tuning a car amp for subwoofers help
#1
tuning a car amp for subwoofers help
So i just recently got a sub and an amp
amp = Kenwood kac 7203 1000 watts max 500 rms.
Subwoofer = Diamond d3 10inch dual voice coil 400 rms 800 peak
so i have the diamond subwoofers hooked up to the kenwood amp, i bridged the connections so it should be running 500 watts rms into the subwoofers at 4 ohms i believe.
anyways i need to tune the amp to get the full output of my subwoofer. i need some help. i looked up some guides/youtube tutorials and whatever information i could find on the internet but still need some help. this is what my current set up is currently at. A guy at the store told me to set it at these settings and he also said i could change a few things.
he said i can mess with the gains etc, but im not sure which one is the gains, and what each category does? can some1 explain this to me?
low pass frequency frequency
high pass frequency
input sensitivity
filter
operation.
if anyone can either tell me what settings i should be on or appoximatly be on, and or tell me what each category does and how i can mess with it, it will really help.
most tutorials used equipment which i dont have. the other way i found was turn ur volume up 3/4th the way up and adjust your gains(which im not sure which one is my gain) until i hear clipping sound.
also right now my bass is really uneven. at low volumes my base overwhelms my speakers, and middle/high volumes the base sounds the same. i want to be able to get the base a little louder if possible and have it adjusted right with my volume level
i am running pioneer deh 6300 ub for my deck
amp = Kenwood kac 7203 1000 watts max 500 rms.
Subwoofer = Diamond d3 10inch dual voice coil 400 rms 800 peak
so i have the diamond subwoofers hooked up to the kenwood amp, i bridged the connections so it should be running 500 watts rms into the subwoofers at 4 ohms i believe.
anyways i need to tune the amp to get the full output of my subwoofer. i need some help. i looked up some guides/youtube tutorials and whatever information i could find on the internet but still need some help. this is what my current set up is currently at. A guy at the store told me to set it at these settings and he also said i could change a few things.
he said i can mess with the gains etc, but im not sure which one is the gains, and what each category does? can some1 explain this to me?
low pass frequency frequency
high pass frequency
input sensitivity
filter
operation.
if anyone can either tell me what settings i should be on or appoximatly be on, and or tell me what each category does and how i can mess with it, it will really help.
most tutorials used equipment which i dont have. the other way i found was turn ur volume up 3/4th the way up and adjust your gains(which im not sure which one is my gain) until i hear clipping sound.
also right now my bass is really uneven. at low volumes my base overwhelms my speakers, and middle/high volumes the base sounds the same. i want to be able to get the base a little louder if possible and have it adjusted right with my volume level
i am running pioneer deh 6300 ub for my deck
#2
Honda-Tech Member
Re: tuning a car amp for subwoofers help
The way you have it set in the picture is ok, except the bass boost. That is why your bass sounds too loud at low volumes. Use the bass boost as a last resort. Also is the amp rca connected on the sub out put of the cd player? And turn off any loud feature on the cd player.
Just checking, Do you have both voice coils hooked up( all four terminals)?
Just checking, Do you have both voice coils hooked up( all four terminals)?
#3
Re: tuning a car amp for subwoofers help
Bass boost should NEVER be used.
All it does is boost a certain frequency...probably 50hz.
Before you even worry about setting the gain, what kind of box is it in? sealed? ported?
If ported, is it a prefab?
A sub is only as good as the home it's in.
Wish more people would pay attention to that.
All it does is boost a certain frequency...probably 50hz.
Before you even worry about setting the gain, what kind of box is it in? sealed? ported?
If ported, is it a prefab?
A sub is only as good as the home it's in.
Wish more people would pay attention to that.
#4
Re: tuning a car amp for subwoofers help
yea the sub is connected to the dual voice coil. i remember seeing it but im confused on ur other question "Also is the amp rca connected on the sub out put of the cd player" not sure what that is asking?
i got my subwoofer and amp off craigslist. the guy had it in a 10 inch subwoofer box. i think it is ported but im not sure
heres what it looks like so im pretty sure its ported
http://images.search.yahoo.com/image...mb=t5UeTrLR2yv
whats the difference in sound between ported and sealed?
also the sub is in my trunk of a del sol right now. i orginnaly wanted in my cabin but it was too big to fit. i might get a custom subwoofer box in the future to fit it inside the cabin or but new subs
i got my subwoofer and amp off craigslist. the guy had it in a 10 inch subwoofer box. i think it is ported but im not sure
heres what it looks like so im pretty sure its ported
http://images.search.yahoo.com/image...mb=t5UeTrLR2yv
whats the difference in sound between ported and sealed?
