hi guys ..
i am having great deal of Problem of having not enough SPL after installing my amp, preamp, and subwoofer in my car.
The bass sounds ok when normal volume but when volume is turned up, the sound seems compressed and wont go further louder.
i Am considering of either replacing the amp for the subwoofer or add another subwoofer (or even resort to both method😀)
So i am confused which approach i should take to get the most out of my system ... the subwoofer has 300w rating (DVC woofer) and amp approximately hardly 100W per channel i think (it has only 10A fuse😱). Preamp have controls for subwoofer ...
below are pictures ....
i am having great deal of Problem of having not enough SPL after installing my amp, preamp, and subwoofer in my car.
The bass sounds ok when normal volume but when volume is turned up, the sound seems compressed and wont go further louder.
i Am considering of either replacing the amp for the subwoofer or add another subwoofer (or even resort to both method😀)
So i am confused which approach i should take to get the most out of my system ... the subwoofer has 300w rating (DVC woofer) and amp approximately hardly 100W per channel i think (it has only 10A fuse😱). Preamp have controls for subwoofer ...
below are pictures ....
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We can probably be more helpful if you provide a link to the driver specification, and your current box size and port dimensions. We can then determine if you're running out of power or driver.
My money is on amplification being a hold up here, however, the solution can go 2 ways- more amplification, OR, a more efficient box design for the sub.
My money is on amplification being a hold up here, however, the solution can go 2 ways- more amplification, OR, a more efficient box design for the sub.
An amp that's fused at 10 amps might only be 30 watts RMS per channel.
How do you have the sub wired to the amp? One voice coil per channel may be appropriate. If you have the two voice coils wired in parallel, that may be too much load for the amp, especially if you've wired it in bridged mono.
How do you have the sub wired to the amp? One voice coil per channel may be appropriate. If you have the two voice coils wired in parallel, that may be too much load for the amp, especially if you've wired it in bridged mono.
perhaps is time to get a more powerful amp and see if improve matters ... BTW i will also add another sub in ...
You may be able to gain as much SPL as adding another sub through a change in box design.
Keep in mind that in a car, electrical power is limited, and a low voltage source makes for very expensive wiring to accommodate the high current demands of powerful amplification. Proper balance between amplification and efficiency should be considered. Don't fall for the "wattage" hype in the industry.
Keep in mind that in a car, electrical power is limited, and a low voltage source makes for very expensive wiring to accommodate the high current demands of powerful amplification. Proper balance between amplification and efficiency should be considered. Don't fall for the "wattage" hype in the industry.
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now my current box is ported .... i ve considered the use of passive radiator system in car use ... will it be better because passive radiator have no port noise therefore producing better results at higher SPL??
Port noise is a result of a poorly designed ported enclosure for a driver. Passive radiators are not a "solution," rather, they are a different approach to solving the same problem. In small box designs, a passive radiator with displacement capability to replace a proper port may prove to be more costly than it is worth. Sometimes, it's very effective.
These questions, will have much better answers if you can provide driver specifications.
These questions, will have much better answers if you can provide driver specifications.
So you have an amp with a 10 amp fuse and it's "500 watts"?
Using ohm's law, say the alternator is churning out 14.4 volts and the amp is pulling 10 amps. 10 x 14.4 = 144 watt power draw. Most amps are fused higher than they normally operate, say at least a 40% buffer so at max you're pulling 6 amps.
6 x 14.4 = 86 watts of power draw then consider at best, with a class D amplifier at max efficiency, it converts 92% of the input power. Your amp is not a class D but I'll use it for best case. 86 x 0.92 = 80 watts or 40 x 2 if you have the best amplifier made.
Since it is a Chinese amplifier, their watts are smaller than normal so I'll give that one the 10% actual as rated so you're running 50 watts. Other issues are if you bridged the amp and run your dual voice coil subs in parallel. Your amp would see half an ohm across each channel so is current limited.
I'd wire the dual voice coils in series for 8 ohms then parallel the second one with it for 4 ohms then bridge the amp (if you can) for max power.
Since the amp is claiming 500 watts with a 10 amp fuse, either they have discovered magic or it identifies what you need to replace. Look for an amplifier that lists output as RMS, no peak, not PMPO or whatever lies they are telling now. Many "1000 watt" Chinese amps are actually around 165 watts per channel with the engine running at 14.4 volts. Since kids don't know what watts are, they are using Chinese subs that wildly overstate what they can handle--they are a good match.
I'd look for a Class D monoblock amplifer--Alpines look decent. The 300 watt at 4 ohm or 500 watts at 2 ohm version looks to be very good.
Using ohm's law, say the alternator is churning out 14.4 volts and the amp is pulling 10 amps. 10 x 14.4 = 144 watt power draw. Most amps are fused higher than they normally operate, say at least a 40% buffer so at max you're pulling 6 amps.
6 x 14.4 = 86 watts of power draw then consider at best, with a class D amplifier at max efficiency, it converts 92% of the input power. Your amp is not a class D but I'll use it for best case. 86 x 0.92 = 80 watts or 40 x 2 if you have the best amplifier made.
Since it is a Chinese amplifier, their watts are smaller than normal so I'll give that one the 10% actual as rated so you're running 50 watts. Other issues are if you bridged the amp and run your dual voice coil subs in parallel. Your amp would see half an ohm across each channel so is current limited.
