My setup, want best sound questions please. ?

[Xenozx 10+ year member]

JVC BT1 head unit

Power acoustik 2000w peak 1200w RMS 1 ohm amp

12 inch Mofo - X 2 ohm x 2 ohm DVC subwoofer

Sub box ported - Dimensions (W x H x D): 19.25" x 14.25" x 16.25" tuned @ 38hz

4 Gauge amp kit - no cap

thin RCA L+R cables

I have a few questions of you guys dont mind answering. I have been on a quest for awesome sound in my car, and have been having trouble getting where i want. I have heard some systems that are exactly what I want. Unfortunately, I have been unable to get the exact sound.

1.) is there a difference in sound quality/SQL when comparing a Competition amp against a regular amp? Same power levels, same settings, can you get a different sound from the 2 amps, or is that something that the sub is solely responsible for?

2.) can cheap/thin RCA cables cause your sound not to be as great or should that not matter?

3.) a Cap, can a cap make your sound better, as I have heard it helps provide stable power to the amp, which can help the sound of the base when its hitting hard, or is that just a myth?

4.) LPF on amp - Where should this be set. I have heard anywhere from 80-120 what is the best, if the sub is going to be doing all the base work, as the speakers in the car are strait up vocal only?

5.) how can you test to see what kind of wattage your amp is really running at, to make sure your wiring is correct? Like how can I be sure I am getting my 1200w rms, and not actually running 4 ohm @ say 400w instead?

I think that is the majority of the questions I have, sorry for being a noob and asking such simple questions.

Click to read more...

 

[misfit138 5,000+ posts]

JVC BT1 head unitPower acoustik 2000w peak 1200w RMS 1 ohm amp

12 inch Mofo - X 2 ohm x 2 ohm DVC subwoofer

Sub box ported - Dimensions (W x H x D): 19.25" x 14.25" x 16.25" tuned @ 38hz

4 Gauge amp kit - no cap

thin RCA L+R cables

I have a few questions of you guys dont mind answering. I have been on a quest for awesome sound in my car, and have been having trouble getting where i want. I have heard some systems that are exactly what I want. Unfortunately, I have been unable to get the exact sound.

1.) is there a difference in sound quality/SQL when comparing a Competition amp against a regular amp? Same power levels, same settings, can you get a different sound from the 2 amps, or is that something that the sub is solely responsible for?

2.) can cheap/thin RCA cables cause your sound not to be as great or should that not matter?

3.) a Cap, can a cap make your sound better, as I have heard it helps provide stable power to the amp, which can help the sound of the base when its hitting hard, or is that just a myth?

4.) LPF on amp - Where should this be set. I have heard anywhere from 80-120 what is the best, if the sub is going to be doing all the base work, as the speakers in the car are strait up vocal only?

5.) how can you test to see what kind of wattage your amp is really running at, to make sure your wiring is correct? Like how can I be sure I am getting my 1200w rms, and not actually running 4 ohm @ say 400w instead?

I think that is the majority of the questions I have, sorry for being a noob and asking such simple questions.

1.) You don't have the right equipment for a SQ setup. As for amps, some people say a watt is a watt. I'm not one of those people. Better equipment = better results. Look into some better gear if possible, or accept the fact that your current equipment isn't going to yield great sound quality.

2.) Cheap RCA's are fine, but don't use the thin ones that're no bigger than speaker wire.

3.) A capacitor is a waste of your money. Don't buy one, and don't listen to anyone that suggests otherwise. They're either trying to make money from you, or they don't know what they're talking about.

4.) Again, different people will give you different answers to this question. My advice is to use your ears and best judgement. If you're not comfortable with making adjustments and setting gains, have it done at a shop.

5.) Your ohm load has nothing to do with your system's power supply. Your amp runs at the ohm load that it sees from your speakers. Buy or borrow a digital multimeter and research different wiring options.

Digital Multimeter: (DMM) A piece of test equipment used for measuring voltage, current, resistance, and possibly other electircal quantities and displaying the value in number form.

Hope that's helpful...

 

[okiedokie 10+ year member]

^^^RCA"s does play a great part in your system

 

[mccanng 10+ year member]

^^^ What he says RCA's will definitely affect the way your speakers sound if you walmart brand RCAs then they will sound alright but compared to stinger RCA (Pro3 or HPM3 if you have money) then they will sound a lot clearer and won't have to worry about background noises.

