Very strange lack of bass?

[CaptNKILL 10+ year member]

I've been pretty happy with my new system for a while but today I heard my brother's system and it is significantly louder, although the "power" of the two systems isn't much different. Its most noticeable with bass drums and sharp "punches" of bass. We mostly listen to metal, not rap or synthesized stuff.

My system is in my signature.

My brother is running a 12" Infinity Kappa Perfect 12d VQ off of a Kenwood KAC-9103D at 2Ohms (900W RMS) in a custom built sealed box behind the seat in his Chevy S-10 pickup. He's running 4AWG to his amp with a stock battery and alt and 8awg speaker wire to his sub. He also has a pretty expensive cap installed but he still gets dimming issues at high volumes. He sets his gains by ear pretty much. Just setting it conservatively and cranking it until something doesn't sound right.

Here is his sub:

http://www.sonicelectronix.com/item_3646_Infinity+Kappa+Perfect+12d+VQ.html

Here is his amp:

http://www.sonicelectronix.com/item_8515_Kenwood+KAC-9103D.html

On my system I don't have any voltage drop or light dimming problems, at high volumes I get around 13.8v at my amp with the car running. I actually have my sub box strapped into my back seat to avoid "trunk bass" problems. I've taken a lot of time to carefully set my gains based on voltage using a DMM and test tones... I did the big 3.

Between the high end sub, expensive amp and all the time I put into my wiring and setting my gains properly, I assumed my system was as good as I could get it. My brother's system is SIGNIFICANTLY louder though. I never thought mine was that loud, and after hearing his, it doesn't even compare. Something is definitely wrong. We listened to both with the windows up and with the windows down so it doesn't seem like an air pressure issue due to my car being larger inside.

What are some things that can seriously hurt my sub's output? It seems to move a LOT but it just doesn't seem to push much air or thump very hard. My front speakers also seem to be really lacking in bass and midbass when running through my other Kicker amp.

I'm going to try some larger speaker wire tomorrow since mine is rather small (12g for my sub and 18g for my front speakers) but most people here are using similar sized wire to my system and wiring size charts I've seen say that mine is fine.

Is it possible that "peaks" in power are being limited by my speaker wire or something? This is just driving me nuts because I took such a technical approach to building this system...

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[cshaw 10+ year member]

its all car dependent really. different cars have different acoustical properties.

 

[endofdays89 5,000+ posts]

I've been pretty happy with my new system for a while but today I heard my brother's system and it is significantly louder, although the "power" of the two systems isn't much different. Its most noticeable with bass drums and sharp "punches" of bass. We mostly listen to metal, not rap or synthesized stuff.
My system is in my signature.

My brother is running a 12" Infinity Kappa Perfect 12d VQ off of a Kenwood KAC-9103D at 2Ohms (900W RMS) in a custom built sealed box behind the seat in his Chevy S-10 pickup. He's running 4AWG to his amp with a stock battery and alt and 8awg speaker wire to his sub. He also has a pretty expensive cap installed but he still gets dimming issues at high volumes. He sets his gains by ear pretty much. Just setting it conservatively and cranking it until something doesn't sound right.

Here is his sub:

http://www.sonicelectronix.com/item_3646_Infinity+Kappa+Perfect+12d+VQ.html

Here is his amp:

http://www.sonicelectronix.com/item_8515_Kenwood+KAC-9103D.html

On my system I don't have any voltage drop or light dimming problems, at high volumes I get around 13.8v at my amp with the car running. I actually have my sub box strapped into my back seat to avoid "trunk bass" problems. I've taken a lot of time to carefully set my gains based on voltage using a DMM and test tones... I did the big 3.

Between the high end sub, expensive amp and all the time I put into my wiring and setting my gains properly, I assumed my system was as good as I could get it. My brother's system is SIGNIFICANTLY louder though. I never thought mine was that loud, and after hearing his, it doesn't even compare. Something is definitely wrong. We listened to both with the windows up and with the windows down so it doesn't seem like an air pressure issue due to my car being larger inside.

