Is this a good sub setup?

[Joshlink5]

I just recently got into subs and added a system to my 2003 mustang. I am curious if this is a good setup for being a beginner. I have a Kenwood head unit and have a single 12 inch. 2500 watt peak Power Accoustic Gothic sub powered by a 3000 watt peak class D Planet Audio amp. I am using 8 gauge Boss Audio wiring with a 2 farad Boss Audio capacitor. The sub is in a Qpower Single 12" Side Ported SPL Xtra Large Heavy Duty Woofer Box which has around 3 cubic feet.

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[BSchrowang]

1st. Skip the capacitor. They dont provide any benefit. They end up pulling more power off the battery to recharge itself .

2nd. The planet audio amps are heavily overrated. Ive dealt with amps like that and the power numbers aren't even close.

Get an audiopipe 1500w amp. I have heard that they are close to rated power and cheap.

Wiring kit could be bigger. I would reccommend 4 gauge wire. I prefer to skip the wiring kit and make my own out of a spool of wire.

Box is a pretty good choice for a prefab.

I dont have any experience with the power acoustiks but they seem alright. If could spend the extra and get a mofo i think it would be worth it.

 

[JohnKuthe]

1st. Skip the capacitor. They dont provide any benefit. They end up pulling more power off the battery to recharge itself ....

Now THIS is something as an Electrical Engineer I can speak with authority about!

Yes a big ole high Farad capacity capacitor correctly installed on the 12V+ power to the amp(s) will provide a little power "shock absorber" at the moments of high current draw and it's commensurate voltage lowering effect on the power to the amps, but that's basically all they do, Yes they will slightly increase the 12V+ power drawn from the battery/alternator, but that's their job! Store a little power for each and every transient very high current draw moment!

John Kuthe...

 

[Jeffdachef 5,000+ posts]

I just recently got into subs and added a system to my 2003 mustang. I am curious if this is a good setup for being a beginner. I have a Kenwood head unit and have a single 12 inch. 2500 watt peak Power Accoustic Gothic sub powered by a 3000 watt peak class D Planet Audio amp. I am using 8 gauge Boss Audio wiring with a 2 farad Boss Audio capacitor. The sub is in a Qpower Single 12" Side Ported SPL Xtra Large Heavy Duty Woofer Box which has around 3 cubic feet.

you shouldnt cheap out on wiring. That boss wiring kit is more like 10 or 12 gauge rather than 8.

 

[LosIsATool 5,000+ posts]

The problem lies in these cheap caps. The amplifiers already have a cap bank inside them. The cheap caps only become resistance. It takes hundreds of farades to do any good

And like said, those amps are horrible. If something is so much cheaper than everything else you have to ask yourself why

 

[Jeffdachef 5,000+ posts]

Now THIS is something as an Electrical Engineer I can speak with authority about!
Yes a big ole high Farad capacity capacitor correctly installed on the 12V+ power to the amp(s) will provide a little power "shock absorber" at the moments of high current draw and it's commensurate voltage lowering effect on the power to the amps, but that's basically all they do, Yes they will slightly increase the 12V+ power drawn from the battery/alternator, but that's their job! Store a little power for each and every transient very high current draw moment!

John Kuthe...

In car audio, conventional caps dont store enough power nor do they make any power. Anyone bigger than a 500 watt system wont get any help from a capacitor vs a 2ndary agm battery. The only way capacitors work well to supply power in the car audio world is through banks of ultracapacitors which are several thousand farads and cost 350$ a bank. Those 20-100 dollar TRUE 1 to 50 farad caps are plain garbage compared to a small AGM or doing the big 3 upgrade cost wise. Whatever you stated about caps, thats information we all knew 15+ years ago bud get with the times.

Here's a testing video with controlled experiments and such just because i know you are a tool like that.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vTuJ7oz9g80http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vTuJ7oz9g80

However, they do make a difference in electrical noise filtering