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I've recently discovered I'm able to get 16 Volt batteries here in Australia affordably In my new car I'll be getting a Mechman Alternator, how difficult is it to have the set voltage high enough to charge 16 Volt batteries? Is it something I have to pay extra for or can Mechman simply set it that way? To provide electrical to my stock electronics all I need is an XS Power 993 step down module right? What are the advantages/Disadvantages of running a 16 Volt system. The main reason I want to do it is to get more power from my Crescendo BC5500.

This build will be gradual so bear with me The Sub is a DC lvl3 18 with lvl4 upgrade, powered by a BC2000d @ 1 ohm. I have a 300amp Singer that i got from a member here, as well as an optima 34/78. I also have an XS D1200 en-route. I started by building the port. .375 roundover on all port edges. I should have waited to route the front of the port until the box was complete though. i Had to fill in the corners with bondo and go over them with the router a few times to get them perfect. If i would have thought about it before i started, i could have saved myself a lot of time. A also completely forgot to subtract the volume of the port bracing from the total port area... You live and you learn, right? Working on said port bracing. Used the C-clamp to keep the ends of the smaller pieces of mdf bracing from splitting. I like to drill pilot holes on the small side... Working on said port bracing. Used the C-clamp to keep the ends of the smaller pieces of mdf bracing from splitting. I like to drill pilot holes on the small side...

Bought the car in December 2012, super clean with almost zero rust (weird for a Buffalo car). On to pics. Pioneer 80prs XSPower goodness

i decided its about time i post some pics of what im running. gonna be more of a show off til i get my equipment for my doors. anyways here it is: finished enough to run test fit 45s painted port and bracing. thinking of adding some more though turned the port against the glass. helped to get some pressure off the window recent upgrade from 12 gauge to 8 gauge speaker wire. it seems a few dbs louder but no way to measure amps batt and alt stock 90 amp vs. stock 130 amp alt birth sheet eclipse hu. not bad for $300 kenwood rear view some other stuff. if i had an hc1400 i would do this. its a perfect fit bass knob

Hi Everyone, Really need help and the recommendations/suggestions of you more experienced folks. I recently purchased a Crescendo BC5500 amp to power my (4) subs. I have them in a 4th order tuned in the high 20s. Since subs are dual 1 ohm, i currently have a 0.5 ohm load on my amp. Here is list of my equipment and a quick diagram of how i have it connected (excuse the crappy pic). Sounds great but my amps heats up FAST then goes into protect mode. Won't turn on till 30+mins after it cools down. I reached out to Crescendo and they confirmed my amp model has an internal fan (even though i can't hear or feel it) and suggested my wiring was wrong after we went back and forth on what my system consists off. List of equipment on my 98 (2) door Chevy Tahoe Front of truck(1) Yellow Top Optima (1) Iraggi Alt 240amp low idle (1) DC Power Alt 240amp rebuilt by Iraggi (2) aftermarket electric fans Rear of truck(4) 15 in. RE Audio SXX w/ PSI recones (1) Crescendo Amp BC5500d (1) Boss Audio amp D350.4 (mids/highs) (2) XS Power D5100 (2) XS Power D925 All +/- wiring is SHCA 0 gauge with the exception of the ones going to the Boss amp and coming from the electric fans. I know my wiring ain't ideal or perfect, but before i "re-wire" it again, i want to do it right. Any recommendations??

