Having problems tuning front stage

[boomzilla 10+ year member]

I just picked up a Zapco i-force i-2100, it's a two channel, around 150rms into 2 ohms. I have it running bridged at 8 ohms due to one of the channels having VERY low output compared to the other. Don't have a clue to get around it besides bridging into 8 ohms. Anyway, I've been messing with my settings on my h/u and the amp, and can't get it to sound how I want it to. The amp is running a set of PG RSD's with the passive x-overs.

My H/u settings (Pioneer DEH-p3000IB):

EQ 1

L: 0

M: +2

H: +2

EQ 2

L: 80hz

M: 500hz

H: 8kz

HPF: 50hz

My Amp settings:

Crossover is around 150hz and the 12db and 0db switch is set to 0db, otherwise the bass is too muddy.

I'm basically trying to get decent mid-bass and high's across the spectrum it was built for (around 63hz to 25kz). I really have no idea how to get everything tuned in right. Can anyone help me out?

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[boomzilla 10+ year member]

So is there anyone here with a similar setup in a small sedan (I have a Cavalier)? I'm just needing a starting point to go off of, I haven't personally heard many setups and have no idea where to begin and if I've even tuned mine right.

 

[Trey803 5,000+ posts]

sounds like the amp is broken.....

 

[528hz 10+ year member]

You may need to build a baffle for the mid-subs. The settings may not be the problem. Maybe set your HPF a little higher too, 80 hz or so.

 

[speedfreak28 10+ year member]

you have your amp cutting off at 150 hz? you need to lower that to 80 if you want more midbass.also not really sure how your running anything at 8 ohms, the amp puts out 1252 at 4 ohms and would essentially do half that at 8 ohm.

 

[boomzilla 10+ year member]

You may need to build a baffle for the mid-subs. The settings may not be the problem. Maybe set your HPF a little higher too, 80 hz or so.

Ok. I made them when I installed them because I had a factory 4x6 opening. They are sealed off with non hardening model clay.

you have your amp cutting off at 150 hz? you need to lower that to 80 if you want more midbass.also not really sure how your running anything at 8 ohms, the amp puts out 1252 at 4 ohms and would essentially do half that at 8 ohm.

Like I said, I have no idea how to tune all of these together, on the hu and the amp. Subs arent a problem because it's basically 70hz and down, with highs, you have to seperate the highs, mids, and lower mids, which I don't know about at all.

And the amp's left channel is giving off alot less power, so I bridged the amps two channels to one mid, one tweeter connected to my crossovers, and it solved it for the most part. I can't wire the speakers down to 2 ohms because the amp is only 4 ohm stable in bridged mode. So I wired them to 8 ohms.

 

[headless 10+ year member]

If one channel is giving out much less power than the other, you have a damaged amplifier. Bridged or not, your system will not perform or sound right until you have it fixed. Bridging a ****ed channel with a good channel does not give you a good channel...it gives you a ****ed channel. At least the other way you get one good channel.

Where in FL are you?

 

[boomzilla 10+ year member]

If one channel is giving out much less power than the other, you have a damaged amplifier. Bridged or not, your system will not perform or sound right until you have it fixed. Bridging a ****ed channel with a good channel does not give you a good channel...it gives you a ****ed channel. At least the other way you get one good channel.
Where in FL are you?

Im in Clearwater. And when I bridged it, I never said it completely solved my problem, but got around it for the most part. It got slightly louder and more even on both sides when I did so. It is ****ed, I won't argue that, but it does sound a little better bridged than having just 1 side working correctly. I bought it from a pawn shop, it looked new and I really needed a new amp, I opened up the amp at the shop before I bought it, no burn FET's, no nothing. So I got a shitty deal I guess, but how much will it be to fix the outputs on the channel?

 

[Johnny Law.Lulz 5,000+ posts]

just pick up a Crunch 2 or 4 channel from onlinecarstereo.com and save up for a better amp later. Most people hate on them but they sound clean and they are teh cheapz