AstoSoup Posted October 17, 2014 Report Share Posted October 17, 2014 I have a PowerBass 3XL 15 in a 4.4 cube box tuned at 31Hz, sub up, port back. Up until today, I had two, 4" aero ports and while the higher bass sounded good, my lows were suffering horribly. When I used the calculator and entered my driver size, Xmax and tuning frequency, it recommended 7.45" minimum diameter and 43.56" of port area. The two 4's were only like 25" of port area, so I decided to go with one, 8" port at the same 31Hz, giving me 50" of port area, all much closer to what's recommended. The high bass basically sounds the same, maybe a tiny bit of output loss.... The low bass however, seems to move more air than sound! I can put my ear to the port playing a 30Hz frequency and it sounds like nothing but air to me.... I put my head to the window and my hair is blowing in the breeze, yet I don't hear much in the way of low frequency SOUND. Hard to explain any other way, so I hope everyone gets what I am saying lol. What could be wrong here? Port is about 6" from the hatch. Inner metal, outer metal and plastic paneling is all deadened with 50 mil. GT Mat, yet I still get rattles from all the air movement. The only other thing I changed besides the port size, is I inverted the sub for more air space. I would think this would yield more output, not less? Any input is appreciated, as I just tore apart a really nice looking box, for no output gain what so ever Head Unit - Clarion VX709 7" DVD Touchscreen Mid/Highs - Front Doors - RF Prime 6.5" component mids. A. Pillars - RF Punch component tweets. B. Pillars - RF Prime component tweets. Rear Doors - RF Punch 5.25" mids. RF Punch 3-way passive X-overs. Mid/Highs Amp - MB Quart Onyx 360.4, 4 channel, 640W RMS. Subs - (2) PowerBass 3XL 15, 1000w RMS, 3" flat wound coil, 562oz motor, 10" spider. Sub Amp - Audiopipe GD6001 @.5ohm, clamped 2825RMS. Box - 9.6 cu^3 net @35Hz, three 6" aero's. Charging - Energizer 120Ah AGM under the hood, MaxLife 75Ah in the rear. Big 3, 140A aftermarket alt. (off brand) Wires - Two JL Audio 2/0ga OFC. runs to rear, 4ga. power/2ga. ground to component amp (OFC), 1/0ga. OFC Knu Konceptz Kolossus Kandy everywhere else. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
_paralyzed_ Posted October 17, 2014 Report Share Posted October 17, 2014 You're not going to hear a whole lot of difference on the ear-o-meter optimizing a single fifteen's enclosure. You were already pretty close to the optimum box. Get more speakers and more power if you want more volume. You do know that sound is just moving air, and that speakers are just fancy air movers, right? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AstoSoup Posted October 17, 2014 Author Report Share Posted October 17, 2014 You're not going to hear a whole lot of difference on the ear-o-meter optimizing a single fifteen's enclosure. You were already pretty close to the optimum box. Get more speakers and more power if you want more volume. You do know that sound is just moving air, and that speakers are just fancy air movers, right? I do, that's why I am so confused as to why all I can hear is air without the sound, lol. Before, with the two 4" ports, if I put my ear up to one of the ports it would KILL my ear. Now, all I hear is air.... I know, the air loading off the rear hatch is what resonates and gives me the sound but I just do not see how changing the port to almost perfect specs for the sub, could actually LOWER output? What really gets me, is the box looked so nice before I did this.... I was willing to sacrifice appearance for more sound but it's irritating that I got NO gain :/ Also, my wipers used to bounce some and my shifter would shake, they really do not now. If I had a meter, I would bet I lost a Db or two.... Head Unit - Clarion VX709 7" DVD Touchscreen Mid/Highs - Front Doors - RF Prime 6.5" component mids. A. Pillars - RF Punch component tweets. B. Pillars - RF Prime component tweets. Rear Doors - RF Punch 5.25" mids. RF Punch 3-way passive X-overs. Mid/Highs Amp - MB Quart Onyx 360.4, 4 channel, 640W RMS. Subs - (2) PowerBass 3XL 15, 1000w RMS, 3" flat wound coil, 562oz motor, 10" spider. Sub Amp - Audiopipe GD6001 @.5ohm, clamped 2825RMS. Box - 9.6 cu^3 net @35Hz, three 6" aero's. Charging - Energizer 120Ah AGM under the hood, MaxLife 75Ah in the rear. Big 3, 140A aftermarket alt. (off brand) Wires - Two JL Audio 2/0ga OFC. runs to rear, 4ga. power/2ga. ground to component amp (OFC), 1/0ga. OFC Knu Konceptz Kolossus Kandy everywhere else. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
