I am going to install my new RF6001bd amp today which will be powering a single 12" Alpine SWR 1242D with dual 4ohm voice coils wired in parallel for a 2ohm load.
Swez has been guiding me in my efforts to have a decent first effort system upgrade,
What is the proper way to break in a new sub. This is my first real sub so I am hoping to get my setup tuned without frying it. Thanks
Replies (19)
swez on 01/27/2007 10:14:10
Crutchfield suggests a break in period of up to 20 hours at low to medium power. This is a very conservative methodology, but on a practical note, 8-10 hours of music programming with some good, deep bass at 30-50% of full power, (150-250 watts) will do the job a bit faster.
Some sub makers suggest suspending the sub, (no enclosure) and run music program and bass tones at 25-30% of full power for several hours before installing the sub in its enclosure. That's not always practical, but free air break ins are probably the best way to loosen up all the sub components. Some do the break in while they are wiring and installing other gear. This can be distracting and annoying to the installer and neighbors however.
Take your pick,
Swez
jamesp on 01/27/2007 12:30:23
Thank you, I have the amp installed and would like to test everything before reinstalling the seat. I used a 60 amp maxi fuse at the bsattery on the 4 ga, wire. What amperage fuse would you recommend now. Both amps have 2, 30 amp fuses each.
I will start with the crossover at 80Hz, w/ infrasonic(sp?) filter on and test the system at very low power . If all is good,Ill put the seat back in....the good weather is supposed to end tonight so I will probably not get anything done tomorrow if I dont finish up....Yep, call me Speedy. As always, I really do appreciate the help.
jamesp on 01/27/2007 15:17:38
Well, so far so good. I turned everything on with the sub in free air mode and played a couple of songs while playing with the gain.
Now I an putting the quilt fiber fill material into my sealed box. I have to make 1 more trip to the store to pick up a couple of 12ga. female crimp on spade terminals. The sub box has male spade terminals inside the wiring cup.
The amp manual has a diagram showing a single speaker install and it only uses what is labeled the A set of + and - speaker wire terminals with nothing in the pair labelled B.
I followed the diagram for parallel wiring the sub for 2 ohm operation, 1 double banana plug jumping out the 2 negative terminals in the 1st and 3rd position and the other banana plug jumping out the positives in the 2nd and 4th position with the speaker wire - in position 1and the + in position 4. This is with the 4 terminals aligned in a row. Be glad you dont have to pay me by the hour. I am taking my time and enjoying the job.
Does this sound about right?
swez on 01/27/2007 17:15:09
If you can find a 100A Maxi-fuse for your main #4 line, that should be fine.
By all means, take your time and enjoy the process. I don't care to rush projects either. Even if it's not a pleasing task, taking ones time usually limits mistakes.
As for wiring your Alpine sub coils, just follow the directions as noted and you should be fine. As long as your Ohmmeter says just under 2 ohms when wired and the sub plays normally, you have it right.
Swez
jamesp on 01/27/2007 19:03:53
OK, Ill get a bigger fuse tomorrow. Everything went well. I padded the box as you recommended, I bought some 12ga speaker wire, thought hmmm this is some big stuff..it is big,it turned out to be 10ga. 10 ga.
I have to turn the gain up about 1/2 way to really get any visible action from the sub, I left it there and can get a good little thump with the remote knob turned up. Is it better to give it more gain or leave it at 1/2 for now and use a little remote action, I dont really understand what that knob actually does technically. The book shows it at 45Hz min. and +18dB turned all the way up. The Infrasonic filter ?? a 28Hz high pass filter I dont understand either because the crossover range starts at 35Hz and goes to 250Hz and is set to low pass (the low pass is fixed on this P6001bd) Where do you usually set the crossover? Im being cautious on the break in and resisted the impulse to see what it will do. It is very tight and clear. I think Im going to love this thing. When it is broken in I should be bumpin' properly. Sorry for all the questions. I did get a couple of books from Amazon , Car Stero Cookbook second ed. It may have some answers for me....when I get a chance to read it. Thanks
cplkittle on 01/27/2007 19:35:25
If you have 2 amplifiers each being fused at 60 amps each that is 120amps total. I would recommend a 150 amp fuse. 4 gauge will carry 150 amps and at the same time you won't be blowing your main fuse (they aren't cheap). With the amplifiers being fused themselves, the only reason to have a fuse at the battery is to protect against grounding out the power wire accidentally via misplaced screw or sharp metal.
