Please someone help me! I am dying without my music!!!
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New member Username: VblasiPost Number: 1 Registered: Aug-11 | Hi. I am having serious problems with my car audio system. For starters, I have 1 jl audio 12w3v2. here are all the specifications- http://mobile.jlaudio.com/pdfs/12W3v2_MAN.pdf I have that sub hooked up to a sony xplod xm-zr1252 amp. It is a 2 channel, 800 watt amp. And here is all the info for that: 125W x 2 RMS (20Hz-20kHz, <1%THD+N, at 4 Ohm, 14.4V)1 Maximum power output of 280W per channel at 4 Ohm. 170W x 2 RMS (20Hz-20kHz, <1%THD+N, at 2 Ohm, 14.4V) Maximum power output of 400W per channel at 2 Ohm. 340W x 1 RMS (20Hz-20kHz, <1%THD+N, at 4 Ohm mono, 14.4V) 800W x 1 max power at 4 Ohms This unit can be used as a bridging amplifier with a maximum output of 800W at 4 Ohms. High Level Input with Sensing Power On Direct connection (High Level Input) can be made with the speaker output of your car audio unit if it is not equipped with RCA line output. Hi-Level Sensing power On feature allows the unit to be activated without need for remote connection. Selectable HPF and LPF Built in selectable 12 dB/Oct 80Hz HPF and LPF. Bass Boost Variable 0-10 dB 40Hz bass boost provides additional bass response at lower frequencies. The power & ground wires are 6 gauge. I had this system hooked up for about a year & 1/2 and it was wonderful. it never gave me trouble. then one day, about a month ago I was driving down the highway, when the sub cut off. I went home and looked everything over. The fuses were blown on the amp. I bought 2 more and replaced them, and then they blew again. I put 2 more in, and then the power/protector light on the amp turned from green to red. I figured that the amp was messed up, and was going to refurbish it. I waited a while though, and last night I really decided to look at all the wires. I looked at the power wire and discovered that the box that holds the fuse near the battery was melted and messed up. So i figured that had to be the problem. I went to the store and bought an entire new wiring kit...same 6 gauge wires and redid the power wires and the ground wire. I turned everything on and it was working at a low volume. As soon as I turned up the volume, everything shut off. It was dark so I waited until this morning to look at everything again. Sure enough, the 2 fuses on the amp were blown. I replaced them again, and then the green light came on. The sub also was on at a low volume. As soon as I turn up the volume, the light turns from green to red, and the system shuts off. Can someone please tell me what is wrong? Is it the amp, the sub, the head unit, or the wires. I am so depressed without my system working and I dont want to replace the entire thing and find out it was 1 stupid little problem. Thanks! |
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New member Username: VblasiPost Number: 2 Registered: Aug-11 | oh and also, what level should I set my amp to? I have the gain all the way down at the moment, but I am not sure what to set the other dial to. |
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Silver Member Username: Joe1234Post Number: 104 Registered: May-09 | Most likely is the amp, but there are 3 versions of this sub D2,D4,D6 those have dual voice coils can you tell if those are connected in series or parallel? and which version of the sub is? |
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Platinum Member Username: GlasswolfColumbia, South Carolina Post Number: 14435 Registered: Dec-03 | I'm honestly surprised you got that sony amp to last as long as you did. Most die within a year of purchase. They are complete and total garbage. Buy a better amp and avoid Sony anything in the future. |
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New member Username: VblasiPost Number: 3 Registered: Aug-11 | I have no idea what it means if they are connected in series or parallel...and there is only 1 sub if that matters. If you explain to me what you are talking about, I could probably tell you. And the sub is a D4. Are pioneer amps better? And can someone please tell me how to choose an amp to go with that 1 JL audio sub. How many watts should it be? And what other qualities should I look for? Thanks |
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Silver Member Username: Joe1234Post Number: 106 Registered: May-09 | If your subwoofer's coils are wired in parallel (image below) then that's the reason why the amp blew. A D4 is inappropriate for that amp.  To better use that sub you need a better amp even if you could have yours repaired. Here are the suggested specs: 300W RMS monoblock 2 ohm stable. This would make a great amp for that sub: http://www.sonicelectronix.com/item_17368_Rockford-Fosgate-PRIME-R500-1.html If you need cheaper other options are available. |
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New member Username: VblasiPost Number: 4 Registered: Aug-11 | I dont think my sub is wired in parallel. I think it is just 1 positive and 1 negative inside the sub...going from the cone to the box. And also, I am confused because the optimum RMS for that speaker says 150w and the MAX is 300w. Isnt it bad to run the sub at the max instead of at an optimum wattage? And also, you say to get an amp that is "2 ohm stable" but on that chart for the speaker it says under the D4 model, nominal impediance Dual 4 ohm. So wouldnt I want an amp that is 4 ohm stable? Or am I just super confused?? thanks for dealing with my obvious lack of knowledge about this. |
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Silver Member Username: Joe1234Post Number: 109 Registered: May-09 | If you are completely sure that you have the12W3v2-D4 subwoofer then straight from your.pdf it says Power Handling: 300W (continuous) that's RMS power it also should have 4 terminals 2 on one side 2 on the opposite side. To better take advantage of the amplifier this sub should be wired in parallel (as in the picture above), the resulting impedance is 2 ohm so the amp connected to it should allow for a 2 ohm load. |
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Gold Member Username: KaerfplSpencerport, NY USA Post Number: 1195 Registered: Jun-06 | Just like everyone stated above, odds are the cause of the problem is the Sony Amplifier. It seems like everyone above already said enough negative comments, so I won't waste my time saying anymore... Regardless, I would highly suggest looking into a new and improved amplifier to bump that JL Subwoofer you have. If you do in fact have the DVC 4 Ohm version, then the best option to wire your Subwoofer to the Amplifier would be in Parallel. The picture above that joe durkham posted above is exactly how you want you wires to be connected for establish a Parallel connection. Below are a few suggestions for a new Amplifier that you can look into: RE Audio XTX-1500.1: http://www.sonicelectronix.com/item_35817_RE-Audio-XTX-1500.1-XTX1500.1.html Kicker ZX400.1: http://www.sonicelectronix.com/item_21954_Kicker-ZX400.1-10ZX400.1.html Rockford Fosgate PRIME R500-1: http://www.sonicelectronix.com/item_17368_Rockford-Fosgate-PRIME-R500-1.html Alpine MRP-M500: http://www.sonicelectronix.com/item_12018_Alpine-MRP-M500.html |
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New member Username: VblasiPost Number: 5 Registered: Aug-11 | Hey. After hearing what everyone had to say I went and took my sub out of the box and took a few pics... it looks to me like it is wired in a series. So I guess the sub has never been used to its full potential....funny, because it used to knock anyways! I hope the problem isnt the sub The way it is wired now is the way I got the sub...it was given to me by my boyfriends friend at work. So should I try to undo the positive wire and put it on the othet set of terminals? And also, how do i safely detach that connection without breaking? does it look soldered?     |
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Gold Member Username: KaerfplSpencerport, NY USA Post Number: 1199 Registered: Jun-06 | Your Subwoofer should not be the cause of the problem. Like everyone stated above, it's most likely that Sony Amplifier. What I would do, is get a pair of wire cutters and cut off all the copper wire on the terminals, then purchase some Female Quick Connectors and new Speaker wire and redo your connections to the Amplifier. |