_paralyzed_ Posted October 17, 2014 Report Share Posted October 17, 2014 Do you have an infrasonic filter set? Does your woofer seem to be moving a lot more? You may be unloading below your tuning frequency, and then the woofer is basically just flopping in the wind. Which is bad and will probably eventually damage your sub. Infrasonic (often labeled subsonic) filters prevent unloading below the tuning frequency. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AstoSoup Posted October 17, 2014 Author Report Share Posted October 17, 2014 Do you have an infrasonic filter set? Does your woofer seem to be moving a lot more? You may be unloading below your tuning frequency, and then the woofer is basically just flopping in the wind. Which is bad and will probably eventually damage your sub. Infrasonic (often labeled subsonic) filters prevent unloading below the tuning frequency. It's hard to guess where the filter is set on this amp, only showing the lowest and highest number on the dial. If my guess work is right, which it may not be, lol... the filter is at around 27Hz. The lowest song I played was Young Jeezy - White girls, which I believe peaks at around 30-31Hz, pretty much at my tuning frequency. I'm thinking maybe despite what the vent diameter calculator says, 8" may just be too big of a port for this one sub. I only changed from the dual 4's because the output peaked at around 40Hz and had a pretty steep roll off as the frequency dropped, despite the tuning being 31Hz (30.7 to be exact). My thoughts, as well as a few of my friends were that the ports were too small, not allowing enough air movement for lower frequencies. I am guessing an 8" was possibly too much? Maybe a 6" instead? Head Unit - Clarion VX709 7" DVD Touchscreen Mid/Highs - Front Doors - RF Prime 6.5" component mids. A. Pillars - RF Punch component tweets. B. Pillars - RF Prime component tweets. Rear Doors - RF Punch 5.25" mids. RF Punch 3-way passive X-overs. Mid/Highs Amp - MB Quart Onyx 360.4, 4 channel, 640W RMS. Subs - (2) PowerBass 3XL 15, 1000w RMS, 3" flat wound coil, 562oz motor, 10" spider. Sub Amp - Audiopipe GD6001 @.5ohm, clamped 2825RMS. Box - 9.6 cu^3 net @35Hz, three 6" aero's. Charging - Energizer 120Ah AGM under the hood, MaxLife 75Ah in the rear. Big 3, 140A aftermarket alt. (off brand) Wires - Two JL Audio 2/0ga OFC. runs to rear, 4ga. power/2ga. ground to component amp (OFC), 1/0ga. OFC Knu Konceptz Kolossus Kandy everywhere else. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AstoSoup Posted October 17, 2014 Author Report Share Posted October 17, 2014 Calculator I used.... Xmax is 13.5mm, feel free to double check and analyze my results everyone, I very well could have went too large. http://www.carstereo.com/help/Articles.cfm?id=31 Head Unit - Clarion VX709 7" DVD Touchscreen Mid/Highs - Front Doors - RF Prime 6.5" component mids. A. Pillars - RF Punch component tweets. B. Pillars - RF Prime component tweets. Rear Doors - RF Punch 5.25" mids. RF Punch 3-way passive X-overs. Mid/Highs Amp - MB Quart Onyx 360.4, 4 channel, 640W RMS. Subs - (2) PowerBass 3XL 15, 1000w RMS, 3" flat wound coil, 562oz motor, 10" spider. Sub Amp - Audiopipe GD6001 @.5ohm, clamped 2825RMS. Box - 9.6 cu^3 net @35Hz, three 6" aero's. Charging - Energizer 120Ah AGM under the hood, MaxLife 75Ah in the rear. Big 3, 140A aftermarket alt. (off brand) Wires - Two JL Audio 2/0ga OFC. runs to rear, 4ga. power/2ga. ground to component amp (OFC), 1/0ga. OFC Knu Konceptz Kolossus Kandy everywhere else. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
_paralyzed_ Posted October 17, 2014 Report Share Posted October 17, 2014 Your not going to get any noticeable gains by ear-o-meter doing what your doing. I mean, optimizing the box on a single 15" is going to add maybe one tenth of a db. If you want noticeably louder bass you need to add more power and more speakers.It seems like your hoping to find some magical combo that will suddenly make your speaker come alive and just fucking blow the doors off. That magical combo does not exist.Professionals with walls of 18"s and tens of thousands of watts of power go up a tenth of a decibel at a time tweaking their ports. FOR THE THIRD TIME- you need more power and more speakers to get noticeably louder bass. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
gally Posted October 17, 2014 Report Share Posted October 17, 2014 tune higher if you want sound(35 or so)... single subs with higer xmax could be heard...but as stated before you need more subs to get the sound of it 2010 Chevrolet Cruze Radio --- pioneer mvh-200vbt Front/back --- alpine type s 6.5" Sub Control --- Pac LC1 Sub Amp --- GZPA 1.4K Sub --- GZNW 15XSPL D1 Battery - GZBP 12.2500X Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Soccerballzs Posted October 17, 2014 Report Share Posted October 17, 2014 You need more amp power I run a Single 12 on 3500. http://www.stevemeadedesigns.com/board/garage/vehicle/2438-jeep-commander/I Pioneer P99RSAmpere 38002-Ampere 125/44-6.5 inch Hertz HSK XL Mids4-8 inch JL Audio ZR Midwoofer 2-5.25 Satori Mids2-Morel Tweeters, 2 Hertz Milles 3 inch on A pillars2-Hertz Silk tweeters DC Audio Level 5/12 Skyhigh Wire Mechman 320 XS Power D3100MO Funniest Thread of the Year 2013: http://www.stevemead...dy-being-a-pos/ Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TRON Posted October 17, 2014 Report Share Posted October 17, 2014 If you want to hit low's like a king, you'll need about 8x more of everything. You won't see huge gain from adjusting you're enclosure. Avalanche Alpine Type S comps Alpine Type S 10'' Alpine MPR-F300 Alpine MRX-M50 Mechamn 270 XS Power d3400s Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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