Car Stereo Enthusiasts here on SBAF?

Discussion in 'Cars, Motorcycles, Boats, Airplanes Talk' started by crazychile, Mar 7, 2017.

  1. spwath

    spwath Hijinks master cum laudle

    Pyrate BWC
    Joined:
    Dec 13, 2015
    Likes Received:
    7,894
    Trophy Points:
    113
    Location:
    Madison, WI
    Not in that pic, I just screwed it to the sub though, I didn't have any screws when I took that pic. Cleaned up the cables too
     
  2. spwath

    spwath Hijinks master cum laudle

    Pyrate BWC
    Joined:
    Dec 13, 2015
    Likes Received:
    7,894
    Trophy Points:
    113
    Location:
    Madison, WI
    Improved set up
    IMG_20191116_165918570.jpg
     
  3. WhiteNoise

    WhiteNoise Facebook Friend

    Joined:
    Jul 6, 2019
    Likes Received:
    106
    Trophy Points:
    33
    Location:
    California
    Been into car audio for years and years. My current commuter is stock and will remain so because it actually sounds great but my last car (Lexus LS400) I did a three-week install in my front yard and it was the most challenging install I had ever done.

    Here is a shot of the trunk and my massive sub box. I had to make a custom floor in the trunk to give everything a rigid mounting point. I miss that car but I pulled everything before I sold it.

    [​IMG]

    The sub is a Sound Splinter RLp-15 D2 that I bought back in 2006 I think? 05 or 06. It is one hellofva sub. It doesn't require a lot of power to really push either. I originally ran it in a custom sealed enclosure, inverted and though the SQ was really good, building this vented box really brought the sub to life.
     
    Last edited: Dec 25, 2019
  4. cskippy

    cskippy Creamy warmpoo

    Pyrate MZR
    Joined:
    Oct 14, 2015
    Likes Received:
    3,999
    Trophy Points:
    113
    Location:
    Tempe, Arizona
    I’m currently running a 15” subwoofer, perks of working at Rockford Fosgate. I ordered a 12” T1 Slim and T3 6.5” component set for Christmas as a present for myself. I’ll update the thread once everything is installed. Until then, here is the crazy boom boom setup I had when we were testing out some products:
    9536C893-A9FE-4BF9-96D7-3A48DBEDE11B.jpeg

    Yeah...no room for groceries lol 2x12” enclosure with 1200W amp.
     
  5. spwath

    spwath Hijinks master cum laudle

    Pyrate BWC
    Joined:
    Dec 13, 2015
    Likes Received:
    7,894
    Trophy Points:
    113
    Location:
    Madison, WI
    I thought my 2x10 sub was taking up a lot of space but compared to these past 2 pics I have plenty of space.

    Still get plenty of boom boom though. I do need to work on tuning my system, one of these days ill go out to my car with my measurement mic to measure and tune it. Right now I suspect its pretty bass heavy, but I kinda like it. A bass heavy song shakes my rearview mirror quite a bit, and makes stuff rattle.
     
  6. WhiteNoise

    WhiteNoise Facebook Friend

    Joined:
    Jul 6, 2019
    Likes Received:
    106
    Trophy Points:
    33
    Location:
    California
    That is always my wife's biggest complaint. Every car or SUV I have owned loses it's trunk/cargo space to subs and amps. She always complains that she can't go shopping with my car. I honestly never cared though because she has her own car. I have a truck for hauling too so I never cared.
     
  7. crazychile

    crazychile Eastern Iowa's Spiciest Pepper

    Pyrate BWC
    Joined:
    Jan 19, 2016
    Likes Received:
    2,512
    Trophy Points:
    93
    Location:
    Eastern Iowa
    Back in the 90’s, RF loaned us one of the “BlastroVan” vehicles at the shop I managed. I forget what was in it, but I think it had at least a dozen 15s, and it was run off a couple of Power 1000s or something like that. Back then, cruising the Avenue was a thing so me and a couple other guys took it out for an evening. The looks we got were priceless. Good times.
     
