First system set up.. a couple questions

[godisanatheist 10+ year member]

Set up my first system:

toyota matrix 04

head unit - kenwood mp345u

amp - phoenix gold ti 600.2 ( http ://download.phoenixphorum.c om/Manuals/Amplifiers/Titanium/Ti600_2Ti400_2manual.pdf )

sub - 10" alpine type r

box - bassworx ported box ( http ://www.pricecanada.c om/p.php/Bassworx-Hatchback-10-Slot-ported-HSP10BK-532287/ ) - not sure what the tuning freq.

1) one of my sub rca's broke on the amp end. so i just used a y-splitter on that end. and another y-splitter on the headunit. so now only one channel goes to the amp, but with both rca ends. shouldnt be a huge problem right?

2) no subsonic filter? //content.invisioncic.com/y282845/emoticons/frown.gif.a3531fa0534503350665a1e957861287.gif idk if itll ruin my sub since its in a ported box. not even sure of the tuning freq.

3) low pass filter.. on my amp I just made it full range, then on my head unit i made it 120hz. idk if thats good for the type r. another thing im not sure if the low pass filter makes it so nothing under 120hz goes to the stock speakers. which leads to my next issue

4) in order to make it so no bass comes out of stock speakers, i put bass equalizer all the way down (-6) and i toggle with the sw level to handle bass. mid is +2 and treble is +6

5) on my amp what should the setting be like. i just did what sounded best to ear. put bass in the middle (9 db) and sensitivity more than 3 quarters. (refer to amp link)

6) how can i make the ported box sound more accurate. sometimes and SLAMS i love it, other times it sounds way too boomy to be enjoyable. possible to make it sealed? anything i can do with equalization/settings? change subwoofer phase? etc

thanks in advance

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[UMWDawg92 10+ year member]

have someone here design then make your own ported box and it'll sound way better and you may want to turn your lowpass filter on your amp on and cross your sub at about 80hz or so

 

[godisanatheist 10+ year member]

I'll try putting the cross fader at 85hz from my head unit. i prefer doing that so i can change it if it doesnt sound good on a specific song. as for the box lets try to make this sound good before i switch the box as a last resort.

what you think of the other things

 

[UMWDawg92 10+ year member]

can you give me some specs on that box and I can figure out what it's tuned at, most likely its too high and is why it sounds boomy and inaccurate.

 

[godisanatheist 10+ year member]

I cannot find specs for the exact box, but newer boxes from the same brand is around 46hz. it could be lower thought because i tried to set a high-pass filter on my amp at 40hz (lowest setting possible) and it didnt sound as great. hmm..

what i did was keep bass boost at 0 on the amp (boosts at 45hz) and put gain/sensitivity about 96%. then put equalizer for bass at -8 on HU and I just increase the SW level on HU to my taste for the specific track. low pass filter is at 85hz. it sounds much better now.

still want to know about if i need a subsonic filter or no..

 

[huricaine 10+ year member]

Honestly, the sub wont even sound as good if you don't use the LPF. Dosn't seem like it, but if you change it, it is louder and sounds alot better with it on. Im also betting that the gain may be too high but it depends on what volume on the HU you put it upto. It can sound louder when it clips, and you might get happy, but thats how subs blow. There will be a pleateu that you reach for your sub before it clips, and you might get greedy and turn it up, even if it sounds okay and slams more, that can can be bad.

 

[daboyfrumdabx 10+ year member]

I cannot find specs for the exact box, but newer boxes from the same brand is around 46hz. it could be lower thought because i tried to set a high-pass filter on my amp at 40hz (lowest setting possible) and it didnt sound as great. hmm..
what i did was keep bass boost at 0 on the amp (boosts at 45hz) and put gain/sensitivity about 96%. then put equalizer for bass at -8 on HU and I just increase the SW level on HU to my taste for the specific track. low pass filter is at 85hz. it sounds much better now.

still want to know about if i need a subsonic filter or no..

You need a new box. One that's tuned lower. No setting on your HU can make up for a terrible box. Gain at 96%? You're 96% likely to be clipping the ish out of your equipment right now.

 

[daboyfrumdabx 10+ year member]

Honestly, the sub wont even sound as good if you don't use the LPF. Dosn't seem like it, but if you change it, it is louder and sounds alot better with it on.

If he has the LPF set at the HU, it makes no difference.

 

[-01limited- 10+ year member]

If your gain is almost all the way up I'm sure you're clipping the fuck out of it. I suggest you read how to set gains properly.

 

[UMWDawg92 10+ year member]

you need a box that is tuned somewhere in 32-34 area if you want it to sound good with a type r and if you're gain is 96% of the way up its too high

 

[godisanatheist 10+ year member]

my mistake. the gains not at 96%, its around 80%, a tad more than 3/4. it's not really clipping at all though. putting the bass boost on the amp to 0 really helped. im going to stick to the box for now. is there anywhere to fill in the port and make it sealed, or will that sound worse.

 

[godisanatheist 10+ year member]

Any way to know for sure the tuning freq. files i can play at various hz, and see which is louder? link?

edit: it's tuned at 44hz and size is 1.2 cu ft.

 

[daboyfrumdabx 10+ year member]

my mistake. the gains not at 96%, its around 80%, a tad more than 3/4. it's not really clipping at all though. putting the bass boost on the amp to 0 really helped. im going to stick to the box for now. is there anywhere to fill in the port and make it sealed, or will that sound worse.

20% may be to high for the gain to be set. You need to read up on setting it properly. The fact that you ever had bass boost on makes me very leary as to whether or not you'd notice distortion due to clipping. You can seal the port, go grab some wood and go to town on it. If anything it should make it sound better, but you will lose output. Regardless 44hz is ridiculous and your box is too small to be ported, just seal it up.

 

[huricaine 10+ year member]

20% may be to high for the gain to be set. You need to read up on setting it properly. The fact that you ever had bass boost on makes me very leary as to whether or not you'd notice distortion due to clipping. You can seal the port, go grab some wood and go to town on it. If anything it should make it sound better, but you will lose output. Regardless 44hz is ridiculous and your box is too small to be ported, just seal it up.

I also notice it sounds louder when clipping slightly, but i also notice that because part is cuttoff, it is a loud peak, but dosnt last long enough to enjoy being worth it, like a small box, lol.

Build a new box...

Thats nothing though, my cousin has a pair of 12s in like .8 cubes each! Prefab stealth enlosure can **** sometimes.

 

[godisanatheist 10+ year member]

I don't think the box is too small, it meets the spec for my sub.

wouldn't "sealing" it with wood have flaws. leaked air, plus the size will be too big because for sealed i think its supposed to be 0.65 cu ft for this sub.

how do you go upon setting gain then. i put gain to 0. then i put HU volume up until it was really loud but NOT distorted. then i increased gain until it was loud but NOT distorted. I don't see any other way. Or should i roll back the gain a bit to be on the safe side. I'm thinking of just buying a sealed box then. what confuses me is why would a company make a ported box at 44 hz tuning then? surely, nobody is going to use a single 10" for SPL purposes..