sound dampening

[jlpimpin 10+ year member]

I need some advice. How important is sound dampening you car/trunk to the sound performance? I noticed in my old chevy my cheap subs and amps really sounded good...they even bumped pretty hard little to no distortion...Now I have jl subs and amps and can't get the bass to hit nice and clear in my Mitsubishi Galant my ears even hurt sometimes...is it that certain cars have better acoustics than others or is it best to invest in sound dampening regardless what vehicle you have?

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[Frraksurred 10+ year member]

Sound dampening is ALWAYS a good idea. It will make any install sound better....especially those that seem to be suffering from poor acoustics.

I'd say get some Second Skin and do your trunk where your subs are, and between your components and the metal they are mounted to. If the doors, do the whole door. Maybe get some Dynamat XORB for behind the speakers.

You'll get cleaner, louder and warmer sound, harder hits and less outside noise...all while using less wattage.

 

[jlpimpin 10+ year member]

Sound dampening is ALWAYS a good idea. It will make any install sound better....especially those that seem to be suffering from poor acoustics.
I'd say get some Second Skin and do your trunk where your subs are, and between your components and the metal they are mounted to. If the doors, do the whole door. Maybe get some Dynamat XORB for behind the speakers.

You'll get cleaner, louder and warmer sound, harder hits and less outside noise...all while using less wattage.

Thanks for that, have you ever experienced your ears or one of your ears hurting from distortion? Well mine is most likely a medical situation but I was at a shop and this guy was doing his demo and I sat in his car and he blasted the **** thing so loud that I was literally dizzey and felt like I had to throw up....Since then my right ear hurts sometimes when I play my subs.....I know I'm definitely going to see a doctor but I was just wondering if distorted loud sounds can irritate your ears.....my girlfriend says her ears hurt also when she's in my car due to the rattling and vibrations.....but I don't know if she's talking about the same type of discomfort i'm having....

 

[adam71 5,000+ posts]

Thanks for that, have you ever experienced your ears or one of your ears hurting from distortion? Well mine is most likely a medical situation but I was at a shop and this guy was doing his demo and I sat in his car and he blasted the **** thing so loud that I was literally dizzey and felt like I had to throw up....Since then my right ear hurts sometimes when I play my subs.....I know I'm definitely going to see a doctor but I was just wondering if distorted loud sounds can irritate your ears.....my girlfriend says her ears hurt also when she's in my car due to the rattling and vibrations.....but I don't know if she's talking about the same type of discomfort i'm having....

Yes, distortion does hurt your ears. Distortion is way more painful than a clean signal is. A good clean system at LOUD volumes won't hurt as much as distorted system at 3/4 the volume. What you get from a distorted signal is called "listener fatigue" . I would definitely see the doctor like you said though.

Adam

 

[60_cent 10+ year member]

Damping is very important and a good idea especially in older cars.

Second skin is good but I prefer http://www.fatmat.com. Both are about the same but fatmat is cheaper.

 

[jlpimpin 10+ year member]

Damping is very important and a good idea especially in older cars.
Second skin is good but I prefer http://www.fatmat.com. Both are about the same but fatmat is cheaper.

cool! so how easy is it to install if I don't have any tools besides my hands and time...I was reading somewhere you need a aircompressor, heatgun, paint thinner etc etc....I was thinking of saving up to have it professionally installed, but I don't mind saving a few hundred bucks either...