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Silver Member Username: Joe1234Post Number: 111 Registered: May-09 | The sub is being run on a single coil at 4 ohm (not series), effectively reducing its power handling by 50% or 150W RMS. Also the soldering job on the vacant terminals seems awful and the terminals are obviously bent. I would say that the condition of that vacant coil is to say the least questionable and should be checked before attempting to use it. That does not necessarily mean that the amplifier failed because of this, its more like it failed on its own. It would be best to replace the amp instead of having it repaired. @Joe S: I have made no such statement. Please check. |
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New member Username: VblasiPost Number: 6 Registered: Aug-11 | thanks so much for all the info. So I am basically looking for a 300 W RMS monoblock amplifier that is 2 ohm stable. So the actual watt max of the amp doesnt matter...like how my sony amp is an 800 watt.? And I guess I have to bring this sub somewhere to check out the other terminals that are all bent. Also, I found this wiring guide for my sub. So basically, I have to connect the positive on 1 terminal to the positive of the other terminal and then have that connect to the connector on the speaker box...and the same with the 2 negatives...right?  |
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Silver Member Username: Joe1234Post Number: 113 Registered: May-09 | Sony amps are not RMS rated so if you don't know about RMS rating you will be led to believe that you are buying a very powerful amp which is not. The vacant coil should be checked for integrity maybe the driver wires should be resoldered, there is a chance that the coil is open inside in which case the sub can only be used with a single coil. The diagram is correct but deceiving since apparently you have four connections on each side of your sub, opposite sides positive and that to the positive on the amp, opposite sides negative and that to the negative on the amp is the correct way to wire in parallel. Also not every amplifier brand will do even if it meets the spec so before you buy it would be a good idea to ask around, certainly any of the amps that Joe S and myself have mentioned would be ok. |
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New member Username: VblasiPost Number: 7 Registered: Aug-11 | So how exactly would I wire that since there are 4 connections on each side? I am so confused.... I think I will just take it to a car audio store and see what they say as far as wiring it correctly and also about the condition of the terminals on the other side. And thanks for giving me all those links to appropriate amplifiers to use.. |
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Silver Member Username: Joe1234Post Number: 114 Registered: May-09 | I would be easier for you to have this done, if they want to charge you too much then I could better explain, the diagram is so deceiving that if you wired that way your new amp would blow right away! |
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Gold Member Username: KaerfplSpencerport, NY USA Post Number: 1201 Registered: Jun-06 | Not trying to start an arguement, but at joe durkham, your very first post on this threat states: "Most likely its the amp......" Anyways, the 4 "tabs" on each side are to help keep the wiring organized and clean. This does not mean that there are 4 coils on this subwoofer. There are still 2 coils, and they do not all need to be used. I'll draw you a picture if you want to better understand. If you go to a shop to have this done, they are going to break your wallet. |
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New member Username: VblasiPost Number: 9 Registered: Aug-11 | ok Joe S....if you could draw me a diagram that would be great!! I would greatly appreciate. Then I will attempt to do this myself. Thanks so much!! oh and by the way..will I need to solder anything? and all I need is plain old speake wire that is similar in diameter, right? |
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Bronze Member Username: VblasiPost Number: 11 Registered: Aug-11 | ok Joe S....if you could draw me a diagram that would be great!! I would greatly appreciate it. Then I will attempt to do this myself. Thanks so much!! oh and by the way..will I need to solder anything? and all I need is plain old speaker wire that is similar in diameter, right? |
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Silver Member Username: Joe1234Post Number: 116 Registered: May-09 | Joe no problems whatsoever but look: "Your Subwoofer should not be the cause of the problem. Like everyone stated above," and according to your own account I said: "Most likely its the amp......" |
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Gold Member Username: KaerfplSpencerport, NY USA Post Number: 1205 Registered: Jun-06 | Alright joe durkham, I think maybe you may have just read my post wrong, but it's cool. Im not going to continue this any longer. victoria, I will draw you out a picture on what you will need to do. Give me some time to be creative in Photoshop. |
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Bronze Member Username: VblasiPost Number: 12 Registered: Aug-11 | Hey I have been looking at diagrams for wiring the 1 dvc sub parallel..and the way its set up is different than mine. [See the pic I composed below] They have it so both the positives are across from eachother and likewise for the negatives. Is it bad that mine are diagonal from eachother?  |
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Silver Member Username: Joe1234Post Number: 118 Registered: May-09 | Victoria, you are looking at the same diagram is just that electrical diagrams do not account for physical location of things, the only thing that you need to do is to tie both sub positives to the positive on the amp and to to tie both sub negatives to the negative on the amp. The reason you see 4 terminals on each side is that 2 are positive and 2 are negative but having 2 of each makes it easy to continue the wiring to the opposite side coil. I was wondering if someone could lend you a "multimeter" its a $10-$20 device that could help you a lot if you want to do this on your own, for example checking the vacant coil. It is not strictly necessary but its makes checking anything electrical easy. @Joe S: relieved that we all agree on the crappy Sony amp. My apologies. |
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Bronze Member Username: VblasiPost Number: 13 Registered: Aug-11 | Well I hate to tell everyone but the problem is the sub. I'm still not sure that the amp is blown, but either way I know now that it isn't a good amp to use. My friend who has a system in their car let us hook up a kicker amp in my car to my sub and no sound came out. But if you felt the sub, you could feel movement inside like its trying to work but just isnt. And I know that the wires are ok because after we did this, we hooked up the speakers that were in my friends car into my car into the kicker amp (he had long speaker wires coming out of his speaker and they reached all the way to the amp in my car) and sure enough, his speaker worked. I'm kind of depressed |
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Silver Member Username: Joe1234Post Number: 119 Registered: May-09 | A bad amp can blow a speaker and the opposite can also happen. That speaker looks like it was tampered with before anyways. As a first test If you turn on the amp with no speaker connected and level up the volume, if it does not go into protected mode or blow any fuses it might still be working. If you still want to continue working on this I would strongly recommend to get a "multimeter" since it gives you "eyes" when it comes to electrical stuff. |
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Gold Member Username: KaerfplSpencerport, NY USA Post Number: 1227 Registered: Jun-06 | Do I sense victoria thinking about putting together a new system!? Give us a budget and we can put together a much better system for you! |
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Silver Member Username: Joe1234Post Number: 120 Registered: May-09 | It must be hard to have to throw away to the trash can a JL Audio sub. |
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Bronze Member Username: VblasiPost Number: 14 Registered: Aug-11 | the amp actually does not go into protect mode or blow fuses when I turn the volume up with no speakers hooked up. I wanted to see if my amp still worked in my friends car but they didnt want me to hook that amp up to their speaker because they know it is a piece of garbage. haha But I am definitely giving up on the jl audio. I even tried to hook up that other coil that was never hooked up, and that didnt work at all. Maybe thats why it was never hooked up in the first place. Now I am thinking about buying 2 12" rockford fosgates from my boyfriends brother. we are going to go see them later...I am not sure which model they are or anything. wish me luck that they are good ones! |
