Why did both of my brand new subs blow 1 hout after install?

[Jimi77]

The busted lead has nothing to do with xmax. Woven leads have lots of extra slack beween the spider and terminals. Possibly bad solder joint, but looks more like they wire broke. The conductor likely overheated.
Depends how the sub fails. Sometimes they seize. An unpowered driver is more restrictive than a passive radiator.

When the first driver failed (assuming it didn't seize), it would have acted as a highly tuned passive radiator. The OP had 30hz jacked up 6 db at the amp and who knows what at the HU. There is a good chance that he exceed xmech since the sub would have unloaded at frequencies below whatever his "passive radiator" was tuned to and he was throwing alot clipped power at it at 30hz. I've never seen a tinsel lead fail because a sub exceeded xmax which is just generally 30+% of the coil outside the gap. Tinsel leads will fail when you exceed xmech, which is the mechanical limit of the driver.

I see no burn marks on the insulator to indicate over heating (at the solder joint). Even if the 1st driver seized, his enclosure size doubled when it did and he was throwing gobs of power at 30hz at the remaining sub. There is certainly a good chance he exceeded xmech. It could have been a bad solder joint, but the rest of the evidence available to us indicates this sub was pushed way beyond it's limits. It was seeing at least 2kw from the amp, plus the clipping due to the maxed out gain, plus 6db of bass boost, all inside an enclosure that is ~2x the recommended size sealed or tuned really high if the 1st driver didn't seize.

 

[Kb1688]

Just to clear up some things because I'm just now able to respond. I did not wire the subs. I had a shop do it, which some people have commented they should pay for them. They had them wired down to a .5ohm load and im surprised the amp didnt go too knowing this now. Currently my amp is still working. I didn't adjust the levels nor the equalizer on the headunit or the bass knob. I kept everything where it was and only adjusted the volume. It goes to 35. It's a kenwood ddx276bt head unit. I kept it around 28-31. The subs were hitting pretty hard. Not really noticing any clipping by sound, just sounded like hard hitting subs, but maybe that was clipping since I'm unfamiliar with subs in general as to why I got on here to ask the questions because I'm new to this. After about 30 minutes the sub started making that rattling noise followed by shutting off for good 5 mins later. I thought it was the box that was rattling. The box is not ported and each sub has its own separate enclosure. I will include pictures of the box and specs. Double the air space wouldn't have mattered. I bought 2 brand new subs once again for $270 more dollars but made sure they were 4 ohms so I could wire them the same down to 1 ohm and am having a friend tune the amp correctly. They used the tools on it at the shop with a disc playing frequencies and said the amp had clean power and was tuned perfect. I just took their word because I didn't know how to do it. My mistake and I'm paying for it. I believe the amp is too big for my car anyway because as the subs were hitting I was getting pretty bad voltage drop from 14.1 down to almost 11.5 when there would be 3 or 4 base notes in a row. Again, idk if it's because the amp is too big or if it being wired at .5 ohms and clipping caused it to drop that badly. I'm new to all of this and learning. Money isn't the issue, it's the mistakes that are being made that are upsetting me. The rest was perfect. They installed my head unit, all around speakers, interior and exterior lights flawlessly. The wires aren't even present, just the sub tuning and amp wiring were my complaints. One user has offered me advice and articles on tuning the amp. I have a wiring diagram as well to put them in. I will take any advice you give me and would appreciate anyone else's opinions on tuning the amp correctly based on the subs and amp I have and also if that was causing the voltage drop or if my alternator just isn't up to the task. I have a 2016 nissan 370z base model.

 

[Bobbytwonames]

Just to clear up some things because I'm just now able to respond. I did not wire the subs. I had a shop do it, which some people have commented they should pay for them. They had them wired down to a .5ohm load and im surprised the amp didnt go too knowing this now. Currently my amp is still working. I didn't adjust the levels nor the equalizer on the headunit or the bass knob. I kept everything where it was and only adjusted the volume. It goes to 35. It's a kenwood ddx276bt head unit. I kept it around 28-31. The subs were hitting pretty hard. Not really noticing any clipping by sound, just sounded like hard hitting subs, but maybe that was clipping since I'm unfamiliar with subs in general as to why I got on here to ask the questions because I'm new to this. After about 30 minutes the sub started making that rattling noise followed by shutting off for good 5 mins later. I thought it was the box that was rattling. The box is not ported and each sub has its own separate enclosure. I will include pictures of the box and specs. Double the air space wouldn't have mattered. I bought 2 brand new subs once again for $270 more dollars but made sure they were 4 ohms so I could wire them the same down to 1 ohm and am having a friend tune the amp correctly. They used the tools on it at the shop with a disc playing frequencies and said the amp had clean power and was tuned perfect. I just took their word because I didn't know how to do it. My mistake and I'm paying for it. I believe the amp is too big for my car anyway because as the subs were hitting I was getting pretty bad voltage drop from 14.1 down to almost 11.5 when there would be 3 or 4 base notes in a row. Again, idk if it's because the amp is too big or if it being wired at .5 ohms and clipping caused it to drop that badly. I'm new to all of this and learning. Money isn't the issue, it's the mistakes that are being made that are upsetting me. The rest was perfect. They installed my head unit, all around speakers, interior and exterior lights flawlessly. The wires aren't even present, just the sub tuning and amp wiring were my complaints. One user has offered me advice and articles on tuning the amp. I have a wiring diagram as well to put them in. I will take any advice you give me and would appreciate anyone else's opinions on tuning the amp correctly based on the subs and amp I have and also if that was causing the voltage drop or if my alternator just isn't up to the task. I have a 2016 nissan 370z base model. View attachment 39856 View attachment 39857

