks like the Submersive driver in there to me...

Negative on that one. The Submersive driver and this one are from two completely different companies.

 

[droht]

If Mr. Seaton wants to work out a turbo boost for the ulw-10 I'd be glad to donate one that he could experiment with.

Should be a fair number of those still out there with very questionable life spans.

 

[Stereodude]

I don't think Mark works with drivers that small.

 

[sawzalot]

I don't think Mark works with drivers that small.

Just when I thought size didn't matter, .
Nice looking update , a very impressive sub, now,

 

[Stereodude]

Nice looking update , a very impressive sub, now,

Yeah, now the performance matches the relatively nice looks.

 

[Mark Seaton]

If Mr. Seaton wants to work out a turbo boost for the ulw-10 I'd be glad to donate one that he could experiment with.

Should be a fair number of those still out there with very questionable life spans.

I don't think Mark works with drivers that small.

I do work with drivers that small... As woofers in compact LCRs or surrounds.

In all seriousness, if Kevin wants to do the leg work there's always room for such an option, but the outboard amplifier sets a cost threshold where I'm just not sure how many would be interested vs. the performance potential vs. cost. Getting an amplifier to drop into the box and do what I want would likely make for even more cost than the outboard amplifier.

 

[Stereodude]

I do work with drivers that small... As woofers in compact LCRs or surrounds.

Yeah, I meant in terms of subwoofers.

 

[Mark Seaton]

Here's a nearfield frequency response comparison of a UFW-12 and the Big Block Kit UFW.

I'm pretty sure you all can guess which is which.

Hmm... Seems like they did a great job of fixing that in the "official" Hotrod kit here.

 

[Stereodude]

Hmm... Seems like they did a great job of fixing that in the "official" Hotrod kit here.

Haha... It seems par for the course.