waltham415

Not that anyone's looking at this topic anymore, but a black 04 mercury marauder would be pretty sick for a high SQ style car. Keeps the sports car power but is different than most anything seen these days...

Yeah, I had thought of that one and would love to have two 10's, but my only problem there is that I am then running 2 subs off of only 500wrms, and wouldn't 250w per sub be kinda low? This along with the fact I have about $250 to spend on this entire setup (sucks being a broke college student), and kevin's one VVX 12 + custom box + shipping for 200 just couldn't be beat.... maybe I'll wait a little longer and see if I can save up for a new amp along with it...

So I hate to ask this sort of question as I realize that the sound of a subwoofer is so dependent on the install, but as the few audio shops around here sell a majority of RF, Alpine, and JL products, I have no way to judge what I am getting into. So here I go.... I currently have two alpine type-s 10 inch subs running off about 500 watts in a very poorly tuned Best Buy box... The cleanest system I've yet to hear is two 10 in memphis subs in sealed boxes, the loudest system I have yet to here is two RF punch 12's in one of their custom, fancy looking ported boxes running off of maybe 700ish watts. The sub I am looking into is a SKAR VVX 12 in a box tuned to 31ish hertz, ran off of the same alpine 500 watt amp that my current subs are runnin off of. As best as possible given the lack of any really usefull information, how will this SKAR stack up? I know it will be better than my alpines in every possible way, but could it match the volume of the Fosgates or the SQ of the memphis subs? I apologize in advance for having to ask this but I cant get a good idea from youtube videos and I cant find any way to hear a SKAR in advance. Any help, ideas, advise, etc. would be greatly appreciated. Thanks Alex

Well like i said i'm just throwing around ideas. I recently read an artical saying that downfiring into a solid surface provides a "load" for the speaker and increases the output of the sub over just a regular sealed box. I know it's done in home systems alot so I thought it might work for a car also. The box should be relitvely easy to build also. Has anyone heard of this done before in a car, and does anyone know any more about this "load" idea?

As always, I have been running around with ideas for the time when I have the money to actually do something with them. I have a large trunk, however with an extremely small opening to get into the trunk, and so I have always had to restrict the size of any box i intend to build so that i can sqeeze it past that opening. So for my next idea... how would it sound to have a single downfiring 15" ssd in a sealed box? For now it would be recieving only 500 watts rms untill I could upgrade. It would be raised 4 inches off of a wooden base, in a 18"X18"X10.75" box (interior dimensions). I have never seen this done in a trunk so i'm curious about its effects. My goals are a "clean N loud" type of system where its mainly for sound quality but can get loud if I wanted it to. Other info car's a 2000 mercury sable sub amp is a alpine 500wrms monoblock I currently have 2 10" alpine type s'. This is just an idea im throwing around so i would appriciate any ideas, comments, critisism. thanks in advance Alex

Well I thought I had it, I figured out how to place the full file onto the USB, keeping it a WMA file, but when I plugged it in, the deck came up saying it was an unsupported file, even though all the files ive played through it have been WMA files.

That makes sence. i looked around some more and the song im using to test is dropped down to 8.29MB in size on the USB while the file on my computer(and im assuming the CD) is 24.4MB in size. Does anyone know how I would go about getting the full size onto the USB? Also, does anyone know how it sounds to run a zune into an aux imput, will it also be dependent on bit rate?

But as far as I know(and i very well could be mistaken), the bitrate is the same. I have taken a single song off of Windows media, burned it to a CD, turned around and placed that same file onto a drive, and the difference is still extremely noticable when I play them side by side. Maybe i am doing something wrong but it seems to me that there shouldn't be a difference sound-wise.

Yeah, I have went through and made sure all of the settings stayed the same. I put the same mp3 of a song onto a CD as I did the drive as a test, but there is still a sever lack in sound quality. The subs loose alot of power and the mids become really artificial sounding(if that makes any sence).

I have been playing around with my kenwood deck lately and want to make use of its USB direct control thing. I like the idea of getting the numerous CD cases out of my car and being able to control it all off of my deck. the only problem is, whenever I play music off of the USB, it looses sound quality... (volume drops and the bottom end sounds weak). Why would the same song sound great from a CD but sound bad from a USB? Is it suppose to be this way? Also, would the 3.5mm aux imput sound just as bad? I really want to figure out how to get rid of all of the CDs in my car so any advise would be appreciated. By the way, the deck is a kenwood KDC-MP538U Thanks Alex

Yeah, i just want to run some deadener over the many small holes that would suck to have to cover with metal but i dont know if they would work as well. Any one have any thoughts? Thanks Alex and yes I do plan on upgrading to some decent comps as soon as i get enough money(either rainbow 5X7 comps or maybe a cheap pair of focals)

I have been looking for a way to increase some of the midbass from my door speakers(infinity kappa 5X7's) and have desided to seal/deaden my doors. I realize that the correct way to do this would be to rivet some aluminium sheets to cover the numerous holes in my doors and then cover them in damplifier, but since I possess neither the materials, time, or skills to accomplish this, could I simply use the damplifier over the holes? would that successfully seal the doors and increase some of the midbass (even if only a little)? If you cant tell im very new at this and can't find much info on it so ANY advise/critisism would be appreciated. Thanks Alex

I have been messing around with my amps and gains the past few days and have a question. I have been trying to set both amps using a DMM and some test tracks (55 and 1k hz). When I run these tracks, I can get the gain set using the multimeter, yet as soon as I put in any music cd's, it is quiet. When at 26 on my deck, the tracks read 22V and 14V for the sub and speaker amps, respectivly, yet when I run music at the same level, it only reads like 5V and 2.5V... Is music suppose to run quieter or would it be ok to up the gain a little?