Watch your voltage at 1 ohm. You're fine as long as you don't go below 12 for a long period of time. An occasional mid to high 11 shouldn't hurt that amp. Please let us know how the new subs work out for you.

 

[Kb1688]

Watch your voltage at 1 ohm. You're fine as long as you don't go below 12 for a long period of time. An occasional mid to high 11 shouldn't hurt that amp. Please let us know how the new subs work out for you.

It was only when the subs hit. Like say it had 3 base notes in a row. It would go from 14.1 to 13.5 to 12.8 to 11.9 the shoot back up for the next run. It wouldn't stay there.

 

[Bobbytwonames]

It was only when the subs hit. Like say it had 3 base notes in a row. It would go from 14.1 to 13.5 to 12.8 to 11.9 the shoot back up for the next run. It wouldn't stay there.

That's fine. Mine does the same thing sometimes. Please spell bass the correct way. I don't want people to not take you serious because of that. I'm not bagging on you just trying to help you out. I'm only running 4 - 8's with good electrical and my voltage still hits high 11's sometimes. Quick question. Did your subs start smelling before they blew?

 

[Kb1688]

That's fine. Mine does the same thing sometimes. Please spell bass the correct way. I don't want people to not take you serious because of that. I'm not bagging on you just trying to help you out. I'm only running 4 - 8's with good electrical and my voltage still hits high 11's sometimes. Quick question. Did your subs start smelling before they blew?

Yeah. I was getting a pretty strong burning kind of odor 30 seconds before the 1 shut off. Now I have them both disconnected and can still smell some kind odor. It smells like the glue in the sub box or the box itself idk.

 

[Jimi77]

@OP - thanks for clarifying. I think you'd probably benefit from a 10" sub ported in that ~1.25 cuft. I assume you have a 2kw amp because you're chasing output, but you're just not going to get a lot of output based on the displacement you have available, so you have to go ported.

If you want to stick with that enclosure, then I'd look for something with greater xmax, but I think alot of those subs may present mounting depth issues. Adire Brahma would be a good choice, but they only come in dual 2 ohm. Look at the DC Level 3, Incriminator Lethal Injection, SSA Gcon as those all have more displacement than the CT Ozones. Fi Audio X could be a good choice too. Good luck with the new subs.

 

[Kb1688]

That's fine. Mine does the same thing sometimes. Please spell bass the correct way. I don't want people to not take you serious because of that. I'm not bagging on you just trying to help you out. I'm only running 4 - 8's with good electrical and my voltage still hits high 11's sometimes. Quick question. Did your subs start smelling before they blew?

I wish I could just go live during installation and tuning on this site and someone help walk me through it. My buddy says he'll help and knows how to do it. I'm just worried I guess. I don't want to keep spending 300 bucks for subs to last an hour cuz I **** em up.

 

[Kb1688]

@OP - thanks for clarifying. I think you'd probably benefit from a 10" sub ported in that ~1.25 cuft. I assume you have a 2kw amp because you're chasing output, but you're just not going to get a lot of output based on the displacement you have available, so you have to go ported.

If you want to stick with that enclosure, then I'd look for something with greater xmax, but I think alot of those subs may present mounting depth issues. Adire Brahma would be a good choice, but they only come in dual 2 ohm. Look at the DC Level 3, Incriminator Lethal Injection, SSA Gcon as those all have more displacement than the CT Ozones. Fi Audio X could be a good choice too. Good luck with the new subs.

I honestly got recommended the subs by ct sounds. I got the box first because the trunk is so small in the 370z and that box along with a bunch of others I looked at was the best looking one out of the bunch. I actually couldn't find a ported box that fit 2 subs of any size in the exact place that mine is to leave trunk room. So I talked to the guys at ct sounds and they said the box would work fine with the ozone 10s and the 2000.1D amp that was pushing them. I'm not looking for competition type power or rattle the hatch off, I'm just looking for good loud bass that isn't so loud my kid can't ride around with me without telling me to turn it off. I think I just got in over my head and let people talk me into things I didn't really need.

 

[Bobbytwonames]

Yeah. I was getting a pretty strong burning kind of odor 30 seconds before the 1 shut off. Now I have them both disconnected and can still smell some kind odor. It smells like the glue in the sub box or the box itself idk.