Time to start a build log! The last time I had a system other than factory was about 7 years ago, and I built a new one every year or so for the 10 years prior to that. So I am not new to car audio, but I have never tried a build this large before. My main goal was to put together a system that no one around my area has done before and to have a lot of fun with my kids building it. With that said, I bought a '99 Ford Expedition with the intent to wall it off. I will be doing a C pillar design because I want to keep the back seats so that I can take my kits with me to shows and things like that. The build will include: 4 sets - SKAR Audio SPX-65C 2 - D7500 & 1 - D6500 from XS Power KW-AV71BT head unit from JVC 0 gauge, 4 gauge, 8 gauge, speaker wire, remote wire, terminal connectors, fuses with holders all from Sky High Audio Sound Deadener from NVX RCA cables from NVX 3Sixty.3 from Rockford Fosgate 2 - alternator from local dealer, claims 200 amps at idle. Alternator install kit from Nations Starts and Alternator to mount 2 alternators in the Expedition Oh yes and... 4 - DC Audio Level 6 18" subs 4 - DC Audio 5.0K amps 1 - DC Audio 175.4 amp Which all got shipped last week from DC Audio by the sounds of it, so I will have some pictures of those soon Shipping weight? 532 pounds! I have taken a lot of measurements and after removing all the panels and components that I don't need it looks like I can 38 cubic foot box gross. So after having a 3" front baffle and 2" everywhere else, with a ton of bracing I should come in around 28 1/4 cubic feet on the inside after removing volume for port and subs and bracing. Right now it looks like it should be tuned to around 36.5 Hz with a 10" port, but that can be changed yet. What do you guys think I should tune it to, I am doing this for music and demos really, not thinking of metering and running in competitions right now. Have a look at the box wall here, it is designed to be symmetrical, so the space on the sides is actually for my heater/ AC unit on the drivers side. From a suggestion I think I will plumb the AC to the back and use it to keep the amps nice and cool. Let me know what you guys think. Let the build begin. And this is some of what will be going into the Expedition Power cable, Speaker wire, Ring terminals, fuses and remote turn on all from Sky High Car Audio 2 - D7500 and 1 - D6500 from XS Power along with a new head unit form JVC as well as RCA's from NVX Audio 4 sets of components from Skar Audio A little bit of sound Deadener from NVX and a 3Sixty.3 from Rockford Fosgate Time to start taking apart the insides A little bit of spray foam in the roof channels to help eliminate the vibrating The headliner is full of holes so I will not be reusing it, so I made sure to mark how far down it comes so that when I put on the side panels that they will cover and fit nicely. I will most likely be fiber glassing the ceiling to the vinyl panels that cover the pillars, but if someone has another option or suggestion I am open to it. Started Laying down some sound Deadener last night while waiting for the spray foam to set up

I had another build on here but it is way out of date so I decided to start a new log.. My system consists of.. 2012 Ford Focus Kenwood DDX-370 Android Mini PC RK3188 (1) Sundown SA-6.5 CS (Front) (2) Sundown Neo Pro 6.5 V2 (Rear) (2) Sundown Neo Pro 8 V1 (Rear) (2) Sundown Audio SA-12 D4 DC Creations 4.5ft3 tuned to 22hz Hifonics BRX 2000.1D Hifonics ZXi 80.4 XS Power D6500 (Stock Location) 150A Alternator Plasti-dip on the hubcaps and 35% tint all around except the windshield

My Jeep is getting the system removed to put in my Tahoe...my mids & highs are mostly in im just waiting on my new Q-logic kick panels to arrive so i can put in my 2nd set of Morel Elate 6 mids..the other set is allready in the doors...i just ordered 1 DC Power 370xp for now last week.....the only thing that has been a headache so far is how to fit my 8 12" AA Chaos subs behind the back seat...the new box that my boys Max a.k.a. Baron of Bass & Sam a.k.a. Siete Cinco from Team Bass Hz made for my Jeep will not fit unless i get rid of back seat & thats not going to happen..yet.......nothing is going to change except the box for the subs.....i know most of you dont know what i have but you can read it in my signature at the bottom......im selling the alternators, Q-Loqic kick pods, & Mising Link Audio module that are for the Jeep... taking out the old lil batt that it had & putting in a XS3400 some of the stuff that was removed from Jeep & getting put in Tahoe ill post more pics as the work gets done...i really dont take a lot

Feel free to comment, im always looking for things to improve and small projects to do. Its been too quiet and too long since I have had loud bass.. its time.. I have already got most of the parts for it have been saving and getting everything together since the winter months, the plan was to do a clean build with quality items and is front facing and sealed off from the trunk. I'm not going to upload all the photos at once so I will be trying to maintain an order since I never got around to making a thread about it the last 6 months Heres the car I just tried out some turtle wash and spray wax, Not sure if im satisfied especially with the pollen that was blowing all around.. Ill bust out the real wax next time. Getting stuff together some Sky High 1/0 OFC and 6 Lug Battery Terminals. XS Power D3100 for the trunk, aka stock spot. After ALOT! Of considerations I finally decided to save some cash and go with the hds 300 12s.. well see how they do. 5/23 More pics.. This was when I bought it 2 years ago. Put a Kenwood DDX470 into it soon.. was rough finding anything for this vehicle. I had to alter the dash mount I got.. and even after its still not a perfect fit, but its not noticable and now the radio actually fits in it I ended up redoing the 2 trim pieces around the shift knob and radio repaint and everything a graphite gray and put new boots on the shift knob and e-brake. Now I have to get the center console out and do the uglier areas.