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Bronze Member Username: VblasiPost Number: 15 Registered: Aug-11 | and yea...for the record it sucks to have to throw out a jl audio sub. it is very sad. My budget for a new system is almost non-existant. I'm a broke college student. But I would probably look into an amp that is in the $130-150 range and a sub (or 2 subs) in the $100-150 range. But I will have to save money for a few weeks before I can do anything most likely.. How are rockford fosgate subs? I know they range from wicked cheap to expensive...but what should I stay away from in terms of rockford fosgate? oh and btw I definitely neeeed bass...I'm really not interested in ear-blowing treble. |
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Bronze Member Username: VblasiPost Number: 16 Registered: Aug-11 | and yea...for the record it sucks to have to throw out a jl audio sub. it is very sad. My budget for a new system is almost non-existant. I'm a broke college student. But I would probably look into an amp that is in the $130-150 range and a sub (or 2 subs) in the $100-150 range. But I will have to save money for a few weeks before I can do anything most likely.. How are rockford fosgate subs? I know they range from wicked cheap to expensive...but what should I stay away from in terms of rockford fosgate? oh and btw I definitely neeeed bass...I'm really not interested in treble. |
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Silver Member Username: Joe1234Post Number: 121 Registered: May-09 | Well, JL Audio is a really fine sounding subwoofer, you will find that RFs are extremely powerful and reliable and better able to take abuse but not on par with the sound quality of a JL Audio, I really don't know if it would make sense to have yours professionally repaired but my guess is no. The modern day replacement of your sub is nearly $170 new. As for amps I still recommend the Rockford Fosgate PRIME R500-1: Its $154 so well in line with your budget. It could easily drive 2 300W RMS 4 ohm subs. http://www.sonicelectronix.com/item_17368_Rockford-Fosgate-PRIME-R500-1.html As with their subs these amplifiers are extremely reliable and powerful, their actual RMS power will always be higher than the specified which is typical of great products. If the little Sony amp survived it could be sold for $60-$70 but further testing is necessary to make sure. Even the broken JL sub could be sold for maybe $40 or so. |
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Bronze Member Username: VblasiPost Number: 17 Registered: Aug-11 | Really?? Someone would buy a not functioning JL audio? That is good to know. And would that meter you told me to get be able to tell me if the amp is still functioning? Nobody wants to let me hook up that amp to their subs. Also, the same friend who let us hook up their amp in my car is offering me 1 12" audiobahn sub. I dont have a clue of which 1 it is though. Audiobahn makes good stuff too...right? |
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Silver Member Username: Joe1234Post Number: 122 Registered: May-09 | Sure someone would buy the JL because your sub did not sustain any physical damage (only burnt coils) for a skilled guy it will not take much effort to leave it as new and sell it for $100 or more. The meter could rule out that the testing speaker will suffer immediate damage as a result of connecting it to the amp, sometimes a faulty amp will start powering the speaker with high level DC voltage which will in turn burn the coil of the speaker really fast. If you can measure if there is any DC voltage there you wont need to burn a speaker to make sure the amp is faulty. The meter can help with many other things like testing speakers, alternator, battery, etc. Audiobahn makes reasonably reliable products but I would take any modern day RF anyday over an Audiobahn. Hear them all though but having heard a JL Audio my guess is that you wont be impressed. |
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Bronze Member Username: VblasiPost Number: 18 Registered: Aug-11 | Hey I have a few questions. I have been looking on the website that you guys have shown me all the amps on and I was looking at the RF subs & amps. Just because I am wicked broke and craving some bass, I was looking at these subs.. http://www.sonicelectronix.com/item_33744_Rockford-Fosgate-R2D4-12-R2D412.html http://www.sonicelectronix.com/item_17890_Rockford-Fosgate-PRIME-R1S412.html http://www.sonicelectronix.com/item_33742_Rockford-Fosgate-R2D2-12.html I was just going to get 1 for now and throw it in the box I have for the JL audio...and then I was going to get another 1 to go with it in the near future possibly.. But instead of that other amp you showed me earlier, how about this one? just because I am super impatient, and really dont want to wait to save so much money.... http://www.sonicelectronix.com/item_21680_Rockford-Fosgate-PRIME-R250-1.html Are any of those subs that I listed above compatible with that amp? And is it better or worse to have dual voice coils...I notice more subs are dual than single. But it seems like more of a pain to wire the dual.. thankss |
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Silver Member Username: Joe1234Post Number: 123 Registered: May-09 | The PRIME-R250-1 is too weak for 40 more doubling your power is good value, certainly adding a second sub would almost not be feasible. If you want cheap you could go with this instead: http://www.sonicelectronix.com/item_32464_RE-Audio-DTS-800.1.html It will do 400W RMS at 1 ohm so you could parallel two 2 ohm subs to get the 400 RMS. This is a good amp but I would still prefer RF easy. It could be wired with two of these you looked at: http://www.sonicelectronix.com/item_33744_Rockford-Fosgate-R2D4-12-R2D412.html The subs coils of each woofer would be wired in parallel and the subs will be wired also in parallel to get 1 ohm total impedance. It will go near 500 RMS with good sub sensitivity of 89dB. You wont get deep clean bass from most <$100 subs. This subs will only get down to 43Hz your JL would get down to 20Hz easy. Cheap is expensive in the long run. |
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Bronze Member Username: VblasiPost Number: 19 Registered: Aug-11 | Ok well I thought of everything u said...and you are right. If I am going to do it, I may as well do it right. I started looking at the JL audios on that website and I saw this sub http://www.sonicelectronix.com/item_26963_JL-Audio-12WX-4.html I know it is not as nice as the one I had, but actually you have to remember that I had that w3 hooked up only to 1 set of terminals....so isn't it kind of like listening to half the sub? I was never really listening to it at its full potential. I also saw this sub...but I don't know if I can buy both a sub & amp if I spend this much on just the sub: http://www.sonicelectronix.com/item_39825_JL-Audio-12W0v3-4.html that 1 looks better than the first 1 I mentioned, but if you think I can get away with the first 1 please let me know. I also saw a JL audio amp that I could buy if I really wanted to...but I am not sure if it is compatible with either sub I listed above. http://www.sonicelectronix.com/item_26850_JL-Audio-J2-360.2-J2360.2.html Can you tell me if any of those are a good combo...and if not, could you please suggest an amp in the same price range as that one that would be good for those JL audio subs?? |
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Gold Member Username: KaerfplSpencerport, NY USA Post Number: 1229 Registered: Jun-06 | There are many products out there that I could recommend in your price range, but if your looking to stick with JL Audio, I can't really blame you. The best Subwoofer I would suggest would be the JL Audio 12W0v3-4, which you posted a link for above. I used to own a pair of these Subwoofers and I was very happy with their performance. The best amplifier to drive that Subwoofer would be the Alpine MRP-M500 or the Rockford Fosgate PRIME R500-1. Both are great amplifiers and are under $200. Alpine: http://www.sonicelectronix.com/item_12018_Alpine-MRP-M500.html Rockford Fosgate: http://www.sonicelectronix.com/item_17368_Rockford-Fosgate-PRIME-R500-1.html |
