osamio

Really high SPL ports are usually aero, with flares, or with flared attachments (dave the box guy for instance) Slot ports are used alot in walls and pre fab boxes.

Well, i know that, the thing is, i'm in a position to buy either the second sub i'm looking at, or a deep cycle batt, and hold off on the second sub, leaving a nice empty hole in my trunk OR i can get the sub now, battery second... which would be more worth it in your opinion?

Ok, I have a 1700 watt amp, (yes, CEA compliant, 1700RMS) running off a stock alt right now, at about half or 2/3 power. Head lights dim a bit etc.. But i just got new subs, so i'm going to be able to crank it now... Just wondering, with full 0AWG big three, and a new, non-deep cycle, oem type battery, Am i going to see major issues? By major i mean like, 11 volts and below... NOT headlights dimming, and not low voltage. I'm not doing an SPL build, i'm not worried about dipping below 14 volts or anything. But, my main thing is, will this system be USABLE, because right now, i can't afford a deep cycle batt, or 2 like i've been recommended... I'm moving soon, need first/last rent etc... Trying to see if this system will work, not at its peak potential.. but will it work? for now? this is kind of an open ended question but i just need some opinions. **EDIT Just to be clear, it's 1700 watts on my low end, on top of my HU and mids/highs, along with some low-current LED light bars...

The sony HU you have now is an aftermarket one? Like, not factory installed? then Yes, you should be able to take the color coded wires from the back of the new HU, and connect them directly to the same-color wires on the wire harness the current HU is using. Simple enough, but make sure you solder your connections, and tape or heat shrink them well. Don't use Wire nuts, or just wrap the wires together and tape, both of those will fail eventually from bass/road vibration. As long as you have a wire harness made for your car, and already have a dash-install kit for your car, it should be fairly simple. any other way than to soler them? cuz first of all ive never soldered anything in my life! secound i dont have the equipment or w/e u need to solder haha ive had my wires taped on my hu for about 4 years now and no probs, say one pops up in a year, i'd rather just re tape them every 5 years then solder them once, plus it'll be easier to take out I can't do an install for a customer then have them come back every year with wires coming undone And if you use a wiring harness, you would remove the whole harness to return the car to stock, no need for any tough removal? and even if u put it in a different car with a different harness, you just snip out the solder joints and redo the process to the new harness.

The sony HU you have now is an aftermarket one? Like, not factory installed? then Yes, you should be able to take the color coded wires from the back of the new HU, and connect them directly to the same-color wires on the wire harness the current HU is using. Simple enough, but make sure you solder your connections, and tape or heat shrink them well. Don't use Wire nuts, or just wrap the wires together and tape, both of those will fail eventually from bass/road vibration. As long as you have a wire harness made for your car, and already have a dash-install kit for your car, it should be fairly simple. any other way than to soler them? cuz first of all ive never soldered anything in my life! secound i dont have the equipment or w/e u need to solder haha Butt connectors will work, just use tape as well. Another option is a military splice, google it AND heat shrink or tape. Even when i use butt connectors i wrap with tape. If you use butt connectors, make sure you crimp them properly. And if you want to use MECP best practice, also put a zip tie around any tape joints to keep it from unraveling. On a side note, Soldering is REALLY easy, there are a million tutorials on the internet, and All you need is a soldering iron, solder, Flux (sorta), and heat shrink or electrical tape. A complete kit for soldering with everything included is like 8.99 at radio shack. Seriously, it's the right way to do it, and it's super easy.

Yep

It would stricly be for And amp and sub! i have everything else! You have full electrical upgrades? like, Big 3, extra battery, and high output alternator? All of that would fit into your budget, and still leave room for a REALLY good low-end set up, Are you interested in REALLY slamming? or are you more leaning to high sound quality? Either way, make sure you get the electrical out of the way.. i got the OP the hookup ?? wwwwwhat? lol

Everyone has it right, and as for sealant, you can just use caulking/silicon. Anything designed for wood, and pressure rated. Also, painting the inside of the box with polyurethane, wood sealant, or even latex paint is a good idea, it will seal any leaking pores in the MDF...This usually only matters for high spl situations, or larger subs etc... but i just do it as good practice. It can't hurt.

