Dissapointed.. bad install?
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Silver Member Username: Dpaw20FL USA Post Number: 314 Registered: Mar-05 | so i ordered an IDQ12. Dual 2 ohms and its hooked up at 4 ohms to my A8000t.Its getting around 400 watts and its in a truck box in my dodge dakota standard cab. I got it installed today at the local audio shop and when i went to set the gains and w/e it sounded like it was just a weak sub. Idk how to explain it, it wasnt hungry for more power at ALL. It says it needs around 500 rms watts and im givin it less than 400. I HAD 2 bazooka's that came with the truck when i got it, and the IDQ doesnt sound much louder to be honest. The SQ isnt really noticeably different either. Im confused. My cusin had a 12" mtx that was rated at 300rms watts in an even smaller box and it got 3 times as loud. Really it seems like the money, and space sacrificed on the passenger seat wasnt worth it AT ALL... im so dissapointed. idk wut to say/do. Anybody see a problem that i dont? i mean i know its not an spl sub but come one i didnt even notice an sq difference really and it didnt get much louder. i wanna just take it all out my truck and throw it in the garbage lol |
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Bronze Member Username: WinterfreshpimpChisago, MN America Post Number: 30 Registered: Mar-06 | what kind of amp was it? dose it go down to 2ohms? |
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Silver Member Username: Dpaw20FL USA Post Number: 315 Registered: Mar-05 | its an audiobahn a8000t, and yes it does but itll be puttin out around 800watts at that. i know its not the best amp but with my type-r's it worked fine. |
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Gold Member Username: BestmankindLos Angeles, CA USA Post Number: 2977 Registered: Oct-05 | that amp does go down to 2ohms but the sub can't be wired at 2 ohms cause its dvc 2ohms. that is why he has it wired at 4ohms. also the amp isn't 1ohm stable so he can't wire it to 1ohm either. |
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Gold Member Username: Jonathan_fGA USA Post Number: 5719 Registered: May-04 | I responded to the post in the speaker section, I'll just cut and paste: Welcome to the world of regular cab trucks. Did you try rolling the windows down and seeing if that improved bass response? Second, what size enclosure is the sub in? The fact that it isn't louder or sound better makes me think that it's in the wrong enclosure or just doesn't have enough amp. Enclosure for that sub should be around .5-.6 cu ft. "Im confused. My cusin had a 12" mtx that was rated at 300rms watts in an even smaller box and it got 3 times as loud." If a 12" was in an even smaller box than that of the IDQ, it was either in WAY too small an enclosure or your IDQ is in WAY too large an enclosure. I know of no 12" that will work well in a .5 cu ft box, it would be extremely boomy and resonant. |
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Silver Member Username: Dpaw20FL USA Post Number: 316 Registered: Mar-05 | and another thing.. this sub is suppost to play low frequencies good and it isnt doin sh*it compaired to even my type-r's in a ported box tuned at 39hz. all the sh*it i expeced, and not a single thing came out good. maybe its the amp kit they used? idk |
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Silver Member Username: Safe_crackerChicago, IL US Post Number: 379 Registered: Jan-06 | Dude not to be rude but that amp is the biggest POS there is. They sell it for $103 on ebay! You need an amp, how about a picture of the box. Polo http://cgi.ebay.com/NEW-AUDIOBAHN-A8000T-MONO-BLOCK-1600WATT-AMP-A8000-103_W0QQi temZ5873527970QQcategoryZ64571QQrdZ1QQcmdZViewItem |
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Silver Member Username: Dpaw20FL USA Post Number: 317 Registered: Mar-05 | in response to jonathan, well his box, now that i think of it, was about the same size as mine. and yes when i opened the door it sounded better but i didnt really get a chance to notice cuz it was for about 2 seconds so idk and idk wut the cu ft on that box are, ill try and see if i can get that info. but yeah its like this sub is a just plane week sub. idk how else to say it, but i know its not. |
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Bronze Member Username: WinterfreshpimpChisago, MN America Post Number: 31 Registered: Mar-06 | im sorry but your amp is an under rated audiobahn... you should have got a dual 4 ohm sub. the reason the type r's sounded god is cause they pushed twice the air and ate up all the amps power, also try not to mix a high end sub with a lower end amp... |
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Silver Member Username: Dpaw20FL USA Post Number: 318 Registered: Mar-05 | yeah i know the amp sucks but the thing is, it pushed my type-r's just fine. if not that i would think the amp was the problem but idk. its like its something else |
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Bronze Member Username: WinterfreshpimpChisago, MN America Post Number: 32 Registered: Mar-06 | box should also be at LEAST .75 cudes and not exceed 1.2 unless its ported |