swez on 01/27/2007 19:42:56
The remote bass control is a bass boost feature. It boost bass around the 45 Hz range and gives you on the fly bass control at the dash. Most guys rarely need more than +3 to +6 dB of boost. Most of it really depends on the music you listen to and how much bass content was encoded into that CD track. As you play with it more, it will all make sense. Just avoid using the boost feature to extremes. (+9dB of bass boost or more, is a huge increase and to be avoided)
While breaking in your sub, feel free to periodically dial up the bass boost and get the cone moving a bit. You may not hear a lot of bass w/o the enclosure now, but getting the cone to move well is needed to break it in and get the stiffness out of same. If you hear cone brapping sounds, back it down as this is not good for any sub.
Since you are using a sealed box, don't need the Infrasonic Filter feature on this amp. You can use it if you wish, but in sealed boxes, the box helps control cone movement that might otherwise be damaging to a sub in a ported enclosure.
The Low Pass Filter, (LPF) is normally variable and set to about 80 Hz. You can experiment later, when the sub has broken in and in its box. The range most folks like, is often determined by the vehicle acoustics. That range might be anywhere between 60-120 Hz.
The Infrasonic Filter is usually fixed at a specific frequency and slope. I think you have these two bass-ack-wards... GRIN
Keep up the good work Jimmy,
Swez
jamesp on 01/27/2007 20:36:41
Hi Swez, what I meant about the low pass thing is on the 6001 it doesnt have a switch to set LP, AP,HP etc like my 4 channel and the RF3001bd. The infrasonic filter is off or on switched...but you knew all that.
I do have the sub in the enclosure now. I tested the system with it not installed and let a few songs play while I did other stuff. When I was satified that all was good, I put my seat back in, put the sub in the box and tried it out. I have it upfiring and sitting on the shelf made by folding the short part of the 80/20 rear seat forward. Man it would be much easier with the newer type seats that the seating surface folds up into the backrest. My buddies seat does that but my set up is a much sturdier seat. With 2 amps under the long part, I cant fold that section forward though...No problem .I dont have any real heavy bass music..mostly classic rock. The most bass I have is stuff like the Red Hot Chilli Peppers..you know Im an old dude..I have some killer Leslie West, Alvin Lee, Stevie Ray V. I need a recommendation of some real bumpin something...now that I can...Im sore from contorting around in that truck..did I mention that Im old...but hey, my daughter and son are jealous of my tune system now..lol.
cplkittle on 01/27/2007 21:38:22
Sounds like you have good taste in music. If you are looking for something that will give your sub a workout I would recommend a CD by bass mechanics. They are pure bass notes, not the muddy bass common in alot of rap music. You will have to be careful with the volume on these CDs, they can kill a sub, but at the same time you will find out just what your setup will do.
MrBrownstone on 01/28/2007 04:11:08
Subwoofers are like basketball shoes--they don't require you to break them in to use them, but they will loosen up in the first few hours of operation. You are not going to damage them by playing them at reasonable volumes...they'll just be slightly more efficient after loosening up a bit.
The main purpose of taking it easy on your woofers is for YOU to discern when YOU are stressing your woofers. You're not going to damage your BBall shoes or your woofers if you start with reasonable volumes...only if you overpower them.
I would seriously NOT recommend running your woofers without an enclosure while 'breaking them in' (ala loosening them up) unless you are an expert like Swez, Mr B and a lot of the Golds around here. Kinda like running an engine at 4,000 rpms without a load. Those things will loosen up after a few hours of play no matter what you do.
What'll you notice, from NORMAL playing of the woofers, is that the sound will be slightly different from the first hour you play them til the 5th hour. Lower frequencies will be more prevalent after some playing time.
swez on 01/28/2007 09:37:54
Right... subs are like gym shoes huh? The longer we wear them the smellier they get and have to wash them too? I would not recommend power washing a sub either... LOL
Well, we do know one thing here, the more you use the sub, the sooner it will loosen up. As Mr. B said, you'll begin to notice a fuller and more robust sound in the low bass performance after a few hours of play.