also the sub is in my trunk of a del sol right now. i orginnaly wanted in my cabin but it was too big to fit. i might get a custom subwoofer box in the future to fit it inside the cabin or but new subs
#5
Re: tuning a car amp for subwoofers help
i also turned down the bass boost, sounds more even with the music but i still want the subwoofer to be louder a little bit. ive messed with some of my stereo settings and going to mess with it more
i also set the input sensitivity lower to .5, this made the subwoofer louder but im scared it will blow my subwoofer if it put it too low. is this the gains? i want to make it even lower to get more kick out of the sub but need reconmendations
i also noticed today that when my subwoofer was kicking at high volumes my lights inside the car or the headlights started to dim each time the bass kicked. so it would follow the beat. do i need a capacitor? or i did something wrong?
i also set the input sensitivity lower to .5, this made the subwoofer louder but im scared it will blow my subwoofer if it put it too low. is this the gains? i want to make it even lower to get more kick out of the sub but need reconmendations
i also noticed today that when my subwoofer was kicking at high volumes my lights inside the car or the headlights started to dim each time the bass kicked. so it would follow the beat. do i need a capacitor? or i did something wrong?
#6
Re: tuning a car amp for subwoofers help
Intsall and amperage meter if you dont already have one. Its normal but if you fall into the negative when the car is running you will have problem. Also note that its harder to get deeper bass out of a 10 then it is a 12 or 15. 10s have more a mid punch then a deep drone. Play for your strengths not your weaknesses.
#7
Old Fart
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Re: tuning a car amp for subwoofers help
Bass boost all the way off.
LPF may be a little low, it depends on the box and sub used.
HPF is not used.
Input sensitivity, should never be turned all the way up, [max], it is used to "match" the sub bass output, [low-pass] to the rest of the system, [high-pass].
Filter and Operation is correct.
Need to know what the subs VCs impedance, [ohms] is?
The first thing I see wrong is the pre-built vented, [slot port] box, not that there is anything wrong with a slot port box, but a pre-built box is kind of pointless as vented boxes must be built specifically for the sub you have, box volume must be correct, port/vent volume must be correct, if not you will never get the full potential out of the sub.
Pre-build boxes are generally poorly made, no bracing, never thicker then 3/4" MDF and often thinner and not MDF, and definatly never sealed, MDF is a very porous material and needs to be sealed with a wood sealer. 94
LPF may be a little low, it depends on the box and sub used.
HPF is not used.
Input sensitivity, should never be turned all the way up, [max], it is used to "match" the sub bass output, [low-pass] to the rest of the system, [high-pass].
Filter and Operation is correct.
Need to know what the subs VCs impedance, [ohms] is?
The first thing I see wrong is the pre-built vented, [slot port] box, not that there is anything wrong with a slot port box, but a pre-built box is kind of pointless as vented boxes must be built specifically for the sub you have, box volume must be correct, port/vent volume must be correct, if not you will never get the full potential out of the sub.
Pre-build boxes are generally poorly made, no bracing, never thicker then 3/4" MDF and often thinner and not MDF, and definatly never sealed, MDF is a very porous material and needs to be sealed with a wood sealer. 94
Last edited by fcm; 03-17-2012 at 08:08 PM. Reason: itchy trigger finger
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#8
Re: tuning a car amp for subwoofers help
Speaker Size: 10"
Textured Copolymer Cone with Aluminum Dust Cap
Nitrile Butadine Rubber Surround
Heavy Gauge Stamped Steel Basket
Integrated Tinsel Leads
Venturi Vented Basket
Vented Pole Piece
Double Stacked Ferrite Magnet
Optimized Spider with Balanced Linear Suspension
Dual 4 Ohm
2.5" Voice Coils
Total diameter: 10.35"
Mounting diameter: 9.25"
Mounting depth: 6.5"
SPL 89 dB
Power Handling: 400 Watts RMS, 800 Watts Maximum
ok im thinking about getting a custom box but maybe in the future.
can you tell me which ones are my gains? i dont know which one is my gains?
Textured Copolymer Cone with Aluminum Dust Cap
Nitrile Butadine Rubber Surround
Heavy Gauge Stamped Steel Basket
Integrated Tinsel Leads
Venturi Vented Basket
Vented Pole Piece
Double Stacked Ferrite Magnet
Optimized Spider with Balanced Linear Suspension
Dual 4 Ohm
2.5" Voice Coils
Total diameter: 10.35"
Mounting diameter: 9.25"
Mounting depth: 6.5"
SPL 89 dB
Power Handling: 400 Watts RMS, 800 Watts Maximum
ok im thinking about getting a custom box but maybe in the future.
can you tell me which ones are my gains? i dont know which one is my gains?