Start by looking at component systems on sonicelectronix, then just read reviews on the site. Find a set you think looks good, and then post it up here, see what all the experts on here think. <--Not sarcasm, everyone on here really knows what they're talking about.

The sony HU you have now is an aftermarket one? Like, not factory installed? then Yes, you should be able to take the color coded wires from the back of the new HU, and connect them directly to the same-color wires on the wire harness the current HU is using. Simple enough, but make sure you solder your connections, and tape or heat shrink them well. Don't use Wire nuts, or just wrap the wires together and tape, both of those will fail eventually from bass/road vibration. As long as you have a wire harness made for your car, and already have a dash-install kit for your car, it should be fairly simple.

It would stricly be for And amp and sub! i have everything else! You have full electrical upgrades? like, Big 3, extra battery, and high output alternator? All of that would fit into your budget, and still leave room for a REALLY good low-end set up, Are you interested in REALLY slamming? or are you more leaning to high sound quality? Either way, make sure you get the electrical out of the way..

x2 The GED study guides are pretty cheap if you buy it off amazon or something. The community college where i took my GED recommended this one: http://www.amazon.com/Cracking-2011-College-Test-Preparation/dp/0375429948/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1295383905&sr=8-1 (the GED is the same no matter what state you take it in, it's a national test) Also, i agree, it was really easy. My lowest score was in the writing part, but i still passed just fine, I was 17 when i took it. Didn't even finish my junior year and it was still easy. My score, along with my ACT results, where enough to get into all of the in-state universities here.

Idk why no one will give u a serious answer, lol. BUT one of the most common trunk rattles, besides the license plate, is the ENTIRE trunk lid, rattling within the latch, or against the body of the car. Look around for that guy who gave a tutorial for using weather stripping to fix this problem, I'd find u a link but i'm lazy and you have google for that.

Theres quite a few hand-held options for SPL meters, mostly you're going to want minimum and maximum hold as a feature, and on higher end models,the frequency at which this SPL was achieved (eliminating the need to play individual tones, and allowing you to use a sweep). These will stay at the peak SPL (dB's) reached, or show the lowest SPL during the time you take a reading. If price is not an object, some of these systems work extremely well, in the $200-300 range. Other lower end models will do basic min/max readings, but usually not with %100 accuracy, and usually within a limited range, usually not into the really high (140+) SPL levels. Another draw back is the systems usually have built in mics, which are often not going to work as well or give an accurate reading like a windshield mounted system like Termlab will. If you are not trying to compete, and just need a some what accurate measurement, low end models like this: http://www.amazon.com/Scosche-SPL1000F-135DB-Max-Meter/dp/B001CMKFH8 or http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B000EWY67W/ref=pd_lpo_k2_dp_sr_2?pf_rd_p=486539851&pf_rd_s=lpo-top-stripe-1&pf_rd_t=201&pf_rd_i=B001CMKFH8&pf_rd_m=ATVPDKIKX0DER&pf_rd_r=0T4ARZ6CQ24FR1TFWAB6 Are worth a look. As for higher end models, looking at 130db+ it's almost cost effective to buy a termlab system. For all your options, just do a quick search for 'SPL meter' on amazon/google shopping etc...

Ya that should be fine, Set the gain to match your HU output, (2v) and you should be fine.

But seriously... maybe he should meter it real time, see what it is putting out, and adjust real time... AND in addition i'd be surprised if those subs can handle 1200.... REALLY surprised...

Well, i'd be careful, your subs are rated at 1200 Watts RMS, depending on how u wire it, your amp can put out 4000 Watts, that's 2000 to each sub... IF it puts out that much in a real world scenario, for an extended period of time, it will blow your subwoofers. it will over heat the voice coil, and cause the sub to freeze up. Or cause the cone to over extend and bottom out, which can tear the surround. I'd follow the guide in that other post to set your gain so the amp doesn't put out anymore than 2400 watts.