Swez
PS How's your sore back today? SMILE
jamesp on 01/29/2007 21:57:43
I downloaded some test tones from a site Swez provided a link for in 40Hz, 60Hz and 80Hz to use for setting up the gain on my sub amp. Using the 60Hz, I set everything flat and turned the volumne very high then down a bit below distortion level. I climbed in the back with my volt meter and felt like I was in the ball turrett of a B-17 bomber with a bent prop shaft. My eyelids were buzzing. Got the probes on the speaker wires and had 32 volts.
My amp is rated at 600 watts RMS @ 2ohms and the birth sheet speced it at 699 watts @ 2. 600 at 2 ohms should net 34.6 volts so with a little margin for error I called it good at a touch over 32vac.At that point any tiny movement of the gain pot increased voltage by a significant amount just a hair of a turn further jumped the volts to 40 so I put it back where it was and shut it down. I left the crossover at approximatly 70. If somebody locked me in a room with a tone like that at high volumne for long it might put me over the edge pretty quick.I plan to make up a couple of short wire sets with a 2ohm and 4 ohm load to make this job a bit easier on my nerves. Just got to get a couple of resistors.
My Alpine sub will thump. I know it could make things fall off the truck. I really like it and thank Swez for taking time to recommend this combo and answer all the questions that I have emailed him over the last few weeks It probably wouldnt be impressive to most of you guys that are experienced with this stuffI. I dont really have anything to compare it to as none of my buddies have good upgraded car audio ....yet..I have one buddy that now wants to make a move up on his 07 F-150 after listening to mine. It may be like horsepower, every time you bump up the power it feels good and has a satisfying effect......for a while....then you need a little more..............come to think of it, a lot of things are like that. GRIN
cplkittle on 01/29/2007 23:08:05
Unfortunately alot of people get used to it and start craving more. I have had hundreds of people come to me and swear that their sub isn't as loud as it used to be. Actually it is just as loud if not louder, they just get used to it. Either that, or they are starting to go deaf.
swez on 01/30/2007 06:34:27
Good feedback there Jimmy and glad you have been able to get your new sub into the mix. Thanks for the props too!
As Kit said, some guys do get a nutty about the extra Bass SPL and in time, they want even more. Older guys may like the extra thump for a while, then come back to a balance point later and dial back on the bass. Much of this depends on the music we like best.
Enjoy your new rig, but remember that this sub is in a slightly over-sized sealed enclosure. If the bass seems to get a bit muddy or boomy with time, consider adding a few pieces of wood internally to close up the box to a slightly smaller airspace. (0.85 cf internally is a very good "Q" point for this sub)
Swez HAPPY
swez on 01/30/2007 10:15:29
Took care of the blinkers...
It sounds like you have it pretty well down with the luan used. It does not have to be that exact as subs often sound fine within the operating limits of the enclosure. We generally have a well mated enclosure if we remain +/- 15% of the end-points of mfg's specs.
Alpine SWR-1242D sealed box volume: 0.57-1.00 cu. ft.
0.57 +15% = 0.66 cf (Crisp, punchy pass, minimal deep lows)
1.0 -15% = 0.85 cf (Good deep lows, good punch)
1.0 cf (Good deep lows, perhaps a bit muddy and boomy)
If you want a critical review of your install, go to the high priced shops in your area and ask for thier opinions. However, since they did not sell or install the gear, they may be a bit critical and say it's NG. But if they suggest a few things to make it even better, listen and consider their suggestions.
Swez
PS The guy who paid the bill and did the install, is the guy we aim to please most. If it sounds good to you, that's the most important judge we have to please.
Close enough for the most discriminating listener.
cplkittle on 01/30/2007 10:37:08
You can take a styrofoam cube and secure it on the inside of the box after about a week of listening to see what the difference is in airspace. You can also experiment with polyfill in the box.
Since this is a sealed box, and you will have to remove the speaker to get inside, I would recommend 1 week of listening before changing anything. In the time it takes to remove and remount the sub, you will forget what it sounded like before.
