Not getting enough bass

Perhaps you're having power issues, if one amp is drawing too much, the other amp wouldn't get anything. Do your headlights dim? Also, Legacy is probably worse than Pyramid even..

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2009 Pontiac G8 in planning stage
HU: ?
Speakers: ?
Amps: ?

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

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Be careful whose advice you buy, but be patient with those who supply it.

No, nothing dims. How would I determine if one is drawing more power? I did have part of this system pretty good at one time. I had blaupunkt overdrives (which i had to glue the rubber back together because they're not made very well so I put them in my old car to rust away) in the front and my old 100w pioneers in the rear and 2 8" 80 subs and they were all on the coustic amp. If it is a power issue how do I solve it? Would the cap do that and what size? I can't afford to change the alternator so that is out of the question. New amp?

Actually I forgot I had replaced the 2 8's with the 10's and that was running pretty good on the coustic amp along with the fronts and rears. But I wanted to try to do it right and get an amp for the subs. I guess I made a mistake on my choice. At this time I wasn't able to play any metal type music but everything else was sounding great. To high sounding but I think that was my mistake on the settings on the amp. I also forgot that if I use the bass boost on either amp I do get some dimming but on the HU only.

a cap is not the answer to an electrical problem...ever...

why dont people investigate these things? a cap, despite what any salesman will tell you, is not really a good thing for your ailing charging system...it is a tool used in SQ cars to regulate voltage to the amps and keep the power supply steady and even...

to doombious
I don't think a cap is going to help this sys. any. To me it sounds like a tuning issue. Or possibly the way you have daisey chained the amps together.

to Big Purds
I believe you are a little outspoken about the use of power capacitors as a fix for "ailing charging systems." Granted to many of us use them as a cure all for worn out batteries and under powered alternators. The fact is that the correct capacitor can be a useful line of defense between hard hitting amps and factory alternators. Even if you don't hear a huge difference they can take a strain off of your factory electrical sys. by absorbing the imediate draws demanded by a big amp.

they dont take any strain off of your alternator whatsoever, they create more of one...

when a cap discharges (which doesnt take long at all when you are pounding out the bass notes...) it needs to be recharged...what recharges that cap you say? THE ALTERNATOR!!!

so now your poor little factory alternator has to not only power your car, and then your stereo, but it has to work to recharge that POS cap that you were told would actually help the very problem you are making worse...and at the same time, robbing your stereo of even more power and making it labor because there is even less current available to run it than there was before you put that oh-so-clever band aid in...

caps work great in their role as a regulator in an ultra SQ system that will never see the cap fully discharged like in an SPL system...it maintains a constant voltage to everything and evens out the spikes and dips in power...

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...

but hey, they just win SPL competitons, what would they know about it anyway, right?

thomas, 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...

I think I have tried every position possible to tune this. Is there an easy way without all the fancy equipment? I noticed last night that when I turned the gains down on the coustic amp as in like turning the sound down I got more sound from my subs. I don't know the proper way to say but I think you know what I mean. But then I'm turning up the volume on my HU all the way just about to get the same volume I got at 22 and it goes to 30. I have a distribution block that splits to both amps. The sub amp is then connected from the output of the coustic amp to the only input on the other amp. They are both grounded in different spots. I would like to take it somewhere but I don't trust them. When I first had problems noone could hear it probably because they sold me the stuff and another place I went to heard what I was talking about before I even told him (this was before the bass issue) and he said I needed better speakers. He never even looked at my amp settings. Just tried to sell me some $300 component speakers and some rears. So I think I'm on my own here unless you guys can help me.

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.   


EQ

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Be careful whose advice you buy, but be patient with those who supply it.

thepencil wrote:

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

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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...

“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”

I agree with you that a capacitor might not necessary be the best answer for doombious situation. Given some time I was able to give him a remedy options to his problem when I had a chance to see more details on his later post. My suggestions for doombious to get a capacitor are drawn on my own experience with the two amplifiers that he is using. A capacitor remedy the problem which I had. That is why I suggest it. If you had read my post, then you should have known that I didn’t get the luxury like you and see further details of his problem. I answer, as it was a suggestion base on my own experiences. You on the other hand ran your remarks before you allow me to make further suggestions.   Have you not read my signature statement? “ Be careful whose advice you buy, but be patient with those who supply it. “. Patient, is one of your weakness if you want me to point that out to you. So, in the future think first before you say something to insult someone’s comment and intelligence.

”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...”

Yes, you did get my attention. You got my attention way before all this posting when you had a run in with another member in this forum. You were very arrogant in your post and have very little respect for someone else’s comment if you ask me. It’s fine with me to be sarcastic and funny, but don’t get confuse and carry away with insults. I don’t mind being corrected if I am wrong. I’ve been wrong so many times on car audio stuff as well as many other things in my life that I have stop counting. If you correct me I will be very grateful for it, but if you insult my intelligent that is the last straw that breaks the camels back.

If you want to get my attention speak with politeness, intelligence and respect. There are a few people in this forum like VELOCITY MOTOR, ESMITH69 and a few other that will always get my attention on their posting. They have my utmost respect. I have learned a lot from them and am still continuously learning from them. You should read a few of VELOCITY MOTOR OR ESMITH69 REPLY POSTING, perhaps you might learn something from them with the way they speak on their reply to others.

