subs not playing right, sound hollow

[EPerez 236]

I jus bought 2 kicker comps 12s jus to have till i get my 21 in and when I put them in they sounded hollow and wouldn't play right. I had my friends jls in my car 2 days ago and they worked totally fine. I didn't change anything except put subs in. I called crescendo to see if my amp had blown and he said it must be a signal messed up somehow. The subs I know work becaise we hooked both sets in my friends car and they worked fine in his. What could be the problem?

[jonbearsmt 919]

you changed the box too right?

[EPerez 236]

Yea the comps r in a ported box and the jls are in a sealed. The jls worked before but when I put both in the same sound is with both boxes and subs.

[jonbearsmt 919]

check your connections.

[EPerez 236]

Which connections? Wiring from amp to subs/box?

[shizzzon 461]

unhook ALL speaker wire and connect only ONE of the 2 12s and see what it sounds like..

Doing this, I feel may magically make it sound lots better!

Let me know if it does.

[EPerez 236]

Sounds the same even with one.

[shizzzon 461]

then my idea is wrong....

disconnect rcas and run another source to your amp such as ipod, etc and see what it sounds like

[EPerez 236]

Disconnect rcas from amp? and also how would I run something else? How do i hook it up?

[jonbearsmt 919]

3.5 mini to RCA adapter and use an ipod or mp3 playser

[EPerez 236]

I dont think i have that?

[EPerez 236]

If my rcas are bad will I hear any bass or will no bass be heard?

[jonbearsmt 919]

its not that cut and dry.

[EPerez 236]

What do you mean?

[Hzd Skizzy 27]

3.5 mini to RCA adapter and use an ipod or mp3 playser

Pretty sure he's talking about something like this.

http://www.radioshack.com/product/index.jsp?productId=3449316

Plug I pod into the stereo cable and then plug the rca's in the amp, then play using the ipod, not headunit.

[EPerez 236]

3.5 mini to RCA adapter and use an ipod or mp3 playser

Pretty sure he's talking about something like this.

http://www.radioshack.com/product/index.jsp?productId=3449316

Plug I pod into the stereo cable and then plug the rca's in the amp, then play using the ipod, not headunit.

I realized what he meant just before you sent that haha but yea i tried that and the bass hit like it supposed too! So is there something wrong with the rcas?

[EPerez 236]

Well i tried different rcas and a different amp and the problem still exist. When subs aren't even playing they are making a high humming noise which gets louder when I step on gas and rpms go up. I'm not sure what else to check!!

[djtomczak 5]

Well let's look at this: Cut the head unit and RCAs out, plays fine. Change RCAs and amp, problem is there. USing head unit there is alternator whine and doesn't sound good. Factory or aftermarket head unit?

[jcarter1885 995]

Sounds like a head unit issue to me since it worked fine with another source.

[EPerez 236]

I have a pioneer aftermarket radio and I've been reading about a ground loop. Could that be a problem even tho the subs work fine when using 3.5mm and phone?

[djtomczak 5]

Check all your grounds, each should have it's own proper spot. Ground the HU good. did this just pop up or has it been there for a while? If it just popped up, could be the HU going bad.

[jonbearsmt 919]

if it plays fine with a phone and a 3.5 jack....

do you have your 3.5 jack stright into the amp? if so... and it plays fine, then you have narrowed it down a bit...

but.. there are still 2 links to check.... 1 the RCA run......

use your 3.5 jack and your phone... pull your deck.. and plug your 3.5 into your long run of RCA wires... if it plays fine then your head unit is bad.... if it still plays poorly then its your long run of RCA's

[EPerez 236]

My head unit is only 2 months old. My second batt is grounded to the same place as my amp. Is that bad? I'm not sure how ur saying plug my 3.5mm cord into long run of rca?

[jonbearsmt 919]

What do you mean?

what i mean is.. .RCAs are a little complex. a RCA wire can be bad.. and still pass signel .. a pinched RCA wire can cause all kinda of head achs.. because its not broken its not easy to detect.....

when pinched the inside cased + can be exposed.. causing noise and sometimes impassable signal on 1 channel... so it can mes you up.

so its not always as cut and dry as " if my RCAS were broken it would not make bass"

[jonbearsmt 919]

My head unit is only 2 months old. My second batt is grounded to the same place as my amp. Is that bad? I'm not sure how ur saying plug my 3.5mm cord into long run of rca?

you dont?? umm.. you may need some double female connectors.. or a set like these http://www.google.com/imgres?um=1&hl=en&client=firefox-a&sa=N&rls=org.mozilla:en-US:official&biw=1280&bih=885&tbm=isch&tbnid=e-GUWTwxRR2XlM:&imgrefurl=http://www.iec.net/m7401.html&docid=VYnFEoPhQmtQEM&imgurl=http://www.iec.net/Images/jpeg/M7401.jpg&w=320&h=249&ei=mh1_T53dBKTg2AXx-viVBw&zoom=1&iact=hc&vpx=357&vpy=402&dur=2926&hovh=198&hovw=255&tx=96&ty=99&sig=105210265450493815808&page=1&tbnh=140&tbnw=182&start=0&ndsp=24&ved=1t:429,r:7,s:0,i:91

plug them into your RCA wires that normaly come out of your head unit..

it does not matter how old your head unit is...... but.. what brand is it?