Listening for a week or so, and paying attention to the responses will help you notice the differences.
jamesp on 01/30/2007 12:24:43
As far as I know there are 2 audio shops in the small town I live in. I went to the closest one to buy the 4ga. wire and acessories I needed to install my first amp(the 4 channel RF). I explained to him that I got a deal on the amp from an audio lab owner I know from a Harley tech board, that tests audio equipment and sells the stuff he buys at retail for independant testing on the swap meet section of the tech site. The audio shop owner was very friendly and offered to check out what I had to work with. He suggested that I replace the nearly brand new Blauplunkt front speakers with a component set which was very good advice, and I only paid 30 bucks for the Blau's from Crutchfield anyway. I bought the Rockford components from him, and they cost more than an anonomous on line seller, but after owning a hardware store in this town for over 16 years, believe me, I know why they cost a bit more from a small shop. He told me to bring it back when I put the amp in and if necessary he could tweak it.
I bought the bass amp and sub impulsivly on line from work so ago and when I returned to the audio shop for 12 ga speaker wire, I didnt really want to tell him I bought it online..but I did and told him since I had spent more than I planned ...I needed to save a few bucks..He did not get an attitude and even offered me the loan of a crimping tool, for a new groung wire terminal but I had one just like his.lol...he thought that the amp/sub was a great match and told me to bring it by when I finished. Ill buy some more stuff from him for sure. He seems to be a hard working young guy, 31w/ a family and does a lot of car video and lg. diameter wheels w/ those high aspect ratio tires..I know how hard it is to make a decent living in a shop that size and how many hours you have to put in. He seems to have a steady customer flow. I just never had any interest in this stuff till now.Ill get by there and let him check it out soon.
swez on 01/30/2007 13:55:06
Cool, that sounds like a good place to get some fine tuning done quickly and feedback on the quality of the install. It's good to have friends in this biz, that shoot straight and aim to please. He knows if you need something quick... he'll be the first place you'll look.
Retail audio has some huge markups on certain items. But after building some rapport, he can often cut a good deal for you/your buddies and still make a reasonable margin. Last years models and things he's been sitting on a long time, are often the best bargains. Especially now with inventories and tax time coming up.
Swez
jamesp on 01/30/2007 17:01:23
Yes, I would have to believe that if Crutchfield can sell a Rockford Fosgate 6001bd amp for 499.00 with free shipping and another online seller puts em out the door for 199.00+25.00 shipping, there is definitly some decent margin to be made on these products.
Swez has been guiding me in my efforts to have a decent first effort system upgrade,
What is the proper way to break in a new sub. This is my first real sub so I am hoping to get my setup tuned without frying it. Thanks
Replies (19)
swez on 01/27/2007 10:14:10
Crutchfield suggests a break in period of up to 20 hours at low to medium power. This is a very conservative methodology, but on a practical note, 8-10 hours of music programming with some good, deep bass at 30-50% of full power, (150-250 watts) will do the job a bit faster.
Some sub makers suggest suspending the sub, (no enclosure) and run music program and bass tones at 25-30% of full power for several hours before installing the sub in its enclosure. That's not always practical, but free air break ins are probably the best way to loosen up all the sub components. Some do the break in while they are wiring and installing other gear. This can be distracting and annoying to the installer and neighbors however.
Take your pick,
Swez
jamesp on 01/27/2007 12:30:23
Thank you, I have the amp installed and would like to test everything before reinstalling the seat. I used a 60 amp maxi fuse at the bsattery on the 4 ga, wire. What amperage fuse would you recommend now. Both amps have 2, 30 amp fuses each.
I will start with the crossover at 80Hz, w/ infrasonic(sp?) filter on and test the system at very low power . If all is good,Ill put the seat back in....the good weather is supposed to end tonight so I will probably not get anything done tomorrow if I dont finish up....Yep, call me Speedy. As always, I really do appreciate the help.
jamesp on 01/27/2007 15:17:38
Well, so far so good. I turned everything on with the sub in free air mode and played a couple of songs while playing with the gain.
Now I an putting the quilt fiber fill material into my sealed box. I have to make 1 more trip to the store to pick up a couple of 12ga. female crimp on spade terminals. The sub box has male spade terminals inside the wiring cup.
The amp manual has a diagram showing a single speaker install and it only uses what is labeled the A set of + and - speaker wire terminals with nothing in the pair labelled B.
