Whats wrong with my magnum d2?

[scsi 10+ year member]

Ive got a 12" Magnum D2 (first generation) in a 1.4 cuft sealed box powered by a Viper Audio d1200.1. now my problem is that it isnt very loud, it distorts when i think it could be louder. in addition, a friend of mine w/ an Alphasonik and a Lanzar 400W amp is louder than mine. his is in a bandpass enclosure but this shoulding make such a huge difference, should it?

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[Dubb93 10+ year member]

I am by no means an expert compared to many people on here but I have 3 thoughts....

1. The sealed box could be your problem, expecially if it is not made of atleast 3/4 inch MDF. I'm not a fan of sealed boxes, they kill SPL, port it and tune it low for SQ.

2. The gains on the amp are too high, aka it's not properly tuned.

3. Your electrical system can not handle 1200 watts.

 

[ghs_wrestler189 10+ year member]

definitely go ported for a mag, make sure your gains are set properly, adjust the bass on your HU by turning it down, and upgrade wires if they are small.

 

[Mark_ab 5,000+ posts]

As mentioned above, if you're looking for more output, go sealed. Keep in mind, not all cars have the same acoustic properties. I did an install in a Mercedes with a Shiva and 400W. I've heard stock systems with more low end within the cabin. Conversley, I've used the same power, same driver in an Olds and I got terrific results.

Whatever your choice is, don't attempt to crank the gain and/or bass boost to compensate for your lack of apparent volume. Line level match correctly, then go from there. Try 2.2cubes tuned to 25HZ for an SQ ported setup.

 

[scsi 10+ year member]

thanks for the tips. yep its 3/4 mdf...i wanted Ported to begin with but i was bein chang so i got a sealed coz it was cheaper..wish i hadnt. i have an alpine headunit, where should i set the bass level (u know how the range is +0 to +15)?

 

[Dubb93 10+ year member]

the bass level is gonna be -7 to +7. I would keep it at 0 at the VERY most. I've had some setups where i set it at -7, lol, but that was b/c the bass was extreme even at very low volumes. The sub level doesn't really matter as far as I know, i usually keep mine anywhere from 5-11, 15 if I really want to bump, the better way to tune it is the gains on your amp, if it is distorting try turning the gains down a bit. How loud does yur headunit get b/f it starts to distort?

 

[helotaxi 5,000+ posts]

The sub level on the Alpine units is a range from -15 dB to 0 dB. 0 on the unit corresponds to -15dB the 15 setting is flat. The max level will get you the max output voltage from the HU. There is no bass boost to worry about. If you want loud you want a ported enclosure. The distortion that you hear is probably because you are running more power than the displacement limited power handling of that sub for the box that you have it in. Bigger sealed boxes reduce the power handling of a sub.

 

[joshpoints 10+ year member]

Are you sure you wired it correctly? Are you sure you have the sub pointed in the right direction or position? MY last set of subs in a new car I got I couldn't figure out why my subs were so quiet all of a sudden. I thought maybe it has something to do with the headunit I installed in the car. Turns out it was the positioning of the subs.

 

[SirSyko 10+ year member]

The sub level on the Alpine units is a range from -15 dB to 0 dB. 0 on the unit corresponds to -15dB the 15 setting is flat. The max level will get you the max output voltage from the HU. There is no bass boost to worry about. If you want loud you want a ported enclosure. The distortion that you hear is probably because you are running more power than the displacement limited power handling of that sub for the box that you have it in. Bigger sealed boxes reduce the power handling of a sub.

I never knew that. Is it the same with kenwood decks? Is it better to get the level up all the way to get the max voltage? Mine is set at 0.

 

[RangerMan Premium Member]

I had this probem as well. Sometimes, the dumbasses at TC Sounds forget to magnetize the woofer...that would explain a lot.

 

[scsi 10+ year member]

so...wait a minute, if i get a smaller box sealed box it would be louder??

the sub and box are currently positioned in the cargo area of my Toyota Matrix, on the passenger side, facing the rear...does that change anything?

i do tune from the gains of my amp, im just wondering where i should set the subwoofer setting on my HU before i start tuning.

 

[tobz 10+ year member]

Just to let you know, my brother and I both run Magnum D2's. His is 2.5 cubes ported to 32hz, in the rear cargo area of a Jeep Grand Cherokee...

Mine is in 2.4 cubes ported to 28hz, in the trunk of my stratus. When my rear seat is folded down, the sub can breathe and get loud.

We both run Hifonics Brutus BX1500D's, and we can both be heard from multiple hundred feet away. Something is wrong with the install or settings. If you have a "subwoofer" setting like helotaxi said, they generally run from a -db to 0.

Just one last side note, we both run our voltage gains well below the "all the way up point", and our bass boost are both set to the lowest level.

T.J.

 

[scsi 10+ year member]

i cant imagine what might be wrong with the install.. //content.invisioncic.com/y282845/emoticons/frown.gif.a3531fa0534503350665a1e957861287.gif

 

[Bavarian3 10+ year member]

so...wait a minute, if i get a smaller box sealed box it would be louder??
the sub and box are currently positioned in the cargo area of my Toyota Matrix, on the passenger side, facing the rear...does that change anything?

i do tune from the gains of my amp, im just wondering where i should set the subwoofer setting on my HU before i start tuning.

u need to tune the amp before complaining about anything. Turn ur subwoofer level up, and set the head unit settings as in treble/bass/ etc. how u like it, then tune the amp, here is my post from another thread. It just sounds like u havent tuned the amp yet, my magnum gets very loud with my viper 1200d.

To tune and amp....

1. Tune HU setting how u like them and how u would listen to them.

2. Make sure gain and bass boost is all the way down.

3. Turn the volume up on ur HU as high as u would listen to it

4. Start turning up the gain until u hear the subs distort or when u know its too much and theyr not getting any louder and turn it back down a tiny bit.

5. Set ur Xover (LowPass for subwoofers High Pass for Mids) how u like it generally 80-160hz for mids/highs and 80-120hz for subwoofers.. Only use ONE LPF and ONE HPF, whether it be the head unit, external, or internal amp one, only use one.

that will give u a good idea on how to tune the amplifier, and put your crossover up at like 80hz before u start turning the gain up.

 

[scsi 10+ year member]

i thought i had already had it tuned, seems that some songs are just louder than others "Yeah" by Usher causes my sub to distort, but if i tune it to that song, most other songs arent loud enough, doh!

arent you supposed to tune the freq first?