Technical Info & How To's

The Big 3 Are: 1. negative battery wire to ground - just replace the negative batt. terminal and wire and ground it to the factory location 2. engine block to ground - replace the ground wire from the engine block to the chasie with a bigger wire (maybe 4 guage) 3. alternator to batt - add a fused wire from the postive post on you alternator (the one comming from the battery) to the postive terminal on your battery. DO NOT exchange wires just add a extra one. make sure it fused the same size as your factory fuse. hope thats helps Note on #2- Some cars have a batt-engine block connection stead of chassis to engine block...

Disclaimer The first thing I must make abundantly clear is that, though I feel all information listed below is highly accurate, it is possible I am wrong in certain areas. Let’s face it: I’m human. Though the concepts are well understood, much of what I discuss is my interpretation and opinion on a given set of circumstances. I come into this with absolutely zero bias and I feel that gives this more validity than other comparisons of a similar nature that you may have read. Above all, please read in the interest of gaining another viewpoint. Table of Contents 1.0 - Prelude 2.0 - Split-Gap 3.0 - LMT (Linear Motor Technology) 4.0 - Split Coil 5.0 - Efficiency/Flux Effic…

This is a routinely asked question: "How long does the vent tube need to be if I use an n" flared port?" Granted, there are a few calculators out there that will calculate this for you, particularly if you're using some of the widely available manufactured ports. Here's a good example of a calculator available to you: http://psp-inc.com/psp-inc.com/public_html..._calculator.cgi But what if you have hand-formed your flared ends? Better yet, let's assume you are a dork like me and prefer to hand calculate a lot of things (believe it or not, the extra effort is worthwhile in the long run, but that's a rant for another day). Without getting too into depth on the actual der…

Something I found and is worth having here: A: A: Attenuation, loss of dB. AC (Alternating Current): An electrical current that periodically changes in magnitude and direction. Acoustic Fiberglass: Thin fiberglass material used as damping material inside speaker enclosures. Acoustics: The science or study of sound. Air Gap: The space between the top plate and the pole piece. This is where the voice coil sits. Alignment: A class of enclosure parameters that provides optimum performance for a woofer with a given value of Q. Alpha: In sealed enclosure designs, the ratio of Vas to Vb, where Vb is the volume of the box you will build. Alternator: A device that is turned by a m…

(I am not very active on here but I am on **** and I shared this to SSA at the request of Denim) First off, I want to be clear about one thing. I'm not here to hate on SMD tools. However I am here to help people utilize cheaper and sometimes better equipment suited for the job as well as other jobs. So let's begin with the dd-1. I'm sure most of you know the main competitor to this an oscilloscope. But you might not know why. The SMD dd-1 is 149.99A Velleman HPS140I oscilliscope is 120$ (from Amazon) Here are three ways that the oscope stands alone from the dd-1. The dd-1 does not account for voltage drop. Let's say you set your gain with the dd-1 at 14.4 volts…

This is always an interesting and controversial topic. Every couple of weeks, a debate rages regarding the relevance of high Xmax and whether it is truly valuable to achieving SPL scores. Perhaps the greatest argument is that Digital Designs Audio drivers, who have a very impressive track record in SPL competition, have been routinely tested to show below average Xmax numbers. How is it possible that a driver with limited linear excursion can still be amongst the loudest? The answer is simple and complex all at once: Xmax is relevant to SPL and it's not. Now that I've confused you, let's proceed. I'll touch on how a speaker makes sound and how it's interpreted at a …

I love Iron Laws. Why? Well, they are so succinctly and aptly named: they are infact, iron. Good luck breaking them! If you've been a browsing member of the online audio community for a while, you have no doubt heard about Hoffman's Iron Law. What's it all about? Well, it is quite simple. Forgive me if I am misquoting here, but I think JimJ put it best when he said: "You can have low end extension, high efficiency, or small enclosure size. Pick two." Please note that while many people use this statement related to enclosures, it applies to the speaker you're using as well So what does that mean? And why is that the case? Well, as you may have heard me say once …

