Ideas to make my door speakers louder

[VWBobby 10+ year member]

You are wired correctly. IF the amp was cable of driving down to 2 ohms bridged, then you could wire the speakers in pairs (2 ohms) for a nice 100W+ boost. Since the amp is only stable to 4 ohms bridged, you can only wire to 8 ohms, which will not benefit you. Leave it the way you have it.

Making sure the speakers and doors are sealed will help. Having a nice solid baffle to mount the speaker is a lot better than a flimsy door. Making the door panel rigid and avoiding losses due to flexing panels and air leaks will help. If you can make your install location (door/dash) act like a nice speaker cabinet, it will be light years ahead of a typical install.

I would turn on the High Pass filter and adjust it for around 70-100hz. Whatever sounds best while getting loud enough and not stressing the speaker. Back off on the volume if you hear any signs of stress and bump up the HPF a few HZ at a time. You do NOT want loud bass below 70-100hz hitting your main/mid speakers, unless they are ones that are designed for

 

[BlackX 10+ year member]

You are wired correctly. IF the amp was cable of driving down to 2 ohms bridged, then you could wire the speakers in pairs (2 ohms) for a nice 100W+ boost. Since the amp is only stable to 4 ohms bridged, you can only wire to 8 ohms, which will not benefit you. Leave it the way you have it.
Making sure the speakers and doors are sealed will help. Having a nice solid baffle to mount the speaker is a lot better than a flimsy door. Making the door panel rigid and avoiding losses due to flexing panels and air leaks will help. If you can make your install location (door/dash) act like a nice speaker cabinet, it will be light years ahead of a typical install.

I would turn on the High Pass filter and adjust it for around 70-100hz. Whatever sounds best while getting loud enough and not stressing the speaker. Back off on the volume if you hear any signs of stress and bump up the HPF a few HZ at a time. You do NOT want loud bass below 70-100hz hitting your main/mid speakers, unless they are ones that are designed for

Thank you for that! Very useful. I'll try what you said tomorrow. As for the speaker baffle. I'll try to get with it on my carpentry skills to fab some up. Any tips or tricks? Or any problem I might run into building them? As for the wiring? Do you think its worth wiring up to see if the amp can withstand at 2ohm bridged?

 

[Better-Action 10+ year member]

Thank you for that! Very useful. I'll try what you said tomorrow. As for the speaker baffle. I'll try to get with it on my carpentry skills to fab some up. Any tips or tricks? Or any problem I might run into building them? As for the wiring? Do you think its worth wiring up to see if the amp can withstand at 2ohm bridged?

I wouldn't recommended wiring at 2 ohms bridged since your only stable at 4. Because if it turns out it can't take it, means you most likely will be buying a new amp after that one Burns up.

I would turn on your highpass filter, set it to 80, reset your gain and see how it sounds.

 

[VWBobby 10+ year member]

Anytime! For a baffle, I use MDF that has been coated in fiberglass resin. Otherwise MDF can swell up if it gets wet. Good quality plywood will also work well, marine grade if you can find it. If you have fiberglass skills, custom built door panels are the way to go.

According to the manual, the amp is "2 ohm stereo stable" http://www.memphiscaraudio.com/documents/2010%20PR%20Amps%20ClassAB.pdf

However, I do not recommend people risking/pushing their equipment on my advice. I don't want to be responsible for you blowing up your amp if you clip it or push it too hard. //content.invisioncic.com/y282845/emoticons/wink.gif.608e3ea05f1a9f98611af0861652f8fb.gif

 

[calebkhill 10+ year member]

Turn off all your booosts set everything to flat, turn your amps gainzs all the way down. Go up on your volume until it doesnt good. then go up a hair on your gain at the amp. Once you get it as loud as it will go with all your HU settings at flat, then mess with thr equilizer in the high and mid ranges. Dont boost eq too much itll bring distortion.

Also, if your using a subwoofer it will take away from your door speakers if your using heavy bass. back off on your sub some to bring the door speakers out, if you have a sub that is.

A bigger amp might help. your only puttin 50 watts to 70 watt speakers. You could probably bridge your speakers just be careful with your voulume and amp gains. If you bridge them Id leave your amp gains at zero.