I'd wire the dual voice coils in series for 8 ohms then parallel the second one with it for 4 ohms then bridge the amp (if you can) for max power.
Since the amp is claiming 500 watts with a 10 amp fuse, either they have discovered magic or it identifies what you need to replace. Look for an amplifier that lists output as RMS, no peak, not PMPO or whatever lies they are telling now. Many "1000 watt" Chinese amps are actually around 165 watts per channel with the engine running at 14.4 volts. Since kids don't know what watts are, they are using Chinese subs that wildly overstate what they can handle--they are a good match.
I'd look for a Class D monoblock amplifer--Alpines look decent. The 300 watt at 4 ohm or 500 watts at 2 ohm version looks to be very good.
thx for the guides and helps .... actually i already expect earlier that the amp wont go further then 100w per channel (10A fuse only ... theoretically this is something amiss) ... but further surprises me when u inform me it is hardly 50W ... i think i need to work on this matter first ...
I love JL slash amps, the 500/1 can be had used for $200-250 or So.
Alpine PDX's are small and put out rated power. For subs they're fine, the 600.1 and the 1000.1 are easily attainable.
Go to diymobileaudio.com and check out the classifieds. Ton of great gear for sale on there!
Alpine PDX's are small and put out rated power. For subs they're fine, the 600.1 and the 1000.1 are easily attainable.
Go to diymobileaudio.com and check out the classifieds. Ton of great gear for sale on there!
I'd second the Alpine recommendation. I've got the PDX M12 and it puts out a rediculous amount of power, more than I'll ever need for my two 12" subs.
Unless I'm not seeing the depth of his box properly, It appears to be around 1 cu ft. the port appears to be 4" dia and 5 or so inches long. That would tune in the 60-70hz range! If the box is 1.5 cu ft, it would tune in the 55 hz range. This box must sound boomy as hell and lack any real bass. Since the driver uncouples below tuning, it must make lots of distortion from excursion.
As stated, the driver specs are sorely needed as is a bigger box and/or longer port.
Forget the amp until you fix the speaker.
As stated, the driver specs are sorely needed as is a bigger box and/or longer port.
Forget the amp until you fix the speaker.
ok .. i will give the box dimension later for more information ... i really left out this important information ... and also the port diameter and the length ...
BTW ... what is the optimum Fb of a subwoofer box for car use .... maybe i will improve matters on this first ....
I have seen averages for sealed enclosures. There will always be drivers that need different types and sized of boxes, but if you use WinISD or other programs and test tons of different drivers, you will see a pattern emerge for the majority..
But here are some averages I have seen for speakers specifically designed as "car" subs...
8" .5 ft3 or smaller.
10" .7 or so
12" 1 to 1.25 ft3
The nice thing about sealed, is you can have a larger margin of error fitting a box and it won't hurt as much to be off a bit as compared to ported.
I have a piece of crap 10" Sony sub I got for free (I got two brand new in a car I bought) and it sounds just fine in the recommended .7 ft3 sealed box. I tried to look up a ported enclosure in case I wanted to make a little home sub, and it did not model well. You can tell, because the port requirements were ridiculous.
Just plug that port and see what happens 😀 Seriously. If all the wiring and what not is set up right, you should still get bass. My single 10 with a POS clarion amp that I got for 15 bucks still sounded good. Sure, not super loud, but some bass is better than NONE!
With the transfer function of the car helping you out, you don't need huge woofers and TONS of power to get good bass. How loud are you trying to get? 😀
But here are some averages I have seen for speakers specifically designed as "car" subs...
8" .5 ft3 or smaller.
10" .7 or so
12" 1 to 1.25 ft3
The nice thing about sealed, is you can have a larger margin of error fitting a box and it won't hurt as much to be off a bit as compared to ported.
I have a piece of crap 10" Sony sub I got for free (I got two brand new in a car I bought) and it sounds just fine in the recommended .7 ft3 sealed box. I tried to look up a ported enclosure in case I wanted to make a little home sub, and it did not model well. You can tell, because the port requirements were ridiculous.
Just plug that port and see what happens 😀 Seriously. If all the wiring and what not is set up right, you should still get bass. My single 10 with a POS clarion amp that I got for 15 bucks still sounded good. Sure, not super loud, but some bass is better than NONE!
With the transfer function of the car helping you out, you don't need huge woofers and TONS of power to get good bass. How loud are you trying to get? 😀
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For car audio subs, IMO it's best to tune for the best compromise between size and power-handling down to your chosen frequency (30~40 Hz, depending on your listening preferences), then fix any in-band response issues with EQ.
Ok ... Aim for Fb of about 30 to 40Hz .... How if i settle on Fb of 50Hz because i dont think i can get away of Fb of 40Hz and lower for ported and sealed box (box size too big and car trunk is too small🙁) ... what other alternatives here ?😕
Besides, i will get another same subwoofer for my car and need to consider my box size again ... and is the matter of trunk size 😕
Besides, i will get another same subwoofer for my car and need to consider my box size again ... and is the matter of trunk size 😕
If it's a sealed sub, an Fb of 50 Hz would be fine. The sealed subs I put together for my last car had an Fb of 50 Hz and they worked very well.
Wad up an old shirt and stuff it into that port tightly. If the box is too small and tuned too high like I predicted in my last post, the bass should become less boomy, more smooth and play lower. If trunk space is an issue, you really need to consider a sealed alignment. If the sound is good, glue a cover over the port and your done.
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