Proper sub set up...

dangerranger83 · Jul 23, 2011

Well I put a sub in my truck a few months ago and i like it but doesnt sound right, has the bass but not good, its just noise (looking for proper noise that is). I dont know if its my set up or if I just dont know how to tune it properly. Im running a 500watt amp on a 10 inch kicker and it bridged but I think those were the only two spots that I could find for it to work on. The amp use to push a 12 inch JVC just fine. I currently have my sub pointing forward too.

I just want to know if it can ever sound decent in my truck, being a single cab and all and still sound like a sub and not just noise. I have coworkers that are running dual subs and have a smaller amp pushing them and they sound nice but then again they do drive cars and their subs are in the trunk. I want to know where the best place to adjust the gain and whatnot would be best.

ForOffRoadDriving · Jul 23, 2011

one of the first things to do is look up the specs on youre sub model, amp model, and take some measurements of your box. using the12volt.com figure out the air space of your box, then punch in your subs make and model number on crutchfield.com and look at the specs sheet. it will tell you what the recommended air space is and you can compare that number to the number you found on the12volt.com. being a std cab i would bet that the box is too small for the sub needs, but this isnt the end of the world, you can always polyfil them a bit to trick the speaker into thinking its in a bigger box. the other thing to look at is the rms wattage out put of the amp when its bridged (dont confuse this with the advertised max wattage of the amp) and then look at the acceptable range of wattage listed for the sub and make sure that theyre compatible or at least close to eachother. i usually tune my amps by turning the gain to the 1/2 way point and then going up or down from there after driving in it for a while and getting a feel for the sound.

dangerranger83 · Jul 23, 2011

Okay will try that. I dont see how filling the box tricks it into thinking its in a bigger box. I will say that when my bro in law had the sub (didnt use it much) it sounded great. I do love having my sub loud, I go more for the sound then hearing what the music says, but I dont use my sub all the time, just once in awhile. i think I do have my gain up to much though and will go adjust that and play around with it all.

Ill try to post pics and everything when I can of my setup, may not look pretty, but nobody can see it.

ForOffRoadDriving · Jul 23, 2011

post it up, lets see what youve got! when i did my system 4x4fun and svtranger (there were others im sure) gave me alot of good info on how to match components and how to do a base tune on the setup so that i could do minimal tuning from there. now that ive had my setup for about a year i decided i wanted to add sound deadening to improve the sound quality rather than buying new equipment and changing my whole set up again. its definately worth the investment of time and money as it completely changed the structure of my bass notes and the clarity of my door speakers. enough babbling, post up some pics!

dangerranger83 · Jul 25, 2011

Okay just got to a computer and heres how it looks, and ya told ya its not pretty but it is all hooked up correctly.

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And the amp. Got it for $20 off my parents after they took it out of the family van right before they sold the van.

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Dont know if the box has lost its seal, looked at it and saw that there may be a few spots that have popped the seal. I now have the gain set to half way goes from 5v to 0.2v. My radio only has a 2 channel out on it and ya its a cheap walmart one too the puts out 60watts but the amp use to be in the van that had a factory radio but it ran on the high inputs/outputs rather then the lows. But this sub does have 4 channels on it.

I am still new to all of this, far from an expert and still learning.

Heavyfire14 · Jul 25, 2011

ha ive seen worse. i know somone that got a sub and jus put in on the floor in the back of his truck with no box. ha has an amp and stuff but its ghetto and sounds like crap. haha, good luck man

BT2413 · Jul 25, 2011

I would take the advice of ForOff... From the pic of the sub enclosureit definately looks as if it could have some leaks. Plywood is not the best material for a sub enclosure. 3/4 inch MDF is best if you are going to use wood. Try looking up specs for the sub online and you should be able to find the proper dimensions and required internal volume of the enclosure for the sub to operate properly... but definately the box cannot have any leaks to get the besst sound. You need to get a proper enclosure for the sub and then you can get the sound you desire. In a smaller enclosure, putting fiberfill in it slows the sound waves inside and alows the sub to push in and out without over exerting itself. There are ported enclosures which allow for more sound output with less wattage. It all depends on how you are going to push the sub. With the wattage you have and the way it sounds that you like your bass, I would recommend a sealed enclosure. Also make sure that your amp is ok with the way you have your sub wired.

