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Dafaseles

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  1. Skar audio evl 12 2500w

    in General Audio - Can't find a category for your question? Ask here.

    Posted

    That's a lot....

    Well, there could be many different reasons why you're not getting the output you want.

    How many cubic feet of airspace do you have inside the box? 

    What is your box tuned to? If it's tuned too high, or too low, that can hinder output. 

    How did you set your gain on your amp? If the gain isn't set right, you'll never get the output you want. 

    What are your crossover settings on the amp? If your subsonic and low pass filter (LPF) isn't set correctly, you could be cutting off frequencies you need. 

    How many amps is your aftermarket alternator? And what brand is it? 

    I see the cap (which you should ditch to be honest) but what battery are you running? 1 or 2?

    The big 3 is upgrading your positive cable from your alternator to your battery. Then battery negative to the frame or chassis (depending on where your amplifiers are grounded) and then from battery negative to the engine block/ alternator. Not your starter. So you could have bottlenecks in your electrical, causing voltage drops. 

    My buddy has a mega cab, behind the backseat he has a single JL W7 in a 2 cubic foot box (net). There is a lot of space back there, so building a box big enough should be doable. He has his single 12 firing sideways toward the drivers side, along with the port firing the same direction. No, you can't hear him blocks away (which is kind of impossible unless you have way more subs and power) but you can definitely hear him pull up. 

  7. 2015 Cadillac Escalade Sound System Install - 6 12's all 1" Acrylic box, mids/highs started update page 25

    in Just Meade....my projects - Tons of SMD Builds here!

    Posted

    52 minutes ago, meade916 said:

    found my way in. 2 12ga skyhigh caraudio OFC for the 6.5’s and 2 16ga for the 3” mids and 1.5” tweeters. Each pod is made of 3 layers of 3/4” HDPE and bolted to the door. Ill get to hear them soon after i wire up the top layer (speakers already mounted). Getting close! 

    2675A8B3-62CB-4B9B-964F-9119E773CED4.jpeg

    D490DFB5-24B1-4E64-BAB6-EBA3EF0AC5BA.jpeg

    7E3BA56F-2431-4F51-B329-6FAB6EEE5CD7.jpeg

    6AE47605-0BF7-40CE-B2E2-122B0987B2D7.jpeg

    Those 3 ways look so good. 

  11. about to take our T-shirt shirt 👕 (and other garment) 🧢 🧥 capabilities to the next level.

    in Off Topic - Random, Misc posts - the forum "Junk Drawer"

    Posted

    53 minutes ago, meade916 said:

    first ones out of the gate came out pretty good! and we don't even have any real practice time in yet.  So that means we will get better! Looks great to me so far!

     

    (a few small video clips here)

    https://www.instagram.com/p/CXPY436PWlK/

     

     

    E0868614-F0A7-4060-90E4-35C817894215.jpeg

     

     

     

    A721798B-ADE4-44DC-9131-FE552D03294F.jpeg

    I want one of those shirts! (Along with the black license plate shirt on the website.... I'll order one soon, been busy) 

  14. Sub clipping after setting gains - SMD DD1

    in SMD Distortion Detector (DD-1) Topics

    Posted · Edited by Dafaseles

    6 hours ago, Big Tex db said:

    Upon further research, I might had been bottoming out my sub.  Clean signal, just too much movement for the sub.  I'm in a slightly oversized (+ .1-.2cu ft) sealed enclosure compared what is recommended on manufacturers website.

     

    It's a 1000w rms 2ohm DVC sub.  Currently wired parallel to 1ohm.  The amp is stable at 1500w 1ohm, 1000w 2 ohm, and 700w 4ohm.

     

    I'm going to rewire in a series to 4ohm and see how she likes it with only 700w.

     

    It's been running great with the gain set way below it's distortion point. Infact even getting a little warm/smelly a couple of times.  For a single 12 in a sealed box, it's been hitting strong and clean.

     

    I'm itching to try a ported box, but can't justify the cabin space I'd lose in the truck, and possibly lose some quality of sound.

    I don't think you where bottoming out. That sub on a 1500 watt amplifier playing regular music shouldn't be an issue at all. If you want to get technical, after impedance rise, that sub was lucky to see 1000 watts, if it even ever saw that. 

    With the gain way below the distortion point, the sub should never get warm and smelly. That's your coil getting too hot and working towards failure. 

