Low Frequency Bass is Missing

[ChannelZ28]

Hi, I have a very basic, low powered setup. I have 2 Kenwood powered subwoofers under the front seats, linked together. They are 150watts each with 8" speakers.

I don't need a lot of volume, these are perfect for what I want. However, the low notes are missing. Basically when a bassline gets too low, the sound just disappears. Is there a setting I can tweak on the amplifiers or the head unit to get the lower notes? I really know absolutely nothing about audio, and that's fine for the most part. I don't need things to sound perfect, just good enough.

I really like the convenience of the speakers fitting under the seats and I don't want to buy a box if I don't need one. Please tell me if there is a simple settings adjustment that I can make, thanks!

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[ThxOne Premium Member]

What model specifically are the subs? If they are in a sealed enclosure and are powered such as you stated, they may not be able to hit really low notes by manufacturers design. They are probably limited by the enclosure, speaker size and crossover design. I hate to say it, but there probably isn't a setting that will fix them. You can play some test tones though to find out exactly where it drops off. If connected to a factory stereo for signal input... depending on where you are getting the signal from, some factory signals will not be full range.

 

[wew lad 5,000+ posts]

You simply won't get low notes out of something like that. It's a cheap subwoofer in a cheap sealed prefab box on 150w. The manual literally states a freq response with a low end of 35hz

You can look into whether or not your headunit is cutting low frequencies but I doubt it. The only thing I'd recommend is look at the sub when you expect low frequencies. It's probably moving, just not producing any output.

 

[THATpurpleKUSH 5,000+ posts]

Sealed boxes roll off early, especially if the air space is small and the woofer has a high fs and low xmax. Combine that with poor firing orientation within the listening environment and you get what you are experiencing.

 

[ChannelZ28]

It's the KSC-SW11. And you guys are dead on. I did look at the manual and it says the frequency response is 35-125. That settles that. I guess I have to upgrade. What is the smallest possible form factor to get full bass frequencies? Again, volume is not an issue. Thanks for the replies!

 

[wew lad 5,000+ posts]

It's the KSC-SW11. And you guys are dead on. I did look at the manual and it says the frequency response is 35-125. That settles that. I guess I have to upgrade. What is the smallest possible form factor to get full bass frequencies? Again, volume is not an issue. Thanks for the replies!

Start by looking at the actual size you have available. Something like 2 8's ported would get you what you want, especially since you're fine without having crazy amounts of bass.

You need to factor in the actual 8 inch drivers surface area and see if you have that in a flat surface, and then the port which will need to be somewhere around 15-30 inches long and 4 inches in diameter or 25 square inches

Then of course you'll need a 1kw monoblock amp (so you get 500w after rise) and some wiring to hook it up. It sounds like a lot, but it's really not. A decent shop may be able to do this for you for ~600 installed if you don't want to mess with it. Otherwise if you have some basic woodworking skills we can help you out.

On the higher end of things you could do 1 or 2 sundown sa-8's (200 ea) on a taramps md1800 (~$160) and get a box made for around 200. It will sound A LOT better. You just need to do some legwork and find out how much volume you have and what orientations will work.

@Jeffdachef you know anyone in the Sacramento area we could recommend if he just wants to source it out to a shop?

 

[ChannelZ28]

Thanks, I'm pretty handy and I'm sure I can figure it out on my own. Just looking for advice on the type of setup I will be looking for. I have an SUV that I treat like a work truck and I'm constantly throwing heavy construction materials in the back, I just have to figure out where I have space.