I don't know much about audio so please bare with me. Well I just got a crappy SPX audio set up, which works amazingly for the 100 bucks I spent on it. I got it a good half a year ago and I'm lookin to possibly go a little bigger soon. The way I have it set up now, Bass is only about half way up. I got both highs and lows goin. My issue with them is, if I turn the bass all the way up, the highs get messed up when ever the bass kicks in. They way its set up right now, is basically as high as I can get it while maintaining clear highs and lows. Now the subs definitely kick when I have them set on low only and turn them all the way up. However I want them to bump while maintaining clear highs, sound in the car sounds a hell of a lot fuller when the subs are pushin out highs and lows. I'm thinkin that since the amp has the ability to push those lows, its the subs issue that they can't play both clearly, am I right or can it be the amp? Eventually I want to get a proper system but since I got this one I think I want to do it step by step, especially since I don't have all that money to dump right now. Its a dual 12inch set up. Any recommendations. Sorry if I sound like a complete n00b on this, its mostly because... well I am on this topic lol.

 

what do you have for a deck? stock?

you'll need good subs in a good box to sound good, but the head unit is very important in how everything will sound.

 

Yea I'm using the stock head unit with one of those RCA converter thingies tapped into the R+/- and L+/- wires behind it. I'm planning on getting a D3 come this summer.

 

The regular door speakers cant handle as much bass as the Sub's can..so when you turn up the bass on the deck..it turns up the bass for both the speakers and sub's.. i would get maybe a EQ so u can adjust the amount of bass for both one seperatly..turn the bass down for the speakers(highs) and turn it up for the sub's..thats all you need to do to make it sound better.

 

That's what I did at first. It still doesn't sound full tho. I had the bass all the way up on the amp, bass at 0 on the head unit but it still sounded like something was missing. It didn't give me an "oh wow" type of feeling that I get now when they're pushing the highs and lows out. Like it just sounds so much crisper when the subs are pushin both.

 

I would look around for some decent component speakers for the front, an amp and hu. if you look around and get some used stuff or older stuff it shouldnt hurt the wallet too much.

 

hmmm. I was thinkin about getting some new speakers in the doors. Do they really make that big of a difference?

 

do you have the highs running off of a amp too? or is it just the stock speakers with the stock HU... and the amp pushing the subs?..and how many subs and everything do you have?
i have everything stock in mine..all i have is two 12's with a big amp..its hits hard and the speakers dont distort or anything..but like i said i have my HU turned to 0 and i have a bass *** to turn the amp up or down

 

ATM headunit bass = 5 thats cuz I got the amp turned down
Amp = Highs + Lows Running on RCA cables from a converter box thingy behind the headunit tapped into the Rear R+- and L+- wires.

So basically. The subs are running off the amp Amp which is running off the rear speakers

They're 2 12s with a 400 watt amp

They're 1ohm I believe, if that makes a difference.

 

yea, it sounds like you need a new deck that has crossovers. crossovers allow only the sounds that need to go to the interior speakers to go to them. and allows the bass that should go to the sub to only go to the sub.

a different head unit will also make the stock speakers sound a good deal better.

 

yes it does. if think about what sounds good there becomes a point when one component of the system can handle more than the rest. car audio is about constantly improving the weakest link. right now that's ur hu and speakers. i really like my rainbow slc 265s and i know tcguy got some cheaper components he really liked. look around and find reviews.

 

a good head unit would be my first step if i was you. run the stock speakers off of it for a while if you have to

when the time comes get a good set of component speakers with a nice powerful amp on them. also deaden and seal your doors.

 

absolutely.

 

hmmmm Ok. Well the HU I'm gona wind up replacing with the D3 probably by the summer time. I'll check out some speakers. Would you guys recommend me switching out the 12s for some more respectable subs or no? work on the other stuff first?

As far as deadening I know My trunk rattles like theres no tomorrow. When I first got these subs, only the license plate rattled, which was easy to fix. The car sounded so clean with the subs bumpin from the outside. Now they're something inside the hatch rattling and it sounds disgusting.

 

audio is purely subjective. if u like it, keep it. when it bugs u replace it.

 

hmm im thinking turn the amp up..since its only hooked up to the subs..and turn down the HU..dont turn the amp all the way up tho , if you do that the subs will sound ____tty. im thinking your saying u have the HU turned up to 5 on bass? and you cant do that with speakers because they will distort when turned up loud..and u can also blow them from having to much bass being sent to them

 

i would leave the subs alone for now and work on the rest. next step would be a nice HU. then new front speakers (with your doors deadened and sealed) with an amp on them.

 

i think he's saying his highs dont keep up with the lows. thats y my recommendation was for new speakers. but i would not get new speakers before a new head unit.

 

and yeah if u get new subs and a new amp..something more powerful..then u will have more bass with out having to turn it up to the point where u speakers sound bad

 

Aright. Tomorrow morning I'll play around with it when everyones at work. Try out a few different combos and let you guys know. Anyone have the rattle in the hatch? I'm think it might just be some wires that got lose. Gonna try and open it up tomorrow and check it out.

No no no. I'm not saying that the highs don't keep up with the lows. They're perfectly in sync. What happens is if the amp is turned up, the highs will play nice and clean until the bass kicks in and the speakers start moving. Then the lows just sound distorted and gross. They're still in sync but it just sounds bad.