Help. Subwoofers not loud as expected

[Reaper85]

Get an alt (i sudjest mechman)], use 0/1 cable I always use welding cable as it's much cheaper, big 3 upgrade, then upgrade your battery with a good agm battery (I suggest xs power). That will get your power needs covered. To set up your amps the easiest way would be to stop in at any performance audio shop and have them set them up ( not a best buy). Should only take them a couple minutes and maybe 20 bucks.

[Roader]

Sundown makes a good sub.

Maybe I misread but you have a 400 watt amp powering both subs? That’s your issue

[Alfdawg]

Originally Posted by Reaper85

Get an alt (i sudjest mechman)], use 0/1 cable I always use welding cable as it's much cheaper, big 3 upgrade, then upgrade your battery with a good agm battery (I suggest xs power). That will get your power needs covered. To set up your amps the easiest way would be to stop in at any performance audio shop and have them set them up ( not a best buy). Should only take them a couple minutes and maybe 20 bucks.

I couldn't find much info on the big 3 upgrade for the camaro. To me the factory wiring looks like maybe 1 or 0 guage. I wasnt sure if you could replace the factory battery with xs power because the factory battery is vented and the xs power is not vented. So would I benefit from doing a battery upgrade first? I had everything professionally installed. It sounds good but the subs just not as loud as I expected and I think it's because of the factory hu and there is no way to control the subs from the factory hu.

[InFiD3ViL]

Originally Posted by Youngdeezy510

I’m not a big audio guy here but those subs are definitely part 1 of your problems. I would bet your limiting your potential with a stock head unit as well. Some jl/alpine type r subs would knock for sure. Maybe a friend of yours with an awesome loud system would let you test his subs on your system, just offer him lunch. Good luck.

I was under the impression that Sundown was one of the best brand of subs you can run these days.

[Alfdawg]

Originally Posted by Roader

Sundown makes a good sub.

Maybe I misread but you have a 400 watt amp powering both subs? That’s your issue

Yes you misread the message. I have a 400 watt amp for the interior speakers and a 2000 watt amp for the subs.

[Reaper85]

If after all that it still doesn't sound right, get a rockford 360.1 or 360.2 used unless you want to get the 360.3 for around 700. it's made to work with OEM head units and give you an aftermarket sound.

https://www.stevemeadedesigns.com/bo...ig-3-tutorial/

[pnwdan]

could be many things. Are you running 2 ohm or 4 ohm? Are you running the amp bridged? Do you have the subs wired in series? Does the amp have an adjustable bass dial? For whatever reason you aren't getting full power to them. Its doubtful that it has anything to do with the head unit. I'm just running some cheap Kenwood 12s and a cheap pioneer mono amp and my mirror almost comes off the windshield if i have the bass on the amp up too high.

[Texas_RS]

I think it’s that box you have. I had the same one, and it just sounded like the sub couldn’t breath. I also have a Sundown SA 12. I dropped down to one of them, and managed to fix the biggest Turbo Bass box in trunk for it. Got rid of the the prefab camaro box. It hits way harder then my 2 12s kicker CVR I had in that box you have.

[Batmanntexas]

Without putting eyes on your setup physically, it would be hard to diagnose your problem. From my own experience, the factory head unit starts attenuating low frequencies the more you increase the volume, the result being that bass will not get any louder past a certain volume setting and may actually decrease. There are a couple of options to get around this.

1. Buy an aftermarket head unit
2. add a signal processor (AudioControl LC2i) into your existing setup. ( RCA's run into your 4 channel amp, then out of the pass thru and into the LC2i, then into the Sub amp).

The LC2i compensates for the factory radio attenuating low frequencies as the volume is increased, along with other features. In my mind, the cheapest and easiest solution if you want to retain the factory head unit. This is exactly what I have done with my car.

For your power problem (lights dimming when the system is cranked up), a new battery is only going to go so far. At the end of the day, the battery has some value of internal resistance that limits the rate at which it can discharge current. Sure, it can provide all the current your amp needs, but it will always lag behind resulting in dimming lights.

I'd suggest adding one, or more, "stiffening capacitors" to the power wire that feeds the sub amp only, probably a 3.0 farad or so. This is also a cheaper option than replacing the battery, however a bigger battery will give usually give you a higher reserve capacity allowing you to play the system without the car running for a longer period of time without significantly discharging the battery.

You will probably definitely need to look into upgrading the alternator if you routinely have the system turned up while driving around though.

Feel free to hit me up with any questions,
Scott

[badcompany]

I have a stock head unit in mine and im running 2 JL 12's. I had the shop install a bass controller. The only real way to get the most out of them safely.

[Reaper85]

Capacitors are made to smoth out ripples in the voltage. If you add a cap to an already taxed electrical system your only going to burn out the system faster, because now your alt is trying to recharge the cap and battery.

[Snoman]

Originally Posted by Alfdawg

Yes you misread the message. I have a 400 watt amp for the interior speakers and a 2000 watt amp for the subs.

Physics 101



CEA-2006 specs for this amplifier isn't "2kw", it's 500w and even that is questionable as burp ratings don't qualify. Marketing hype 101 and fairly common among today's manufactures because, snake oil sales techniques. Power is also inflated due to voltage measuring but that's an entirely different topic. Thank the Federal Trade Commission for allowing fake advertising. I'm sure someone told you this was a "2kw monster!!!!!! for only $300!!!!!", sorry to burst your bubble, they lied. I'm sure they showed you some YouTube dyno or some other "legitimate source". You'll be replacing the Sundown amp from burnt components long before the JL.



Your subs are dual 2 ohm so if your installer had half a brain they wired series + parallel for a 2 ohm load. The amp sees this 2 ohm load and therefore pushing 1kw into 2 ohms. For argument, 1kw@2 = 500w@4 because you know, Ohms law; P = I^2/R. Which would be true if you had a 14.4v power rail available to the amp (no one does). This amp is producing 400w into 4ohm or 800 into 2. Your subs are seeing 200w across each VC or 400 each, half their RMS rating.



None of this is the real issue however, the issue is the SA2000d. You tapped the OEM HU using speaker level inputs vs. non-existant RCA's. The voltage isn't high enough to utilize after market amplification, producing a "dirty signal". This is mostly due to Sundown's inability to accept a low voltage signal, they are unable to clean the signal to a useful level. Sure, it works but meh. There is nothing "wrong" with your system, your source signal simply isn't compatible with your cheap monoblock. You would have to purchase an aftermarket DSP that accepts speaker level inputs, cleans the signal then offers a RCA voltage outputs high enough for the 2000d, buy an aftermarket HU or both.


Since you're already with JL, I'd recommend JL slash 3 or a RF Punch or Power 1000+, a new HU and possibly a DSP.

[ZED SLED]

If you're looking for sound, sell all that stuff and buy a set of longtubes.

[Leo72793]

Originally Posted by Alfdawg

Yes my car came with the boston set up. Yes the rcas are hooked up properly. I had everything professionally installed.

"professional" Chances are they do not have the proper wiring. IF They didnt use a FARK, you need the signal BEFORE the amp (factory). IF they did then your gain isnt right, improper wire to supply powewr, incorrect wiring of subs for proper ohm load etc. SO many variables.