guess i will finally start my own build thread, tired of waiting on my bro(gotz1lung) to change the title for me lol. if you havent seen what all we've done to it so far. you can find it here...http://www.stevemead...-2003-explorer/ this time i am going slow and doing most of the stuff on my own, which has been a pain to say the least with back problems and other medical issues. this is not going to look good or go fast at all until the end old set up amp DC 5.0k box, amp, lv5 this setup will be using the same box, only painted now. last year i scored a 148.3 at the headrest in AS3(engine off) and 130 in PnP3. this year i will also be competing in IASCA bass boxing and we have to have full range music playing to the crowd so i will be doing external pods that hang off my roof rack with 2 6x9s each powered off a 2 channel. we know this box has more in it testing last year. DC Derricks teg powering my sub score legal on music...bottoming out bad collection external setup minus 2 6x9s 4 way full range(cheap ass i know) the sub http://www.stevemead...71-my-new-baby/G

Hey all Finally getting around to starting a log here. I think I've more or less hit the point of no return with this build, so let's do this. Car is a 2002 Mustang GT, bought it back in June (like 2 weeks after I graduated high school.) Always loved stangs, and all through high school I wanted one incredibly bad, so when a good deal popped up I jumped on it. Looking back it wasn't a great buy, the car has some demons. Like seriously, I don't think it will ever run 100%. But after lots of work, blood, sweat and tears she is decent. And with some more fixing maybe I can get her there.... Anyway, here is the moo cow Now, on to the good stuff. As I said, I have pretty well hit the point of no return. Equipment is as follows Singer Alternator (200A, but he says there is some funky new shit in there. He won't say exactly what but he keeps reassuring me it will not disappoint. Here's hoping.) XS D3400 under the hood...self explanitory. CNF Terminal blocks (Thanks again Kevin, still absolutely love em.) Pioneer 80prs...speaks for itself I think Nendo PWS 6.5 mids (Still waiting to be installed, I'm pumped for these.) Nendo RTS-1 tweeters (Decided to try the soft dome instead of the FT-1...we'll see how I like them.) Kicker DX400.4 to run those. Super solid Amp, two years and never missed a beat. Don't see any reason to change it yet. And, the reason I say I hit the point of no return: Ordered a pair of AA Mayhem 10s today. Now just waiting for these to be built...man I'm excited for these. I still need to get an amp for the subs, but I am planning on an Ampere 3800 for the time being. Down the road I may get a second, but for now I'm not even sure how well my current electrical will like just the one. A few little pictures to follow, we've got some work done. No sound yet...but a hell of an electrical. Welcome to all, let's have fun.

