New sub - sounds like @#$

[perryatstate]

Long time reader, first time question asker, and I know there's got to be some peeps out there running Rockford Fosgate.

I got brand new RF 8" sub, currently driven by the factory audiophile amp. When first installed, there was an awful rattle coming form the driver itself - not the box, not the car. I had crutchfield send me another one, but get the same rattle - when not even being driven hard (factory HU, volume level 8 or so, bass knob turned about half to three-quarters depending on the track). To rule out underpowering it, I hooked it to a kenwood 150W (rms) amp with the same results.

Anybody got any ideas? let the knowledge flow.

And thanks.

 

[JTX]

I had a Fosgate that did that. I had the Positive on the negative and the negative on the positive. I switched it back and it worked fine.

 

[mhn3773]

u have to feed it the proper power for one but switching the wires does help i just went through that with an HE2 12" just change the wires around on the amp and u should find it

may sound really dumb but i have a 2 channel amp for my sub and i have to run the wires from one sub to both the negative terminals and the other sub to bth the positive terminals thats the only way they didnt sound like @$$

 

[perryatstate]

thanks for the advice, but i switched the wires, and get the same rattle both ways.

and both the 85 watt factory amp and the 150 watt kenwood amp i tried give the same result - rattle, rattle, rattle

any other ideas?

 

[expo5.0]

build a new box for it- i've had a lot of success with he2s and can vouch for them being pretty good subs. sounds like the box is rattlin'

 

[GaSouthern1]

My explorer did that with the factory sub and all, try taping everything down that could rattle and just soundproof the hell out of it. Try taking the plastic cover off the plastic trim in front of the sub and see if it still rattles. It is just going to take some hunting around, I always thought it was the sub but it ended up being some of the surrounding plasting making the racket.

 

[perryatstate]

when i take the sub out of the box, it has the same rattle, just not as loud. if the speaker is out of the box and anything gets near or covers up the rear vent hole in the magnet structure, the sound gets awful. but there's plenty of space between the rear of the speaker and the rear of the box.

i already replaced the speaker with the same result. could it just need time to break in?

 

[GaSouthern1]

Almost ANY speaker will sound like it is rattling when it is playing "free air", I really dont think that the sub is what your problem is. I am not saying that it isnt but I really doubt that is what your problem is.

 

[mhn3773]

do u have poly fill in the box? of if u cut off the air to that hole in the back that will make it do all kinds of things