setup wrong or upgrade to xcon?

[basshead601 2]

hello, i have a 15" icon powered by a jl 1000 amp. its in a pro box ported enclosure. i set the amp up according to the jl tech's instructions and when i really crank on it sometimes the speaker gives off a burning smell. it did it twice so i dont crank it that hard anymore. i purchased my sub during the free sub box deal was going on and got it with a 4 cu 33hz box and when i would turn the sub volume all the way on the head unit is when i first smelled the burning so i took it back out of that box and put it back in the pro box. my question is am i clipping the sub or do i need to step up to the xcon. i have my settings on the amp at the recommended settings and only have 4db of bass boost. please let me know what i should do

[thebiggmann12 14]

that pro box is probably tuned to high for ur sub...that would mean ur playing it too high for the sub to function properly and then ur probably clipping it trying to make it louder.

[jcarter1885 995]

that pro box is probably tuned to high for ur sub...that would mean ur playing it too high for the sub to function properly and then ur probably clipping it trying to make it louder.

I dont see how the box is tuned to high if he said it is tuned to 33Hz. Your amp's settings are set wrong and you are probably clipping it also. Your amp's settings are set wrong and you are probably clipping it also. If your gonna use bass boost you need to make sure you incorporate that into your settings, set your gain with a DMM or O-Scope since by ear is not working for you.

[Sir-Lancelot 216]

Set your gains with the sub level all the way up and leave the bass boost off.

Listen to it man, it cant sound good with a clipped signal. If you want it louder you may need bigger woofer/amp, but feeding it a clipped signal and adding bass boost is not the solution.

[basshead601 2]

that pro box is probably tuned to high for ur sub...that would mean ur playing it too high for the sub to function properly and then ur probably clipping it trying to make it louder.

it did it when i had it in the box i had built for the sub really bad. i turned my sub volume on the head unit up to make it louder and thought i started a fire lol. so i took it out of that box n put it back in the pro box. the sub REALLY shines on low notes in the box quentin built for it but i guess i requested too low porting cause it took away from everything else.

[basshead601 2]

that pro box is probably tuned to high for ur sub...that would mean ur playing it too high for the sub to function properly and then ur probably clipping it trying to make it louder.

I dont see how the box is tuned to high if he said it is tuned to 33Hz. Your amp's settings are set wrong and you are probably clipping it also. If your gonna use bass boost you need to make sure you incorporate that into your settings, set your gain with a DMM or O-Scope since by ear is not working for you.

i didnt set it by ear i set it with a meter like to the exact number the manual recommended and the jl tech i was talking to. as far as the other settings i talked to several people on here and they all said the same thing as far as the subsonic filters n stuff so i set those accordingly. well i guess now i need to decide which speaker i wanna get because i was at the carwash earlier and some guys heard my truck and ended up buying my speaker lol

[basshead601 2]

Set your gains with the sub level all the way up and leave the bass boost off.

Listen to it man, it cant sound good with a clipped signal. If you want it louder you may need bigger woofer/amp, but feeding it a clipped signal and adding bass boost is not the solution.

i did all that stuff. set the gain with no eq's or any of that stuff with a 50hz tone....the whole 9. i went back and added the bass boost later on and its only 4db i checked while ago. i guess i just dont know what clipping sounds like

[Duran 387]

Are you smelling burning coil, or burning extra glue? It's normal to burn glue the first few times you push a subwoofer hard.

[basshead601 2]

Are you smelling burning coil, or burning extra glue? It's normal to burn glue the first few times you push a subwoofer hard.

more like coil

[Duran 387]

Are you smelling burning coil, or burning extra glue? It's normal to burn glue the first few times you push a subwoofer hard.

more like coil

Are you positive? Do you know what either smells like?

[KU40 173]

You say you turned the head unit volume up all the way, which on 99% of decks will cause clipping from the deck. I also doubt you set the gain with the volume on max. If you did, that was wrong. Either way, you're clipping the hell out of it.

[basshead601 2]

You say you turned the head unit volume up all the way, which on 99% of decks will cause clipping from the deck. I also doubt you set the gain with the volume on max. If you did, that was wrong. Either way, you're clipping the hell out of it.

No the sub volume for the preouts were all the way up. The radio was 3/4 full volume when I set my gain.

[Aaron Clinton 2,372]

If the sub was brand new, there is a chance you smelled some excess glue burning off, but that would not last long.

[KU40 173]

You say you turned the head unit volume up all the way, which on 99% of decks will cause clipping from the deck. I also doubt you set the gain with the volume on max. If you did, that was wrong. Either way, you're clipping the hell out of it.

No the sub volume for the preouts were all the way up. The radio was 3/4 full volume when I set my gain.

Oh ok. I must have glanced over the sub in sub volume in your first post. Try turning the bass boost down. Even though it's "only" 4db, that can add a lot of power. You said you set the gain with no EQ or anything, so that furthers the argument that the bass boost is messing it up. Was the sub volume on the head unit maxed when you set the gain?

[TRP 42]

Well he said he sold the speaker, so now he needs to redo everything!! I think the ICON is a fine sub is this setup, but going to the XCON will allow for future upgrade also. But good luck with the decision! If you get an ICON or XCON you will be happy!

[basshead601 2]

I guess Imma try the xcon but I still wanna get everything set up right. I would love to go with 2 xcons and a sundown 3500 but I don't seem to know enuff about setting up amps n stuff

just for the record i read the gain setting tutorials on this site and the one on jl audio's site and went by pretty strict guidlines. the gain was set up right far as i know but the other stuff was off i guess. as far as my listening volume i played it pretty loud but thought i was in a safe range since i never even turned the radio as high as i did for setting the gain( volume goes from 0-50 when i played it loud it was ALWAYS on 28)

Edited March 3, 2010 by basshead601