I heard that caps are good if your electrical system can support it but if it can't then that's another thing draining your battery, but personally I'd get a second battery because they hold a lot more power than a little 3 farad cap.

 

[okiedokie 10+ year member]

Yes cheap rca's do pick up noise.

If where him i would the big Three first then.

I dont understand the power rating with his amp,

is it 2000@ peak & it's 1200@ -1ohm !!! SO is the 2000@ -.5ohms??

What is the Rms ? into a 4ohms, then @2ohms,then 1ohms????

 

[okiedokie 10+ year member]

he should do the big3 first

 

[RowJoe 10+ year member]

^^^ What he says RCA's will definitely affect the way your speakers sound if you walmart brand RCAs then they will sound alright but compared to stinger RCA (Pro3 or HPM3 if you have money) then they will sound a lot clearer and won't have to worry about background noises.
I heard that caps are good if your electrical system can support it but if it can't then that's another thing draining your battery, but personally I'd get a second battery because they hold a lot more power than a little 3 farad cap.

Wow.

 

[Xenozx 10+ year member]

thanks for all the answers.

yea they are pretty cheap looking RCA's. Like they arnt even twisted inside and are super thin, almost head phone jack thin. I did buy some really high quality ones, and I think I am going to put them in when I find the head unit release tool for my head unit lol.

really, I would have thought a cap would help, otherwise why do they exist? I have one, its a 1.5 farad, its from an old system of mine. if 1.5 farad is 1500w, and lets say my sub hits, and try's to pull 2000w's, how does that work out? I guess the batter makes up the difference?

I did tweak my system a little today, and i got it sounding alot better, I am going to try the thicker RCA's see what that does.

I have KD-BT1 headunit, and when your setting the equalizer, there are Q settings, and its like .5 1.0 2.5 for low, any one know which would be best for deeper base? to be honest, I really cant tell much of a difference between the 3 settings.

 

[misfit138 5,000+ posts]

thanks for all the answers.
yea they are pretty cheap looking RCA's. Like they arnt even twisted inside and are super thin, almost head phone jack thin. I did buy some really high quality ones, and I think I am going to put them in when I find the head unit release tool for my head unit lol.

really, I would have thought a cap would help, otherwise why do they exist? I have one, its a 1.5 farad, its from an old system of mine. if 1.5 farad is 1500w, and lets say my sub hits, and try's to pull 2000w's, how does that work out? I guess the batter makes up the difference?

I did tweak my system a little today, and i got it sounding alot better, I am going to try the thicker RCA's see what that does.

I have KD-BT1 headunit, and when your setting the equalizer, there are Q settings, and its like .5 1.0 2.5 for low, any one know which would be best for deeper base? to be honest, I really cant tell much of a difference between the 3 settings.

RCA's: Like I said, as long as they're decent, they'll work just fine. Don't use super cheap ones that're as thin as speaker wire and you'll be fine. High end RCA's are better, but they're not absolutely necessary given your circumstances.

Caps: Most people who buy them don't know any better. People who do know better buy them because they're flashy looking.

The Big 3: Do it, it's a good idea.

Your power situation: Buy a better battery or a ho alt if you're that concerned.

 

[Xenozx 10+ year member]

whats the big 3?

 

[I Like Waffle]

Q factor adjusts the curve of your EQ. I personally dont like those types of EQs, i had a pioneer with one. But anyway, lets say you pick 80hz for the low frequency mid point, and set a Q factor of .5, the rest of the low end is gonna be effected less, resulting in a high peak that dips off fast, but if you selected a higher Q, the peak would be wide and affect more frequencies in that band.

 

[misfit138 5,000+ posts]

whats the big 3?

It's a relatively basic upgrade for your vehicle's electrical system. It'll help to maintain higher voltage...

Use 1/0 awg for:

Battery positive (+) to alternator

Engine block to chassis ground

Battery ground (-) to chassis ground

 

[eharri3 10+ year member]

Ill go out on a limb and ask a craaazy question that isn't about caps or the quality of your amps or wires. You mentioned SQ but did not mention any front speaker upgrades. What exactly are you looking from your system and have you done anything other than a sub, box, and sub amp?