What are some things that can seriously hurt my sub's output? It seems to move a LOT but it just doesn't seem to push much air or thump very hard. My front speakers also seem to be really lacking in bass and midbass when running through my other Kicker amp.

I'm going to try some larger speaker wire tomorrow since mine is rather small (12g for my sub and 18g for my front speakers) but most people here are using similar sized wire to my system and wiring size charts I've seen say that mine is fine.

Is it possible that "peaks" in power are being limited by my speaker wire or something? This is just driving me nuts because I took such a technical approach to building this system...

you need to run 14 gauge wire to your speakers, and 12 gauge is rediculous small for a sub.

 

[boomzilla 10+ year member]

well your brother has a truck right? and you have a car? take the box out of the back seat, and put it in the trunk facing the rear of the car, and see if it sounds different. and like shaw said, diferent cars have defferent acoustical properties. also check the settings on your head unit and see what settings are for the bass output. play with those settings and see if theres a difference there too.

 

[endofdays89 5,000+ posts]

edit, your 14 gauge to the sub is fine. But, i don't see why you wouldn't be as loud as him.

 

[rc10mike 10+ year member]

Try actually putting the subs in the trunk, what are these "trunk bass" issues you speak of anyway?

 

[endofdays89 5,000+ posts]

you have to have a trunk for more bass. A trunk is like a subs second enclosure, that is your problem with your subs

 

[zack39648 10+ year member]

throw that bish in the trunk and you will see a significant gain in output ...

 

[rc10mike 10+ year member]

Vehicle acoustics makes a HUGE difference sometimes. Im running 3x the power of a friend and his still seems almost as loud.....................................................

 

[endofdays89 5,000+ posts]

put subs in trunk= problem solved

 

[Rashaddd 5,000+ posts]

gaurantee if you put your sub in the trunk facing the back and positioned as close to it as safely possible, you'll have alot more output. Having it sitting in the seat kills most of the cabin gain you would get as well as causes cancellation with the backwave and front wave of it.

 

[bass-aholic 10+ year member]

you have to have a trunk for more bass. A trunk is like a subs second enclosure, that is your problem with your subs

can you get any stupider? Just stop posting.

OP i believe theres several reasons and solutions. First off as mentiond the acoustics of his vehicle are probably better and he has much less space, and you have a trunk which is much harder to be loud in. My other theory is that you said he just cranked his gain until it sounded bad and then backed down a little. He is probably clipping that sub to death right now which sounds loud but like shit where as yours probably sounds MUCH better. I suggest changing which way the sub fires in the trunk and see which way is loudest and if you really wanna blow him out of the water build a nice ported box for that sub. Good luck.

 

[CaptNKILL 10+ year member]

I used to have it in my trunk facing back and I put it in my back seat facing up to see if it sounded more like my brother's truck.

It is a little louder in the back seat than it was in the trunk with my rear seats folded down. Without at least one seat folded down, its very quiet in the trunk.

Why is there such a difference in opinion with speaker wire? Some say 12g is way too small, others say 14g wouldn't limit anything.

Which is actually true?

 

[rc10mike 10+ year member]

12g is bigger than 14g....

You will be fine with 14g unless you're running 10ft of it!

 

[cshaw 10+ year member]

you would get as well as causes cancellation with the backwave and front wave of it.

he has a sealed box. he would never have cancellation of the back wave with the front.

also, "He also has a pretty expensive cap installed but he still gets dimming issues at high volumes. He sets his gains by ear pretty much. Just setting it conservatively and cranking it until something doesn't sound right." that doest sound good lol

and what are"trunk bass problems"?? this is all a good reminder to all that install is everything. also, 12ga. is perfectly fine for wiring your sub. the voltage sent by your amp to the sub is usually easily carried by a 14ga. wire. hell, i use 10ga. just cause i could. in reality, you will never hear the difference. then again i know people that use 4ga for the sub wiring lol but they are spl people looking for the 10th's of a db.