Not getting enough bass

Just a thought; Some Pioneer HU`s have built in crossovers. If yours does, and it`s on, the sub amp, being daisy chained to the 4-channel, will also receive this crossovered signal.

what model is the Pioneer head unit? there may exist the possibility that your amp just doesnt have the power to really drive the subs...I am unclear of how loud it is and how loud you are expecting it to be, but Legacy amps and Pioneer subs arent really a good recipe for loud IMO... what is the impedance (ohms) of the subs, and where does that amp do its optimum power? if you had 2-8 ohm subs and an amp that peaks at 2 or 1 ohm, you would not get much power to the subs and therefore very little input...

Pioneer deh-1000 a few years or more old. The built in crossovers are not a problem. They really don't change the subs that much.  I am leaning towards the legacy amp being replaced. I believe it is 2 ohm stable but I'm not seeing it in the book. The subs are 4 ohms. They are hooked up at 4 ohm. I have my coustic amp at around 4v on the gains and the legacy sub only goes to 2.5v and the higher that is set the better all around sound I get. Its strange that it makes the fronts and rears sound better. So I have the sub amp all the way to the 2.5v and I know it wants more. But I am not getting the bass I have heard before. I'm straining to hear it at times. Put it this way its pretty bad when my Mom notices I don't have any bass. Any amp suggestions or am I heading in the wrong direction?

Is there any other way to have the amps hooked up that is better than how I have them? That they may not affect one another?

if the amp is 2 ohm stable, try wiring it in 2 ohm mono...two 4 ohm subs will make 2 ohm mono...wire them up like that and see what happens, AFTER you make sure that the sub amp is 2 ohm mono stable... if you have used a distro block to wire the amps, then that is probably as good as you are going to get...what size wire do you have running to the distro block and what size wire is running out of the distro block to the amps? and what is your price range on a new amp, if you end up deciding to replace it?

It is 2 ohm, I just found it. How do I wire the 2 subs together to make 2 ohms and then how are they wired on a 2 ch amp? Any diagrams for dummies you can send me to? Or if you can explain it I would appreciate it. I have trouble with some of them diagrams. I did unhook one sub and I bridged the other and I really heard no difference. I have 4 gauge wire to and from the block. Would really only like to spend $100 but that is probably not realistic so hoping not more than around $200. But I want to do it right. I do know my coustic amp played it pretty well with my fronts and rears all on it and that was around that price but is a 200w amp really good enough for 2 subs? Do you think the gains are the problem and do you think replacing the amp is the way to go if the rewiring doesn't work?

I found a picture of wiring in parallel. I am assuming I use only one channel on the amp cause if I bridged it this would drop it to 1 ohm.

try rewiring, and when you rewire, use the left positive and the right negative to bridge the amp down...the amp doesnt produce an ohm load, it operates in whatever resistance you put to it... look around for a JBL bp600.1, I dont think they are much more than 200 and are a really good amp for the money...also stable at 2 or 1 ohm if you need to wire that way in the future, after a sub upgrade or system change...