  8. yotacowboy

    yotacowboy McRibs Kind of Guy

    Pyrate Contributor
    Joined:
    Feb 23, 2016
    Likes Received:
    10,682
    Trophy Points:
    113
    Location:
    NOVA
    Home Page:
    Man, car audio brings me back to my audio origins. For a while I had a '91 Toyota standard cab P/U with Sony ES head unit, Sony EQ/x-over, into 2 Kicker XS50s, one driving an MB Quart front stage in the kick panels, the other running mono into 3 paralleled JL 8W3's. That was pretty fun!
     
  9. spwath

    spwath Hijinks master cum laudle

    Pyrate BWC
    Joined:
    Dec 13, 2015
    Likes Received:
    7,894
    Trophy Points:
    113
    Location:
    Madison, WI
    Decided to actually strap down my sub, before kinda moved around whenever I accelerated fast. At some point I am going to add a connector so I can easily unplug and remove sub as well.
    IMG_20191229_144232743.jpg
     
  10. squishware

    squishware Friend

    Pyrate
    Joined:
    Nov 17, 2019
    Likes Received:
    424
    Trophy Points:
    93
    Location:
    on a whole other plane
    Past three vehicles, I put in single DIN Alpine head units and KTP-445U in dash amps that adds 4 x 45 rms watts and just plugs in. I replace the speakers with whatever is getting good reviews at the time compared to cost. The latest was my 2000 F150 4 -5 x 8 Rockford Fosgate Punch quadraxials. Ford really aimed those 5 x 8s effectively. I bought a Sound Ordanance sub from Crutchfield for behind the passenger seat. It was a hair too big so the passenger would have to bend slightly forward. I never let ANYONE drive my vehicles so it never bothered me but my son never stopped bitching until I took it out. I really like the Alpine heads and have bought and installed 6 so far including my kids cars.

    My Jeep already has one of those Classic radios that looks like an old push button FM from the 70s but has digital screen behind and a bunch of incorrectly matched Kicker speakers. The radio stopped working but I have enough mechanical issues in relation to the motor change I have not even looked at why yet.

    The Alpines have USB in on the face and I load a flash drive with about 130 albums with each album being a different folder. I can skip a song or an album. Great system I have been using more than a decade. I never listen to the radio just let the files play.
     
    Last edited: Jan 1, 2020
  11. spwath

    spwath Hijinks master cum laudle

    Pyrate BWC
    Joined:
    Dec 13, 2015
    Likes Received:
    7,894
    Trophy Points:
    113
    Location:
    Madison, WI
    I need some advice on how to tune my system. Took some measurements, got a lot of bass.
    I tried reducing subwoofer level in head unit, subwoofer gain in headunit, eq on head unit, and bass boost on sub amp, and all seemed to do almost nothing. What should I do?
    [​IMG]
     
  12. crazychile

    crazychile Eastern Iowa's Spiciest Pepper

    Pyrate BWC
    Joined:
    Jan 19, 2016
    Likes Received:
    2,512
    Trophy Points:
    93
    Location:
    Eastern Iowa
    Is that with everything set flat? Or was that the best response you could get after tweaking EQ?

    Do you have the option to set sub Xover on the amp instead of the head unit? You might want to try both ways if possible.

    Check to make sure you don't have a speaker out of phase.
     
  13. M3NTAL

    M3NTAL Friend

    Pyrate
    Joined:
    Sep 27, 2015
    Likes Received:
    1,697
    Trophy Points:
    113
    Location:
    Arizona
    There are some dsp systems that you can integrate into your factory system, but I honestly don't know who is the top dog for that these days. Quick google search shows the JL Audio has gotten into the game - https://www.jlaudio.com/car-audio-processors-oem-integration

    I personally use the Alpine Imprint system that is built-in to my aftermarket head-unit. You can only select from a few predefined curves though.
     
