this is my current set up. is there anything i can improve on with the set up to maximize the spl i can get out of it or is this probably the best way to set it up? i don't know much about audio, but i seem to win when doing spl contests, but i want more out of my system now

 

Sam,

Your system sounds sooo freakin' loud man, it actually hurts! And now you want to go louder and hit harder?!? DAMN! Start thinking about replacing your back window with some plexi rather than glass! Sheesh! Well, if you can get your system any louder and make it hit harder, I definetly would like to check it out.


Victor

 

i want to get into the 150's or even up to 157 and i know i can. i just don't know how to set it up to do so. at autofest i won first with only getting a 141.9 (those usac mics were harsh). i have gotten the 146, so now i got the bug. i even was given about $600 worth of sony stuff for the winning so i figure i can sale that and get an alternator which is desperately needed along with a second battery.

 

I bet you have already done this, but just a thought: have you upgraded your "big 3" wires? I have always thought that the upgraded wires are supposed to draw more current, therefore you get more output from the amps.

 

Congratulations Sam!

I didn't even know. Was this the Extreme Autofest this past Sunday? I wish I could've gone but I was burnt out. Have you gotten your system tuned yet by your audio shop? Have them setup a preset on your systems EQ, that might help a bit. Or really get down to business and learn how to tweak your EQ really good. Alot of the time its what you play during competition, a frequency or an actual song. A frequency is by far the b est thing to use during competition. Let me check it out again and I'll see if I can help you out a bit. BTW, definetly sell the Sony stuff and look into getting an alternator and optima battery. That will help ALOT!


VIctor

 

You are going to need a much larger (and ported) enclosure to get yourself into the 150's. I'll give you credit though, mid 140's with a enclosure that small right against the hatch is pretty good. You will need more power to get those kind of numbers, so a upgraded alternator is definately a good idea (as you said). I wish you all the luck - I competed in Db Drag Racing for a few years and they were fun times for sure.

 

should i face the speakers towards the roof to get more air space and then port them or is that not a good idea?

 

i have my subs facing forward with the ports facing up and i hit a 144.6 at a local usaci event. with the subs facing up at an angle and the ports facing back towards the hatch i felt it was louder but my box was built only to face a certain way. all the things that were said are true upgrade the big three, optima battery, alternator, and you can also upgrade all your wiring to 0ga if you are not already running that. good luck.

 

subs facing back with the port facing the roof or subs facing the roof with the ports facing to hatch so ypou can gain a few db....this will also help by using the full area and making a flat faced box with a slanted back that will help with bass wave cancelation(sp) in the box...like it has been said before you will have to make or modify your existing enclosure to reach what you want and possible have to adjust the length of the port so your box peaks around the vehicle resenate freqeuncy...which is close to about 60hz...not to forget you'll probally have to add a speaker or two and add another amp then upgrade your alt agian

 

angle the box so the subs and port are facing the rear hatch at an angle. |\
The size of the port, and power from the amps are going to determine your pressure.
upgrade the big 3, and add batteries.. more voltage to your amps, the higher output.
also sound deadnening material, you dont want your vehicle to soak up any of the waves before it hits the mic.

Another note: nothing against your setup, (it looks great) but Audiobahn is really know in the DB drags for being competitive in pressure wars. There are other companies out there that really cater to that market. Example check out Treo subs.

Good luck

 

This is very true - your setup looks awesome but if your ultimate goal is SPL you will need a woofer(s) that can take alot of power (MMATS Juggernaut/Treo/etc). Also, setups that are solely designed to win SPL contests generally do not "sound good" to listen to driving down the street. It can be done where you have a few small trade-offs to make it a daily system but you will be giving up a few db's. There is a ton of money involved in this stuff - this is why people try to get sponsorships or equipment allowances from manufacturers. For instance- at one point we needed a whole skid of SVR batteries to swap out all the batteries in 2 of our cars. I contacted SVR directly and we were given really good pricing for buying in quantity and for putting SVR stickers on the cars. Good luck.

 

i am sponsored by audiobahn, so i use them. can't use anything else for a while.

 

i have some ideas now on what i want to do. i will try angling the box and then port that bad boy. first is a upgraded alternator though

 

Those Immortal woofers look interesting. Depending on the class you are trying to compete in- a few of those with lots of power might do the trick. You gotta take what ya can get a deal on - that's for sure.

 

if you are sponsored see if you can get a couple more maps out of them. If the subs are DVC, bridge the amps to each sub.
power makes power.
I'd like to see some progress on your setup.
I kinda miss the ole SPL days

 

I believe I read somewhere awhile back that doubling your wattage will only net you three more decibels.

 

Email me, I can help...

Kind Regards,
Matt

 

A friend of mine has the Mercedes SUV (forget the actual name) and he has 2x 15" subs (audiobahn) and 1x 2300 HCT amp...

He had that in a ported box identical (from what I can tell) to yours...

It appears you have the 2300 hct amp as well, I could be mistaken, but that's what it seems like...

he easily, easily hit 158 SPL with the car sealed...

front windows opened up 1" he hit 162...




...Get a bigger amp... :?:

EDIT:

Get a 1 farad cap for each amp
-or-
Get an altinator beef up

 

There is a big difference between 147db and 150.
but you can't calulate stuff like that, it all totally depends on your equipment and vehicle.
too many variables involved to say, "well if you do this, you'll gain 3dbs."

 

here is what i am running

(2) Subs: AW1508T
(2) Amps For Subs: A1500HCT
(2) 6.5-inch Component Sets: ABC6002Q
(1) Amp For Components: A4075HCT
(1) Flame Amp Style Cap: ACAP601Q