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Silver Member Username: Joe1234Post Number: 126 Registered: May-09 | Victoria your Sony amp is 340W RMS at 4 ohm (single channel) the first thing I would do is to see if it works, if it does you can just place a single 4 ohm JL Audio sub and be done with this. Now if you need to upgrade I just would not buy another 300W or so amp , it would leave you basically with the same thing and without any upgrade options (like a second sub). By the way you were operating that poor 150W RMS JL sub (single coil) maybe at 250W.. |
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Bronze Member Username: VblasiPost Number: 20 Registered: Aug-11 | I really can't even stand to hook another jl audio up to that wicked crappy sony amp....I forgot to mention the amp was refurbished before I got it. lol Soo let me try to understand this..is the jl audio amp not good because it says 110 watts rms for a 4 ohm sub and 360 watts with it bridged?...so its not enough power wired regular and its too much power with it bridged for the jl audio sub that is 300 watts rms? And honestly, I will probably just stick with the 1 jl audio and not get another...I have an eclipse and my trunk is small... I just thought of that. What about this pioneer amp with that JL audio 12W0v3-4? Pioneer isnt horrible, right? http://www.sonicelectronix.com/item_22381_Pioneer-GM-D7500M.html |
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Bronze Member Username: VblasiPost Number: 21 Registered: Aug-11 | Oh and by the way, the rockford fosgate amp is good..but I dont think I can realistically produce enough money to get both that amp and sub at this point...and I have gone about a month with absolutely no beat and it sucks =[ At first I was looking at those cheaper rockford fosgate subs...but after thinking about it I would really rather have the 1 nicer JL audio.. When I say nicer I mean better than the $75 JL sub. So realistically, I am looking to spend a maximum of $130 on the amp. Thats why I mentioned that pioneer amp. |
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Gold Member Username: KaerfplSpencerport, NY USA Post Number: 1237 Registered: Jun-06 | That JL Audio 12W0v3-4 requires 300 Watts RMS while that Pioneer amplifier only produces 200 Watts RMS. Sure, it will still be able to power the Subwoofer, but the Pioneer Amplifier (IMO) is not any better than Sony Amplifier. If you are looking to spend even less that the Rockford Fosgate PRIME R500-1, then I would suggest looking into the MB Quart REF1.800. Your really not going to find anything too much cheaper unless you purchase something used on Ebay or Amazon. http://www.sonicelectronix.com/item_25536_MB-Quart-REF1.800-REF-1.800.html |
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Silver Member Username: Joe1234Post Number: 127 Registered: May-09 | Is just that the sub could have blown for excessive power to one of its coils but without the ability to test things out then I will completely agree that a new amp is a safer bet. Regarding the JL amp it will drive a 4 ohm sub to 360W RMS. So whats the problem? the RF PRIME R500-1 offers 500+W RMS for (just) $24 more and RF reliability profile is just as good if not better than JLs. And is stable at 2 ohm. It will give you an upgrade path in case you ever want it. Pioneer has made many unreliable products in the past and I would not trust them that much at least not against kicker, JL, RF and some others. @Joe S: So which you would guess is more reliable, the RF or the MB. |
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Gold Member Username: KaerfplSpencerport, NY USA Post Number: 1238 Registered: Jun-06 | The only thing I do not trust from Pioneer is there Amplifiers. The last Pioneer Amplifier I owned not only looks ugly, but it felt cheap and didn't perform to well. Sometimes it even overheated and shut down at times. Now on the other hand, their Speakers and Subwoofers are great for a cheap entry level system and their Decks are just fantastic. Well, the older ones anyway. When shopping for a Pioneer Deck, you really gotta check the specs to make sure your not purchasing a dud. |
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Gold Member Username: KaerfplSpencerport, NY USA Post Number: 1239 Registered: Jun-06 | I did some searching on Ebay, and I found a few Amplifiers much cheaper that you can use: RE Audio XT800.2 V3 (bridged at 4 Ohms): http://cgi.ebay.com/NEW-US-AMPS-XT800-2-V3-800-WATT-2-CHANNEL-CAR-AMPLIFIER-/350 481240204?pt=Car_Amplifiers&hash=item519a4f508c Kicker DX300.2 (Bridged at 4 Ohms): http://cgi.ebay.com/KICKER-DX300-2-2-CHANNEL-AMP-CAR-AUDIO-AMPLIFIER-300W-/23064 8439323?pt=Car_Amplifiers&hash=item35b3b7e21b Orion 3002 (Bridged at 4 Ohms): http://cgi.ebay.com/Orion-/170678543171?pt=Car_Amplifiers&hash=item27bd3be343 Soundstream PCA2.360 (Bridged at 4 Ohms): http://cgi.ebay.com/NEW-Soundstream-PCA2-360-Two-Channel-Car-Amplifier-/16020237 7197?pt=Car_Amplifiers&hash=item254cce47ed Kicker ZX350.2 (Bridged at 4 Ohms): http://cgi.ebay.com/KICKER-ZX350-2-2-CHANNEL-AMPLIFIER-350W-CAR-STEREO-AMP-/2306 50112721?pt=Car_Amplifiers&hash=item35b3d16ad1 Kicker Zx1000.1: http://cgi.ebay.com/Kicker-Zx1000-1-Car-Amplifier-/200639092645?pt=Car_Amplifier s&hash=item2eb70597a5 |
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Gold Member Username: KaerfplSpencerport, NY USA Post Number: 1241 Registered: Jun-06 | Sorry I missed your question above joe durkham. But to answer your question, Rockford Fosgate > MB Quarts The only thing I would pick MB Quarts over Rockford Fosgate in would be in Speakers. MB Quarts are very clear and reliable. The last pair of Rockford Fosgate Speakers I used felt very cheap, and started to break up and crackle when turning up the volume too much. |
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Silver Member Username: Joe1234Post Number: 129 Registered: May-09 | Right Joe S their amps are rock solid but I don't like anything else from them and that includes their subs. (although many people will "violently" disagree with me ) |
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Bronze Member Username: Dcollister440Post Number: 22 Registered: Jun-11 | yo so How are the rockford fosgate p3's, since we are on the subject of subwoofers, compared to jl w3's? |
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Bronze Member Username: VblasiPost Number: 22 Registered: Aug-11 | Joe S- I am kind of liking that MB quart amp. Is it a good amp though...like way better than the pioneer? I see the list price is insane at $699.00 $570 off the list price isnt too bad. How does this place sell them for soo cheap? But I guess I am still maybe possibly considering the RF prime amp...If you guys really insist that it is THAT much better than the MB quart. The only thing about the MB quart is I have never in my life heard of that brand. Whereas RF is like JL audio as far as being well known. So what is the advantage besides the popularity of going with the RF over the MB Quart. And also, I noticed the RMS for the RF for a 4 ohm speaker is 320...thats not too much for the JL to handle since the JL says 300 watts RMS..is it? By the way I really want to thank you all for helping me on this....I probably would have slapped any old amp and sub together... because to be honest that what all my friends have done in the past.......no wonder why they blew so much equipment!! haha |
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Gold Member Username: KaerfplSpencerport, NY USA Post Number: 1243 Registered: Jun-06 | I used MB Quarts Amplifiers in the past and they are a great splace to start for an entry level Amplifier. Better than Sony by far, but not quite as good as the Rockford Fostgate. Any online Dealer for Car Audio has the ability of selling products far under listing price because of several different reasons. If you want me to go in detail I can, but don't worry, it's not a scam or anything. I've bought from Sonic many many times. Even thought the Rockford Fosgate puts out 320 Watts RMS, the JL Subwoofer will be able to handle the extra 20 Watts without any problems. Just make sure that if you do get this Amplifier, to make sure that you are setting the Gain correctly. |
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Silver Member Username: Joe1234Post Number: 132 Registered: May-09 | Victoria, the real reason RF is a superior choice is reliability, those amps never overheat and can take abuse (like their subs). Also they are underrated which means that it will actually deliver 20% to 50% more power than specified, have a particular sound that makes them natural bass slamming amps, of course the MB is cheaper but as far as reliability goes the RF wins easy. Really $20 is a laughable difference to pay if you know the thing you are buying wont break. To protect the sub (any sub) you should setup like this: start with a very low gain on the amp then you will take the HU to the max level that does not distort, then you slowly upper the gain on the amp until it hits really hard but the sound stays still clean. That way you will prevent any potential abuse to the sub when in normal use regardless of the power of the amp. Right Victoria you should always own quality equipment and NEVER abuse it and your setup will last years until you get bored with it. The sub enclosure also plays a very important role in maximizing SPL, sound quality and protecting the sub (specially ported enclosures) but that's another topic. |