Hey there! I guess it's time for me start a build log on my 2002 Dodge Dakota! I got the truck back in September for dirt cheap. Only problem was that the engine was blown! Me and my dad took on the project and swapped in a remanufactured motor (4.7 for those who are interested). Anyways, this isn't gonna be an insane build with a wall or a blow through. It's my daily driver, so I need to keep it practical. My system before this build is as follows: - Sony Head Unit (Unsure of model) - Polk Audio PA880 - 12" Alpine Type R SWR1243D - Prefab Box - Fierce Car Audio 4 gauge amplifier wiring kit - The truck came stock with the amplified Infinity sound system - Carquest Battery My Current Plan is: - Crescendo Audio BC2000d (UPS Man should be delivering it tomorrow!) - Fi Q12 D2 - Optima Yellow Top or an XS Power 3400 - Rockford Fosgate 1/0 gauge power kit - Eventually I'd like to replace the Sony Head Unit with something a little better - I'll start thinkin about mids and highs once the Bass is taken care of The Polk amp sounds nice, but it has to be the most unefficient thing on this planet! I don't have access to a DD1, but I did use a DMM to set my gains. The thing heats up after 30 minutes at a reasonable volume to the point where I can't keep my hand on it for a few seconds. I've even set the gains a tad under what the amp is rated at. Right now it's probably giving around 450-475 watts rms to the type r, and it's wired at 2 ohms. I've read the amps tend to run hot, so I'm just glad it's being replaced tomorrow!Onto the pictures! About 1 or 2 months ago, I heard my first system that was actually loud (SnowDrifter's 2 Crossfire 12's while they were in his Jeep) and ever since I wasn't satisfied with my one Type R and the prefab box. I started looking into ported enclosures and how to tune them and all that. I want to stick with a single 12, and I want something loud that will still sound good, so I've decided on getting a Fi Q 12 with the cooling package, extra spider and the internal leads. Before I get that though, I need something to put it in and something to power it with. I was on vacation the past three weeks and I spent quite a bit of time playing around on Torres and Sketchup trying to find the right box for my truck that would work well with the Fi.This is what I came up with: Two nights ago I went over to a buddies house to start cutting out the sheets for the box. A skill saw and a roto zip later, most of the cuts were less than awesome and the hole in the baffle was too big... I'm gonna be using the Type R in the enclosure for now while I upgrade stuff to get ready for the Fi. The Fi has a bigger cutout that the Type R, so that's why it ended up huge.So, I figured that even though my first box isn't gonna be perfect, I might as well just start over and just take my time on it. I was also planning on buying myself a router this morning, and when I asked my dad if he wanted to split the cost with me, he told me that we already had one! Definitely a nice surprise!The surround on my driver door speaker was completely seperated from the basket, so it would rattle a ton if it ever played around or below 120hz. I had my high pass filter set to 140 to try to phase it out. I had some Kicker 5 1/4" speakers layin around from my old car, so I decided to get some practice on the router and I made some Speaker rings! Fits well! They aren't pretty, but the door panels do a pretty good job of hiding them You can see the seperated surround on the speaker on the right They sound great and I can actually keep my High Pass down around 80 now!

hello all....im upgrading my substage this spring...and would like to know if I will need two runs of 1/0 for my sub amp (SAZ2500dV2 pushing two X10s in a 1 ohm load) I know I would need double 1/0 inputs. for electrical, I have Singer 200 amp alternator, one D3400 under the hood, and one D3400 in the trunk. I have another amp running the highs and mids, but its running 60x4 in a 4 ohm load...I don't think that is of much concern, just getting a feeling from folks if 2 runs is overkill, or preferable for the low end. thanks in advance guys!

So I am finally getting around to updating my build log and starting this UBL. I am gonna post what I started with and whats in there now and what will be installed (purchased). I started out with 2 DC lvl 4's with 5 soft parts on a DC 5k with 3 XS d3100's in the bank and 1 d3400 up front. All Shok comp cable (ofc), with a set of 6.5 RE comps. I was doing a 150 with this set up. There is the equipment and box in the first set up. All work was done by Justin at Sub Sonic Addiction with me tagging along hahaahah. On to the the build

Alright, this is my first time selling stuff on SMD, but I have bought from many people here over the past year. First up, 250 amp Singer alternator powder coated black. I bought this for my 2004 Grand Prix, but have since sold that car. Alt was used for about 3 weeks, then the rotor went in it. Sent it back to Mike and received it back about 10 days later all fixed up and good to go. I'm not sure what other vehicles it will fit, so you will have to do the research on that part. Looking for $250 shipped. T3 Audio 5 1/4" and 6" coax speakers, $35 each shipped. Here are the pics...