  14. spwath

    spwath Hijinks master cum laudle

    Pyrate BWC
    Joined:
    Dec 13, 2015
    Likes Received:
    7,894
    Trophy Points:
    113
    Location:
    Madison, WI
    That is with everything set to flat, any changes I did really made almost no difference.
    Speakers are all factory, phase should be fine, but ill check out the subwoofer, never have checked inside it.

    There is an xover option on the amp as well, but that wouldent reduce levels right?
     
  15. yotacowboy

    yotacowboy McRibs Kind of Guy

    Pyrate Contributor
    Joined:
    Feb 23, 2016
    Likes Received:
    10,682
    Trophy Points:
    113
    Location:
    NOVA
    Home Page:
    In the "olden days" most car audio amps were set up so that unity gain on the pots was marked as "1", and min was "0", max gain at "10". I'd suggest to get everything near unity and work from there. Don't start cutting out EQ until you've got amp gain more-or-less sorted. Also, using a stock front stage means you're probably looking at 85-89db/w efficient speakers fed by a 35-ishw RMS amp, and the sub is 80-85 db/w fed be multiple hundreds of watts RMS; car audio is a shit show of poorly matched efficiencies and amp gains.
     
  16. spwath

    spwath Hijinks master cum laudle

    Pyrate BWC
    Joined:
    Dec 13, 2015
    Likes Received:
    7,894
    Trophy Points:
    113
    Location:
    Madison, WI
    Ill try playing around with the gain on the amp. I didn't think about how much more power I have going to the sub than the speakers. Or maybe ill just buy an amp for the speakers.
     
  17. zonto

    zonto Friend

    Pyrate Contributor
    Joined:
    Sep 30, 2015
    Likes Received:
    4,975
    Trophy Points:
    113
    Location:
    Boston, MA
    Yeah, I’d set your head unit subwoofer output and EQ back to default and play around with the gain on the sub amp to set the level. Do this at normal / loudish listening volume and not low volume where you’ll be inclined to turn the gain on the amp up.

    Have you also confirmed the crossover settings are on and correct? High passing the speakers through the head unit (assuming that’s what’s powering them) and ensuring the sub’s low pass filter is set accordingly via head unit and/or subwoofer amp?

    Otherwise it seems you’re just experiencing regular cabin gain in your car, with the additional quirks of driving a hatchback. See: http://www.caraudiohelp.com/newsletter/cabin_gain.html and attached measurements from JBL.

    [​IMG]
     
  18. crazychile

    crazychile Eastern Iowa's Spiciest Pepper

    Pyrate BWC
    Joined:
    Jan 19, 2016
    Likes Received:
    2,512
    Trophy Points:
    93
    Location:
    Eastern Iowa
    Regarding the xover, I was more concerned that you had it set to one value on the head unit and something else on the amp. You want it set on one, but not both. The Xovers in the head units now are pretty good and usually the most convenient way to do it.

    From the additional info you’ve provided in other posts, the issue is that you have a subwoofer that’s on big power but the factory speakers are on deck power so you have a massive power imbalance. I Would add a 4ch amp for your other speakers, and then upgrade your other speakers after the amp if needed.
     
  19. spwath

    spwath Hijinks master cum laudle

    Pyrate BWC
    Joined:
    Dec 13, 2015
    Likes Received:
    7,894
    Trophy Points:
    113
    Location:
    Madison, WI
    Crossover settings are fine, I think the problem is just as you stated. Much more power going into higher efficiency sub, and the acoustic amplification of being a small car and a hatchback. I guess the solution is play around with gain and maybe MORE POWER.
     
  20. spwath

    spwath Hijinks master cum laudle

    Pyrate BWC
    Joined:
    Dec 13, 2015
    Likes Received:
    7,894
    Trophy Points:
    113
    Location:
    Madison, WI
    So I wanted to be able to remove the sub easily in case I need to put something big in. Bought some 20a power connectors, the + and - 12v are on the 2 pins, and the power on sensor cable is on the ground pin. Now I can just unplug that, unplug the RCAs, and subwoofer can be removed!
    [​IMG]
     

Share This Page