Help. Subwoofers not loud as expected

[prod]

Try readjusting the amps. Turn up the low-pass filter on the 4 channel.
As some have suggested, you should get something to interface your factory HU with the amps. I would get the AudioControl LC6i though, and wire both amps to it. Its a little more expensive than the 2 channel, but the extra control over all channels is worth it IMO.

[oslouie]

Originally Posted by Youngdeezy510

I don’t have experience with them but I’ve seen them at our local flea markets/swap meet which carry bargain audio equipment like Pyle, earthquake, sundown etc. I didn’t mean to offend you if I did sorry about that buddy. Just trying to give some advice

You're right, you're not a big audio guy if you never heard of Sundown.

OP...I can think of three things that may be wrong with your setup. Well...two because the third is a definite which is the size of your box is too small for those subs. Because the subs need bigger boxes to get optimal performance out of them, you have them in a limited box. I don't know what your boxes are tuned to...but I can't imagine that they have much port area judging by the size of the box and ports. I'll take an entry level sub in the right sized box over a high end sub in the wrong box any day.

With that being said, my first question is if you are really using a FARK unit and if it was properly used. As others mentioned, the FARK unit should be installed before the factory amp. If your installer installed it after the factory amp, then that would explain the issue you're having.

Second of all, I think your subs may have been mis-wired either outside or inside the box. We're all humans and make mistakes. Even having over 20 years experience with car audio, I managed to do that once and it had me scratching my head for a week until I decided to check my wiring inside the box and sure enough, it was mis-wired (reversed polarity). I brought this up because I felt the same way when I had that system installed. Everything sounds good but the sub-stage wasn't loud enough, especially for the quality of equipment that I had and the amount of power I had...so you might want to check there.

Some things to note after reading the comments...Snowman might be on to something about the voice coil configuration of your subs. If they are dual 4 ohm coils, your installer would have to wire them in parallel to get optimal performance out of them. If they are dual 2 ohms and your installer knows this, and he wired it in series, since your amp isn't advertised to be stable under 1 ohm, then you're now running at 4 ohms, which is 500 watts according to Sundown's rating. Another thing to note is that I don't think adjusting your frequency is going to affect the loudness unless you're looking for a louder mid-range. Another thing...please don't waste your money on a crappy capacitor. An additional battery would suite you better.

I can tell you what I think it it NOT. Battery or alternator. I think the V8's have a 150 amp alternator. I can't imagine that this is limiting that much power from being made. I've had 600 watts rattle the rust off of a car before and I'm sure even with the stock alternator, you'd be making at least that. As for the battery, I don't see that being the issue unless you play your system for extended amounts of time with the car off but if this was the case, you'll know because your battery would be drained. It is NOT because of a dirty signal to your amp. The signal from the factory head unit is surprisingly clean all the way to max volume. It is NOT your amp. Sundown is one of the highly respected car audio brands in the industry so I'm positive that it's not because of your amp unless it's defective in some sort of way.

[Snoman]

Originally Posted by oslouie

You're right, you're not a big audio guy if you never heard of Sundown.

OP...I can think of three things that may be wrong with your setup. Well...two because the third is a definite which is the size of your box is too small for those subs. Because the subs need bigger boxes to get optimal performance out of them, you have them in a limited box. I don't know what your boxes are tuned to...but I can't imagine that they have much port area judging by the size of the box and ports. I'll take an entry level sub in the right sized box over a high end sub in the wrong box any day.
...

box size is fine, those subs only require 1.6cf ported, but OP can post specs if for curiosity


As I posted above, the flea market monoblock is the problem.

[oslouie]

Originally Posted by Snoman

box size is fine, those subs only require 1.6cf ported, but OP can post specs if for curiosity


As I posted above, the flea market monoblock is the problem.

I highly doubt the amp is the problem. Sundown has better quality than most brands out there.

[Snoman]

That amp is physically unable to clean the tapped signal, due to a lack of quality internal parts related to how an amplifier handles sound. You can argue pigs fly all day, it's still never going to happen.


The only two solutions is to toss the paperweight and buy RF/JL or purchase a new head unit and use RCA's.

[yzark99]

Before spending a ton of money, you should look into a loc which has enough clean gain to feed the sub amp; like navone. Use that on the stock hu output, convert to low signal, boost the gain and feed the amp with it. Next, Crutchfield published info on sub tuning with test tones, or take it to a shop to get it dialed in. The stock alternator on the v6 is 150 amps. I have no problem getting my bass beyond annoying with 600 watts rms 4 ohm and a single 12 boston g3 in a sealed box.

