Weak bass. Help!
Weak bass. Help! Okay, I just installed a brand new Alpine cd player in my car and I'm also installing a JL Audio 10" W3 (Dual 4 Ohm Voice Coil) in a stealth box with an MTX 421-D amp. I got the stereo all installed and the amp wired up and just wanted to test and make sure everything is okay. The sub works, but the bass is just....weak. The max wattage this sub is supposed to handle is like 300 watts RMS. The amp I have is supposed to put out 300 watts RMS at 2 ohms, but it was rebuilt right before I bought it and the test sheet says it actually put out 345 watts RMS @ 2 ohms. Something can't be right because when I sit in the front seat, I cant even hear the sub over the sail panel speakers.
I'm sure these factors don't help, but how much are they contributing to my problem:
1-The sub isn't actually in the box yet
2-I'm using some regular speaker wire to test it right now
---Would these 2 factors be enough to kill the performance? (It will be hooked up right later today)
I know the thing is wired right because I checked it MANY times. By the way I have the Dual Voice Coils wired in parallel to create a 2 ohm load.
Anybody have any ideas? Is there any way to test and see how much wattage the amp is putting out?
I'm sure these factors don't help, but how much are they contributing to my problem:
1-The sub isn't actually in the box yet
2-I'm using some regular speaker wire to test it right now
---Would these 2 factors be enough to kill the performance? (It will be hooked up right later today)
I know the thing is wired right because I checked it MANY times. By the way I have the Dual Voice Coils wired in parallel to create a 2 ohm load.
Anybody have any ideas? Is there any way to test and see how much wattage the amp is putting out?
Teching In
Joined: Sep 2003
Posts: 40
Likes: 0
From: Utah
Subs must be in box Yes, the subs need to be in an enclosure in order to have the full effect of the subs... Unless they are free air speakers but even then free air speakers do not provide the sound pressure levels as an enclosed system. If you still are not getting the sound you need, then you need to check the amp and speakers... Additionally, make sure the speaker is ired correctly and the amp is getting the proper amount of voltage to keep up with the needs of the amp and speakers... I hope this helps...
even free air speakers will not sound right playing in the open like that, free air subs still need to be in a baffle that vents to the outside or into a trunk. And yes, depending on the sub and the power delivered, you can damage a sub playing in the open like that.
