Thanks ahead for any replies.

I just purchased a 1,000 wat amp with 2 10' subs in a sealed box. The total price was pretty cheap. To be honest the subs are a no-name/janky brand "hitron". I have had the good expensive stuff before and it was stolen, long story, i dont feel like buying the best of stuff for my auto.

But anyhow. The XB audio setup is completely stock. There is a High/Low converter with 2 RCAs with no level adjustments hooked up to the stereo. Monster cable RCAs hooked up to the Amp. Amp to subs, sealed 2 10' inch box.

Here is the problem. The subs are really loud. At first they overpowered the stereo, i ajusted the AMp level to the lowest setting. It sounds good now.

My questions. is there any setting i can adjust to lower the level of the subs? What is the X-Over function do? Also there is a sub poping sound when i shut off the car. When i turn off the stereo the amp does not turn off, easy to fix? On the high/low converter what is the black wire for, is it bad that it is not attached to anything? What would be a benifit to better speakers, say sony or kenwood?

Also, the high/low converter is hooked up to the rear speakers only, if i set my stereo to +F speakers only, the subs don't work.


Thank you soo much for any answers.

Max

 

hmm... i cant really answer your questions, but i felt the same when i got my subs so i can tell you what i do. I also have stock speakers w. 2 jl 12 inches in a sealed box and i didnt want to drive around rumbling everything i just wanted a decent hit alont with hearing the music. On my amp theres a bass boost switch so i just turn that on and i leave the treble on 5 and bass on -5 with the SSP FEEL. I think its a really good combination with a good amoint of hit at high volume but not overpowering at a low volume. If a song comes on that i love or really want to blast i just turn the bass up on the head unit a few notches but usually leave it down because its a heavy hit anyway. Hope this might help, i just played around with all the settings till it sounded right.

 

there is no such thing as too much bass!!!!

 

agreed ^

i would help you try and diagnose it a little but id have to look at the amp and the subs and the settings. just play around until you get it right to your ears. thats the best way

scott

 

Without an equalizer you can only use the controls on your deck, just turn down the bass setting a little. Using the SSP function set on FEEL seems to boost the bass too much to be usefull and causes the sub to "pop" and sound really bad when you turn it up. When using that SSP setting you will definately need to turn down your Bass setting.

A crossover can remove high or low frequencies. For your sub setting you should set it to Low pass(lets low frequencies play and cuts out high frequencies), around the 120hz-80hz range.

Since there is no turn-on wire on the stock deck you probably had to hook into the ignition switch. This could be the problem OR you could just have a amp that has turn off pops, or a little of both. Unplug your RCA's from your amp and if it still pops then the turn on/ignition lead is your problem. You could then add a toggle switch to your turn on wire and just "turn off" the amp before you turn your car off.

If you wired your amps remote wire into the ignition switch, then your amp will stay on as long as your car is on. Add a toggle switch like mentioned before.

That wire is a "reference" ground, You won't need to hook it up. Some amplifiers use that wire to "see" a different ground through the RCA's(Which hook to your Line Output Converter) instead of your amps ground wire. Most newer amps won't need you to hook that wire up.

Better sound!! Just go listen to some that YOU like the sound of and they should work just fine. As far as Sony or Kenwood the real question is do they sound better to you?

It's working like you have it hooked up. You can also use this to reduce the amount of sub bass too. Think of it as extra control over you subs.

I hope this helps!! I only mentioned the simplest way, but there are other ways to fix that turn off pop like relays, signal sensing triggers(a relay) or buying a new head unit or even a different Line Output converter like the AudioControl LC6 or LC8(These LOC's also give you a remote wire hookup to turn on your amp). But if your not familiar with stereos you should probably take it to a Stereo Shop to have it done.

 

Thanks soo much for all your replies. I now use my bass adjustments to level out the bass with the subs.

Now I have a new problem, hahahaha.

I am picking up some engine noise through the amp. I checked the RCA's and they are far away from the power lines in the car. I checked and sanded the ground cable spot. Maybe now i need one of those thingies at radioshack, line noise filter.

One quick question. Is it bad to run subs at Full Amp setting with no Pass through Filter. Like no LPF or HPF, just both = full. Is that really bad for the subs?

 

turn down the volume?

 

the amp doesnt have a lpf? thats really bad if it doesnt. if it does use it, subs are for bass not voice.. and your getting engine noise through your subs? thats strange too. i would get a better amp at least. you can try a ground loop isolator to get rid of the engine noise. you can connect the remote turn on wire to the gray wire behind the radio . are the rca's decent or the really cheap ones, the wire makes a differeence too. if you use the house rca's instaed of the car rca's which are shielded you get engine noise from that also. you get what you pay for.

 

are u running 1 set of rcas or 2

 

you are getting whining engine noise from the speakers because the amp is not grounded in a good spot. make sure it is grounded to a part of the chasis that is unpainted. also i think the black wire from the amp is for grounding , some amps have it most decent amps dont.

 

get a amp controller. Or lower the gains. My RF amp is just a quick turn of a nozzle and thats it.

 

Hold the SSP button.... pick a different car and play with those settings

 

Wow, you are running subs with no crossover? That's bad, because the sub will try to play high frequencies it is not designed to play. You could destroy your sub. There are in-line crossovers you can put on the RCA cables or you can put passive x-overs on the speaker wires to your subs. That could be a big reason the subs are overpowering your normal speakers. It would also help cut down on high-frequency alternator whine.

 

I think we can easily fix this!! If your Line Output Converter is mounted behind your stereo, then you should move it as close to your amp as possible. Hook into your rear speaker wires and run them to your LOC. Then go buy a really short pair of RCAs. Make sure that they are a "twisted pair" design, this design is great for noise rejection. I would recommend the Rockford Fosgate POWER High Performance series in 1.5ft. This brand is pretty common and the price for these is very reasonable. Best Buy sells this brand, but you might have to order this length. It IS IMPORTANT that you keep the RCA's as short as possible and the LOC as close to your amp as you can!!

It's bad, use the LPF.

 

Great. Thank you for all your replies. !!!

Good news. I switched the AMP to LPF, turned it up a little and there is no more engine noise!

Side note - Stupid installer ran the RCA's along the amp power line. I mean, its an XB. Very easy to install oppisite sides. I fixed that.

Trebor - Is it a lot better if you run the amp as close to the LOC as possible?

 

i dont know if anyone suggested this......check your gain on your amp. it maybe too high

 

It's only a lot better if you are getting engine noise, or are trying to maximise your signal to noise ratio!! And, you could save some money by not having to buy long RCAs either.

I'm sure you meant the LOC as close to the amp as possible? Since amps are usually mounted towards the rear of the vehicle, it would be impractical to try and move the amp nearer to the LOC, which most people install behind their head units.

If you decide to get another amp to run your highs, you will most likely have engine noise and will need to move that LOC. I'm glad that the LPF took care of your problem, as long as you can't hear the engine noise, I wouldn't worry about moving that LOC!!!

 

Hey to fix the noise from the engine... Use a Ground Loop Isolator. It will fix your problem

http://www.radioshack.com/product/in...entPage=family

 

silverxabullet has a bazooka party pack two 10's and a 300 watt amp in his xa the best sounding settings are bass at +5 treble +5 fade to the back a bit now go to the amp if it has a turn style crossover on it set that to 50-60 hz bass boost at 3/4 turn and the gain turns up 1/2 turn ..... this sounds great in his car hope this helps ya'll out in here to