Hi-

 

I have been using a ZCON 18" for about a year now and I love it. It's powered on an IA 40.1. I have an XS D3400 & XS XP3000 for a battery set up, and the stock 120 amp alternator. I've gotten it down so that the sub won't heat up during normal use and it's fairly loud. It get's a bit louder when I can crank it up but it also heats right up since my electrical begins to sag. I am working at a decently paying job for the summer and have decided I can either buy an additional ZCON 18" and making a new box or get a 300 amp singer alternator. I can only do one upgrade at this time, though both is obviously best.

 

What would you guys think would be more beneficial (loudness-wise)? If I were to add the second 18" I would have to balance the power so it is the same as it is currently, there would just be double the cone area.

 

I'm leaning towards the alt because it's less overall work, but I'm willing to put extra work in for more spl.

I would go with the alt. That way you won't have the strain on the overall system and alt/batteries.

How would you wire it if you add a sub? Alternator might be the best to start with.

I would do alt as well.

Rick: I currently have a D1 sub so I would wire them both to make a 1 ohm load vs the 2 ohm load it is at now. Then I would drop the gain to match the same overall wattage.

 

Thanks for the replies guys, I thought the alt would probably be the best way to go. Has anyone noticed a significant increase in performance with the same equipment with an alt swap out? The voltage isn't super unstable as it is set right now, but I feel like if I had more power on tap I could safely increase the gain without overheating the sub.

I noticed I was able to play longer while my voltage stayed higher at a louder output. So yes it does help out a lot. I went from a 130a to a 275a alt.

Is your vehicle PCM controlled?