    I don't think your box is too big. On average, seasoned box designers I've spoken to say they have no problem going 20% bigger than the manufacturers specifications. Your box is almost perfectly 20% bigger than the manufacturer recommendation. 

    There's something else going on. Have you checked your amplifiers ground with a multimeter to just double check to make sure it's a good spot? There are tons of videos on YouTube explaining how to do so. 

    How far away from the enclosure is the back of the motor off the sub? If it's too close, the subwoofer won't be able to get air into the voice coil to properly cool it. 

    Hand you checked the impedance of each voice coil separately to make sure they read near 2 ohm each, and read somewhat similar? 

     

     

  16. Sub clipping after setting gains - SMD DD1

    in SMD Distortion Detector (DD-1) Topics

    Posted

    4 hours ago, Big Tex db said:

     

    A combination of remote knob turned down some, but HU turning up would cause it.  Or, HU turned down some and remote knob turning up would cause it.  This was after setting the amp's gain via the distortion light turning on continuously, then backing off until it turned off. 

    I tried tuning the gains with the remote knob at 50% and 75% but the DD1 would not show me a continuous distortion light even when I had the amp gain all the way up to 100%.  Once I realized this, I've always had the remote knob at 100% when tuning the amp's gain.

     

     

     

    It is not just blinking.  I've noticed the distortion light consistently blinking 1 or 2 times before I would find the point the distortion light would turn on continuously.  Just like in many of Meade's instructional videos on YouTube.

     

    Yes my signal light is on. 

     

     

     

    I am considering the big 3 upgrade in the future.  I want to do more research on alternators, batteries, and such before moving on with further audio projects for this truck.  I've just recently started a new career and might purchase another truck within the next year.  Not sure how committed I am to spending more money on the current truck.

     

    The box looked and felt solid during installation of the sub.  All of the corners and bracings appeared to be secure and sealed.  It had decent reviews online, but who knows if they were throwing a 1000sub in their box.  I do plan to build my own box when I have the time and plan to get as close to the 1cu ft recommended by Soundstream.

     

    I've read wishy-washy opinions about adding stuffing to a sealed box.  I currently have nothing added inside of this box.  Any thoughts on this?

    Poly-fil is really only used to "trick" the subwoofer into thinking it's in a bigger enclosure than it is. I don't think you'd need that 

  17. Sub clipping after setting gains - SMD DD1

    in SMD Distortion Detector (DD-1) Topics

    Posted

    10 hours ago, Big Tex db said:

     

    + 2012 F150 quad cab.

    + Grounded to the floor in the rear of the cab - I might try sanding the paint/metal more next time I am able to work on it.  AFAIK, the area I have the ground connected to is steel and not aluminum.  I still have some cables to hide under the carpet to complete the install.  I also need to figure the final position of the sub in the rear of the cab.

    + OFC wire.  I purchased a Skar 1/0 kit

    + Have not done the big 3.  At the moment I don't plan on throw more amps/subs into the equation.  I do not run the sub at full blast for long periods of time, and do not always listen to bass heavy music that draws a lot of power from the battery.  Currently, I've only found 1 song I've listened to that dims the headlights slightly on the drawn out low tones.

    + When leaving my amp's gain just below the distortion point indicated by the DD1, it was clipping immediately after starting the vehicle.  The time the engine has been on, driving/parked, etc. didn't change anything in the quality or performance of the amp or sub.

    + It's a prebuilt sealed box with 1.26cf volume.  This sub is recommended around 1cf for a sealed enclosure.

     

     

     

    I've considered this as well.  Even though the amp's gain is turned way below where the DD1 said distortion starts, it is putting out quite a loud and clean signal to the sub.  The sub and amp have not become even warm to the touch or shown any signs of becoming overheated.

    The reason I asked about the big 3, and if the problem happens after listening for a while is voltage drop. The fact that you say it happens immediately leads me to believe it's not the case. 

    It's a good thing you grounded to s nice, steel piece, but it's more about the path of getting that spent energy back to the alternator. You want to get rid of bottlenecks. That's why the big 3 is such a big deal. Especially the grounds. At the very least, I would add a nice thick wire from the battery negative to the chassis, and another from the negative to the engine block. This probably won't fix your problem, but it's just s good idea. 

    So, there's a couple other reasons you might be hearing a sound that sounds like the subwoofer is distorting or bottoming out. I don't think you're overdriving the sub and I don't think that enclosure is too big to the point the subwoofer suspension is losing control of the cone. So I don't think it's bottoming out.

