Two different enclosures are recommended: sealed and ported. JVC provides a standard design with dimensions for both enclosures if the end user is so inclined. While the manual imparts the subwoofer mounting hole cutout dimensions, a cutout template would have made this manual nearly perfect. Technical information is also included, providing Thiele/Small parameters - although these aren't critical if you follow the manual's recommended enclosures. JVC rates the continuous power handling for the CS-AW8240 at 1,000 watts and maximum power at 3,000 watts. Best of all, the subwoofer packs a two-year warranty.
InstallationUtilizing the recommended dimensions provided in the manual, a 1.4ft3 sealed enclosure was fabricated out of 31/44" MDF. Prior to securing the subwoofer into the enclosure, I had to set the jumper to the "Parallel" position from its factory "Series" position before connecting my reference amplifier. This change to the jumper setting ensured a 2-ohm load to the amplifier, allowing the amplifier to send in excess of 500 watts to the CS-AS8040.
I found that adjusting the jumper was the main downfall in the subwoofer's design. The bladelike jumper uses a low-profile design providing minimal material to apply a good grip to remove the plug. It would've been nice if the subwoofer was delivered without the plug installed so that it can be easily configured upon installation.
Once the jumper was set, the subwoofer was secured with the supplied screws and the custom "Multi-Mount Smart Trim Ring." The trim ring is another interesting feature, since it doesn't protect the actual cone of the woofer from foreign objects potentially causing damage - but everything can't be perfect. The subwoofer was installed firing to the rear of the 2001 Honda Accord.
ListeningRapJibbs "King Kong"This track is just straight bananas when it comes to producing bass lines. Ridiculous output is produced through this song, emphasizing extreme low-end frequencies that we all love so much - but sometimes our subwoofers don't. The Arsenal sub, however, seems to love this type of material. The crazy part isn't that the subwoofer produced incredible output, but that it was extremely accurate when doing it. The subwoofer was free of distortion with no overhang. The CS-AW8240 was so good that I turned up the volume to try to find its limit, but it soon became apparent that I'd lose hearing before the subwoofer had any kind of acoustic mishap. To some extent I enjoy bass as much as most of us, but generally I'm not a fan of the crazy bass-lines like what this track dishes out. But, the reason for my distaste of these bass-heavy tracks is because the majority of the time the subwoofers aren't up to snuff, producing unappealing, distorted and sloppy bass. That isn't the case with this subwoofer. It was almost like the subwoofer took the bass line and carved out every note. Impressive!Score: 9/10