#9
Old Fart
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Re: tuning a car amp for subwoofers help
input sesitivity = gain.
There is another problem, [bigger the the box] because you have a DVC 4 ohm speaker, it can be wired in parallel to a 2 ohm load or in series to an 8 ohm load, the amp is not stable below 4 ohms in mono and at 8 ohms the amps out put will be 250W RMS, so either you have the wrong amp or the wrong sub, or in other words amp and sub do not match up.
I would replace the amp with a 500W RMS into 4 ohms mono block sub amp, use the Kenwood for your front speakers. 94
There is another problem, [bigger the the box] because you have a DVC 4 ohm speaker, it can be wired in parallel to a 2 ohm load or in series to an 8 ohm load, the amp is not stable below 4 ohms in mono and at 8 ohms the amps out put will be 250W RMS, so either you have the wrong amp or the wrong sub, or in other words amp and sub do not match up.
I would replace the amp with a 500W RMS into 4 ohms mono block sub amp, use the Kenwood for your front speakers. 94
#11
Re: tuning a car amp for subwoofers help
Everyone is forgetting that in theory when you bridge a 2 channel amp the amp will "see" 1/2 of the resistance being input...i.e if you have a single 4ohm subwoofer and it's running bridged on a 2 channel amp, the amp will "see" and operate at 2ohm load. Therefor depending on how you wire your subwoofer your amp, when bridged, will see 4ohms if you series the subwoofer (making it 8ohms) and bridge the amp which is what your amp is rated to run at in mono (and it will see 1/2 of 8ohms = 4ohm load), OR, it will see 1ohm if you parallel the subwoofer which the amp is not stable at. your amp is suited to run a 4ohm dvc speaker that is wired in series and bridged on the amp. Set your lpf to 63hz-80hz depending on how much punch you want. run the amp at 3/4 gain or a touch under. NO Bass boost! Tune your deck accordingly.
#12
Re: tuning a car amp for subwoofers help
as for enclosure, look up the specific specs the manufacture calls for and have ported enclosure built to spec or find a sealed box that suits air requirements.
#13
Re: tuning a car amp for subwoofers help
i just noticed it's a 10" so set your low pass filter somewhere in between 90hz-110hz, 10" woofers are made to hit a little higher, be nice and punchy and should still hit some decent lows if you get the right box.
#14
Re: tuning a car amp for subwoofers help
This is referring to the internal eq built into the deck. On pioneer 6300 you have a 5 band eq. set your eq to "Custom" and then set all the bands to 0. Make sure amp is set @ 3/4 gain and turn the deck up to about 3/4 volume. starting with the low band (all the way left) adjust the level up until you here distortion, set level to just under where it distorts. Do this for the rest until you reach the end. Try these setting and adjust from here. +1, +2, 0, +4, +3 from left to right. Set your high pass filter on the deck to 80hz (if you need to set it higher), set' your SLA to +1 or +2, don't use the "loud" feature, if you do set it to low. Set your subwoofer settings to 110hz on the deck, with a level somewhere in between -10 and -5, you should have a little wiggle room with that setting. Start there and make adjustments after. Sound retriever setting is nice sometimes depending on the quality of the audio file. I set mine to level 1 here and there...depends on he files sample rate, etc.
#15
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Re: tuning a car amp for subwoofers help
This is referring to the internal eq built into the deck. On pioneer 6300 you have a 5 band eq. set your eq to "Custom" and then set all the bands to 0. Make sure amp is set @ 3/4 gain and turn the deck up to about 3/4 volume. starting with the low band (all the way left) adjust the level up until you here distortion, set level to just under where it distorts. Do this for the rest until you reach the end. Try these setting and adjust from here. +1, +2, 0, +4, +3 from left to right. Set your high pass filter on the deck to 80hz (if you need to set it higher), set' your SLA to +1 or +2, don't use the "loud" feature, if you do set it to low. Set your subwoofer settings to 110hz on the deck, with a level somewhere in between -10 and -5, you should have a little wiggle room with that setting. Start there and make adjustments after. Sound retriever setting is nice sometimes depending on the quality of the audio file. I set mine to level 1 here and there...depends on he files sample rate, etc.
#16
Re: tuning a car amp for subwoofers help
You must like flat sounding music a lot joeshmo! lol. just kidding. I know what you mean.