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Bronze Member Username: WinterfreshpimpChisago, MN America Post Number: 33 Registered: Mar-06 | MAKE SURE THE VOICE COILS ARE WIRED RIGHT!!! ive fucked that up before... there went my 300$ amp.. just make sure all the -'s +'s are PERFECT!!! |
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Silver Member Username: Dpaw20FL USA Post Number: 319 Registered: Mar-05 | "MAKE SURE THE VOICE COILS ARE WIRED RIGHT!!! ive fucked that up before... there went my 300$ amp.. just make sure all the -'s +'s are PERFECT!!!" yeah that happened when i first got my type-r's. i had them wired wrong on accident and i was very dissapointed cuz it sounded like sh*it. then i corrected it and vuala. it was hurting my ears and moving my hair. im going to check and make sure they wired it right,i hope thats the problem. for some reason its like i dont think even those audio people know wtf their doing. |
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Gold Member Username: Jonathan_fGA USA Post Number: 5722 Registered: May-04 | Single cab trucks aren't going to get as loud as other vehicles, especially with the windows rolled up. That's just something you're going to have to accept, you aren't going to be as loud as Joe Blow with the exact same setup you have in a different vehicle. A lot of it sounds like your box is too large. With those subs, you need a smaller box to get the efficiency of the sub where you want it. Even if that 12" was in the same size box, that still implies the box is way too large for the sub you're using. The good thing is if you need a smaller box, your sub won't impose as much on passenger space. Look at it in a positive way. Even external dimensions of the box can tell us how big the box is. Of course that's assuming you know thickness of the MDF, which will likely be 3/4. 5/8 if it's a cheapy prefab box, but we can still get a ballpark on how big the box is. |
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Gold Member Username: 54danny54Betsy layne, Kentucky..GO... USA duh Post Number: 1955 Registered: Nov-04 | man that sucks...i hope it works out 4 u man |
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Gold Member Username: Jonathan_fGA USA Post Number: 5723 Registered: May-04 | Polarity could be a problem too. Just check polarity and enclosure size. That thing should be no more than .6 cu ft net sealed. |
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Silver Member Username: Dpaw20FL USA Post Number: 320 Registered: Mar-05 | ok i will. i really hope this works out. i know cuz i have a truck its not going to be as good but i mean i know it can be a lot better. thx for the help so far guys |
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Gold Member Username: Iufan4lifeulPost Number: 1005 Registered: May-05 | Just an idea. I got 2 Arsenal 12"'s. I put them in at first and was like wow, they are only about half as loud as my 2 RE12's... There is another worthless investment. Over the course of the next week or 2 of playing them, I noticed them getting louder and more musical. They have finally fully broken in (if you want to call it that) or something but I know they are a ton louder than when I first put them in. |
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New member Username: KickerandyVesta, MN America Post Number: 7 Registered: Mar-06 | help me out, i have a kicker 10" L7 and i want to put it behind the drivers seat of my truck and i was wondering what would be the best........ported or sealed, help mee!!! |
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Silver Member Username: Dpaw20FL USA Post Number: 321 Registered: Mar-05 | yeah i was thinkin about that but i a lot of people here say that breakin in a sub isnt really all that true/doesnt make much of a difference but who knows. im going to check the wiring tomorrow and take a pic for you guys to see. ill take some measurements too cuz i want to fix this problem. thx for all the help |
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Gold Member Username: Jonathan_fGA USA Post Number: 5727 Registered: May-04 | It makes a difference. The suspension has to loosen up and get within compliance for performance to be correct. The main thing that people argue about is whether somebody should take it easy when breaking in a sub. You've got people that will put a couple of watts on them and others that will push them really hard to loosen up the suspension. |
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Silver Member Username: Dpaw20FL USA Post Number: 322 Registered: Mar-05 | oh yeah and really i was most dissapointed at how weak it played the lows. i know its in a small box but the sub was made for playing low frequencies. the whole thing i thought about the idq's was that they preform "extremely well and get low and sound great" in small enclosures. so yeah im ganna check the wiring and HOPEFULLY thats wuts fucked up. |
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Gold Member Username: Jonathan_fGA USA Post Number: 5728 Registered: May-04 | If you really wanted to make sure the sub is broken in, you can put a 20hz test tone to it overnight (it'd be nicer if you have a home audio amp so you don't drain your car battery down). |
