[QUOTE]Originally posted by WLAURENT
[B]

The test is to sit in the drivers seat with the stereo at listening levels. If possible - turn off the sub (my Pioneer has a sub output "off" mode) . You may be very surprised at how much of the low level sound disappears.

High excursion subs are typically not super punchy. The move alot of air and generate nice natural clean bass. Opening an air path for the air to move into the cabin may help.

 

The wait is over!!! I'm now enjoying 8A bliss! It's been raining all day, so these are top-up observations. The output is definitely lower in the cabin than standing next to the open trunk, but with the top up, it's still plenty to suit me. Crisp and clear with no noticable distortion. Awesome. Just for kicks, I cranked up the sub control on my HU and set off the car alarm beside me in the parking lot. Hopefully the rain will stop and I'll get to test it topless tonight. I need to do a few tweaks, but the way it blends with my Koda's up front is amazing. Gotta write Ben a big thank you note for bring us this great little driver! I'd do backflips if I could!

 

[QUOTE]Originally posted by SC_Highlander
[B]but the way it blends with my Koda's up front is amazing.

 

Right now, the HU's crossovers for the fronts and sub are at 100Hz and the rears at 125. The fronts are running off my Balupunkt PA4100 bridged to 2 channels with the gains just shy of the 6V setting. No bass boost and the high pass filters set @ 80Hz. The rears are powered off the HU (Alpine 9815). The sub is powered from the memphis 500D with no bass boost, subsonic filter off, low pass filter set at 200Hz and gains set at what I'm guessing is 'about halfway'. There are no markings on the gain setting except 'min' and 'max', and it's got nearly 3 full turns of movement in the adjustment. I'll try to adjust it properly when I get home from the autocross on Saturday.

 

hrm...


loud enough to set off a car alarm?

now, i'm wondering if something isn't wrong... w/ my fronts set at 80hz and the sub set at 120hz, i have my gain at about 75%, headunit at +15 -- i wouldn't say that i have enough bass to sound balanced... and i know my amp is pumping some juice to it... it's only rated for 300Wrms at 2 ohms, but Kicker even verifies that it should be pumping closer to 450Wrms.
maybe my fronts are just 'that' much louder??? or are my expectations that wacked?



i don't think i'm a thumping-bass kind of guy, so i wouldn't think my expectations are 'that' high... could something be out of phase?!? i know the fronts are in phase... and i've played w/ the sub phase adjustment... and there is a definite in phase and out of phase between the sub and the fronts....
ack, i hate to even think this... could i be out of phase internally w/ the DVC? i doubt it... (*dismisses idea*) the sub is making a good chunk of bass - and if they were out of phase, i'd expect almost none... so, that's probably not it...

SC_Highlander -- did you set off that alarm w/ your trunk open or closed?

boy, i need to get home and play w/ this a LOT more... better make sure i've got the tank filled...

still - w/ the fronts on flat and the sub crossed at 80hz, the whole system sounds quite substantial...

 

The trunk was open -- and the HU was cranked to +15 on the sub, and about 30 on the volume. It could have been an overly sensitive alarm too -- this was in the parking lot at the stereo shop and the car was a riced out celica.

 

[QUOTE]Originally posted by SC_Highlander
[B]The trunk was open -- and the HU was cranked to +15 on the sub, and about 30 on the volume.

 

To tell you the truth, I don't even remember the song that was playing -- I just switched it over to the radio tuner because the only CD I had in the car was mp3's. It was one of the local pop stations, but beyond that I don't know. I was standing outside the car with the windows down and the trunk open.

 

I run my fronts and rears at 125 hz and cross the sub at 80hz

Driving into the office this morning (top down) I was rolling about 75. I turned off the sub output and still noted a drastic change in the sound (no bottom end).

I do believe that you are a bit unbalanced between your Focal's and the sub for the given installation. For a trunk mounted sub I like a 4 to 1 minimum differential in power to sub and speakers. Total power to sub(s) = 4X the total power to fronts.

For a convertible - it may be even more (perhaps 5 to 1) just to get the bass into the cabin. I have 50 watts rms to each of the 4 speakers and ~250 watts rms to each of my subs.

Try turning down the gain on your focals. If you find you get a better balance then you may want to consider putting a bit more power to the sub (or adding another one - I will give you a return customer discount).

-William

 

[QUOTE]Originally posted by SC_Highlander
[B]To tell you the truth, I don't even remember the song that was playing -- I just switched it over to the radio tuner because the only CD I had in the car was mp3's.