A sub will take away from the 6x8s though, my 15s do. I lower the bass so I can enjoy my 6x9s

After you get it sounding decent then deaden everything. You should atleast get it to sound half decent without having to deaden eveyything at first though.

And yea, set your hpf Between 80-100, whichever sounds best

 

[mlstrass 5,000+ posts]

Get better/louder speakers, RF isn't known for being loud...

 

[calebkhill 10+ year member]

Get better/louder speakers, RF isn't known for being loud...

Idk mine are loud as helk and there coax

 

[gckless 5,000+ posts]

Get better/louder speakers, RF isn't known for being loud...

This.

Also, you said you deadened your doors, which is a good start, but only half the battle. You need to seal the doors. You want to seperate the front and rear waves completely. Again, proper install.

 

[mlstrass 5,000+ posts]

Idk mine are loud as helk and there coax

Your idea of "loud as hell" and mine are greatly different

 

[calebkhill 10+ year member]

Your idea of "loud as hell" and mine are greatly different

How would you describe "loud as hell" then. Just curious, no disrespect.

 

[TheUnderFighter 10+ year member]

How would you describe "loud as hell" then. Just curious, no disrespect.

Not Rockford. They made ok stuff a while back. The only thing worthwhile from them now is their amps. And those are overpriced. Also, you're using a capacitor, a sony xplod amp, and running RF 15" subs which are sealed. All those things suggest nothing loud at all.

Then you're recommending that a rookie set his gains by ear, instead of by a DMM, which would be the best thing to do right now.

To the OP, you'll notice a tremendous difference if you can confirm your gains have been set properly using a DMM (google it), and then deaden and seal your doors. Make sure the crossover points on your amp are set correctly as well.

 

[calebkhill 10+ year member]

Also, you're using a capacitor, a sony xplod amp, and running RF 15" subs which are sealed. All those things suggest nothing loud at all.Then you're recommending that a rookie set his gains by ear, instead of by a DMM, which would be the best thing to do right now.

Ok dont know why everyone here is so offensive and didnt asked to get flammed.

First i didnt suggest setting by ear, i said go up a hair.

Second i didnt ask to have my setup critisized, i just asked how the guy defines loud. I know thtere is alot of experience here and id like to know how loud sounds to him.........

 

[BlackX 10+ year member]

Thanks for all the help guys, just one last question. My new amp for my subs came in today

This: Rockford Fosgate R1200-1D Mono subwoofer amplifier — 1,200 watts RMS x 1 at 1 ohm at Crutchfield.com

and I'm trying to get the most out of my subs. I have Two DVC 4Ohm Sundown SA12s wiring to them at 1ohm.

While tuning by ear I did the best to my ability but I dont quite understand what to set infrasonic filter hq, punch eq, frequency hz to, along with my gains. Could anyone shed some light on how I could go about getting a near perfect tune without crazy equipment.

I have a multimeter if that means anything //content.invisioncic.com/y282845/emoticons/redface.gif.62fdbfe1a101588a808c4cff71bcb942.gif

 

[VWBobby 10+ year member]

That is a pretty nice amp. I am a Rockford fan myself. Anything above the budget lines of course. //content.invisioncic.com/y282845/emoticons/smile.gif.1ebc41e1811405b213edfc4622c41e27.gif Make sure you have proper wiring and a decent battery to run that amp.

I would set your subsonic filter around 15hz. It will actually help prevent heating up the voice coils a little bit, especially since you can't hear anything below 20hz anyway. The older SoundStream amps had a subsonic set to 13hz fixed. It was actually said to boost output (due to eliminating loss) and was designed by ZED, so its definitely possible. I set the LPF to 65-80hz depending on the install and what sounds best.

Set bass boost to 0.

The gains should be set by DMM or oscilloscope.

Here's a few links to help you set your gains:


How to Adjust Amplifier Gains Using a Digital Multi-Meter - Knowledge Base

 

[mlstrass 5,000+ posts]

How would you describe "loud as hell" then. Just curious, no disrespect.

youtube "team doa barney"

That set up looks reasonably loud...