OK.  My neighbor had his theatre done professionally, I did mine all by myself.  He dropped like $2k on a velodyne 12" sub and I spent $40 on MDF & 100 on kicker comp drivers for mine.  I built a HWK15 and run it with a Crest VS650 bridged to 4 ohm which sould run it at around 600W or so.  Being Crest, that's actually 600W and not 600 fantasy watts.  So why then would a single 12 with "1000W" wipe the floor with a pair of Kicker 15's @ 600W in a HWK box?  

I gotta tear it down and make sure I didn't wire them wrong.  I wired them out of phase since they're clamshelled.  I'm pretty anal about that stuff but I may have overlooked something.  I got good output but then next to that velodyne, I had to tuck my tail.  (he brought over the velodyne so same room, same source, etc)  The HWK will shake the chairs and stuff but that little velodyne just blew my mind.

What should I expect from this box? Should it not beat the spit out of any sub that crosses it?  I read about these posts of incredible results, are people's standards that low or are mine too high?  I'm no master craftsman but my box is solid, tight & sealed up.  I can confirm no air leaks, built to specs, etc.  Drivers are mounted facing into the sealed chamber with baskets into each ported chamber.

Any thoughts?  I'm hoping I just dorked up the wiring.    I've got a 1500W amp in another system that i may hook up just to be sure i'm not wanting in the wattage department once I verify the wiring.

Thanks all

Expecting a sub made from plans non specific to the drivers used to beat a sub designed around the driver and amp is a little much, but...

Its not impossible. Where is your HWK lacking? is it in low end? the higher frequencies? or total output?

The HWK15 is the best bang for the buck. I'm sure the design of the high dollar subs are on the money and everything matchs(speaker specs, box size, amp, etc.). My goal with the HWK15 was to build it as close as possible to Steve's specs with his opinion of the best woofer for a turn-key design(DAYTON Series II). As far as I'm concerned the only sub that will challenge the HWK15 is the WO36. I do not have an Imperial but I'm sure it's devastating from all the talk on the forum. I would put the baskets/magnets in the sealed chamber with the woofer cone facing the ports with one hooked out of phase for the HWK. Try both the HWK and the Velodyne in the same room with the same scene or music and check the overall output of both with a SPL meter. After that figure which one sounds better or covers the bass freqs. better but of course you will haft to adjust both for best output. Don't get me wrong I have a RCA 12" powered sub and it sounds great and loads the room with good clean bass. Never give up and keep experimenting with different speakers if you can afford it. Hope this helps.   HT-EXT

Figured power was not the problem, thats great news

If you want to make your wife mad, go for for two full size Imperials subs with Driver/ Driver's on the outside and build them out of MDF and leave them it raw.
Don't forget to leave a little rust on the basket and bang up the dynamat on the basket so its partly falling off.
The way they look and the space they take up can get me a world of trouble around here.
She does not have to get around listening to them to create an environment where my life is in danger

HT-EXT- if you can admit to RCA equipment and or subs then I don't feel so bad now..
And I can be a man and admit it too!  

Curses found out again  >:(

your right!

Alright, I would turn your subs around so that the top sub's magnet is in the middle chamber, and so the bottom sub's magnet is in the lowest chamber.  Wired with drivers in phase this should give you the lowest tuning in the top chamber and your highest tuning in the bottom chamber.

See if that helps.  

If it helps, but still doesn;t go low enough, I would try adding stuffing to the top chamber in incrememnts. That should help lower tuning even more.

Also, just a quick question, are you using ports in the bottome chamber?  I saw someone building a HWK with ports where the design calls for a hole.  (A 3/4 inch long port.)

Good luck!