I followed the diagram for parallel wiring the sub for 2 ohm operation, 1 double banana plug jumping out the 2 negative terminals in the 1st and 3rd position and the other banana plug jumping out the positives in the 2nd and 4th position with the speaker wire - in position 1and the + in position 4. This is with the 4 terminals aligned in a row. Be glad you dont have to pay me by the hour. I am taking my time and enjoying the job.
Does this sound about right?
swez on 01/27/2007 17:15:09
If you can find a 100A Maxi-fuse for your main #4 line, that should be fine.
By all means, take your time and enjoy the process. I don't care to rush projects either. Even if it's not a pleasing task, taking ones time usually limits mistakes.
As for wiring your Alpine sub coils, just follow the directions as noted and you should be fine. As long as your Ohmmeter says just under 2 ohms when wired and the sub plays normally, you have it right.
Swez
jamesp on 01/27/2007 19:03:53
OK, Ill get a bigger fuse tomorrow. Everything went well. I padded the box as you recommended, I bought some 12ga speaker wire, thought hmmm this is some big stuff..it is big,it turned out to be 10ga. 10 ga.
I have to turn the gain up about 1/2 way to really get any visible action from the sub, I left it there and can get a good little thump with the remote knob turned up. Is it better to give it more gain or leave it at 1/2 for now and use a little remote action, I dont really understand what that knob actually does technically. The book shows it at 45Hz min. and +18dB turned all the way up. The Infrasonic filter ?? a 28Hz high pass filter I dont understand either because the crossover range starts at 35Hz and goes to 250Hz and is set to low pass (the low pass is fixed on this P6001bd) Where do you usually set the crossover? Im being cautious on the break in and resisted the impulse to see what it will do. It is very tight and clear. I think Im going to love this thing. When it is broken in I should be bumpin' properly. Sorry for all the questions. I did get a couple of books from Amazon , Car Stero Cookbook second ed. It may have some answers for me....when I get a chance to read it. Thanks
cplkittle on 01/27/2007 19:35:25
If you have 2 amplifiers each being fused at 60 amps each that is 120amps total. I would recommend a 150 amp fuse. 4 gauge will carry 150 amps and at the same time you won't be blowing your main fuse (they aren't cheap). With the amplifiers being fused themselves, the only reason to have a fuse at the battery is to protect against grounding out the power wire accidentally via misplaced screw or sharp metal.
swez on 01/27/2007 19:42:56
The remote bass control is a bass boost feature. It boost bass around the 45 Hz range and gives you on the fly bass control at the dash. Most guys rarely need more than +3 to +6 dB of boost. Most of it really depends on the music you listen to and how much bass content was encoded into that CD track. As you play with it more, it will all make sense. Just avoid using the boost feature to extremes. (+9dB of bass boost or more, is a huge increase and to be avoided)
While breaking in your sub, feel free to periodically dial up the bass boost and get the cone moving a bit. You may not hear a lot of bass w/o the enclosure now, but getting the cone to move well is needed to break it in and get the stiffness out of same. If you hear cone brapping sounds, back it down as this is not good for any sub.
Since you are using a sealed box, don't need the Infrasonic Filter feature on this amp. You can use it if you wish, but in sealed boxes, the box helps control cone movement that might otherwise be damaging to a sub in a ported enclosure.
The Low Pass Filter, (LPF) is normally variable and set to about 80 Hz. You can experiment later, when the sub has broken in and in its box. The range most folks like, is often determined by the vehicle acoustics. That range might be anywhere between 60-120 Hz.
The Infrasonic Filter is usually fixed at a specific frequency and slope. I think you have these two bass-ack-wards... GRIN
Keep up the good work Jimmy,
Swez
jamesp on 01/27/2007 20:36:41
Hi Swez, what I meant about the low pass thing is on the 6001 it doesnt have a switch to set LP, AP,HP etc like my 4 channel and the RF3001bd. The infrasonic filter is off or on switched...but you knew all that.