407Link · Jul 25, 2011

I have a 10" in my truck and it sounds great

dangerranger83 · Jul 26, 2011

Thats the box that it came with when I got it, has spent its whole life in it.

I think that there may be leaks in the seams of the box. Sounded nice at first but as time went on and I used it more, just started sounding worse. may just fiberglass over the box and call it good too, save myself sometime by building another box.

I know people that are running 350 watt amps bridged on two 12 inch subs and it sounds great but once again, they have a trunk to put theirs in too.

As for the speakers, got the rear ones for free, they are Sony Xplodes 120 watt and the front speakers are...well whatever my dad may have put in years ago and that may just be just walmart ones. Ya the Sony boxes are shit, made them in no time but needed need something better then it did have which was a set of stock rear ranger speakers thet my dad got from the JY.

Can I hook the rear speakers to the amp and get more from them to help out with sound, Im told I can and will be just fine with it but not sure, has the spots on the amp for speakers and if so, how?

nine-teen91stxranger · Jul 26, 2011

yeah, you can hook your rears up to the amp but if all that amp has is a lpf it wont sound good. you should get a tube of liquid nail and re-seal the box, makes a world of diff. in my ranger, i have 2 clarion 12"s on a 240 watt amp (temp amp till i get my massive) and my little ranger moves soo much from the bass, but whats the sub? a good sub will sound like crap in a bad box, and a bad sub in a great box will sound good.

edit: is that amp called pimpage? if it is, you should try to get a real amp. that amps could be holding you back too.

dangerranger83 · Jul 26, 2011

No its a rampage amp. and all it specs are in the picture. And what is a LPT? Remember, Im new to all of this. The sub is just a kicker. Its not stretched out or scratched up either.

I will try to get samething to seal up the box, i have seen them made out of ply wood and hold up just fine.

407Link · Jul 26, 2011

I would give it more air space..My box is bigger then yours and my kicker sounds like crap because theres not enough room. Did you say the sub has 4 hookups on the back?

RangerDan99 · Jul 26, 2011

well here i am runing two 12" memphis pr's on a 1400 watt crunch amp. btw this is in a 1999 single cab ranger i took the box that was made for two 10" subs. i just cut the holes bigger and added a spacer. to fit better. but anyways i would buy a new sub box and if your sub should only have 2 plugs on the back of it (where your wires go) and i would retune it. what you do is crank your system up or to where you like playing it at most (loudly) and tune your amp from there. that is how i tune all the systems at work. ( i work at a audio store) also make sure your running 8 gage wire from your battery to your amp. and i like using monster cable from the amp to the subs. some of the best wire ive used. and make sure your amp isnt cranked up the rms of the kickers are ually around 200 and max is usally around 400watts for the 10" and it also looks like you have another speaker in the box. if you do i would suggest taking that out and putting it in a seperate box. reason being is that it can acutally hurt the sound of the sub when it is using the airspace. and is worst comes to worst try porting the box at 3" and usig a port tube. and if that dosnt work you can always reseal the port back up. and also make sure you have no leaks in the box. i hope this helps some

RangerDan99 · Jul 27, 2011

LPF is low pass frequense that is used to give the sub more low end hit. HPF is high pass. also i would not hook up the rear speakers to the amp that you are running the sub off of. it will put to much power to them unless you are running a 4 channel amp that you can adjust the power to each channel. i hope this helps you out some.
i will post sme pictures of my set up in a day or so

Heavyfire14 · Jul 27, 2011

i run a 450 watt amp powering two rockford fosgate 10" subs... jus gotta chime in

Proper sub set up...

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