General car audio questions for a newB - Page 2

rocko1290 · 25th August 2006, 09:51 PM

Quote:

Originally posted by sr20dem0n
If it's built into the amp then you can normally adjust it anywhere between ~15hz and ~50hz

Why can you only use one on a ported enclosure?

sr20dem0n · 25th August 2006, 10:41 PM

You can use it on anything you want, but it's only really needed on a ported enclosure, and only on a ported enclosure that's tuned above ~30Hz.

The reason is because finding a signal that resides well below 30Hz in music is extremely rare (it's not rare in HT, movies can dig deep, but most people don't play movies in their car), and finding one that's powerful enough to hurt your speaker is even more rare. You only really need a SSF if your sub is tuned high enough where normal music is capable of causing it to unload (which happens ~1/2 octave below tuning), which makes it very easy to damage your sub. In other words, if you're tuned to 40Hz, the sub will begin unloading around 28Hz. A powerful 28Hz signal is relatively hard to find in music, but they are out there, so to be on the safe side you would want to set your SSF around 35Hz so by 28Hz, the signal has been attenuated enough that it won't cause damage from unloading. On the other hand, if you're tuned to 25Hz, the sub won't begin unloading until ~17Hz. Unless you go around playing 15Hz test tones everywhere, you won't have a problem, so you don't need a SSF.

A sealed sub doesn't unload, so there're no real worries there.

rocko1290 · 25th August 2006, 11:28 PM

Quote:

Originally posted by sr20dem0n
You can use it on anything you want, but it's only really needed on a ported enclosure, and only on a ported enclosure that's tuned above ~30Hz.

The reason is because finding a signal that resides well below 30Hz in music is extremely rare (it's not rare in HT, movies can dig deep, but most people don't play movies in their car), and finding one that's powerful enough to hurt your speaker is even more rare. You only really need a SSF if your sub is tuned high enough where normal music is capable of causing it to unload (which happens ~1/2 octave below tuning), which makes it very easy to damage your sub. In other words, if you're tuned to 40Hz, the sub will begin unloading around 28Hz. A powerful 28Hz signal is relatively hard to find in music, but they are out there, so to be on the safe side you would want to set your SSF around 35Hz so by 28Hz, the signal has been attenuated enough that it won't cause damage from unloading. On the other hand, if you're tuned to 25Hz, the sub won't begin unloading until ~17Hz. Unless you go around playing 15Hz test tones everywhere, you won't have a problem, so you don't need a SSF.

A sealed sub doesn't unload, so there're no real worries there.

Gotcha, thanks. Thanks for all your help man, you have been really helpful. What kind of amp would you reccomend? I'm probably gonna need a 600w at 2 ohm mono amp. I think I am going to have a ported enclosure so I shouldn't need a subsonic filter then.

Now can you turn off the subsonic filter if you don't need it?

Oh--and 1 more thing--how can I add neon/ccfl lighting to my enclosure?

sr20dem0n · 25th August 2006, 11:37 PM

Most of the mainstream brands make decent mono amps that are built to run at 2ohm (Alpine, Kicker, etc).

A ported enclosure is what you should be using a SSF for, if it's tuned relatively high.

Some amps let you turn it off, others let you turn it to such a low frequency that it won't affect you

You could add neon if you want....but I have no idea why you would. Autozone and Pepboys sell neon bulbs that run off of 12v, you would just run them off of a relay so they turn on/off with either the switched 12v signal in the car or a manual switch that you could mount somewhere.

rocko1290 · 26th August 2006, 03:51 AM

Quote:

Originally posted by sr20dem0n
Most of the mainstream brands make decent mono amps that are built to run at 2ohm (Alpine, Kicker, etc).

A ported enclosure is what you should be using a SSF for, if it's tuned relatively high.

Some amps let you turn it off, others let you turn it to such a low frequency that it won't affect you

You could add neon if you want....but I have no idea why you would. Autozone and Pepboys sell neon bulbs that run off of 12v, you would just run them off of a relay so they turn on/off with either the switched 12v signal in the car or a manual switch that you could mount somewhere.

Well I wanted to try to get a relatively low tune with the ported enclosure, like 25-30 hz. Then I shouldn't need a SSF. If my tune ends up being higher than that then I'll go ahead and buy an amp with a SSF (who knows, I might end up getting an amp with an SSF anyway).

What do you think about JBL and JL Audio amps?

You don't like neon in cars? I'm young so I like it now, but I probably won't eventually...I am a little confused on how I would wire up the neon, but I think my step-dad can help me with that. Is there a sound module that you can buy that will allow the neon to pulsate to the music?

