Sub bottoming out noise

[Patthehat033 10+ year member]

Okay so I have installed my system

Treo SSX 15 on a Clif Designs CDX-20A running about 3000 watts.

When I push it up to about 2000-3000 it starts making like a flapping/popping noise I guess you could say. Do you think this is it bottoming out or something?

I currently do not have no bass boost (DB Gain) tuned into the system only the gain.

What are your thoughts.

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[Better-Action 10+ year member]

Box sealed or ported? If ported what is it tuned to? What is your subsonic filter set at?

 

[Patthehat033 10+ year member]

Box sealed or ported? If ported what is it tuned to? What is your subsonic filter set at?

It is a ported box. The port is tuned to 29.4hz. I have not completely adjusted it, but I believe somewhere in the 20's. I need to set that. Does it sound like a bottoming out problem or distortion?

 

[AnthonyO 10+ year member]

Usually, popping-flapping noise is sub hitting X-Max (bottoming out)

 

[ciaonzo 5,000+ posts]

I need to set that. Does it sound like a bottoming out problem or distortion?

I can't hear anything, bro.

 

[Patthehat033 10+ year member]

Usually, popping-flapping noise is sub hitting X-Max (bottoming out)

That's what I thought.

I can't hear anything, bro.

^ Clever, hahaha.

 

[ciaonzo 5,000+ posts]

Posting a video would help quite a bit. Interpretation leads to error, evidence leads to a solution.

 

[Patthehat033 10+ year member]

Posting a video would help quite a bit. Interpretation leads to error, evidence leads to a solution.

I will definitely do that! It will be up either tonight or tomorrow!

 

[ciaonzo 5,000+ posts]

I will definitely do that! It will be up either tonight or tomorrow!

Cool, we'll try to help. Sometimes what sounds like mechanical noise can actually be hard amplifier clipping.

 

[Patthehat033 10+ year member]

Cool, we'll try to help. Sometimes what sounds like mechanical noise can actually be hard amplifier clipping.

That's what I'm trying to avoid that's why I asked haha.

However the sound quality on my phone might sound like ****, but oh well.

 

[Patthehat033 10+ year member]

Here is a video of the sub playing. At the very beginning is when it makes the sound. Then when I got and turn down the bass, it stops making the sound. It might be hard to hear, but you can hear it if you listen sort of closely.

At the point I am playing it, it could not have been more than 2000-2500 watts, and the sub can handle 2500-3000 daily, 5000 watt burps. The equalizer setting is -15db to 15db, that was probably at about 10db or less, and it is tuned at about 3000 watts at 15db.

View My Video

 

[IonRL205 10+ year member]

Here is a video of the sub playing. At the very beginning is when it makes the sound. Then when I got and turn down the bass, it stops making the sound. It might be hard to hear, but you can hear it if you listen sort of closely.
At the point I am playing it, it could not have been more than 2000-2500 watts, and the sub can handle 2500-3000 daily, 5000 watt burps. The equalizer setting is -15db to 15db, that was probably at about 10db or less, and it is tuned at about 3000 watts at 15db.

View My Video

I think you might just be clipping

You seem to be playing too high of a note to be bottoming out.

 

[Patthehat033 10+ year member]

I turned the ssf up to like 32hz, and the box is tuned at 29.4hz. So you think that is too high to be bottoming out? If it is only at like 2000 watts why do you think it's distorting?

 

[IonRL205 10+ year member]

I turned the ssf up to like 32hz, and the box is tuned at 29.4hz. So you think that is too high to be bottoming out? If it is only at like 2000 watts why do you think it's distorting?

You bottom out when you play lower than your tuning frequency, not above it.

If it is making weird sounds above your tuning frequency, then there is another issue.

And you said you had your equalizer at +10 db, did you set your amp gains with the EQ at +15 db or at 0 db? Because if you set it at 0 db, then when you go +10 db you are clipping

Also do you have any electrical upgrades to be running 3k watts?

 

[Patthehat033 10+ year member]

You bottom out when you play lower than your tuning frequency, not above it.
If it is making weird sounds above your tuning frequency, then there is another issue.

And you said you had your equalizer at +10 db, did you set your amp gains with the EQ at +15 db or at 0 db? Because if you set it at 0 db, then when you go +10 db you are clipping

That is why I set my SSF to 32HZ to make sure it wasn't bottoming out, but I suppose if it is above the tuning frequency it would be very unlikely it is bottoming out. Plus it is only happening at super high wattage.

I set the gains with a dmm, with my equalizer at 15db, at 3000 watts, so I would not go over. I also have my head unit at +2 bass boost, (also was set at +2 when I was tuning it.) I also had the volume on my head unit at 40 which is below it's distortion level. When I hear that popping sound, the volume is around 37 or 38 with the bass boost at +2, with the equalizer around 10db maybe less.