Hi everyone,
New guy here. I've had an infinite baffle setup in my bagged FBO BMW 335xi for years and have only recently really been trying to get the most out of it and understand where the limitations are. Here are some photos and the specs on my setup before I get to my questions:
Rockford Fosgate R500X1D Prime 1-Channel Class D Amplifier
ID15D2 V.3 - Image Dynamics 15" Dual 2-Ohm Subwoofer
Wired from the amp as a 4-ohm load (sub is 2-ohm dual voice coil) like the image below:
Thus, according to the specs of the amp, it's outputting 300w RMS x 1 at 4ohm to my sub which is rated at 100-700w (with a suggested RMS rating of 350w). So the power ratings match quite well.
Additionally, I have the included remote gain adjustment knob that came with the RF amp. I confirmed via customer service chat with RF that the knob, despite being advertised as a punch EQ, actually functions as a remote gain or attenuator of the amp's gain setting (on 'Prime' amps only vs their 'Punch' or 'Power' amps where it acts as a punch). Meaning, setting the gain on the amp and having the knob turned all the way up is the exact gain setting as indicated on the amp, and then can only be turned down or attenuated with the knob.
My questions mainly revolve around what the best settings on my amp and knob are to get the most out of my setup, and if changing them really make any difference at all. At the present moment, I have the gain setting on the actual amp at around 5 out of 11, where the knob is almost completely turned all the way down. If I click the knob up from 0% until about 5%, the sub volume increases nicely but drastically, until I can tell the signal starts to clip. The overall volume of the bass from the sub is quite high at this point, but what really concerns me, is that the cone of the sub is BARELY moving/flexing at all, even at its supposed maximum clean power. If I look closely, I can see the IMAGE DYNAMICS logo vibrating, and if I were to gently hold my finger near the cone, I can clearly tell it's vibrating, but I'm wondering why it's not "flexing" like any other sub I've ever seen. Is that just how free-air IB subs operate without a baffle/enclosure to modulate the air?
So, I'm wondering if there's a "right way" to use the knob and gain setting on the amp in conjunction to optimize the sub's performance. I feel like the sub can output significantly more power, but just needs the right combination of gain/knob tuning. Maybe instead of having the gain on the amp so high, I can turn it down to maybe 2 or 3 out of 11, allowing me to turn my knob up higher to get to that sweet spot. Though, I'm not sure how that would make a difference, since again the knob should only be turning down the amp's gain setting.
TL;DR - Why is my sub not "flexing," and begins to clip at such a low power/gain setting.
Thanks very much in advance for your help. Here's a couple photos of my car just because.
New guy here. I've had an infinite baffle setup in my bagged FBO BMW 335xi for years and have only recently really been trying to get the most out of it and understand where the limitations are. Here are some photos and the specs on my setup before I get to my questions:
Rockford Fosgate R500X1D Prime 1-Channel Class D Amplifier
ID15D2 V.3 - Image Dynamics 15" Dual 2-Ohm Subwoofer
Wired from the amp as a 4-ohm load (sub is 2-ohm dual voice coil) like the image below:
Thus, according to the specs of the amp, it's outputting 300w RMS x 1 at 4ohm to my sub which is rated at 100-700w (with a suggested RMS rating of 350w). So the power ratings match quite well.
Additionally, I have the included remote gain adjustment knob that came with the RF amp. I confirmed via customer service chat with RF that the knob, despite being advertised as a punch EQ, actually functions as a remote gain or attenuator of the amp's gain setting (on 'Prime' amps only vs their 'Punch' or 'Power' amps where it acts as a punch). Meaning, setting the gain on the amp and having the knob turned all the way up is the exact gain setting as indicated on the amp, and then can only be turned down or attenuated with the knob.
My questions mainly revolve around what the best settings on my amp and knob are to get the most out of my setup, and if changing them really make any difference at all. At the present moment, I have the gain setting on the actual amp at around 5 out of 11, where the knob is almost completely turned all the way down. If I click the knob up from 0% until about 5%, the sub volume increases nicely but drastically, until I can tell the signal starts to clip. The overall volume of the bass from the sub is quite high at this point, but what really concerns me, is that the cone of the sub is BARELY moving/flexing at all, even at its supposed maximum clean power. If I look closely, I can see the IMAGE DYNAMICS logo vibrating, and if I were to gently hold my finger near the cone, I can clearly tell it's vibrating, but I'm wondering why it's not "flexing" like any other sub I've ever seen. Is that just how free-air IB subs operate without a baffle/enclosure to modulate the air?
So, I'm wondering if there's a "right way" to use the knob and gain setting on the amp in conjunction to optimize the sub's performance. I feel like the sub can output significantly more power, but just needs the right combination of gain/knob tuning. Maybe instead of having the gain on the amp so high, I can turn it down to maybe 2 or 3 out of 11, allowing me to turn my knob up higher to get to that sweet spot. Though, I'm not sure how that would make a difference, since again the knob should only be turning down the amp's gain setting.
TL;DR - Why is my sub not "flexing," and begins to clip at such a low power/gain setting.
Thanks very much in advance for your help. Here's a couple photos of my car just because.