Prior to 1970, there were no easy or affordable methods accepted as standard in the industry for obtaining comparative data about loudspeaker performance. Recognized laboratory tests were expensive and unrealistic for the thousands of individuals needing performance information. Standard measurement criteria were required to enable manufacturers to publish consistent data for customers to make comparisons between various loudspeakers. Thiele-Small Parameters In the early seventies, several technical papers were presented to the AES (Audio Engineering Society) that resulted in the development of what we know today as 'Thiele-Small Parameters'. These papers were authored …

Here you go guys let me know what you think! What is Google Sketchup? Sketchup is a free 3d modeling program that is made by Google. It is used around the world for its ease of use and accurate function. Where do I get it? Right here: http://sketchup.google.com/download/ Download the basic version. What is the advantage? You can basically "build" your box before you make a single cut! Get an idea what it will look like, even lay out all the boards to make sure you get the most use out of a sheet! How do I use it? Watch my video below! If there is any additional information or questions please let me know!

http://www.monsterca...tor_Article.pdf DAMPING FACTOR By Richard Clark At a recent AUTOSOUND 2000 manufacturer sponsored seminar, we were asked to comment on the subject of amplifier damping factor. I was extremely surprised to find how much importance was attached to this single specification. Since most folks are a little unclear as to the true meaning of damping factor, we're presenting the following article. First of all, let's discuss the items that enter into the damping factor calculation. At the heart of this calculation is the output impedance of the amplifier. Most all-modern feedback type amps are of the variety known as constant voltage. This means that the…

Crest Factor Before we can discuss amplifier headroom, we first need to discuss the music we are listening to. And the concept we need to understand is that of crest factor. Sine waves are the simplest tone. Sine waves are the "test tones" that many people use in this hobby for various reasons, although most likely familiar to everyone as the source used in the typical SPL competition. Sine waves are a periodic waveform. That is, these sine waves or test tones are quite simply a repeating waveform with equal intervals and amplitude in time. Music, in contrast, is very dynamic and transient. Music is a nonperiodic wave form. Meaning music is composed of sounds that frequ…

Please note that any open-ended questions are best addressed in the Advanced Discussion portion of the forum. The Technical Info & How To's sub-forum is best suited for articles or time-tested and accurate threads filled with critical information. If a thread from the Advanced Discussion forum happens to prove itself as an integral part of the SSA knowledge base, it will be moved to the Technical Info & How To's forum as a whole, or parsed if necessary. Should any questions arise about this procedure, feel free to send myself or any SSA Tech Team member a pm for further clarification. In summary, we appreciate and encourage any and all questions be asked, but p…

I've been meaning to write this up and post it here for sometime... thankfully Aaron pushed me a little. A couple of quick comments: I've tried to make this as straight forward and digestible as possible; I've explained these things to the best of my knowledge... bear in mind, I am no Electrical Engineer. What follows is the result of monthss of research and hours of playing / testing my own equipment. Lastly - I'll leave this locked until Denim gets a look at it. -Nick

Hey guys, I'm currently starting my (2) 12" Ethos build and I was planning on firing both the subs and the port into the cabin of my 2013 Toyota Camry. So far, I'm framing out what I can in the smaller oval shape opening behind the seats that Toyota decided needed the be there. It's about 36" wide, 15" tall, and about 8" deep. I'm basically laying 2x4's down until I get to the point where I can have a flat surface in my trunk for my enclosure to bolt up to. This oval area will be dead space from the inside of my car, so I may do some fiberglassing and "pretty" that area up with LED's, or something of that nature. Now, as this is an oval, and 2x4's are straight, I wi…

How do i properly wire my 4 ohm subs to 1 ohm? when I've done it in the past with my audiobahn flame q's my fosgate hx2's and my cvr 12's you would always get that electrical burning smell and subs would get really really hot in the center of the top please help me cuz i really dnt want the same problem with my new soundquebd hds3 12's i bought a 1200.1 d class Zeus amp so i won't be over powering them cuz subs r 1200 rms so i want to wire them at 1ohm so i get the 1200watts and b slamming greatly appreciate all the input if u can please help me I've watched the how to videos on YouTube but still got that funky smell please help