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Silver Member Username: Joe1234Post Number: 133 Registered: May-09 | Dcollister440, JL subs have the edge in sound quality, no question RF subs are reliable and hard hitting though but the new 12w3v3 scores 500W RMS (much more than the v2) and its really impressively clean at any power level and goes really low, lower than its p3 counterpart. If you only care about SPL another one to look at are sundowns those are higher sensitivity. |
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Bronze Member Username: VblasiPost Number: 23 Registered: Aug-11 | ok I guess u talked me into the RF amp over the MB quartz. But I was looking online and saw this JL sub.. http://dynamicautosound.net/jl-audio-12w1v2-4.html Can you tell me which one(between the one above & the 12W0v3-4) is better and more like the 1 I had (12w3v2-d4) I know neither is exactly like the one I had, but any input is appreciated =] |
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Silver Member Username: Joe1234Post Number: 134 Registered: May-09 | Do you trust that retailer? The sub itself looks very good on paper its a v2 (older) not a v3 though: It has almost 2 db higher sensitivity (match the 12w3v2) Has low Fs of 23Hz Power is 300W RMS (match the 12w3v2) Recommended enclosure sizes are low volume which is nice. I don't really see any problems with it but only those who have heard it can really tell for sure if its that good mainly regarding sound quality. It will certainly won't hit as hard as a 12w3v2, also the cone surface is silver, don't know if you like that. Against the w0 it looks better. |
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Gold Member Username: KaerfplSpencerport, NY USA Post Number: 1244 Registered: Jun-06 | At joe durkham, your description for tuning the gain on an amplifier is nearly correct. What you need to do is first turn all of the settings on the deck and amplifier to 0. Then you will turn the volume upto exactly 75% of its maximum and slightly increase the gain on the amplifier until you start to hear distortion. At that point, you slightly decrease the gain, and your all set. This type of tuning will allow you to never have to adjust the settings for your lows again. In order to increase the Bass, all you'll need to do is turn up the volume. Never go past 75% volume on your deck if you tune your Amplifier this way! If you do, you are running the risk of damaging the Amplifier and/or Subwoofer. Also, the Rockford Fosgate P3's are great Subwoofers, but are built for SPL and to be placed in ported enclosures. If your looking for SQ,stay away from Rockford and get the JL Subwoofer. |
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Bronze Member Username: VblasiPost Number: 24 Registered: Aug-11 | Well that retailer seems similar to Sonic electronic. On ebay they get 99.8% positive feedback out of like 30,000 orders. Is there anything that seems shady about that sub? And now I am mad because you guys talked me into the RF amp and now I can't decide which sub to get.... I guess they are not that much different as far as RMS and all the other specs though. But I think I am leaning towards the w1. What is the difference between v2 and v3? And also, when an amp says "monoblock" like that RF amp, does that mean you can only hook up 1 sub? |
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Silver Member Username: Joe1234Post Number: 135 Registered: May-09 | Victoria first off I understand that you are trying to stay on budget and that always make things difficult.. I like the w1 specs and I think you will do well with it, the v2 is older than the v3 no big deal. There are much, much worse subs for $99 also I think the retailer is reasonably trustworthy given what you said. No, monoblock does not mean that you can only wire one sub, you can wire as many subs you want as long as the total impedance is not lower than 2 ohm. I wouldn't want to go into too much tech talk lets just say that monoblocks are optimized for subwoofer amplification and make the most of the electrical energy they take up. |
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Silver Member Username: Joe1234Post Number: 136 Registered: May-09 | Joe S, no problem with the detailed procedure, the point I was trying to make is that if your amp rating is higher than your subs you can still use them safely. Regarding the subs I completely agree so if your JL audio blows and you install a P3 maybe you would be downgrading your sound quality. |
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Bronze Member Username: Dcollister440Post Number: 25 Registered: Jun-11 | hey victoria have you ever thought about getting your jl sub repaired? i've been working with this sub/amp repairman that was going to totally rebuild my old school jl w6v1 for around $60....until he found out the magnet was cracked....but he's repaired my fosgate 1500 a few times for pretty in expensive....that may be a good option for you to take....you could keep your sub....it'd be better than the W0 or W1 you were looking at for sure, plus it could potentially cost less and you wouldnt have to deal with it getting shipped or anything |
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Bronze Member Username: VblasiPost Number: 25 Registered: Aug-11 | Hey. dcollister-that is a good idea...but I do not know anyone who repairs subs. The only stores where I live are like "sound Fx"-not sure if they are only in my state or not...but they are ridiculously expensive. I am not sure where/how to find a sub/amp repairman. But that is not a bad Idea...I will hold onto the broken sub for now and maybe I will come across someone who can fix it...then I will have 2!! and also, I already ordered the sub & amp and they are on their way! I am sooo overly excited. It has been tooooo long with my system not working. But other than that~I have a few general questions for anyone who wants to answer: 1. after I ordered that RF amp, I really began to read the reviews on sonic electronix website...(I know I should have probably done this BEFORE I ordered the amp...but oh well) It gets really good ratings, but I noticed a lot of people saying that it got really hot and sometimes shut off. What would cause that to happen to some people and not others? Having too many subs hooked up or having the gain and other controls up too high? I basically want to know how to prevent that from happening. My car is small and right now I dont have AC. The only good thing is that I can drop the seats down and take off the divider between the trunk and car so it will all be pretty opened up. 2. I was just going to take my old JL out of its box and put the new 1 in the same box. The box is pretty small...just a standard, 1 sub box. It seems to be stuffed with cotton or some similar material... again that is how I received it. Should all that stuff stay in there or should I remove it? What is it supposed to be there for? 3. Is there any particular order in which you should hook the wires up to the amp. All the wires are already run in my car and I know for sure they are all done correctly. But does it matter as far as the ground or battery wire first...and then should I hook up the sub last? |
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Gold Member Username: KaerfplSpencerport, NY USA Post Number: 1278 Registered: Jun-06 | Questions #1: Yes, it is true that there are reports of the Rockford Fosgate PRIME R500-1 of become very hot, however this is most likely due to user error. What I mean by this is people not installing the Amplifier correctly, or not tuning the Amplifier correctly. Questions #2: All of that "cotton stuff" is really Polyester Fiber Fill. It is used to make the Subwoofer "think" it's in a larger enclosure. Because of this, it will allow you to fit a Subwoofer that requires a large enclsoure, into a smaller enclosure to save space. If you want to test the Subwoofer with or without the Polyester Fiber Fill to see how it sounds, that's fine. But odds are, it's in the enclosure for a specific reason. Questions #3: What I would do would go as followed: - Disconnect the Battery - Remove the Inline Fuse - Install the Amplifier - Reconnect the Battery - Re-insert the Inline Fuse This is a very vague rundown on how I install systems, but use this as a guide when doing your own. Make sure that when you first use the Amplifier, that all the settings on your Deck and Amplifier are set at Zero or Default. Then tune the Amplifier using what I typed earlier (post 1244 for Joe S). |