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Silver Member Username: Dpaw20FL USA Post Number: 323 Registered: Mar-05 | by weak lows i mean theres barely a difference in how loud it is now compaired to the bazooka's. it gets its loudest at (i think) around 55-60/65hz which isnt rite and again which is why im so dissapointed. i mean yeah if it played the lower notes as loud as it does the ones higher id be at least somewhat satisfied but its like its an 8" sub |
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Silver Member Username: Jprix82Post Number: 296 Registered: Jan-06 | will the low watts from a home stereo damage the sub? |
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Silver Member Username: Dpaw20FL USA Post Number: 324 Registered: Mar-05 | i dont have a home audio amp and i just got a new battery cuz i left the lights on all day. would playing that test tone all nite use up the battery? |
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Silver Member Username: Dpaw20FL USA Post Number: 326 Registered: Mar-05 | ok the box is 15 x 19.75 x 5.25 maybe a few undredths off more or less. They also had to add about a .80" thick piece of wood on the box because the sub was too deep. would polyfill be something to look into? |
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Gold Member Username: Jonathan_fGA USA Post Number: 5729 Registered: May-04 | That's about right if those were external dimensions you were giving me. Don't add polyfill. Just give the sub some time because it HAS to break in, a small box sub absolutely has to loosen up to put out more low end. |
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Silver Member Username: Dpaw20FL USA Post Number: 327 Registered: Mar-05 | according to the measurements and subtracting sub dissplacement (.07) its .795 cu ft |
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Gold Member Username: Jonathan_fGA USA Post Number: 5731 Registered: May-04 | Hold on, were those internal or external measurements? If they were internal, your box is too large. A large box won't hurt low end that bad, you'll just lose efficiency. The big thing is loosening the suspension up, trust me. My ID Max had to do the same. |
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Silver Member Username: Dpaw20FL USA Post Number: 328 Registered: Mar-05 | damn, what could i do about makin the net volume smaller? anything? if not not is that a really bad thing? would it be the main problem in why im dissapointed? like i said the lows are ridiculously pathetic compaired to what i was expecting. again, my ported box tuned to as high as 40hz was hitting TONS lowder lower. i set the hi-pass right at about 85hz and subsonic filter at about 20. but my pioneer HU has the hi-pass set to 80hz. |
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Silver Member Username: Dpaw20FL USA Post Number: 329 Registered: Mar-05 | that was external measurements my bad. but yeah what could i do to lesson the net volume? |
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Silver Member Username: Dpaw20FL USA Post Number: 330 Registered: Mar-05 | ok i took 2 x .75 inches off each measurement and came up with .64 cu ft. idk if its 3/4 mdf or wut tho |
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Silver Member Username: Dpaw20FL USA Post Number: 331 Registered: Mar-05 | ok i took 2 x .75 inches off each measurement and came up with .46 cu ft. idk if its 3/4 mdf or wut tho |
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Gold Member Username: Jonathan_fGA USA Post Number: 5732 Registered: May-04 | "damn, what could i do about makin the net volume smaller? anything? if not not is that a really bad thing? would it be the main problem in why im dissapointed? like i said the lows are ridiculously pathetic compaired to what i was expecting. again, my ported box tuned to as high as 40hz was hitting TONS lowder lower. i set the hi-pass right at about 85hz and subsonic filter at about 20. but my pioneer HU has the hi-pass set to 80hz." You mean low pass? Because it's a low pass filter that you have to use for a subwoofer. The other thing is that 40hz may as well be considered low. Music like rap centers around 40hz for the most part, 20hz you can't really hear (unless played EXTREMELY loud) and 30hz is rarely seen with music material. The other thing is that your other box was in a completely different application, with multiple subs at that. You simply can't compare the two no matter how much you want to. |
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Silver Member Username: Dpaw20FL USA Post Number: 332 Registered: Mar-05 | lol wups. i came up with .46 cu ft |
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Silver Member Username: Dpaw20FL USA Post Number: 333 Registered: Mar-05 | yeah i meant low-pass wups sorry. and yeah that setup was in a jeep grand cherokee. but i mean my cusins 12" mtx was in a camaro and i dont really remember hearing too low of notes that sounded a lot less loud compaired to higher notes. and by not hitting low, i mean with most rap songs it wasnt playing the lows very loud, just the higher notes in the bass line. idk how to explain that better but i know it didnt sound rite. its a 12" sub, the notes im talkin about it shouldve been able to play loud so idk |