#17
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Re: tuning a car amp for subwoofers help
yes and no. I for one have never had an issue with using positive eq but that has a lot to do with the quality of the equipment you're using and how picky the listener is. But agreed, it's good to avoid using a positive eq. but avoiding eq'ing all together...? no. If someone is serious about eq'ing then buying a decent mobile eq is the way to go.
You must like flat sounding music a lot joeshmo! lol. just kidding. I know what you mean.
You must like flat sounding music a lot joeshmo! lol. just kidding. I know what you mean.
#18
Re: tuning a car amp for subwoofers help
ok i didnt have a lot of time to reread it and fully carefully understand everything that was being said. so im a have to comeback to this soon when i have the time. in the meantime let me clear somethings up and ask a question
first thing i want to point out is that the kenwood amp is being bridged at 500 watts rms. even tho it is bridged it is still running at 4 ohms. i prob should of mentioned that as i think it caused a little confusion. so the amp is pushing 500 watts rms at 4 ohms to my 4 ohms 400 wattts rms diamond subs.
so im a little confused on what bands are can you please tell me what are bands? i have an idea but i am not sure
"starting with the low band (all the way left) adjust the level up until you here distortion"
im a little confused on this part, when u said adjust the level up what exactly am i adjusting? am i adjustin the level of the band? the volume of the band?
thanks for all the input i know this takes up time and i appreciate everyones help that is certainly helping me. as far as getting a new box im a look into that. its either that or im a just get some rockford fosgates slims and put it behind the seat. still havent decided yet
first thing i want to point out is that the kenwood amp is being bridged at 500 watts rms. even tho it is bridged it is still running at 4 ohms. i prob should of mentioned that as i think it caused a little confusion. so the amp is pushing 500 watts rms at 4 ohms to my 4 ohms 400 wattts rms diamond subs.
so im a little confused on what bands are can you please tell me what are bands? i have an idea but i am not sure
"starting with the low band (all the way left) adjust the level up until you here distortion"
im a little confused on this part, when u said adjust the level up what exactly am i adjusting? am i adjustin the level of the band? the volume of the band?
thanks for all the input i know this takes up time and i appreciate everyones help that is certainly helping me. as far as getting a new box im a look into that. its either that or im a just get some rockford fosgates slims and put it behind the seat. still havent decided yet
#19
Re: tuning a car amp for subwoofers help
You have to spend some time and do some research into the theory/math behind amps and wiring them. An amp will operate at the resitance being input. Just because it says it runs 4ohms stable dooesn't mean thats what it will run at if the sub woofer is not wired correctly or it's a different ohm. having a single voice coil and a dual voice coil sub also changes things. The "bands" I am speaking of are the eq settings on your deck/reciever. On pioneer find the Audio features and as you scroll through the diffenrent setting you can adjust you should see a 5 band eq that you can adjust. I would suggest getting up woth someone locally or find a local shop and see if you toss someone a 20 if they will spend 10 minutes showing you how to tune your system. I did that a lot for people while working for shops. Also look up your manual through pioneers website if you dont have it. It will have all the information you need and help you understand how to tune your deck correctly.
#20
Re: tuning a car amp for subwoofers help
Link to your deck manual...
http://www.pioneerelectronics.com/St...Manual0920.pdf
Link to understanding "Gain"....
http://www.the12volt.com/installbay/...TID~85479~PN~1
Check out the12volt.com they have TONS of info on all the things you should know about. They have a wiring guide to help you understand how to wire subwoofers, etc.
http://www.pioneerelectronics.com/St...Manual0920.pdf
Link to understanding "Gain"....
http://www.the12volt.com/installbay/...TID~85479~PN~1
Check out the12volt.com they have TONS of info on all the things you should know about. They have a wiring guide to help you understand how to wire subwoofers, etc.
#21
Re: tuning a car amp for subwoofers help
GREAT!! article on what it means when you bridge a 2ch amp...this should help...
http://carstereochick.com/blog/2012/...ar-stereo-amp/
http://carstereochick.com/blog/2012/...ar-stereo-amp/
Last edited by just_bn_me83; 03-26-2012 at 11:04 AM.
#22
Re: tuning a car amp for subwoofers help
hey thanks man, im a take a look at this when i got the time to really read through everything carefully. thanks a lot for ur help!
#23
Honda-Tech Member
Re: tuning a car amp for subwoofers help
switch the filter to lpf. and just put on a song with a lot of bass and turn all the ***** until u find whatever sounds best
#24
#25