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Silver Member Username: Joe1234Post Number: 157 Registered: May-09 | Regarding overheating, with a single 4 ohm sub you are not to worry. Just give the amp some room and don't overdo bass boosting if you did get the W1 this is a rather efficient non SPL sub so no problems there either. |
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Silver Member Username: Joe1234Post Number: 158 Registered: May-09 | You can optimize the output of the sub by installing in a properly calculated enclosure, that in turn will lead to lower power being needed, in some extreme cases one can add subsonic filters that can lower the power needed (and therefore overheating) and increase sound quality but you wont need any of that. Don't worry about that stuff inside the box As for some safeguards on the amp connection you should: FIRST set the gain VERY low on the amp before connecting, you can set the bass boost to zero if you want and then proceed as Joe S suggests. Its ok to connect the sub if you want (but with NEW proper gauge not shorted cables!!). |
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Bronze Member Username: VblasiPost Number: 26 Registered: Aug-11 | Hey..so I am waiting for my new amp & sub to come in.. I was just wondering, say some time I did get that JL w3 I have fixed...would I be able to hook up both considering they are different subs with different RMS and such? But then again, now that I think of it both probably wouldn't fit anyways. Now I have another ?.. I have a sony xplod deck...so when I set the adjustments...they are low, mid, high, etc..I know you said to set everything to 0 before hooking up the amp, and first adjusting the amp with the settings on 0... After I do that is it ok to set the high up more than the rest because I doubt that I am going to be able to hear the lyrics to the songs that good...and thats what I have done in the past because of that problem. Is it in any way bad for the sub to have the highs up way more on the deck than the other controls? |
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Bronze Member Username: VblasiPost Number: 27 Registered: Aug-11 | Hey, and I noticed that Joe Durkham posted above to use NEW proper gauge speaker wire for the sub... and for speaker wire I have "14 gauge scosche car stereo speaker wire-constructed w. professional grade CCA wire for improved musical clarity" Is this ok to use, and if not than could you please tell me what is? |
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Silver Member Username: Joe1234Post Number: 175 Registered: May-09 | 1) You need a big trunk to place 2 12"s in a proper enclosure for both. But guess what, if you use a ported box for a single sub you will get the output of two in a non ported box! Proper enclosure is critical. Here's a link to the manual for the w1 (guess you got that one) just build the "ported" one for double sub output (like 2 subs): http://www.google.com.mx/url?sa=t&source=web&cd=1&sqi=2&ved=0CBoQFjAA&url=http%3 A%2F%2Fmobile.jlaudio.com%2Fpdfs%2F8429.pdf&rct=j&q=12w1v2-4%20manual%20pdf&ei=e cdDTpvHFeeRsAKnzZDPCQ&usg=AFQjCNHwtsPxRV9l1ElvFC0dl7qEL5KqmQ&cad=rja You can use two different subs but I wouldn't do that, it probably would sound worse. Its never done. 2) The important thing is that the gain on your amp is very low, almost all the way to minimum before turning on for the first time: Here's a link to your amplifier's manual, take a look at page 8 its all there: http://www.rockfordfosgate.com/rftech/library/2010/3_Amplifiers/1230-56082-01_RF PrimeMonoAmps-MAN.pdf You can start zeroing all tone controls both in the amp and the deck if you want and once is stable you can start changing them to your likings. Although this procedure is usually done for equalization and professional tuning. That "Sony" deck, if you happen to win the lottery maybe one day we could work a little on it |
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Silver Member Username: Joe1234Post Number: 176 Registered: May-09 | The thicker the better, I think 12 AWG can fit. Not that the14 will perform horribly of course. |
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Bronze Member Username: VblasiRhode Island Post Number: 28 Registered: Aug-11 | Yea...I need a knew deck. That sony sucks. I used to have a JVC that was actually better but it stopped working. Maybe in like a month or 2 I can go about replacing the deck... Would I really have to win the lottery to afford one of the ones that you would suggest? lol And oh my god thank you. I know people that wont even take the time to tell me all of these things and to look for manuals and such for me. |
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Silver Member Username: Joe1234Post Number: 177 Registered: May-09 | I have to say that Sony deserves some credit since that deck still works. There are audio systems for maybe $15000 or more if you wanted, but no, there are very nice sounding affordable head units for $120-$200 that myself or Joe S could suggest. Alpine and Pioneer are top mainstream brand names for decks if you would like to browse some options. Anyways I think you will have your hands full for a while to properly install your new gear so that it stays cool and sounds right. Thank you for your last comments and I should say that you also have put a lot of effort (and tolerated the prices). |
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Bronze Member Username: VblasiRhode Island Post Number: 31 Registered: Aug-11 | hey I have another question. I was looking at this amp and reading the manual and I am confused about this phase switch that says either 0 degrees or 180 degrees. the manual is kind of vague. What do I want it on? |
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Silver Member Username: Joe1234Post Number: 213 Registered: May-09 | That switch has the same effect as inverting your sub connections to the amp. The important thing to know is that once your install is done and working you can flip the switch a few times to see which setting sounds better, most of the times it will become obvious after 2 or 3 flips. |
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Bronze Member Username: VblasiRhode Island Post Number: 32 Registered: Aug-11 | ok..and I have everything on the amp set to minimum..and the decks controls set to zero. I am waiting for the sub to come right now..the amp is all wired-we just did it... I have not turned anything on yet though, because I want to wait for the sub first. Right now I have the negative connection on the battery disconnected and the inline fuse removed. So after I hook up the sub to the amp, than I first hook the negative connection back up to its terminal and then put the inline fuse back in its holder....correct? I am being extremely obsessive about the order I am doing everything in and it is annoying my boyfriend |
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Silver Member Username: Joe1234Post Number: 215 Registered: May-09 | Regarding the power cables I would recommend using 4AWG if you plan to take the amp to full power, for 300W 8AWG should be "fine". Also and very important is the amp's grounding. That short thick wire that goes from the amp's negative terminal to the chassis, that connection should be done bare metal to bare metal, if some paint or dirt or simply is not really tight, that can cause serious problems, maybe as serious as the one you had with your former sub and amp. The power connection order. You have done this before and if nothing got broke you can do it as last time, I have read in many car's service manuals that you should tie ground last. I have done it that way without issues. Every power connection should be very tight. Be very "annoying" when necessary. Its worth it. |
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Silver Member Username: Joe1234Post Number: 344 Registered: May-09 | Victoria, I was just wondering if you got that going well? did the w1 met your expectations? if you care to comment Id be glad to hear. |