I do have the sub in the enclosure now. I tested the system with it not installed and let a few songs play while I did other stuff. When I was satified that all was good, I put my seat back in, put the sub in the box and tried it out. I have it upfiring and sitting on the shelf made by folding the short part of the 80/20 rear seat forward. Man it would be much easier with the newer type seats that the seating surface folds up into the backrest. My buddies seat does that but my set up is a much sturdier seat. With 2 amps under the long part, I cant fold that section forward though...No problem .I dont have any real heavy bass music..mostly classic rock. The most bass I have is stuff like the Red Hot Chilli Peppers..you know Im an old dude..I have some killer Leslie West, Alvin Lee, Stevie Ray V. I need a recommendation of some real bumpin something...now that I can...Im sore from contorting around in that truck..did I mention that Im old...but hey, my daughter and son are jealous of my tune system now..lol.
cplkittle on 01/27/2007 21:38:22
Sounds like you have good taste in music. If you are looking for something that will give your sub a workout I would recommend a CD by bass mechanics. They are pure bass notes, not the muddy bass common in alot of rap music. You will have to be careful with the volume on these CDs, they can kill a sub, but at the same time you will find out just what your setup will do.
MrBrownstone on 01/28/2007 04:11:08
Subwoofers are like basketball shoes--they don't require you to break them in to use them, but they will loosen up in the first few hours of operation. You are not going to damage them by playing them at reasonable volumes...they'll just be slightly more efficient after loosening up a bit.
The main purpose of taking it easy on your woofers is for YOU to discern when YOU are stressing your woofers. You're not going to damage your BBall shoes or your woofers if you start with reasonable volumes...only if you overpower them.
I would seriously NOT recommend running your woofers without an enclosure while 'breaking them in' (ala loosening them up) unless you are an expert like Swez, Mr B and a lot of the Golds around here. Kinda like running an engine at 4,000 rpms without a load. Those things will loosen up after a few hours of play no matter what you do.
What'll you notice, from NORMAL playing of the woofers, is that the sound will be slightly different from the first hour you play them til the 5th hour. Lower frequencies will be more prevalent after some playing time.
swez on 01/28/2007 09:37:54
Right... subs are like gym shoes huh? The longer we wear them the smellier they get and have to wash them too? I would not recommend power washing a sub either... LOL
Well, we do know one thing here, the more you use the sub, the sooner it will loosen up. As Mr. B said, you'll begin to notice a fuller and more robust sound in the low bass performance after a few hours of play.
Swez
PS How's your sore back today? SMILE
jamesp on 01/29/2007 21:57:43
I downloaded some test tones from a site Swez provided a link for in 40Hz, 60Hz and 80Hz to use for setting up the gain on my sub amp. Using the 60Hz, I set everything flat and turned the volumne very high then down a bit below distortion level. I climbed in the back with my volt meter and felt like I was in the ball turrett of a B-17 bomber with a bent prop shaft. My eyelids were buzzing. Got the probes on the speaker wires and had 32 volts.
My amp is rated at 600 watts RMS @ 2ohms and the birth sheet speced it at 699 watts @ 2. 600 at 2 ohms should net 34.6 volts so with a little margin for error I called it good at a touch over 32vac.At that point any tiny movement of the gain pot increased voltage by a significant amount just a hair of a turn further jumped the volts to 40 so I put it back where it was and shut it down. I left the crossover at approximatly 70. If somebody locked me in a room with a tone like that at high volumne for long it might put me over the edge pretty quick.I plan to make up a couple of short wire sets with a 2ohm and 4 ohm load to make this job a bit easier on my nerves. Just got to get a couple of resistors.
My Alpine sub will thump. I know it could make things fall off the truck. I really like it and thank Swez for taking time to recommend this combo and answer all the questions that I have emailed him over the last few weeks It probably wouldnt be impressive to most of you guys that are experienced with this stuffI. I dont really have anything to compare it to as none of my buddies have good upgraded car audio ....yet..I have one buddy that now wants to make a move up on his 07 F-150 after listening to mine. It may be like horsepower, every time you bump up the power it feels good and has a satisfying effect......for a while....then you need a little more..............come to think of it, a lot of things are like that. GRIN
cplkittle on 01/29/2007 23:08:05
Unfortunately alot of people get used to it and start craving more. I have had hundreds of people come to me and swear that their sub isn't as loud as it used to be. Actually it is just as loud if not louder, they just get used to it. Either that, or they are starting to go deaf.
swez on 01/30/2007 06:34:27
Good feedback there Jimmy and glad you have been able to get your new sub into the mix. Thanks for the props too!