Those were the voice coils heating (burning) up. If you ever smell that again then lower the volume immediately. We call it Eau de Coil. And it seems to stain everything. That smell is your warning signal that something isn't right.

 

[Bobbytwonames]

I wish I could just go live during installation and tuning on this site and someone help walk me through it. My buddy says he'll help and knows how to do it. I'm just worried I guess. I don't want to keep spending 300 bucks for subs to last an hour cuz I **** em up.

Subwoofer level on your HU at the max level. Crossover at around 70 or 80 hz. Bass boost and loudness off. Subsonic at about 25 hz. Bass knob at 50%. Turn the HU to about 80 - 85% of max volume. Start with the gain at zero. Play a bass heavy song until the yellow light slightly flickers on and off. Then back the gain of a tiny bit. Then you should be good to go. If you ever smell anything then turn the gain down another tiny bit.

 

[Kb1688]

Subwoofer level on your HU at the max level. Crossover at around 70 or 80 hz. Bass boost and loudness off. Subsonic at about 25 hz. Bass knob at 50%. Turn the HU to about 80 - 85% of max volume. Start with the gain at zero. Play a bass heavy song until the yellow light slightly flickers on and off. Then back the gain of a tiny bit. Then you should be good to go. If you ever smell anything then turn the gain down another tiny bit.

Few things. Headunit just has an equalizer. No other controls. I'm assuming the first 3 are bass so max them to the top? Also do adjust anything else on the equalizer? I'm assuming crossover is LPF on the dials? What do I set frequency at? Also, the amp doesn't have a yellow light assuming that's clipping nor does the bass knob, just two blue lights for power. I'll include pictures of all if you go over then for the equalizer and each dial setting and I guess I'll have to listen for clipping.
Also, what should I use to tune it with if you can include some type of recommended audio. After it's tuned, do I always keep the head unit at 80-85% power? Will turning it up to say 33/35 cause the subs to possibly blow again? Sorry for so many questions and thank you for all the help.

 

[Jimi77]

I honestly got recommended the subs by ct sounds. I got the box first because the trunk is so small in the 370z and that box along with a bunch of others I looked at was the best looking one out of the bunch. I actually couldn't find a ported box that fit 2 subs of any size in the exact place that mine is to leave trunk room. So I talked to the guys at ct sounds and they said the box would work fine with the ozone 10s and the 2000.1D amp that was pushing them. I'm not looking for competition type power or rattle the hatch off, I'm just looking for good loud bass that isn't so loud my kid can't ride around with me without telling me to turn it off. I think I just got in over my head and let people talk me into things I didn't really need.

You could "port" by removing or cutting holes into the divider in the box. That would give you ~1.3cuft which enough to port most 10s. You'd have to run a passive radiator instead of a port, but it could work. Many/most subs are designed to be ported. When you see a sub with ~15mm of xmax but it's power handling is over 3-400wrms that tells me the sub is designed with porting in mind. Your subs should be able to reach xmax off ~400wrms each. All the rest of that amplifier power is either going to waste or generating distortion. It's just a poorly conceived system IMHO.

I'd put the replacement subs on hold and see if you can return/exchange the amp for something smaller, around 750 - 1000wrms. Then I'd look at something with similar displacement as the CT Ozones (ie ~15mm xmax) and power handling around ~3-500 wrms. Image Dynamics ID and IDQs come to mind. Cerwin Vega's Vega series could work (red surround). Dayton Reference HF, HO or High Excursion could work for you. DC Level 2, but I'd double check their xmax figure (is it "peak" or 'peak to peak"?). Incriminator I series, SSA Demon. I'd try to stick with subs with a QTS >.45 or I suspect they won't sound deep enough for you.

 

[Bobbytwonames]

Few things. Headunit just has an equalizer. No other controls. I'm assuming the first 3 are bass so max them to the top? Also do adjust anything else on the equalizer? I'm assuming crossover is LPF on the dials? What do I set frequency at? Also, the amp doesn't have a yellow light assuming that's clipping nor does the bass knob, just two blue lights for power. I'll include pictures of all if you go over then for the equalizer and each dial setting and I guess I'll have to listen for clipping.
Also, what should I use to tune it with if you can include some type of recommended audio. After it's tuned, do I always keep the head unit at 80-85% power? Will turning it up to say 33/35 cause the subs to possibly blow again? Sorry for so many questions and thank you for all the help.
View attachment 39858 View attachment 39859 View attachment 39860 View attachment 39861

This is where I would start. Turn your HU up to max volume before distortion kicks in and set the bass knob at 50%. I would leave the first two on your EQ at 0. Find a bass heavy song and then slowly turn the gain up until the protect light slightly flickers and then back it off an ⅛" or so until it doesn't flicker anymore. You should be golden after that. Don't go "full tilt" for a couple of weeks to allow the suspension to loosen up. It's hard to do.

 

[Jimi77]

Careful with the EQ. For every 1+ db, you increase amplifier output by 27%. You already have more power on hand than you need.