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Bronze Member Username: VblasiRhode Island Post Number: 33 Registered: Aug-11 | Hey! Sorry I have been crazy busy. I just got accepted to a nursing program and it starts next week. The system has been fine...the w1 is definitely not as good as the w3. It thumps, but not nearly as much as the w3. The RF amp does get hot sometimes, but has yet to shut off. I have the gain a little less than half way and the bass boost is also at the same setting...about halfway. But you know what, it works for now and I am pretty happy with it.... except...... for the past week the sub has been cutting on and off... Obviously some connection is loose or what not...It seems like it is the connection from the speaker to the inside of the speaker box. We have tried everything to get the wires to stay hooked up....and sometimes they do stay hooked up, but the sub still keeps cutting on and off. =[ I am starting to think it is the connector on the box... The box is as old as the w3 that I had in there.... I am getting so stressed with this that I feel like just drilling a hole somewhere and running a wire directly from the sub to the amp and skipping the connector on the box altogether. Its obvious that I need an entire new box, but it is going to have to wait a bit. I just cut my work hours down to 8 per week since I am starting this nursing program and it is going to be like a full time job. ohh and PS-I found a store that says they could definitely repair the w3. But they said they would charge me a non-refundable $45 for diagnostics, and then they will apply the $45 to the cost to repair the sub once they find out what is wrong with it. This sounds good to me, but I just don't want them to tell me it is going to cost more than the sub is worth to repair it. What do you think? |
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Silver Member Username: Joe1234Post Number: 346 Registered: May-09 | Ok Victoria, I am really glad that you got that setup going, of course the w1 is not a w3 but if you still like it then its all good. Regarding the issue you comment on, could be a number of things, probably related to the speaker cable but then maybe not. What I would say is don't let it keep happening since depending on what it is could damage the amp. Maybe have it looked for you since you are so busy. As for your w3, the price of a used 12w3v2 goes for 90 -100 now so I don't know, you may want to take a look at: http://www.fixmyspeaker.com/ Maybe contact them to get an estimate and see what you should pay, what you have is blown coils almost for sure. One other thing is that many times fixed speakers don't sound that well unless the job is really professional so you may or may not get the same sound as before or it may fail easier. Since you like a lot of bass a 15" is what would make you really happy, those usually need bigger boxes though. |
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Bronze Member Username: VblasiRhode Island Post Number: 34 Registered: Aug-11 | ok I need more help The other day we really made sure the connection was good on the inside of the speaker box terminal. For the past day, everything worked fine and it did not cut out at all. Now today I went to the store and the sub keeps cutting in and out, in and out. The blue light on the amp stays lit at all times and it does not go into protect mode. Right now I am going to bring the sub in the house and put all new wires from the sub to the terminal, and then from the terminal to the amp. If it still cuts out after I do this, could you tell me what other problems it could be? could it be the speaker box terminal? Or do I have more serious problems. Please take into consideration that I have no cool little gadgets like voltage meters and what not. also, when the sub is on, it is definitely fully functioning...it works and sounds completely fine and normal....just thought I would add that tidbit in. |
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Bronze Member Username: VblasiRhode Island Post Number: 35 Registered: Aug-11 | Now I have another question before I forget... the box I have sucks and its old. The spot where the terminal is located is all messed up from screwing and unscrewing over and over. If I were to get a box, does it have to be the EXACT recommended dimensions that the manual says? Or can it be pretty close?? |
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Silver Member Username: Joe1234Post Number: 358 Registered: May-09 | Your plan seems right, try to make better connections from the amp to the speaker, if that does not do it, the next thing I would do is remove the enclosure terminal and from there run a wire from the speaker to the amp directly, since the sub has spring loaded terminals no special connectors are needed. Once its clear that the problem is not there then a number of things that have to be checked. Hopefully its only the speaker cable. Regarding the enclosure, I would prefer to go by the specs if I had to buy something that I am going to keep but if you still want to get something generic it would be better to get a sealed enclosure, 1.25 to1.4 cubic feet (internal airspace) should work, ported is louder but the port must be aligned correctly or the speaker could get damaged, so ported should be according to spec from JL or other custom design. Anyways I would look to take care of the breakups first since a new blown amp is definitely bad. |
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Bronze Member Username: VblasiRhode Island Post Number: 36 Registered: Aug-11 | ok I just completely rewired the sub..inlcuding wires from sub to box and box to amp. It worked great for about 20-25 minutes, then it started cutting in and out again. Again, the amp stays on w/ a blue light at all times...the gain is set to half, the frequency is on about 80 hz, and the bass boost is set to a little less than half way up. Everything on the deck is set to 0, except the treble. I have the little connectors covered in plactic connecting the speaker wire to the inside of the terminal on the box...but I dont have crimpers so we just used needle nose pliers to try to squish them...could this be why it keeps cutting in and out? We also just tried using electrical tape over the wire directly attached to the connection...but it seemed to cut in and out then also. oh and about 2 days ago we ran a speaker wire from the sub directly to the amp, bypassing the speaker box terminal and it worked fine....We only kept it hooked up like that for a few moments...since we had the sub out of the box and everything. What else should I check? I really dont want to ruin anything and I am trying to be extra careful.. I am also kind of aggravated right now that it wont stay working |
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Silver Member Username: Joe1234Post Number: 359 Registered: May-09 | For now I would only run a good wire from the amp straight to the sub bypassing the box terminals and use it like that. |
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Bronze Member Username: VblasiRhode Island Post Number: 37 Registered: Aug-11 | OK..but should I drill a small hole in the box to fit the wire through so it can go to the amp? Because I cant leave the terminal off the box and play the sub like that..it sounds absolutely horrible with the terminal not screwed on... Then if it still cuts in and out when I drive then I will know I have problems elsewhere... and also I wanted to say that when I rewired my car..I never redid the remote or the rca's...so if this doesnt work should I suspect one of those to be a potential problem?? |
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Silver Member Username: Joe1234Post Number: 360 Registered: May-09 | Well, I would not suggest anyone to drill their box just to get a test done (although you can do it if you want), you could stuff something in the hole or try to screw the terminal over the wire to reduce the air flow. There are a lot of things to look at for trouble but first is important to be clear that you don't have a problem with that cable. |
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Bronze Member Username: VblasiRhode Island Post Number: 38 Registered: Aug-11 | ok I actually just screwed the terminal over the wire...I only used 3 screws instead of 4, just so it doesnt squish the wire too much. I am going to go for a ride right now and see if the sub stays on. Wish me luck |
