Silver Member Username: JaackdethUnited States Post Number: 172 Registered: Sep-04 | Ok, first off I'm not BIG time with car radio so cut me a break ok! 90 Caddy Deville HU is an ALPINE CDA-9835 Front speakers are Rockford 4x6's Read deck speakers are Rockford 6x9's Amp for in car speakers is a Phoenix Gold OCTANE R5.0:4 4-Channel Amplifier Subs in trunk are 2 12" Precision Power DCX 12 Subs Running them is a HIFONICS BX1500D MONO AMP! Running a stock 120 amp alternator, and 4 gauge wiring for the amps! My question is that I need to turn the gains way up on the amps to get anything out of them. I have good grounds. This HU puts out 4 volts for the sub, and the amp for the subs is from 9 to .2, I have to run the gain on the amp to around 1 or so to make it sound half way decent. Should I trash the whole idea here, or any suggestions would really be appreciated. Oh! I'm not looking for the biggest and badest system out there, just want the damn thing to work right. Oh, the subs are in a prefab ported box,(i know, i know) |
Silver Member Username: AraknidBOCA , FL U.S. Post Number: 839 Registered: Nov-04 | What is your bass boost set to on your amp? Is your sub level on your HU set to low? |
Silver Member Username: JaackdethUnited States Post Number: 175 Registered: Sep-04 | Bass boost is set pretty high, now sure off hand, and the hu sub level is on 13 out of 15!! |
Silver Member Username: AraknidBOCA , FL U.S. Post Number: 841 Registered: Nov-04 | And your bass is set high enough on the EQ? |
Silver Member Username: JaackdethUnited States Post Number: 176 Registered: Sep-04 | Yes, where would be a good place to set it at? |
Silver Member Username: AraknidBOCA , FL U.S. Post Number: 842 Registered: Nov-04 | What is yours set at right now? I know of poeple who just set theres to flat or even negative because when its to high it tends to clip or sound to punchy, but in your case you might need to crank it up. Also are you subs recieving enough power? What is there RMS and what are they recieving? Is your amp recieving enough amperage? what is the total fuse rating on the amp and do you have an inline fuse on your power cable, If you do what is the fuse rating? |
Silver Member Username: AraknidBOCA , FL U.S. Post Number: 843 Registered: Nov-04 | And I know you have a prefab ported box is it at least the in the recommended size range for the subs? |
Silver Member Username: JaackdethUnited States Post Number: 177 Registered: Sep-04 | Oh boy!! LOL the subs are suppose to be 1000 rms each, I don't think they are, and when I talked to GlassWolf about the PPI subs, he said Alpine R at 500 rms would be better. If I turn the gain up on the amp the subs come alive, and sound bumpy, as it only lasts for about 5 min at that level before cutting out. The Hifonics amp is suppose to put out 1500 rms watts at 1 ohm, and that is how I have the subs wired. But again I know the Hifonics is over-rated. (How do I know if my amp is receiving enough amperage?) Man I sound dumb here. Here is the specs on that amp 1500 watts RMS @ 1 ohm 1000 watts RMS @ 2 ohms 500 watts RMS @ 4 ohms 1 Ohm stable design (perfect for dual 2 ohm subs) 0.08% THD Class D mono amp Ultra-Fi MOSFETS Extreme powerful Power Supply New ultra efficient design Hot Illuminated Logo Mounts comfortably Fully Adjustable stable bass Crossover system PWM power MOSFET Power Supply Free Remote Bass Boost with LED light on it. Line Out Variable Bass Boost @ 18db Subsonic Filter Simpatico Coil Design Line Output for connecting multiple amps Variable Bass Equalizer Sub-Sonic Filter Requires 4 Gauge Power Connectors S/N ratio: 95 Db Dual 60 Amp Fuses If you are talking about the "rock", flat, pop I am on the rock for bass. And that box should be close. I know it's not to specs, but it should sound better then that, unless something is really wrong. Thanks |
Silver Member Username: AraknidBOCA , FL U.S. Post Number: 844 Registered: Nov-04 | hmmm dual 60 amp fuses huh..... thats 120 amps the amp needs to operate to its full potential. you have a 120 amp stock alt. The car needs like 40 amps by itself and your also running another amp for your 4x6's and your 6x9's so it seems to me like you need a HO alternator then you can work from there. Also do you have AIM or somethin so we can talk faster and where do you live maybe someone on the board lives nearby and can check out whats goin on in person. |
Silver Member Username: AraknidBOCA , FL U.S. Post Number: 845 Registered: Nov-04 | And also what is the voice coil config for the subs SVC,DVC,2 ohm,4 ohm? don't remember if you mentioned or not but just to make sure and how are they wired. |
