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altoncustomtech

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Posts posted by altoncustomtech


  1. 3&4 have the HP setting that can be adjusted down to 15hz which easily gets the crossover out of the way. You’re correct on the mono amp though, just adjust it to the top of it’s adjustment and let the DSP do the work. 

    That sub will probably handle 1500wrms without a problem, however due to the dynamic nature of music it won’t really be a concern. As a matter of fact the extra headroom from the few hundred extra watts on tap will only help prevent distortion. That will help it sound better and be easier on the sub in the long run. 

    Headroom is a good thing as long as you can understand what the limitations are and act accordingly when you believe there could be a problem while it’s playing. I’m currently running a rated 300wrms a channel to a set of components that are rated 125wrms. I have a pair of Fountek FR88EX 3” full range drivers rated 15wrms being powered by 75wrms. I also ran a pair of 10” SSA DCON’s (rated 400wrms) on an Arc Audio XDi2000 that had 2.5x their rated power on tap. The only reason I had an issue with the DCON’s is because the enclosure failed and they were mechanically damaged. Those subs were fine thermally. The components and full range are running great still. The headroom on tap allows me to get incredible clean response from the speakers I’m using but I also don’t get stupid with the volume knob. Don’t get me wrong I do push things hard but I’m VERY alert to what’s going on and I have the crossover and EQ settings dialed in to allow me to get by with that kind of power headroom. For what it’s worth another forum member had the same components with 600wrms on tap for each channel. It’s just a matter of setting things up correctly and knowing you’re not using every bit of that power except on the most dynamic (powerful) musical peaks. 

    There’s a thread on the forum related to headroom and the dynamics of music. It’s a great read to get a firm grasp on the subject. I’ll see if I can find a link. 


  2. Yes, it sure can, and the amp has active capable crossovers so you can control the cutoff frequencies for the tweeters and the mids as well for a truly active setup. 

    The only thing you don’t get in such a setup as you’re looking to do is time alignment, unless your HU has manually adjustable time alignment for each individual output channel. If that’s the case then you’re all set for the best experience of a highs setup you could ask for short of running a DSP. 


  3. There should always be a fuse as close to the positive terminal as possible, it doesn’t matter where that wire is going or what it’s feeding, the fuse is protecting the battery and your car/livelihood from burning to a crisp. 

    If you have two batteries you really need to fuse at both of them, why you ask?  Because if you only fuse at the front battery and there’s a direct short in the middle of the wire the front fuse will blow and protect that battery but now the rear battery is sitting there still shorted. If you’re lucky the wire will burn and cut the connection before it catches anything else on fire or causes the battery to explode. A fuse is cheap insurance to protect you from ever having to experience such a problem and they definitely happen.

    As for the amp, I’ve never seen a complaint about the Sundown amps, at least not one that holds any merit. Same goes for the Orion for the most part. The TS amps just seem a little too cheap to me, probably just me and a bad opinion, but it’s why I’ve never considered one in my plans or recommendations. 


  4. I have a set of 12” Fi Q’s that have been treating me great for 9 years now. They still work and sound every bit as good as they did when they were brand new. 

    You’re not getting hurt by either one on the quality of the product, however I would imagine that according to the intended design goals of the two drivers the Q will be smoother and better suited to an SQ system than the BTL. Not that a BTL has no business in SQ, jroadtatts ran a single 15” BTL in the Accord he built quite successfully, but that’s not to say it would be the best choice for everyone. 


  5. On 3/23/2018 at 10:49 AM, j-roadtatts said:

    I haven't uploaded pics directly to SSA in a while, so can't comment on that. But the other option I see guys do, is setup a photobucket account and upload from there.

    IMGUR.com is the website to use for now. Photobucket has made the ability to directly link images to a forum post or website a paid feature. Without subscribing to their website with a package that includes that service it doesn’t do any good. I also haven’t found a replacement that’s as easy or easier to use than photobucket was. Imgur works but is much more difficult (at least from my phone) than photobucket ever was. 