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Gold Member Username: KaerfplSpencerport, NY USA Post Number: 1351 Registered: Jun-06 | Can't say i've read too much of this thread since the last time I posted, so someone correct me if I say something that isn't right or has already been mentioned.. However, from what I did read, I had a similar problem myself a few years back. Turns out that the screw terminal that came with the prefab enclosure I purchased off eBay was actually becoming loose and "unscrewing" itself little by little with each hitting note until the speaker wire eventually would fall out. Im not sure if that situation may apply for you or not, but if it does, I would suggest switching to a spring loaded terminals like the ones in the link below: http://www.chokes.com/rgt4050.htm Also, simply crimping speaker wire onto a speaker terminal is only a band-aid. Eventually, it will come undone and loosen. What you want to do is either solder the speaker wire to the terminal or, purchase some Female Quick Disconnect Connectors to assure that the wire will not loosen over time. Furthermore, I know you stated that the Blue Light stays lit on the Amplifier at all times when in use, but make sure to check all of the cables on the Amplifier; even the RCA Cable on the Head Units end as well to assure that nothing is loose. |
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Bronze Member Username: VblasiRhode Island Post Number: 39 Registered: Aug-11 | ok..so last night after we ran a wire straight from the sub to the amp, I almost had a nervous breakdown, because the sub would not come on at all. We disconnected it completely and just gave up...it was getting dark. so this morning my boyfriend redid everything and just ran it again through the terminal on the box...and it is on for now...I told him not to turn it up to loud because I am afraid to really push it at this point..I dont want anything to happen to the amplifier. what the hell is going on????? ahhhhhhhhhhhh i could scream. I am really about to go get a multi meter on wednesday when my boyfriend gets paid to simplify my life...but I have no idea of how to use it. Would a multi meter be able to tell me if it is the RCA's before I go undoing everything? The rca's are old....from my previous set up. When we initially set up the new stuff, I removed the head unit and checked the rca's. They were so tight on the back of the head unit, that I did not bother to take them off and put them back on in fear that I would break the assembly. I would say they are atleast 2 years old. Could this problem possibly be a faulty subwoofer? or is that absolutely not the issue? and again, would a multi meter be able to determine that? also, I thought I might add in that about 1 month ago, we had a disaster in my car, and a bottle of sprite that was in the backseat opened up and projectiley sprayed the windshield and the head unit. We immediately dried off everything and I checked the deck...it was sticky so I dampened a cloth and wiped it off. It seemed to be fine after that..but every once in a while the screen on the head unit goes blank, but everything stays on. It only does this for a few moments. Also, sometimes if you turn up the volume with the remote, the head unit does not show that you are putting the volume up like it usually should...sort of like the screen is frozen. hahaha I have soooo many issues and I dont even know where to begin. |
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Silver Member Username: Joe1234Post Number: 363 Registered: May-09 | Yes, I understand you, sometimes it can get like that but in my view the important thing is to look one thing at a time and stay focused. I don't understand how running the amp with a direct cable could prevent it from working, I would redo that direct connection just to make sure that the problem is not there. There are no safe assumptions, the sub, the head unit, power or signal cables, the amp, your electrical system all could be the problem so better start having a good speaker cable to start somewhere. Have it looked at would save you a lot of work and needing to learn a lot of stuff that otherwise you may not be interested in so that's one option I would seriously consider. A multimeter can help you to "see" the electricity it can help definitely but its is not a magic wand either, happily those are $10-15 so its not like its going to hurt much, the problem is that you may need other things for testing so keep your options open and consider having someone fix it for you. |
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Bronze Member Username: VblasiRhode Island Post Number: 40 Registered: Aug-11 | ok just want to let you know that after I wrote my last passage, I went to pick up my boyfriend and the system was on and worked fine. It did not cut out once.. I am still nervous about turning it up as much as usual..dont want to do any damage. However, I am still extremely skeptical of the situation. But about the multimeter, how does it work? (i know nothing about this...just trying to understand so bear with me for a sec..) Say the RCA's are about to crap the bed or are in the process, causing the sub to cut in and out..if they are giving out below par signals/voltage will the multimeter will show that? If I am wayyyyy off just let me know. And yes, if this keeps occurring and I cant determine what is wrong than I will have to take it to someone.. The only thing about that is I do not know anyone who knows everything about this..I used to but not anymore. I know best buy installs amps and everything but I am not sure I would bring my car there after some of the reviews I have read. There are small car audio stores around my area....one being sound fx..but there stuff is insanely expensive so I am sure that their help would not run cheap. |
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Silver Member Username: Joe1234Post Number: 365 Registered: May-09 | Well, a very basic Multimeter will read volts, amperes and ohms but then what are those? If you really, really, really want to know take a look at this: http://www.google.com/url?sa=t&source=web&cd=1&sqi=2&ved=0CBcQFjAA&url=http%3A%2 F%2Falphacars.com%2FDocuments%2FTech%2520Basic%2520Electricity.pdf&rct=j&q=basic %20electricity%20pdf&ei=HCBlTpy6L4qEsAL8mYWJCg&usg=AFQjCNFzkpjqzZdg3z1CCaFBbOmsp cLqcg&cad=rja You don't need to read anything beyond page 17, also some black tea will come handy!! |
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Silver Member Username: Joe1234Post Number: 371 Registered: May-09 | I see I missed some of your questions last time, to check a signal on the RCAs using a multimeter is not the preferred method, furthermore, intermittent failures are really harder to track down than something that has broken down for good. If you were to keep that terminal block on your sub box I would get a $5 soldering iron (along with some solder) to have those connections done properly since they are obviously loose, Id say that there is a 70% chance that the issue is there. And finally, yes, it takes a lot of effort to find competent fair priced shops, but still, if that problem is not easy to find then a fair amount of effort will have to be put in. |
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Bronze Member Username: VblasiRhode Island Post Number: 41 Registered: Aug-11 | Thanks for both of your responses. I start school tomorrow morning and cannot possibly read all that info, although, I would really like to so I understand better. I will probably be able to sit down and read it this weekend...and you are right...some black tea will come in handy!! Not only for that, but for all my school stuff I have to read too. So do you think I should forget about the multimeter and just get a brand new box from the sonic electronics site? Since yesterday morning, the sub has been on and has not cut out at all. The only reason I am thinking to just get a new box instead of just getting a new terminal is because as I mentioned before, we have really messed it up in the area where you screw on the terminal...from taking it off and putting it on too much. Unless I get a terminal that requires a bigger hole...then I would have to cut out the part that is stripped and start fresh. Whichever option I choose, I will definitely take your advise on the soldering iron and just solder that foolish wire directly onto the terminal. |
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Silver Member Username: Joe1234Post Number: 373 Registered: May-09 | Ok, I would use the current box with soldered terminals if it all goes well then you are done. If the problem persists a few other simple things can be checked, if that also fails then a multimeter could help at that point. You can buy a box if you want but that will not fix the issue, most likely you will need to do a soldering job to it as well. If you want one buy a sealed one 1.2-1.4 cubic feet (internal airspace) watching that it fits in your car! |
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