    There's a thing called lead slap or tinsel slap. It happens when the leads that connect to your speaker terminals on the subwoofer actually hit the cone when in motion. It's usually a factory defect. I've heard of people using those little felt sticky circles people use on the bottoms of their kitchen chairs to fix this problem. 

    Another is the enclosure itself is bad. Maybe a loose corner or edge that has a leak, and/ or is vibrating against another part of the box, making a terrible sound. Unfortunately, it's a hard thing to pinpoint. 

     

  18. Sub clipping after setting gains - SMD DD1

    in SMD Distortion Detector (DD-1) Topics

    Posted

    7 hours ago, Big Tex db said:

    Appreciate the help so far y'all.  I'm not sure I found the "perfect" solution yet, but I'm happy where I have things set for now.

     

    I am not able to leave the amp's gain where the SMD DD1 says the amp is not distorting, but it's more than loud/clean enough for now AND I am very happy with the product.  I do not believe the DD1 is the issue in my situation and look forward to using it again on future projects.  The DD1 was putting my amp around the 60-70% range of my amp's gain dial, while 30-40% seems to be the highest it can be set to run cleanly as my set up sits right now.

     

    I found a setting in Spotify that "normalizes" all tracks.  I turned this off.  Doing this caused Rockford Fosgate's 40hz 0db tone to really wake up the door speakers as I set the amp's gain.  Significantly louder than before I turned off the normalize, I think.  This may had been a big issue. 

     

    I also used this 40hz 0db track to set gain on the amp, which I ended up turning down quite a bit below what the DD1 said was the distortion point.  Maybe my vehicle is underpowering my amp when the gain is turned up higher.  

     

    I'm keeping my phone 1 click below max volume .. can't confirm this changed anything, but things are good where they're at for now.  I can run my HU at max volume without any distortion when using my phone, I'm okay with this as it's pretty loud at max HU volume.  I might slowly bump the amp's gain up so I can use the knob to boost the bass on quieter tracks -  Paradise by Coldplay comes to mind.

     

    Now at full HU volume and amp knob turned to max, the sub is very loud (this may be relative around this forum, but it shakes the truck, mirrors, and my vision a little bit) while staying crisp and clear - cleeeaan strong bass - just about what I was expecting from a single 12", 1500w amp, and sealed box.
     

    I believe I'm getting a fairly good and clean power/ground connection thru the set up.  I need to check my volts at the battery and at the amp to confirm.  I was playing the song Release by Slight (found on spotify) and it was drawing enough power to dim the head lights during the lowest long notes.

     

    Appreciate the input so far, I'll be back to check for anymore replies.

    That's good that it sounds good to you. That's always the number one thing, but you should be able to run your gain at where the DD-1 tells you with no issue. 

    Some things come to mind.

    What kind of vehicle is this in? 

    How do you have the amplifier grounded? 

    Are you using OFC wire? Or CCA?

    Have you done the big 3 upgrade? 

    Can you play full tilt when you first start the vehicle, but then start clipping later in the drive?

    Is this a prefab box? Did you build it? Did a shop build it? 

     

  19. 2015 Cadillac Escalade Sound System Install - 6 12's all 1" Acrylic box, mids/highs started update page 25

    in Just Meade....my projects - Tons of SMD Builds here!

    Posted

    So.... are those speakers going to be sticking that far out where the cardboard is? 🤣 just kidding. 

    Dude, they already look good! I wish I had somewhat of a decent vision for my doors like you do. I like how they tuck a little behind the template (I know, that's subject to change. I think it looks cool though... but then again, who am I 🤣) keep up the good work! 

    • Like (+1 Rep) 1

  21. Sub clipping after setting gains - SMD DD1

    in SMD Distortion Detector (DD-1) Topics

    Posted

    2 hours ago, Big Tex db said:

     

    Will try tuning thru the phone today.

     

    It's a sealed box.  IIRC, Soundstream says 12" sub in a box this size is tuned around 49~ hz.

     

    I do not have an amp for my mids/highs yet.  Front 6x9s have been replaced with a pair of Infinity 2ways.  Rear speakers and tweeters are stock at the moment.

    So, I just actually went through this an hour ago in a coworkers truck. Set up the DD-1 to find the head unit max volume. He listens primarily to pandora and youtube through his phone. I told him to turn his phone all the way up, then down 1 click. We went on YouTube and used a 40 hz -3db track. His pioneer deck went 100% without distortion. I asked him, just for shits and giggles to give it that last click on the phone. He did, BOOM, red light. Went back down a click, no red light. 