Alright guys seeing as I have all the equipment for this build I figured i'd start a build log. I got the SUBurban back into November since the S10 got recked This is a video of the S10 if you haven't seen it yet Anyways here is the new whip,dubbed the SUBurban: Yes the hill is really that steep the only thing stopping me was ground clearance in the rear. Ive the got the electrical already to go for the power I have right now. Eventually everything will be doubled. 4 XS Power 1000's with some narly bus bars, Externally regulated, External Rectifier Excessive Amperage alt. He said it maxed out his load tester, so we'll see what it's got. Running it at 17.9+ See if the Crescendo Audio BC 5500 with stay on over 18.0v. Mids(so far): 4 PWX 8's 4 RWX 6's Not sure on tweeters just yet I have some from the S10 but i need more so ill fill in more once I have them all. Ill get pics of them later when i get home Subs: 6 18" Fi Q's, Old style with the double stacked magnets. All with the BP Power plug so RMS is around 1500. 4 of these are the one's from the blowthru which will be my temporary system until i can buy the recones for the 4 of them. I have 2 others already 18". one is a recone kit ill do and one with 1 hour of play on it. Amps: Crescendo BC 5500 MB Quart 4.125 pics when i get home Wiring: All the 1/0 is Audio Technix Silver tinned copper. I have 300ft for the burban All other wiring as of right now is Knu Pioneer Headunit. Ill get the model number when i get home. I also have a processor I have yet to see on this site. So far I love it. Custom banpass, no more guess work or needing meters to get my frequencies perfect. Also does time aligment, and can be an EQ. All tunning with my laptop. For you guys not wanting to buy bandpass amps this is a huge money saver. Also you can bandpass each channel. Crazy good processor! Enclosure: 4th Order behind the C Pillar! 4 person Demo's all day. Once I get the funds it'll be a B Pillar 8 18" 4th order.

Hello all! I'm new here to the forums and I thought I'd start by posting a build thread for first build. I've been looking into audio for a very long time, but recently started looking specifically into car audio about four years ago. I built my very first box a year ago (April, 2016) after ordering my subs. Since then, I worked and saved up for my amp, batteries, and wire (other miscellaneous stuff as well) which I recently purchased this winter. I got everything in the mail a few months ago and only recently installed everything. It's been a very long work in progress (I replaced my door speakers and fabricated my A-pillars three years ago and have been saving up since then) and will continue to be improved, but I'm happy to finally share it with you all! Here are some pictures in chronological order of everything as it has come together (sorry for the poor iPhone quality): April of 2015 (As you can see, this was my very first box build. It's not very pretty and there was lots of sanding to do to make all the edges meet flush) The subs A couple of months later (February 2016) and I stripped the vehicle down to the bare interior so that I could run the wire and RCA's through the car (for my daily, I didn't want to run the wire underneath the vehicle. Looking back on how tough it was to run three runs of 1/0 AWG through the firewall, if I did it again I'd do it differently!) Interior reinstalled Under the hood Progress Heatshrunk! Batteries, bussbars, box, subs, and most of the power wire installed The (temporary) wiring setup About a year of work, and that's where I'm at! I've done a little more work to tidy things up, but for the most part, I've got everything done and ready for the amplifier to be dropped-in when it arrives. Speaking of... I ordered my BC5500 in December, but shortly after they went out of stock and you know how Crescendo restocks go... Four months later, and here I am anxiously waiting for my amp to restock and show up in the mail. In the meantime, I'm working on rebuilding my box and the floor underneath it. I'm currently very unhappy with the way the Herculiner turned out. It was my first time using the product so my lack of experience made it clump and lay unevenly over the entire box. Additionally, the box itself was my first, unexperienced build, and I've learned a lot about boxes and building them since them. The box has a 32hz tuning and I'd like to drop it lower to 30/28, so I'm going to be doing interchangeable ports (I realize that I will be changing the 3.5 cubic airspace by adjusting the port volume, but the subs will not be in a space that is any less than their minimum recommended with the largest port). I'll also be replacing the OEM trunk floor (about a 1/4" thick) with 1/2" MDF. It'll be much stronger and hold up to the flex and weight a lot better. I'm also unhappy with the battery tray and amp rack that I made (very temporary 1/4" angle iron rectangle mounted to the floor and 1/4" wood as the amp rack) so I'll be replacing those in a much more permanent fashion (I've got a few ideas in mind). In the meantime, let me know what you guys think!