Silver Member Username: JaackdethUnited States Post Number: 178 Registered: Sep-04 | I don't have AIM no, I have yahoo mess. I live in Wi. I don't think to many on here!! Do you think that amp is really using that much amps? Seems a bit much don't it? |
Silver Member Username: JaackdethUnited States Post Number: 180 Registered: Sep-04 | bump |
Silver Member Username: Kd7nfrMontpelier, ID United States Post Number: 375 Registered: Apr-05 | EXPERT IS ON THE SCENE! Wait... I'm not an expert... d@mnit! |
Silver Member Username: IlluminatorPost Number: 987 Registered: Apr-05 | Do you have the subs wired in series or parallel? |
Silver Member Username: JaackdethUnited States Post Number: 181 Registered: Sep-04 | Parallel, as they are dual 4 ohm subs, and I am running them at 1 ohm |
Gold Member Username: James1115Wilton, Ct Post Number: 3591 Registered: Dec-04 | OK well if you are posative that it is wired correctly in parellel I would have to go against your amp. Those PPI subs are pretty good subs but like glass said I guess the type r's would better suit your needs. Those Hifonics amps are built like doggy doodoo with a awfull reliability issue and extremely high overratings on their power outputs. I bet you are lucky to get 500 watts out of that amp at 1ohm. A good way to get a good estimate of the amount of power your amp really puts out is to take the value in dollars and convert it to RMS power. So if the amp retails for $350 typically thats how many watts you can expect to get. Now of coarse theirare top of the line amps like sinfoni for example that will be a tad more expensive but its build quality that you pay for. If your looking for a good reliable amp to run that sub at 1 ohm look into the jl 1000/1,JBL bp 1200.1,kicker 600.1, kicker 1200.1(conservatively underrated), orion 1200d or 600d something like that but hifonics to me is JUNK! |
Silver Member Username: JaackdethUnited States Post Number: 183 Registered: Sep-04 | Yeah that hifonics is leaving me with a pit in my gut, thinking that it's junk myself, guess the only way to know is to get a different one and see. Do JBL's go down to 1 ohm? I know kicker does! |
Gold Member Username: James1115Wilton, Ct Post Number: 3595 Registered: Dec-04 | yup they are rated at 1200 at 1 and 2 ohms. Hey I was just reading this post a little more did you say you have dual 2ohm subs? if you have dual 2ohm subs and you are running them in parellel then you are getting 1/2 ohm which is way to low for that hifonics or most amps for that matter. I am not sure of many amps that can be run at 1/2 ohm mono. I know of a few that run at 1/2 ohm stereo. OK so your subs are dual 2ohm 1000 rms/piece? |
Silver Member Username: JaackdethUnited States Post Number: 185 Registered: Sep-04 | No, they are dual 4 ohm |
Gold Member Username: James1115Wilton, Ct Post Number: 3600 Registered: Dec-04 | 1500 watts RMS @ 1 ohm 1000 watts RMS @ 2 ohms 500 watts RMS @ 4 ohms 1 Ohm stable design (perfect for dual 2 ohm subs) 0.08% THD " ok because I saw this and figured they were dual 2ohm. If you got that off of hifonics web site it is wrong. |
Silver Member Username: JaackdethUnited States Post Number: 186 Registered: Sep-04 | It was taken off ebay, I see that they have dual 2 ohm on there, but shouldn't matter I would think if I run dual 4's would it??? Confused now LOL |
Gold Member Username: James1115Wilton, Ct Post Number: 3604 Registered: Dec-04 | if you are running dual 4 ohm subs in parellel then yes you have them going to a 1 ohm load mono to your amp. Those subs are 1000 watts peak so what you need to do is find out the RMS wattage and go from there. If you dont have the manual try to contact PPI directly www.precisionpower.com |
Silver Member Username: JaackdethUnited States Post Number: 188 Registered: Sep-04 | They say that it's continuous power handling of 1000 watts, and a peak of 1000 watts... Now I know that continuous and rms are the same, but I never heard of the peak as the same??? What a set-up LOL, crap amp and speakers that don't make any sense. Not to get way off target here, but I wonder if 4 gauge wiring is big enough for the 2 amps!! |
Gold Member Username: James1115Wilton, Ct Post Number: 3606 Registered: Dec-04 | yeah I only saw 1000 peak on the web site. under normal circumstance's 4 guage would not be enough for that kind of power you are running but like I said before that amp doesnt put out anywhere near its rating so you should be fine, remember the shorter the power wire and ground the more current the smaller wire can handle. |
Silver Member Username: JaackdethUnited States Post Number: 205 Registered: Sep-04 | Ok, I'm thinking different Amp, and upgrade the wiring as well. Thanks for the help!! |