Alright, yeah the three 10's was something my friend had recomended and it sounded interesting, i didnt realize it would have less cone area though. Im a bit indecisive so i figured i would see what everyone would say about the 12"/10" idea. Now I fully realize that this question is based off of box design, placement and power, but what would be your ball-park estimate on how loud each of these designs would be. Just for argument, say the two tens would be ported at 32hz, the 12s would be sealed, and the power to both would be the exact RMS rating given on the Fi website. Any guesses? Thanks

I am just dreaming here. I plan to upgrade my substage, but due to a lack of cash, this probably wont be for another year or so. im just kinda tossin around ideas. I want to have a system that is "Clean n Loud", not geared specifically towards SQ or SPL. I listen mainly to rock, metal, but on occasion rap and R&B (so basically everything). I have a decent sized trunk but the entrence to said trunk is very small, hindering what can fit into it..... So far i am thinking of three ideas that would fit. The first would be to run 2 10" SSD's in a ported box, tuned to ~30 hz, the second would be to run 2 12" SSD's in a sealed box. Any recomendations on these two? Like i said I want it loud, but more importantly clean and able to hit the lows. The third idea is a bit "out there" but ill say it anyways. 3 10" SSD's in a sealed box. the only problem is that the max width is about 29 inches so i would have to put 2 subs facing forwards an one facing backword (or vice-versa). OR i could put all three facing up. Im not sure if either of these would work though, ive never seen a setup like it and in a trunk, i have no idea if facing up is a good idea at all. Like I said im just throwing around ideas and would gladly take any thoughts, comments, critisism, ect.

yeah, but the screws touching the metel of the speaker go into the door, and ive tried rubber washers and stuff like that, nothing really worked. But the problem was with the speakers, i looked more into the connection of the dongle(im pretty sure thats what they call it), and one wire was broken, hidden by the others, and touching the speaker basket. So i sent them back and am awaiting new ones. hopefully that was the problem and it will all work out. If that is the problem, does anyone still recomend that i run new wires to the speaker or will the stock wire suffice? im only running off of the hu for now.

Alright, ill give it a shot. Thanks for all the help.

I was going to try the coat hanger but coming from my door, the wires go into the tube, 90 degrees down, and then into a loop which ends in the car..... i dont want to risk messing up any other wires trying to get a coat hanger through that many turns and twists...

The speakers i have include something i believe they call a dongle... it allows the wires to connect to a little box outside of the speaker so that there is no way they could have been touching the door or basket.... ive traced the wires as far as i can but i dont see any problems there. I have found an idea that would keep the speaker from touching the door, but i think that would just be a quick fix since there still must be a short somewhere in the wire. I want to run a new wire directly from the deck to the speaker, but have no idea how to get it through the super-tight tubing to the door. Any ideas? "And sorry, but you're not going to get any sympathy from me. I've not had a radio in my car since May!"--Impious Wow.... i guess i dont have it quite so bad then....

So i just got my new infinity kappa speakers a few days ago. While i was installing them, i noticed they were crackling alot while i was screwing them to the door. After a good amount of investigation, i came to realize that the frame of the speaker (or any metal on it) was creating a short on the door of the car itself. I could take my knife and touch the speaker frame and then touch the door, and it would short with sparks arching at the other end. The stock speakers were coated in plastic around that area so that the screw was isolated from the speaker and wouldnt short. Does any one know why this is happening? any ideas on how to keep it from happening on my new speakers? i havent been able to figure anything out that works... there is always some metal contact.... I could use some advise.... ive been wothout music and a door panel in my car for 2 or 3 days now.....

I want to put some 3 1/2in speakers in my dash to raise my soundstage a little. how would i run these? from the hu, im running some infinity speakers for my front channel and some stock speakers at a really low level in the back... how would i power these 3 1/2in?

Ok, makes sence. so the BL is worth the extra money your paying for it. (which is still suprisingly cheap compared to some mainstream brands i was looking at). It was the rms rattings that had me confused between the two. Alright, so how about the BL compared to the Q? they are also running similar power ratings if im not mistaken....

So what is the difference between a 15in Fi BL vs a 15in FI SSD with the BP power option. With that power thing the site says it will add 200-500wrms leaving the SSD at anywhere between 1000-1300wrms, while the BL is only at 1000..... given the right box (im thinkin about 32hz), will there be any noticable difference between the two subs? The SSD is noticably cheaper than the BL so would someone like me (noob) be able to tell the difference? any recomendations?

I would agree with everyone here that ported would be best, but if your set on your enclosure, the FI SSD 10's call for .6-1cuft and after the subs dispacement it sould leave you at .98cuft or something like that. Those subs should give you good volume if you amp them right. just an idea.

yeah, the front stage is going to be another mission all together. I have seen it doen with some custom made kickpannels holding the components along with some 3.5in speakers up in the dash but i have no experience with fiberglass and wouldnt know where to start. i have yet to look if i can get anythin online, thats my plan over the next few days. As for the ratteling, this bug is in such bad shape at the moment that im able to get to every inch of body so i plan on dynomatting all of the floor, doors, and the back near the engine, im hoping that will help keep it quiet.