  6. On 3/11/2018 at 6:47 PM, ncc74656 said:

    ive never had the chance to really tune or build a full system like the one I'm planning to do in my truck. i do not like audison dsp's as i hate their setup process, i don't really care for the jl tweak as its pretty cookie cutter, cant even choose between types of xovers. the mini dsp was very good imo but isn't accecptable to have in a car i might show off at work. the mosconi however is one i havnt owned yet and would like to try out

    I’m not sure what you mean about cookie cutter?  It’s capable of using Linkwitz-Riley as well as Butterworth crossovers adjustable from -6dB up to-48dB depending on the type you choose. JL built a fair bit of power into the unit but there are quite a number of features and functions that are either limited or not accessible unless the user level is on advanced or expert. 

    7F791EE1-531A-4CB3-BC87-A9FFDD892D42.jpeg


  7. It’s not Qts, the figure that determines a drivers enclosure characteristic is the EBP (efficiency bandwidth product).  The EBP is calculated by dividing the Fs by the Qes. 

    As the books generally go, 0-50 is sealed enclosure territory, 50-100 is okay for either and over 100 is strictly ported. 

     

    edit: Well leave it to M5 to jump in whilst I was held up finishing my post to make me look foolish...


  8. The Helix Pro would be my goto if the price wasn’t so high. I have my own and have helped install/setup several of the JL TWK88 DSP’s. I think they’re about impossible to beat for the money. Not quite as powerful as the Helix Pro but much easier to use and more reliable than cheaper units or units like the BitOne and 360.3. I would recommend it to anyone looking for a less expensive alternative to the Helix Pro that doesn’t need all the power it has either. 


  9. 1 hour ago, tenaciousNoob said:

    I emailed the company to see if I can get a voltage schematic. We'll see how their customer service is. I wonder if I could even send one in and have them tell me whats wrong with it if I can't figure it out

    The second point is very likely, the first will surprise me.  Of course it all depends on the company but there’s plenty of them who probably don’t even have that information because they don’t actually repair anything in house. Others that do want people to send in the defective equipment to their authorized service center. By keeping that information private they can afford to maintain the service center. Either way it sure doesn’t hurt to ask, and if they do have the information available and they’re willing to share it you’ll definitely be in business and finishing the repair will be highly likely. 


  10. Ooooo, got the full picture now. 

    You’re definitely going to need to test it further. Chances are those output fets took something with them when they lit off. An oscilloscope would help, knowing what voltages and signals you should see at specific locations would be much more helpful. Unfortunately without a troubleshooting spec or at least design specs that information is probably not available. Without knowing what it should have and where it’s going to be really hard to troubleshoot much further. Perhaps borrowing a working one to compare it to would help but I doubt you have one available. 

    Good luck, I know how it feels to put time and/or money into something and not get successful results. 


  11. My other worry, as you also stated, is about the amplifiers seeming to not handle the loads like they used to.  

    The SAE line was never designed to be as robust as the SAZ line in the first place. More of a budget friendly option while still very solidly built was the goal I believe. You’ve been running them below their minimum rated impedance and while you have some upgraded electrical I am not certain it’s enough to properly feed those under that kind of load. I’m afraid that you’ve been running it on the ragged edge long enough that there are damaged MOSFETs in the amps and you are close to an imminent failure. 

    I could be wrong, but every time resistance (impedance) in an electrical circuit the current load will double, its ohms law. The amplifiers when wired to 1/2 ohm are going to attempt to flow double the current used at 1 ohm. Sure there’s a change in impedance as the frequency changes but that will also technically be half of what is seen at 1 ohm. Trying to run double the current it’s designed for without  very stable voltage input (low voltage also increases current draw) is a recipe for disaster and equipment failure. Like I said, I could easily be wrong but the information suggests at least warranting a look at the amps themselves. At least for the protection issue, there’s also a slight possibility they were already damaged from when they were strapped.  Technically speaking if everything is designed and installed correctly the amps should never go into protection when running normally. 

    That’s just my worthless .02 

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