So, I've noticed recently that just about every wire company has bot OFC and CCA wire available, with OFC being the higher end line. My question is, In a car audio environment, where my power wire run will be no greater than 17 ft, is the difference in conductivity enough to make a noticeable (to me as an average consumer) difference? If not overdrawing or improperly fused? As an example: 4 awg run 60 amp fuse less than 12" from battery to amplifier that has a max current draw of 60 amps with a total length of the run being 12 ft? Amp ground at 18" on 4awg as well? Or say doing big 3 upgrade with 1/0 wire running above mentioned equipment/main power run to the ba…

http://www.canadiancaraudio.com/showthread.php?t=145049 Not a bad idea if you ask me

I've watched over and over on YouTube how to wire two batteries in a car. I'd have one as my main starter battery and one in my trunk. Do I just have the positive from my main battery go to the positive on my second battery? (fused of course) and the negative just go to the ground and I'm all set? And another question, having this battery setup, will it put more stress on my alternator? Thanks I appreciate the help.

I have read many places different ways to determine the output of your amplifier as it is in your car, but none have given me the information I need to do this myself. I will be auditioning several amps in the next few weeks, and would like to have real numbers as they pertain to what my subs will really get. Can anyone break it down to where I can mess it up, as far as how to go about this, what equipment I will need, and the approximate cost of the equipment? I'm sure I'm not the only one that would love to do this, and this will allow me to give accurate results and power output when I'm testing the amps. Thanks in advance.

ok so i have the pio 760mp and i was wondering if turning the loud feature on my deck is bad??...the guy at the audio place here told me that but it sounds alot better when i have it on.Is there a way to make up for this its off???...he said it would mess up my speakers alot faster if i leave it on.

It has been debated rather hotly for years, and now it has become pretty much accepted that MP3 and sound quality do not mix. But why is it? Why do some people hear so much loss in their systems and others don’t? Are my old ears really better then someone 30 years my junior? Someone who still has a large amount of their hearing range left, while mine has deteriorated over the years should be able to hear these losses better then I! I started with home tower speakers in the back seat of my old Delta88 back in the days when we had no real systems, and we still had post mounted tape decks and 8-tracks. Then times changed, and we started putting in tape decks with trunk mount…

i am wondering the proper way to ground an amp. ive tried 3 different spots on the body sanded the paint off and i dont think im getting a good ground. when my rca cables are pluged in i get a nasty sound and when i unplug them it goes away. i just tried a brand new set of rcas today and it did nothing to help. do i need to run a ground all the way back to the battery?

First off what is already done: 130amp alternator Yellow top optima 55ah Big 3 1.5 digi cap (bought this a while back before I knew very much about car audio) SAZ-1500D JL 13w7 (for sale if anybody wants it) Planning on two SA-12's when the JL sells My question is, I have an XS power D975 (2100amps max, 35ah) on the way, now should I just scrap the cap and just go with the power cell, or should I go ahead and just add the power cell to my setup? I have searched all over the web and every car audio forum I can think of, as well as YouTube, to try and find an info on how to wire a second battery with a capacitor as well. It's all either one or the other, can't seem to find …

How would I go about creating more AC AMPS to go into the sub. I feel this would lower my box rise, true or false? I'm getting high AC Voltage readouts but I feel the AMPS are lacking thus creating a high ohm load. More DC amps going into the Sundown 3000? That's the only thing I can think of. This is a rundown of what I have installed '09 Toyota Yaris Pioneer avh 3100 2 din DVD (4 volt out) Pioneer 3 way 5 1/4's & 6x9's Pioneer 600 x 4 (4 channel amp) AA SMD 15" Sub Sundown saz 3000d DC Power 150/320 amp alt 1 Kinetik HC 1200 (up front) 1 Kinetik Hc 2400 (2.5 ft from the amp) Big 3 w/ extra grounds all in Fosgate 1/0 1 run pos. (~14 ft) front battery to rear batt …

As most of you know, I do measurements for a living. So I have a few pet peeves about how things are done in this industry. Nothing is standardized and the accuracy of everything is questionable and typically quite subjective. In this thread, I would like to address something I would like to see standardized and that is the sensitivity of loudspeakers. There are a lot of you car audio nuts that are afraid to run home audio drivers in your car due to the fact they are 8ohms, but you really shouldn