    So if I would have just set his amp and head unit up using just the DD-1 CD, it wouldn't have made a difference, because when he started listening to music through his phone, he would have been clipping. 

     

  22. Sub clipping after setting gains - SMD DD1

    in SMD Distortion Detector (DD-1) Topics

    Posted

    1 hour ago, Big Tex db said:

    Alpine 172-BT - using bluetooth connection for music, generally spotify and youtube for music sources, phones always set to max volume, zero bluetooth db boost in headunit settings

    Memphis Audio PRX1500.1 - 1500w @ 1ohm  - 1.27cf sealed enclosure

    Soundstream Reserve 12" 1000w - wired @ 1ohm 

    SMD DD1

     

    HU - Everything is zero, flat, no boosts, no bass engine, except HPF @ 80hz (to reduce the 40hz tone pounding on door speakers when setting gain on sub amp)

    Amp - Gain @ lowest, LPF @ highest, Subsonic Filter @ lowest, 40hz bass boost turned completely down/off

     

    Disconnected sub speaker wires from amp.  Ran track 1 (40hz 0db) to find max volume from HU.  34/35 volume is highest HU volume before distortion.

     

    I first tried using tracks 3 (40hz -5db), 5 (40hz -10db), and 7 (40hz -15db) with my Memphis Audio Gain remote control knob set at half way.  I could not get the distortion light to stay on continuously at any gain level on the amp.

    I then decided to turn the remote gain knob all the way up when setting gain on the amplifier.  Using tracks 3, 5, or 7, I found that I ended up with my amp gain setting around the same point, about 60-70% turned up before the distortion light would come on continuously.  I always backed the amp's gain off 1 or 2 clicks after finding the point it would light up the distortion light.  Confirmed distortion light was off after pulling away the flathead screw driver.

     

    Regardless of which 40hz track (3,5 or 7) I set the amp's gain to, it would immediately start clipping the sub once I started listening to music.  Even at lower volumes on the HU.  I could barely turn the remote gain control knob up 25% (after adjusting amp's gain with the remote knob at 100%) before the sub would start clipping/burping.  Lost by Gorilla Zoe, On My Level by Wiz Khalifa, Rain by Breakage were my immediate go to songs to test the sub - all played from Spotify app.

     

     

     

    I am fairly inexperienced with car audio, though I do my research before I get into new hobbies.  About 8 years ago, I owned 2 used 12" JL Audio W3s in a custom sealed box that I had "tuned" by ear (box was made to fit in a F Body Camero before I threw it in the back of my Volkswagen GTI).  I ran them very hard and never had burping/clipping issues like I'm experiencing now.  They ran great until one of the surrounds deteriorated from old age and being exposed to the Texas heat.  I say that to say this, they may had been in a box that was perfectly built for them, while I am using a cheap prebuilt box for this current Soundstream sub.

     

    I honestly do not know where or why this clipping is happening.  Don't know if I'm setting my gains correctly, not setting my HU correctly, not understanding how my remote gain knob works, if this sub will not work in this enclosure, etc. etc... The sub sounds great, hits fairly good for a single 12" .. I would just like to have a more definitive "max" to set it at without having such a high ceiling on the remote control knob.

     

    Should I try using the DD1 to set the gain using the 0db track?  Should I try setting the gain with my subwoofer level turned up on the HU settings?  Should I replace this remote gain control know with a different one (tbh this knob is very small and hard to adjust anyways)?  Should I look into building or purchasing a custom built box for this sub to help it perform healthly? 

     

    Sorry for the wall of text, just trying to get all the info out there.  Thanks for your time.

    I think the signal from your phone is where you're getting distortion. Try getting a 40 hz -10db tone from Spotify or at least youtube, then set your gains using your phone and Bluetooth. See if that helps

    And set your gains with the bass knob all the way up, or at least close. Turning it up after you set your gains can introduce distortion as well. 

    It shouldn't make a difference while tuning, but LPF should be set around 80 hz while the HPF or subsonic filter should be set a half octave below the tuning of the box. So if the box port is tuned to 32 then that filter  should be set at 24 hz. Unless it's sealed, then go ahead and turn it off/ all the way to the left. 

    Also, are your mids on an amp as well? 

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