As Kit said, some guys do get a nutty about the extra Bass SPL and in time, they want even more. Older guys may like the extra thump for a while, then come back to a balance point later and dial back on the bass. Much of this depends on the music we like best.
Enjoy your new rig, but remember that this sub is in a slightly over-sized sealed enclosure. If the bass seems to get a bit muddy or boomy with time, consider adding a few pieces of wood internally to close up the box to a slightly smaller airspace. (0.85 cf internally is a very good "Q" point for this sub)
Swez HAPPY
swez on 01/30/2007 10:15:29
Took care of the blinkers...
It sounds like you have it pretty well down with the luan used. It does not have to be that exact as subs often sound fine within the operating limits of the enclosure. We generally have a well mated enclosure if we remain +/- 15% of the end-points of mfg's specs.
Alpine SWR-1242D sealed box volume: 0.57-1.00 cu. ft.
0.57 +15% = 0.66 cf (Crisp, punchy pass, minimal deep lows)
1.0 -15% = 0.85 cf (Good deep lows, good punch)
1.0 cf (Good deep lows, perhaps a bit muddy and boomy)
If you want a critical review of your install, go to the high priced shops in your area and ask for thier opinions. However, since they did not sell or install the gear, they may be a bit critical and say it's NG. But if they suggest a few things to make it even better, listen and consider their suggestions.
Swez
PS The guy who paid the bill and did the install, is the guy we aim to please most. If it sounds good to you, that's the most important judge we have to please.
Close enough for the most discriminating listener.
cplkittle on 01/30/2007 10:37:08
You can take a styrofoam cube and secure it on the inside of the box after about a week of listening to see what the difference is in airspace. You can also experiment with polyfill in the box.
Since this is a sealed box, and you will have to remove the speaker to get inside, I would recommend 1 week of listening before changing anything. In the time it takes to remove and remount the sub, you will forget what it sounded like before.
Listening for a week or so, and paying attention to the responses will help you notice the differences.
jamesp on 01/30/2007 12:24:43
As far as I know there are 2 audio shops in the small town I live in. I went to the closest one to buy the 4ga. wire and acessories I needed to install my first amp(the 4 channel RF). I explained to him that I got a deal on the amp from an audio lab owner I know from a Harley tech board, that tests audio equipment and sells the stuff he buys at retail for independant testing on the swap meet section of the tech site. The audio shop owner was very friendly and offered to check out what I had to work with. He suggested that I replace the nearly brand new Blauplunkt front speakers with a component set which was very good advice, and I only paid 30 bucks for the Blau's from Crutchfield anyway. I bought the Rockford components from him, and they cost more than an anonomous on line seller, but after owning a hardware store in this town for over 16 years, believe me, I know why they cost a bit more from a small shop. He told me to bring it back when I put the amp in and if necessary he could tweak it.
I bought the bass amp and sub impulsivly on line from work so ago and when I returned to the audio shop for 12 ga speaker wire, I didnt really want to tell him I bought it online..but I did and told him since I had spent more than I planned ...I needed to save a few bucks..He did not get an attitude and even offered me the loan of a crimping tool, for a new groung wire terminal but I had one just like his.lol...he thought that the amp/sub was a great match and told me to bring it by when I finished. Ill buy some more stuff from him for sure. He seems to be a hard working young guy, 31w/ a family and does a lot of car video and lg. diameter wheels w/ those high aspect ratio tires..I know how hard it is to make a decent living in a shop that size and how many hours you have to put in. He seems to have a steady customer flow. I just never had any interest in this stuff till now.Ill get by there and let him check it out soon.
swez on 01/30/2007 13:55:06
Cool, that sounds like a good place to get some fine tuning done quickly and feedback on the quality of the install. It's good to have friends in this biz, that shoot straight and aim to please. He knows if you need something quick... he'll be the first place you'll look.
Retail audio has some huge markups on certain items. But after building some rapport, he can often cut a good deal for you/your buddies and still make a reasonable margin. Last years models and things he's been sitting on a long time, are often the best bargains. Especially now with inventories and tax time coming up.
Swez
jamesp on 01/30/2007 17:01:23
Yes, I would have to believe that if Crutchfield can sell a Rockford Fosgate 6001bd amp for 499.00 with free shipping and another online seller puts em out the door for 199.00+25.00 shipping, there is definitly some decent margin to be made on these products.
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