[Snoman]

Originally Posted by yzark99

Before spending a ton of money, you should look into a loc which has enough clean gain...

https://www.parts-express.com/dayton...audio--230-500

[yzark99]

Try this $20: http://davidnavone.com/product/ne-7v...drive-adapter/

[Batmanntexas]

Originally Posted by oslouie

... Another thing...please don't waste your money on a crappy capacitor. An additional battery would suite you better.

You might want to go back and brush up on basic electrical theory and electrical components before you throw out WRONG information.

OP - A capacitor, used in this situation and sized appropriately, will deliver far more current, much faster, than a battery or alternator ever could. Anybody that knows anything about car audio understands that to deliver big bass notes, the amp requires a lot of current. When a bass note occurs, the amp places a huge demand on the electrical system, causing system voltage to drop (hence the dimming headlights), which in turn causes the voltage at the amp to drop as well, which will usually have a negative effect on the bass note being produced.

In this situation, a capacitor is nothing more than an energy storage device, kind of like a bucket full of water that is balanced on a ledge, that ‘dumps’ anytime the supply voltage dips. It dumps current, and lots of it, nearly instantaneous, to counteract the voltage drop, and that is why your headlights will quit dimming, provided you have enough capacitor for your amp.

Make no mistake, a capacitor is not a battery. It will do nothing to solve charging issues, an under-rated alternator, or make up for a weak battery, etc. It simply stores an energy charge, and releases it suddenly when it sees the system voltage drop.

If you play your system for extended periods of time without the car running, then a second battery will benefit you, but you will still need a capacitor if you want to fix your dimming headlights…..or downgrade to a smaller amp.

-Scott

[oslouie]

Originally Posted by Snoman

That amp is physically unable to clean the tapped signal, due to a lack of quality internal parts related to how an amplifier handles sound. You can argue pigs fly all day, it's still never going to happen.


The only two solutions is to toss the paperweight and buy RF/JL or purchase a new head unit and use RCA's.

RF or JL?

Originally Posted by Batmanntexas

You might want to go back and brush up on basic electrical theory and electrical components before you throw out WRONG information.

OP - A capacitor, used in this situation and sized appropriately, will deliver far more current, much faster, than a battery or alternator ever could. Anybody that knows anything about car audio understands that to deliver big bass notes, the amp requires a lot of current. When a bass note occurs, the amp places a huge demand on the electrical system, causing system voltage to drop (hence the dimming headlights), which in turn causes the voltage at the amp to drop as well, which will usually have a negative effect on the bass note being produced.

In this situation, a capacitor is nothing more than an energy storage device, kind of like a bucket full of water that is balanced on a ledge, that ‘dumps’ anytime the supply voltage dips. It dumps current, and lots of it, nearly instantaneous, to counteract the voltage drop, and that is why your headlights will quit dimming, provided you have enough capacitor for your amp.

Make no mistake, a capacitor is not a battery. It will do nothing to solve charging issues, an under-rated alternator, or make up for a weak battery, etc. It simply stores an energy charge, and releases it suddenly when it sees the system voltage drop.

If you play your system for extended periods of time without the car running, then a second battery will benefit you, but you will still need a capacitor if you want to fix your dimming headlights…..or downgrade to a smaller amp.

-Scott

Three farads isn't enough. If you're going to waste your money on a 3 farad capacitor, might as well do it right and buy a bank of Maxwell Supercaps. I know what capacitors are and what they do. Sure they were useful back in the mid 90's when car audio took off but then again, amps in the days didn't produce much power and if they did, you wouldn't find an install using capacitors as the fix. I myself roll with two banks of Supercaps (866f) on over 3k rms in my truck so I know they work. It's just that 3 farads won't be enough.

[Alfdawg]

Originally Posted by fif_gen_powa

Should have a full signal to the sub amp. Also set the high pass crossover higher on the 4 channel amp if the mids are distorting

Does the bass on the factory radio control the subwoofers output too?
And if I turn up the bass on the hu and then turn up the high pass on the 4 channel amp will it filter out the bass from the inside speakers?

[Alfdawg]

Originally Posted by 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.

The subs are dual 4 ohms wired in parallel so I can get a 1 ohm load. Yes I have a bass knob but I'm not using it. I feel like it's the headunit because if I turn the bass up the subwoofers get louder but it also adds bass to the inside speakers which makes the speakers sound horrible.

[Alfdawg]

Originally Posted by 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.

I dont feel like it's the box. Sundown recommends 1.5 to 2.0 cubic feet and the box is 1.7 cubic feet for each sub. Like I said when I turn the bass up on the headunit the subs gets louder but turning the bass up also adds bass to the inside speakers.

[Alfdawg]

Originally Posted by 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

I wanted to keep the factory head unit because I heard you lose certain features.
I was thinking about a lc2i but I wasnt sure how it would work with the fark harness and I wasnt sure how you could wire it in with having the fark harness.