Am I powering my subs good enough?

[wafsman 10+ year member]

I just got my system installed recently, everything is working fine, I was just wondering if I am powering my subs good enough. I have 2 American Bass 12" VFL1266 subs on a JL Audio 250/1 running at 1.5 ohms and 2 JL Audio 12" 12W3-D4 subs on a Rockford Punch 800 2 channel running at 2 ohms a channel. Thanks for your input.

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[bladebarrier 10+ year member]

The JL slash amps don't increase or decrease power based on impedance, so as long as you're within the operable range, and 1.5 is the lowest end of it, the amp produces almost exactly 250rms. So, that's 125 per sub, which isn't mind blowing power.

My question really is, why are you mixing two types of subs? Does one pair handle 40-80 and one pair handle 20-40, or are you running the same line threw them all?

My concern would be phase issues, where the subs could actually counter each others' outputs.

Do you have two boxes in the trunk, or is it one large box with 2-4 chambers and all the subs facing the same way?

 

[JeepBeats96JGC 10+ year member]

good job, i think you just made the op's head explode!

 

[rmzsuzuki89 10+ year member]

I just got my system installed recently, everything is working fine, I was just wondering if I am powering my subs good enough. I have 2 American Bass 12" VFL1266 subs on a JL Audio 250/1 running at 1.5 ohms and 2 JL Audio 12" 12W3-D4 subs on a Rockford Punch 800 2 channel running at 2 ohms a channel. Thanks for your input.

Don't mix different subs.//content.invisioncic.com/y282845/emoticons/fyi.gif.9f1f679348da7204ce960cfc74bca8e0.gif

 

[wafsman 10+ year member]

Sorry for all the confusion. If I may start by asking a question myself, how does the amp not produce more power by dropping the ohmage?

Now to answer your questions:

I am running separate subs for separate frequencies. I have included a picture of how it is ran. I have the punch at about 40-50 through the crossover and the jl at about 130-140.

They are in separate boxes. The american bass are facing the back seats and the jl's are facing the rear of the trunk.

Hope this clears up some stuff for you all.

 

[wafsman 10+ year member]

Here is the layout.

 

[bladebarrier 10+ year member]

Sorry for all the confusion. If I may start by asking a question myself, how does the amp not produce more power by dropping the ohmage?

It has to do with the power supply regulation. Ohms law only applies in strict circuit comparison. It doesn't factor in the idea that the power supply would adjust the amperage to keep it in a stable range.

 

[JimJ 5,000+ posts]

130-140 is the job of your midbasses //content.invisioncic.com/y282845/emoticons/fyi.gif.9f1f679348da7204ce960cfc74bca8e0.gif

 

[wafsman 10+ year member]

That is what I was using the JL 250 and the American Bass for. Would you all run my system any different?

 

[smgreen20 10+ year member]

Yea, I'd ditch the JL subs altogether. Power the VFL for all its worth. Those are some badass subs. You've got to much going on in the setup.

Tweets range from 2000-4000Hz on up, mids anywhere from 50 Hz to 4000 Hz, subs from 100 Hz-60 Hz on down. These are basic freqs. It will depend on the speaker and its limits itself.

The JL amps are designed to do rated power from 1.5 ohms to 4 ohms. Anywhere in that range it will put out the same power.

 

[NightDrifter05 10+ year member]

That is what I was using the JL 250 and the American Bass for. Would you all run my system any different?

I would take out everything you got and start over from the beginning. Mixing sub's and making them play different frequencies doesn't work and shouldn't ever be done. Now take out one set of sub's and properly power the other and then you might have a half way decent setup.

 

[wafsman 10+ year member]

I don't get what the problem with mixing frequencies and subs are? I have a lot of different speakers in the car that are set at different frequencies (tweets, mids/highs, etc), I thought that was the idea?

And what kind of power could I throw at my American Bass?

 

[smgreen20 10+ year member]

I know a guy that was giving his 1000 wrms each.

 

[wafsman 10+ year member]

Really? They are not the newer ones that say VFL on the sub, they are an older model. Can I still run that kind of power? Attached are reference pics.

 

[audioholic 5,000+ posts]

I don't get what the problem with mixing frequencies and subs are? I have a lot of different speakers in the car that are set at different frequencies (tweets, mids/highs, etc), I thought that was the idea?
And what kind of power could I throw at my American Bass?

Subbass is generally considered 0-80hz. Above 80hz the sound becomes too localizable (you can tell the direction the sound originated from) to work well coming from subwoofers, mounted behind you, with little or no seperation between them to discern left from right material. Not to mention, you likely are running them mono. Either way, above 80hz your system might have impact thanks to displacement potential, but it's not "right". An experienced listener would likely find your midbass sloppy, over bearing and feel it pulls your attention away from where it should be... the front stage. Above 80hz your comp speakers should be able to handle with no poblem, will bring midbass into the front stage where it belongs, and will leave your subwoofers to only play what they were designed to do: subbass.
Many of us strive to LOWER our lowpass filters on our subs, even as low as 50-60hz. You, on the other hand, seem content to run your subs as high as 140hz. Go listen to some properly set up systems before you decide yours sounds good, bad or mediocre.

If a standard 2-way setup with mids in the doors, amplified, is still not enough midbass for you, look into a 3-way setup with dedicated midbass drivers in the (front) doors. Just about anything else, including a pair of subwoofers well into midbass territory, from the trunk/backseat, is just faking it. If you just want to brag you are running 4 subs, by all means, keep the same setup. But if you want to make it work and sound right, as you appear to want to do going by your crossover network attempting to keep the two sets of subs seperate... do it right and bring the midbass back into your front stage where it belongs.

Most of us have had the same idea, multiple subs, some working as midbass. But experience and education has taught us its simply a bad idea 99 out of 100 times. The only question now is, will you accept our expereince, or will you continue on and have to learn that for yourself over time.

Cheers.