Why do you say a sealed subwoofer cannot unload? Generally, the sealed subs will have a higher tuning frequency than the ported...so let's say you had a sealed subwoofer tuned at 45hz...if it was fed a 30hz signal, why wouldn't it unload?

sr20dem0n · 26th August 2006, 04:11 PM

1 - Sounds good

2 - They're nice, I'd take JL over JBL, but I'd take many other brands over either

3 - I believe you can buy neon that pulses with the music from Autozone and Pep Boys, you'd just want to cut off the cig lighter adaptor (unless it's what controls the pulsing, in which case you'd want to disect it), wire it to the output of a relay, and wire the power for the relay to the battery and control for the relay to the switched 12v line or to a switch which is wired to power

4 - A sealed sub doesn't have a tuning frequency because there's no port. With no port and no tuning frequency, it can't unload.

rocko1290 · 27th August 2006, 01:09 AM

Thanks. What do you think about this amp? Is the SSF and the crossover fully adjustable on this amp?

http://www.cartoys.com/Default.cfm/p...ssD_Amplifier/

sr20dem0n · 27th August 2006, 01:46 AM

It should be fine

The lowpass filter is adjustable between 50-200Hz and there is no SSF on that amp

rocko1290 · 27th August 2006, 02:54 AM

Quote:

Originally posted by sr20dem0n
It should be fine

The lowpass filter is adjustable between 50-200Hz and there is no SSF on that amp

It says "subsonic filter" under Key Features

sr20dem0n · 27th August 2006, 03:41 AM

Hm, so it does

I just looked at up close pictures and didn't see a control for it, so I assumed it didn't have one

Turns out it has one that's fixed at 15Hz, nonadjustable, so it doesn't really do anything for you.

27th August 2006, 01:09 AM	#17
rocko1290 diyAudio Member Join Date: Aug 2006	Thanks. What do you think about this amp? Is the SSF and the crossover fully adjustable on this amp? http://www.cartoys.com/Default.cfm/p...ssD_Amplifier/ __________________ --Rocko

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25th August 2006, 10:41 PM	#12
sr20dem0n diyAudio Member Join Date: Apr 2005 Location: Broomfield, CO	You can use it on anything you want, but it's only really needed on a ported enclosure, and only on a ported enclosure that's tuned above ~30Hz. The reason is because finding a signal that resides well below 30Hz in music is extremely rare (it's not rare in HT, movies can dig deep, but most people don't play movies in their car), and finding one that's powerful enough to hurt your speaker is even more rare. You only really need a SSF if your sub is tuned high enough where normal music is capable of causing it to unload (which happens ~1/2 octave below tuning), which makes it very easy to damage your sub. In other words, if you're tuned to 40Hz, the sub will begin unloading around 28Hz. A powerful 28Hz signal is relatively hard to find in music, but they are out there, so to be on the safe side you would want to set your SSF around 35Hz so by 28Hz, the signal has been attenuated enough that it won't cause damage from unloading. On the other hand, if you're tuned to 25Hz, the sub won't begin unloading until ~17Hz. Unless you go around playing 15Hz test tones everywhere, you won't have a problem, so you don't need a SSF. A sealed sub doesn't unload, so there're no real worries there.

25th August 2006, 11:37 PM	#14
sr20dem0n diyAudio Member Join Date: Apr 2005 Location: Broomfield, CO	Most of the mainstream brands make decent mono amps that are built to run at 2ohm (Alpine, Kicker, etc). A ported enclosure is what you should be using a SSF for, if it's tuned relatively high. Some amps let you turn it off, others let you turn it to such a low frequency that it won't affect you You could add neon if you want....but I have no idea why you would. Autozone and Pepboys sell neon bulbs that run off of 12v, you would just run them off of a relay so they turn on/off with either the switched 12v signal in the car or a manual switch that you could mount somewhere.

26th August 2006, 04:11 PM	#16
sr20dem0n diyAudio Member Join Date: Apr 2005 Location: Broomfield, CO	1 - Sounds good 2 - They're nice, I'd take JL over JBL, but I'd take many other brands over either 3 - I believe you can buy neon that pulses with the music from Autozone and Pep Boys, you'd just want to cut off the cig lighter adaptor (unless it's what controls the pulsing, in which case you'd want to disect it), wire it to the output of a relay, and wire the power for the relay to the battery and control for the relay to the switched 12v line or to a switch which is wired to power 4 - A sealed sub doesn't have a tuning frequency because there's no port. With no port and no tuning frequency, it can't unload.

27th August 2006, 01:46 AM	#18
sr20dem0n diyAudio Member Join Date: Apr 2005 Location: Broomfield, CO	It should be fine The lowpass filter is adjustable between 50-200Hz and there is no SSF on that amp

27th August 2006, 03:41 AM	#20
sr20dem0n diyAudio Member Join Date: Apr 2005 Location: Broomfield, CO	Hm, so it does I just looked at up close pictures and didn't see a control for it, so I assumed it didn't have one Turns out it has one that's fixed at 15Hz, nonadjustable, so it doesn't really do anything for you.