Doombious, Here are my suggestions on solving your problem with what I’ve heard on your post and your limited budget. Since your head unit has only one pair of rca you should consider purchasing a Lanzar EQ, a Legacy EQ or any other name that you can find a good deal on. EQ are fairly inexpensive and would considerably solve most of your problem.   When you make your EQ purchase be sure you get one with three pairs of rca output. The other option, which you can consider, is purchasing a crossover. I think it might cost you more for a crossover in term of getting the best solution for your money. I would suggestion the Lanzar EQ since it fairly inexpensive and I believe you can get one for $30-40 on eBay.   It has three pair of rca, the gains can be adjusted independently and 4 volts signal output. With the 4 volts signal you would considerably hear an instant improvement over your 2 volts signal that you are getting on your head unit. The connection for the EQ is quite simple it has only three wires, ground, power and an ignition. Once you have the EQ power up, you can begin connecting the rca. First, connect the rca output from your head unit into the input of your EQ. There are three pairs of output on your EQ, Front, Rear and Sub. Run the two pairs Front and Rear output from your EQ to your ”Coustic 200w” four-channel amp. Run the sub output from the EQ to your “American Legacy 600w”. You can set your four-channel amp on full range and make your adjustment on your EQ since the adjustment can be made independently. With the EQ, you can now have your full range sound where you were so use to having.   Next make your sound adjustment on your EQ for your sub. You are now done.     With the “American Legacy 600w” consider running them in separate channels so that it will be more stable. I don’t think you can bridge the two subs together and run them parallel, but do check your manual just to be safe. As for looping your rca through from one amp to another, I am not a fan of it unless it’s a JL or Fostgate. With looping rca through from one amp to another, I have notice that from experience the less expensive amps are poorer in maintaining a good clean signal through to another amp.    As a side, you should consider purchasing a capacitor for the system that you have set up.   Not right always, but some time soon down the road. You have a fairly new car, so you consider getting one. With the type of system set-up that you have, the current that is drawn will shorten the life of your alternator. With most car, engineer never incorporate the design of an extra load of an amp that will be put on the alternator system. So, when you have this extra load on the alternator it will shorten the life of it. With the capacitor it elevate some of this strain that is put on by the amps. Below is some information 101 like the good old high school days on a car’s charging system. Hopefully for you and other on the forum might find it interesting to know. The battery is the heart of the electrical system in the car. Something has to keep feeding the battery, or it will lose it’s voltage and fail to work. This job is left to the charging system. The principal part of the charging system is the alternator. It generates and delivers electrical power to the battery and the rest of the vehicles electrical system. This current must be maintained at between 12.9 and 14.8 volts, this is the job of the voltage regulator. Amperage output of the alternator is dependent on the state of charge of the battery. The charging system consists of the battery, which provides field current to the alternator, so that it can function. The battery also controls the amperage output of the alternator. The voltage regulator, which controls the voltage output of the alternator. The alternator uses the principle of electromagnetism induction to produce voltage and current. A magnet, called a rotor, is rotated inside a stationary looped conductor, called a stator, to generate a voltage. The strength and polarity of the voltage is dependent on the direction of rotation, the strength of the magnetic field, the number of conductors and the speed of the rotor inside the stator. This type of generator puts out AC voltage, hence an alternator instead of a generator, while an automobile is operated on DC current. To convert the AC voltage into DC voltage, a series of diodes are used. A diode is a one-way electrical valve that allows current to flow in one direction only. With current following in only one direction, alternating current is converted to direct current. Another big difference between an AC alternator and a DC generator is that an alternator will put out a large current flow at low speed, while a generator needs high speed to put out high current flow. As mentioned earlier voltage output is dependent on the strength of the magnetic field. Applying current to the stator from the voltage regulator creates the magnetic field. The voltage regulator controls the field current applied to the alternator. When there is no current applied to the field, there is no voltage produced from the alternator. When voltage drops below 13.5, the regulator will apply current to the field and the alternator will start charging. When the voltage exceeds 14.5 the regulator will stop supplying voltage to the field and the alternator will stop charging. This is how voltage output from the alternator is regulated. Amperage or current is regulated by the state of charge of the battery. When the battery is weak, the electromotive force (voltage) is not strong enough to hold back the current from the alternator trying to recharge the battery. As the battery reaches a state of full charge, the electromotive force becomes strong enough to oppose the current flow from the alternator; the amperage output from the alternator will drop to 0, while the voltage will remain at 13.5 to 14.5. When more electrical power is used, the electromotive force will reduce and alternator amperage will increase. It is extremely important that when alternator efficiency is checked, both voltage and amperage outputs are checked as well. Each alternator has a rated amperage output that can be made depending on the electrical requirements of the vehicle. Big Purds, DON’T EVER MAKE REMARKS LIKE THIS TO ANYONE AGAIN, IT’S DISRESPECTFUL AND IT’S AN INSULT ON THEIR INTELLIGENT. “a cap is not the answer to an electrical problem...ever... why dont people investigate these things? “ “look around at the guys who compete in dbDrag...how many of them use capacitors? NONE! you would think that if a cap would REALLY help that some of these guys would run them...but no, they dont...” HAVE YOU LOOK INTO THE WINNERS OF DIFFERENT CLASS COMPETITION BESIDE dbDrag? DOES ANY OF THESE PEOPLE WHO WIN THEIR RESPECTABLE CLASS USES A CAPACITOR? IF NOT, YOU SHOULD GET YOURSELF UP DATED WITH THE LATEST MAJOR AUDIO MAGAZINE. DO YOU THINK THESE PEOPLE KNOW ANYTHING ABOUT CAPACITORS ANYWAY? “as a little experiment, take a fully charged cap and hook it up all on its own to a big amp...now, turn that big amp on and up really loud, like the average kid would with his system...now, time EXACTLY how long it takes before the amp shuts down... now tell me that it is good for your charging system... “ WHAT DO YOU THINK IS RECHARGING THE CAPACITOR WHEN THE ALTERNATOR IS NOT SPINNING AND THE ENGINE IS NOT RUNNING? MAYBE YOU SHOULD TAKE A LOOK ABOVE ON HOW THE CHARGING SYSTEM INSIDE A CAR WORKS TO REFRESH YOUR MEMORY. HAVE YOU NOT BEEN TAUGHT THAT IF DON’T HAVE SOMETHING NICE TO SAY DON’T SAY IT? YOU ARE A YOUNG MAN WITH NO RESPECT FOR OTHER’S OPINION OTHER THAN YOURSELF JUDGING FROM YOUR WRITTEN WORDS AND WHAT YOU HAVE POSTED.   IF YOU WANT TO CRITICIZE, MAKE YOUR OWN WEBSITE AND DO IT THERE NOT HERE. I THINK THERE ARE A LOT OF MEMBER IN THIS FORUM THAT WOULD LIKE TO ADD THERE COMMENTS TO HELP OUT OTHER AND LEARN SOMETHING NEW AT THE SAME TIME LIKE MYSELF, BUT ARE TOO INTIMIDATED BY YOUR RUDE COMMENTS TO DO SO. IF YOU WANT TO CRITICIZE, DO IT NICELY AND FAIRLY. IF YOU QUESTION OTHER PEOPLE’S RESPONDS, DON’T ASK RHETORICAL QUESTIONS WITH THE INTENT THAT THERE WILL NOT BE A REPLY. TRY ASKING AN INTELLIGENT QUESTIONS IF YOU ARE SO CONFIDENT IN WHAT YOU KNOW AND GIVING OTHER A CHANCE TO QUESTION YOU, BESIDES HAVING YOU MAKE YOUR RUDE COMMENTS AND REMARKS.   BEFORE I END OFF HERE, I LIKE TO GIVE ME MY FINAL ADVISES DIRECTLY TO YOU Big Purds. YOU ARE AN INTELLIGENT INDIVIDUAL WITH MUCH TO GIVE ON YOUR KNOWLEDGE AND EXPERIENCE IN THIS FIELD, BUT DO ME A FAVOUR, LEARN TO RESPECT OTHER PEOPLE’S OPINION JUST AS THEY LEARN TO RESPECTS YOURS. My remarks have no intend to put you down, I am just letting you know how you shouldn’t be responding in this particular way.    EQBe careful whose advice you buy, but be patient with those who supply it.