I Have 2 XS Power D3100s for sale, both are maintained very well. kept on a float charger, and float at 12.85-12.9 after sitting over night. i would like to sell them local, cause everyone knows shipping kills on these... im located in Kemah, TX 77565 if you're intrested in buying, but not local. PM me and maybe we can work something out on shipping.. one has a few scratches on the sticker, but neither battery has any damage at all. **MODS** i know this is not a updated picture, ill get a updated one with my username and date up when i get off work. if you want to lock it untill then thats fine. Price: $275 each, or both for $500 That is a local buy price. im willing to meet up within a reasonable distance also

Just re-made the amp rack out of steel and was still having a issue with vibrations due to the cracked mounting plate. This is what we did to fix it!!! Subscribe for more insane bass and crazy sh*t!!!

Out with the RF 300-2 and the 500-2 and in with a Crescendo C-1100/4, Looking for more headroom for future upgrades. Next will be the sub box. Hard Maple box 1.5 inches thick at 1.5 ft for single 10. at 38hz. Ship Monday night to receive today Cody is the Man!!

Whats up guys, i was able to come home for 3 weeks on leave so i decided to get some work done. Set up is: DC XL m2 10" AQ 3500 XS Power D3400 & D1200 Mechman 220a Audio Technix 1/0, Fuses and holders PAC LC-1 I had the car painted in Florida while i was at AIT in Virginia The pictures got all fucked up so theyre not in order. woops Fender had to be completely replaced this is where the striker for my door is, the door is so heavy the striker fell off so the had to fab up the whole piece Harwood 2" pro touring hood notice the hole on top of the header panel, thats for a hood ornament but they filled it and used it as a body line along with the hood

Hey all.... Well, its that time again.. We are gonna rebuild. Thank you for following the RF Acura TSX build. And, to those that helped. We thank you. We are going to try a suv platform this time. NEED ROOM.. lol. Anyway. Some know what is up, some know even more. Stay tuned, as some will move fairly fast, some wont....... Cheers from Kyle and Laura...... and again, those we know... we also luv ya.....

So i have now decided to throw up a build log as i am currently going thru a rebuild process. There is going to be a lot of work to this Daily Driver and i do not get much time to mess around with it so it will be a low build. Also since this is going to be my first large scale build i will be taking my time with it anyway. Not to mention i do not have much experience just picking up on what i get from this and other forums. I did mess around with fiberglass a little so i have little knowledge of it also. Everything is going to be double to triple checked another thing that will take time. Anyway here is a few things that were in the truck and a list of things that will be in the rebuild. Old Setup Truck: 2007 Ford Escape Head Unit: Pioneer DEH8300UB High/Mids Amp: ZX Kicker 640.4 Low Mids Amp: Cadence TXA300.2 Sub Amp: AQ2200D Highs: Cadence ZRS 40T Mids: Cadence CS6.5 Low/Mid: Cadence FX8M4 Subs: AQ SDC 2.5 Electrical: Stock 120a ALT, Diehard Gold battery, and yellow top at rear. Big 3 done. Deadener: None New Setup Truck: 2007 Ford Escape Head Unit: Pioneer DEH8300UB (Installed) Unless i decide to get another High/Mids Amp: AQ 120.4 (Have) Low Mids Amp: AQ 120.4 (Have) There is 2 of these Sub Amp: Two AQ2200D (Have 1 and ordered second already)(Have Both) Highs: AQ-ST1 Pair in the a-pillar (have) Mids: AQ-MR6.5 Two sets (Have) Low/Mid: Still deciding between either using the Cadence or buying some silver flutes Went with 8" 4ohm silver flute Subs: 2 DC XL 15's (Purchased waiting to come in) (Have) Electrical: Singer 230a ALT (Have) XS Power D5100r (Ordered)(Have) XS Power XP3000 (Have). Big 3 Done Deadener: Unsure of the product but it's decent. Sent out samples to Jon of Second skin to test. http://www.stevemead...econd-skin-rep/ Now of old setup. http://i1137.photobucket.com/albums/n513/kenc210tx/2007 Ford Escape Rebuild/IMG_0179_zpsa024ebd9.jpg http://i1137.photobucket.com/albums/n513/kenc210tx/2007 Ford Escape Rebuild/f3de4794.jpg

My alternator went to shit need a H.O. Alternator. Hit almost every one up and none want to make a Alternator For a 2010 Nissan Altima 2.5S. They have it for the 3.5 But its not an exact replacement already took a look at it. Does any one know a shop that would make it.

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