The input gain should be set to match the output of your head unit (the RCA cable voltage) if you have an aftermarket head unit, it should be 2-4 volts. Consult the manual, then match the gain on the amp accordingly. The Subsonic filter should be set to match the tune of your box...In a ported enclosure, if the sub plays a frequency LOWER than the tune of the box, it loses it's air cushion, and turns into a free-air enviroment. It will cause the sub to over extend and bottom out, and eventually blow the woofer. The subsonic filter is designed to cut off any frequency BELOW where it is set, so set it as closely as u can, if not just above, the tune of your box. **EDIT If your amp is capable of exceeding the rating of your subs, you may need to adjust the gain accordingly, in order to prevent blowing your subwoofers when the volume is up to your maximum listening level, if you need more information on that, then i'd need to know what amp and subs you have.

x2 and ESPECIALLY don't use bass boost.

Best Buy and Ultimate Electronics will have many options, the best usually include plugs that replace the CD player, Satellite radio connection, even ones that go in between the head unit the AM/FM antenna adapter. Easiest option is to take it to a car audio shop and see what options they have in stock and what they recommend for your vehicle.

Can you explain where you got the LPF number from? just wondering how it's calculated The low pass filter allows frequencies LOWer than the setting (hence low-pass) to get through, while blocking everything above that frequency. Where you set it is mostly personal preference, in a complex install you would tune it to achieve flat frequency response, so the high end cuts off right about where your mids or mid-bass take over. As a basic way to set it, keep it right in the range he suggested. If you have mid-bass or large range mids, then go to about 60hz. As for the sub sonic filter, the basics are that when using a ported enclosure, if your subs play a frequency that is below the box's tune, the box no longer cushions the sub, and it turns into a free-air situation, which will cause the sub to over extend and bottom out. Ideally, set your subsonic filter right at the tune of your box, if your eyeballing it, go just above the tune to be safe, so if you have a 32hz box, set the subsonic at 32hz or just above it. As for the low output, first off, did you compensate for material thickness when making your measurements and cuts? if you used 3/4 inch MDF, but didn't compensate for that thickness when making the measurements, your box could be 1.5 inches too small in every dimension. Also, check to see if it's a phasing issue by disconnecting one sub woofer and see if the out put improves. I believe someone said that already... If it does, check your wiring. Also make sure your gain is set correctly, i'm sure you've done that already though. **Edit did you seal the box with silicone? even if you wood glued the joints, it's always good to go over it again with silicone or a similar sealant, and painting the box with a poly urethane sealant, or latex paint can help seal the MDF itself to prevent microscopic leaks through pores in the material. That usually only matters at higher SPL...

It's cause you switched from pioneer to alpine....jk, but ya, it's probably the pre amp voltage.

Depending on the subs you buy, look in the installation manual. It will give a simple ported or sealed box design, usually with a round port, simple enough to make, and it's the ideal tune/volume for the sub, as recommended by the manufacturer. Another option is a pre fabricated box, which everyone on here will bitch about, so don't go with a best buy one for instance, but check around on the internet, there are a lot of boxes available, just make sure you choose a decent one, like one recommended by the sub manufacturer. Everyone is so against pre fab boxes but the truth is if your completely new to this, you'll probably be better off with a professionally made box.

If your already considering it, I'd go with the Soundstream. They almost seem UNDER rated. They can handle power extremely well, they stay stiff but with pretty decent excursion, and in the right box they have huge spl.

Optima Yellow Tops work well, although it's always better to go with the best, and you'll pay for it too, but if your not on a budget, definetly go with XS power, get the largest you can afford (leave room for later upgrades) and put it in the trunk, then run it in parallel to your starter batter, with AT LEAST 4 gauge wire, definitely try for 0 gauge. The other option is replacing your starter battery with a compatible sized battery from xs or optima, IF u can find one that will fit AND meet your power requirements. And DEFINETLY DO THE BIG 3. If you don't know what that is, everyone will be happy to explain. As for an amp, Soundstream has the DTR series, they're affordable and they're durable. No matter what amp you choose, keep in mind that manufactures will over rate there amps, so unless someone on here tells you an amp is ok, ALWAYS check to see if it is CEA compliant. it will be on the amps data sheet or on the manufacturer's website.