thepencil wrote: I didn't see a capacitor on your list. Investing in one would really help out with your sound.

sooo many people advise others to buy a cap as a quick fix to an electrical problem when it is not...if you have read many of my posts, especially those in regards to the use of a capacitor, where it should and shouldnt be used, then you should understand what I am saying here...this is your FIRST post in response to this guys problem, and from the way I read it, you are insinuating that a capacitor is a MUST for EVERY system...especially when you say investing in one will really help your sound...I would almost place money in this situation that a cap wouldnt be very helpful at all... I am fully aware of how a vehicles charging system works and this is why I advise against caps unless you use it for what it is designed for...a "stiffening" cap is the correct title for them, and also the correct use for them...but there is a time and place for them, and its not in every single kids car across the planet who happens to have dimming lights when he plays his stereo...chances are, like I have said so many other times, unless you are running a cap in an ultra SQ setup, you are probably misusing it...and it should mainly be used to even out the dips and spikes that you would typically find in any vehicles charging system... WHAT DO YOU THINK IS RECHARGING THE CAPACITOR WHEN THE ALTERNATOR IS NOT SPINNING AND THE ENGINE IS NOT RUNNING? MAYBE YOU SHOULD TAKE A LOOK ABOVE ON HOW THE CHARGING SYSTEM INSIDE A CAR WORKS TO REFRESH YOUR MEMORY. when you state this, you are acknowledging the fact that power is still being consumed at a higher rate than in a system with no capacitor, becuase a cap cannot produce its own power, correct? so how is this then not harder on your cars charging system? as I have said many many times, the car has to power itself, your stereo, and then when you add a cap, it has to power that as well...is this not simple to anyone else??? I cant count how many times I have seen people automatically say "get a cap!" to ANY kind of power problem, when usually what they should be saying is "you should upgrade the wiring and/or alternator in your car..." I dont always mean to sound condescending or disrespectful, but sometimes it takes that in order to grab someones attention...I got yours here, and hope that you will take this into consideration before you go and post what I just quoted you saying automatically after someone says they are having power issues... and when you asked DO YOU THINK THESE PEOPLE KNOW ANYTHING ABOUT CAPACITORS ANYWAY? I found that to be a very uninformed and ignorant comment...these guys build the LOUDEST systems on the planet, and alot typically run 16V systems to get as much power out of everything as they can...you dont think they would look at EVERY possible venue to tweak out every last watt out of their systems for as long as they possibly could? maybe you think that any idiot can throw together a 176db system with no problem at all, but reality states different...