how hard should my 2 subs hit?

[DaninCO]

In my sig u can see what i got. How are should my subs be hitting? I been testing em fully but i donno whats going on. I put my vol up and bass up and my amps been getting hot. My bass bumps but i donno wassup with em.
Was wondering if someone could give me some input on what they should be sounding like. Like a genral idea.
Thanks for any help.

 

[TerraBomb]

ok how you got them wired ?

seems to me your amp can't handle the load you are connecting it too, and an amp supposed to get warm to the touch but definatly not hot.

what about your enclosures ?

size ? ported? bandpass ? sealed ?

are both speakers using the same enclosure or does it have an seperation in it ?


we need more input to help you out here....

would be nice if you would have the specs of the amps + the speakers too.....

 

[JTang]

I'm assuming you have the amp wired up in parallel, it's running in two ohms, so it's going to run warmer. If you're running it in series, maybe the reason you're not getting as much sound as you thought, Still, some amps run cooler, some run hotter, they're all different. Obviously, if you're pushing it pretty hard, it's bound to get hot, esp. in the summer now. If you're concerned, you can always add a fan.

If the bass sounds funny, make sure all your polarities are correct and the subs are in phase. If you mix up the +s and -s correctly so the subs are both pushing in the same direction, else one will cancel out the other.

Good luck!

 

[Brian's98XLT]

The 401 has a built in fan that should kick in when it gets hot. Are the subs in a box that has terminal cups. Alot of times I see were people have taken there box out and when they put it back in they get the wires back wards. Check if the + and - are in there right spots.
2 dbs off a 401 should hit hard.

 

[DaninCO]

well it was installed by a pro installer. The amps i guess werent "hot" i could put my hand on them. But thye were alittle warmer then warm. The thing im sayin is that they bump loud in my car but when i go outside with em on they dont seem as loud. My windows and doors are open. I donno maybe i am wrong. Just seems like it. O the subs are in one box. i think they are sealed. I dont know what the sizes are though. I put it on bass +2 and it bumps nicely in my car but i donno if people outside can hear. I think the subs could bump louder if i could turn em up more, another thing is that i cant turn down the treble enough because it gets way to loud and i dont know what the limit would be. i dont wanna blow any of my speakers or amps or anyting.
hope this made sense.

 

[JTang]

Depends on the amp, again, but plenty of brand name amps will get hot enough for you to curse a little if you accidentally run your hand on it. If you're still worried, it's always great to get a fan on it still...

Low bass will have really long frequency waves. Yes, it could be the sounds aren't getting out of the car (also depends how you face the subs), but it could be where you're standing. You might be too close to the car to get the impact of the bass wave.

You'll notice that when someone bumping down the street comes by. You'll hear them driving up, and then right when they're passing you by, you don't really feel or hear it, but hear the hissing of the treble instead, and then as they start driving off you sort of hear the bass again.

Don't stand right next to the car, stand about 40 ft away and see if there's a difference. It's not going to radiate perfectly from your vehicle. You sorta have to be at the right spot at the right distance.

 

[mrsteve]

I am pretty sure about this but not 100%. When you are outside of your car you lose the "cabin gain". Based on the accoustics of your Explorer you gain dB's. Usually between 18 and 24 dB's. So it is that much quiter outside the vehicle. But Brian is right those Kenwood's should slam pretty hard. Better than those MTX 6000's you see if everyone else's trunk.

Steve

 

[Brian's98XLT]

Well to make sure it is hooked up right, try reversing one of the subs + and - and see if the bass increases or degreases. It is posible that the wires in the box are backwards, I have seen this happen many times.

 

[99explorer5.0]

I noticed the same thing with my explorer. It sounds nice in the car but i lose alot of bass outside. If your having a party or something try opening up all the doors and sunroof. Opening up everythign seems to let the bass out of the car.

 

[DaninCO]

Ok, thanks, i get messaged in the car with the base, but lose a lot when outside. Ima try that suggestion about the 40ft thing. It has to be hitting hard outside. Thanks for the help. Also the Kac-X401m has a fan coolin thang. im not to worried about my amps. but i really want my subs to hit.
Im guessn most of u like the Dbs and think they hit hard?

 

[DaninCO]

i guess not then. I like my system though. My bass seems more tight then anyting else.

 

[davesexplorer]

cool, i'm thinkin bout getting those Db+'s and keepin them in my box, i ported it myself, its a mtx 2-12" box. according to crutchfield the Db+'s need 1.5 cu ft for ported and 1 cu ft for a sealed box. check out your box, maybe there is a leak somewhere or maybe your box is too small or too large. Belive it or not boxes make a large difference in the performance of a sub.

BTW:

heres how u calculate the internal volume of your box,if your interested: Multiply the thickness of your wood by 2, then measure the dimensions of your box and subtract the total from above from each.

Ex. 3/4" thick wood x 2=1.5; Width:12-1.5=10.5
Height:14-1.5=12.5, Depth:9-1.5=7.5

Then multiply the new totals(HxWxD)
Ex. 10.5 x 12.5 x 7.5=984.375

Finally you convert in cu. into ft cu. you divide the cubic inch total by 1728.
Ex. 984.375/1728=.5696 cu ft.

one last thing, besides all the "cabin gain" x's have good sound-deadening material.

 

[DaninCO]

thanks a great deal for the help.

 

[makaveli911]

are the subs broken in yet?

 

[DaninCO]

i dont think so, but yesterday i was putting them up to full volume and they were bumping harder then they were before.
But probably not fully yet because i only had them for like 2 weeks.