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Gold Member Username: Jonathan_fGA USA Post Number: 5733 Registered: May-04 | Okay then .46 is starting to border on the small side. You need to check all your crossover settings, all your wiring, and your HU settings. If it's still weak after this and after breaking in (which will take some time), then you need to consider either another sub or putting that IDQ in a ported box. The thing only needs a 1 cu ft. gross box tuned to 30hz. I've never dealt with IDQs that had so many problems performing down low, though, it sounds like some type of problem with the setup. |
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Gold Member Username: Jonathan_fGA USA Post Number: 5734 Registered: May-04 | Oh crap, I thought you had a IDQ 10 all along, my bad. If you have the thing in a .46 cu ft box that thing is WAYYYYY too small- to the point of choking that sub off. It needs around a 1 cu ft box to get good low end, no wonder it's exceptionally weak, your box needs to be twice as big as it is. Go beat the crap out of the installers  |
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Silver Member Username: Dpaw20FL USA Post Number: 334 Registered: Mar-05 | im ganna get a test tone cd and ill be able to tell you exactly what frequencies im talking about. and yeah i guess ill just try to break it in and see if the voice coils are hooked up wrong. hopefully ill come out of this with at least feeling somewhat satisfied cuz i dont want to feel like i spent $350 for the box/sub and instillation for nothing (i shoulda just installed it myself) |
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Silver Member Username: Dpaw20FL USA Post Number: 335 Registered: Mar-05 | oh f*uck... lol. well i mean how much could polyfill help? anything else i could do? idk i could see about getting someone to rebuild/change the box to get more space but itd be a lot easier if some polyfill would help some |
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Gold Member Username: Jonathan_fGA USA Post Number: 5736 Registered: May-04 | Honestly, polyfill won't help you. You either need to get a larger box or a smaller sub. |
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Silver Member Username: Dpaw20FL USA Post Number: 336 Registered: Mar-05 | son of a bi*tch i wish you werent right all the time lol jk da*mn that sucks.. i guess i could see about rebuilding it to make it bigger. and do i HAVE to get a new sub/smaller box? i mean if i do then i do but is this as extreme as say having the wrong amp for the wrong sub? |
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Gold Member Username: Jonathan_fGA USA Post Number: 5737 Registered: May-04 | Can you accomodate a larger box? If you can't, you may want to get an IDQ 10". You'd still get better low end that way than a choked off 12", though it won't be quite as loud up high. That box size is just right for a 10". |
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Silver Member Username: Dpaw20FL USA Post Number: 339 Registered: Mar-05 | idk if i can return the sub or box so switching to a 10" setup would be harddd. specially since i have no money left. maybe by the work of god someone can rebuild the box i have if all else fails, fu*ck it. im going to learn how to build a whole new box but that would suckkk. i wish there was a quick fix lol |
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Silver Member Username: Dpaw20FL USA Post Number: 340 Registered: Mar-05 | ok so i just took a ride after i did some stuff with the amp, and it gets decently loud and its not missing tooo much lows, but i def want to fix it to get at least a little deeper |
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Silver Member Username: Dpaw20FL USA Post Number: 341 Registered: Mar-05 | ok so i just took a ride after i did some stuff with the amp, and it gets decently loud and its not missing tooo much lows, but i def want to fix it to get at least a little deeper wouldnt polyfill give it better sq and maybe get a little deeper? also doesnt it do something about standing waves at higher freq? i know polyfill isnt going to be the complete solution but untill i get a better box, would it help a little? |
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Silver Member Username: Dpaw20FL USA Post Number: 342 Registered: Mar-05 | according to my calculations.... lol, but yeah if i add about 6" to the width of the box and add maybe a half pound of polyfill id be around 7.2 cu ft after displacement. would going from 4.6 cu ft to 7.2, maybe more, be worth getting polyfill and rebuilding the box? |
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Silver Member Username: Dpaw20FL USA Post Number: 344 Registered: Mar-05 | actually i just realized im retarted and i cant just add on to the box without taking the whole thing apart. blah im pissed. ajahtgklajgth why cant everything just go smoothly for once? |
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