Help! Sealed subs and my car, whats up?!

[Psyence 10+ year member]

Well, Ive posted about this before, but I have a better way to explain what happens when I have a sealed sub in my 2001 Ford Explorer Sport Trac (Quad Cab basically)

So, I have put the following subs in a sealed box in my truck...

10W6v2 on 800WRMS (MTX 801D)

RF T1 12D4 on 800WRMS (MTX 801D and an Alpine MRD-M1005)

Alpine Type-R 12" on (Alpine MRD-M1005)

Old RF HX2 on Alpine MRD-M1005

When I have the spec'd sealed enclosure on all of these subs, the output is pretty much NIL... The way I can explain this is... You know when a sub is sealed in a hatchback say, and you open the hatch, the sound is almost not there, but when you close it, it pounds? Well in my truck it sounds like the hatch is open... no matter what sub or amp to date.

I put all those subs and amps in thier recommended PORTED enclosures, and it pounds nice and loud...

Why is this? Is 1 sub not enuff to fill my cab or something? I want to go sealed so bad, but I just cant see it doing anything without getting a new car, or going with more subs?

Any input would be appreciated.

BTW - I tried my amp on a 13W7 on the weekend, ran the speaker wire from my amp to a friends Acura Integra with the W7, it was loud, really loud, and sealed.

So I know its not the amp, its something to do with my car, or something?!?!

Click to read more...

 

[theCybe 5,000+ posts]

Did you check your LPF/HPF/SSF at the headunit and on the amp?

 

[El Ropo 10+ year member]

Try reversing phase on the sub amp, or if time alignment is available, mess with that. It sounds like you're getting lots of cancellation.

 

[theCybe 5,000+ posts]

Or face the box a different direction, or more it closer / further from whatever surface it's near. That's also just the nature of a sealed system vs. a ported system. I've been disappointed with sealed setups before, only to have them come to life in ported applications.

 

[squeak9798 5,000+ posts]

Does it help substantially if you open a window or door?

Have you tried messing around with placement and aiming?

 

[Psyence 10+ year member]

Nope... all those things are correct.... Like I said, I played my amp on a 13W7 which is 1000W RMS on the weekend, while it was in my buddys car and it was very nice...

Windows open, closed, sub in, on, inplace, in front whereever, no bass sealed. Im not saying that the bass is 2x lower sealed, its more like 4-5-6-7x lower for some reason...

It pounded it very nicely...no problems at all, but when I put that same sub in my car... barely any bass... without changing anything...

Is is possible that not having a decent amount of cone area in an SUV cause this? Ive been doing this for many many years, and this is the first time ive run into this....

Its something to do with my car....

 

[Raven 10+ year member]

Try downfiring and sound deadener. Check out the seals around your doors, as well.

 

[nissanrider06 10+ year member]

hey squeak my setup is louder with the door open, im thinking im not using my subs to there full potential and i could make a box to get optimum spl with my door(s) closed, does this make sense or are pretty much all cars louder with the door open

im gonna try a box i haveing laying around as soon as i can get my hands on a jigsaw/router

 

[squeak9798 5,000+ posts]

Depends on the vehicle. A lot get louder with the door open, some don't.

Not really much you can do about. You can try different placement and positioning, but it may simply be the acoustics of your particular vehicle.

 

[bimma85 5,000+ posts]

Nope... all those things are correct.... Like I said, I played my amp on a 13W7 which is 1000W RMS on the weekend, while it was in my buddys car and it was very nice...
Windows open, closed, sub in, on, inplace, in front whereever, no bass sealed. Im not saying that the bass is 2x lower sealed, its more like 4-5-6-7x lower for some reason...

It pounded it very nicely...no problems at all, but when I put that same sub in my car... barely any bass... without changing anything...

Is is possible that not having a decent amount of cone area in an SUV cause this? Ive been doing this for many many years, and this is the first time ive run into this....

Its something to do with my car....

that doesn't answer this //content.invisioncic.com/y282845/emoticons/wink.gif.608e3ea05f1a9f98611af0861652f8fb.gif

Does it help substantially if you open a window or door?
Have you tried messing around with placement and aiming?

 

[squeak9798 5,000+ posts]

that doesn't answer this //content.invisioncic.com/y282845/emoticons/wink.gif.608e3ea05f1a9f98611af0861652f8fb.gif

Neither does that ^^^

 

[bimma85 5,000+ posts]

Neither does that ^^^

Pay for my plane ticket and a hotel and I'll go up there and find out, I guess. //content.invisioncic.com/y282845/emoticons/confused.gif.e820e0216602db4765798ac39d28caa9.gif

 

[digital mint 10+ year member]

Pay for my plane ticket and a hotel and I'll go up there and find out, I guess. //content.invisioncic.com/y282845/emoticons/confused.gif.e820e0216602db4765798ac39d28caa9.gif

Can i go too?

 

[loserpunk 10+ year member]

Is is possible that not having a decent amount of cone area in an SUV cause this? Ive been doing this for many many years, and this is the first time ive run into this....

i have a bravada (blazer) and a single 12 sealed in the back in 2 cubes w/ 1200rms......pounds the shit out of a lot of other setups local kids have......it might be it might not be your vehicle....you might just have to go ported..

 

[Psyence 10+ year member]

Ya, its very very wierd... I hate it //content.invisioncic.com/y282845/emoticons/wink.gif.608e3ea05f1a9f98611af0861652f8fb.gif

Im ported now, just doing some modding to the backseat of my truck then I will do a fiberglass ported box ... I cant take a chance on sealed anymore.