Again, I will repeat what I said to you before I ended off on my last post. You are an intelligent young man with a lot knowledge and skill that is very helpful to other in the forum as well as to myself.    Speak politely and showcase your skill, it’s a terrible thing to waste.

To end this note, we agree and disagree in some of our opinions. Let’s leave it at that. In my opinion, we can continue with this discussion for a very long time since there are many different variable in place to achieve the same result. Obviously, we have differences in our ideas and opinions I hope you will learned to respect mine just as I learned to respect yours.





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Be careful whose advice you buy, but be patient with those who supply it.

noted and agreed...

I wired the subs in parallel and put them on one channel. Is that an ok way to do it? If I bridge it, won't it drop to 1ohm? My subs definetly like this new wiring much better. I did some more adjusting of the gains and it is sounding pretty good.  It's still not right though. I probably could use an equalizer. I have been thinking of getting a new HU with 3 outs. If I get a new HU with 4 or 5v output will this mean I will have to adjust my gains again to match it? What do I look for in an equalizer? I thank all of you for your help.

ahhhhhhh men to dat brothaman

“I wired the subs in parallel and put them on one channel. Is that an ok way to do it? If I bridge it, won't it drop to 1ohm?”

No that is not the correct to do it, the American Legacy amp that you got won’t be able to handle the load impedance when it is bridge.    The sub that you have has a 4-ohm impedance. If you wire them in parallel you will get a 2 ohm load not a 1 ohm load, meaning you are joining the two negative and two positive speaker wires together on the two sub.

“I have been thinking of getting a new HU with 3 outs. If I get a new HU with 4 or 5v output will this mean I will have to adjust my gains again to match it? What do I look for in an equalizer?”

Yes, you would need to set your gain again in order to match up the signal that is going into your amp from your new HU. If you set the gain up too high the sound will distort when you turn up the volume on your HU.   To correct this, turn your HU to full volume and adjust the gain up slowly on your amp to the point where you hear distortion in your speakers, then turn down the gain on your amp to the point where the distortion has gone away. You are done adjusting at this point. Here is the link.
How to Choose an Equalizer

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Be careful whose advice you buy, but be patient with those who supply it.

Amist all of this. Hook your speakers back in stereo. Listen to something with some deep bass, turn it up pretty loud. Now adjust your balance to one speaker. If you get more bass out of one speaker than two. Your speakers are out of phase. Meaning one of them is not hooked up right. You can hook them up pos. to pos. and neg. to neg. or they will even work hooked up pos. to neg. and neg. to pos. but if one is hooked up one way and the other is hooked up the other way then they won't sound good. Give it a try and see what that does. Good luck!!!!!!

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G.G.

Both speakers are putting out evenly. I'm getting a little confused on the sub/amp. I wrote earlier that I wired them in parallel. That drops it to a 2ohm load. Now since my amp is 2ohm stable I did not bridge it because from what I've read that would drop it to 1ohm. So I wired it to one channel. So I was wondering if this was an ok way to do that. I'm also wondering what RMS power is going to each speaker now. If anyone can help on that, this is what I know...100Wx2 rms@4ohms...150Wx2 rms@2ohms...so if I'm only using one channel would that mean each sub is getting 300rms?    [:errr:]

the amp just reads impedance, it doesnt create it...so when you wire 2 single voice coil 4 ohm subs to it, it will see 2ohms either way...you are just running in 2 ohm stereo now, you want to bridge it so you have 2 ohm mono, thus getting sa much power out of the amp as you can without cooking it...

bridging will not affect the impedance whatsoever...so just hook up the positive sub lead to the left positive on the amp and the negative sub lead to the right negative on the amp and enjoy your equipment...

Doombious,

“I'm getting a little confused on the sub/amp.”

And no you are not confuse, you are just not understanding the terminology. I’ll try explaining it to you as best as I can.

“I wrote earlier that I wired them in parallel. That drops it to a 2ohm load. Now since my amp is 2ohm stable I did not bridge it because from what I've read that would drop it to 1ohm. So I wired it to one channel. So I was wondering if this was an ok way to do that. I'm also wondering what RMS power is going to each speaker now. If anyone can help on that, this is what I know...100Wx2 rms@4ohms...150Wx2 rms@2ohms...so if I'm only using one channel would that mean each sub is getting 300rms?”

This is where I believe you are confused. Here goes.

100 watt X 2 RMS @ 4ohms, means 1 sub woofer is connect to channel one and another sub woofer is connected to channel two. There are 2 sub woofer in total used in this set up. The amplifier will supply 100 watt of power to each speaker.

150 watt X 2 RMS @ 2 ohms, mean 2 sub woofers connected together to channel one and 2 more subwoofers connected to channel 2. There are a total of 4 sub woofer used in this set up. The amplifier will supply 150 watt of power to each speaker.

“ Now since my amp is 2ohm stable I did not bridge it because from what I've read that would drop it to 1ohm.”

To get 1-ohm, means you have to have 4 sub woofer all at 4-ohm impedance and connect them all in parallel. In your case you only have two, you need to get 2 more.

“I'm only using one channel would that mean each sub is getting 300rms?”

No, you are only getting 150 watt. Does this help? Keep asking if you don’t understand. We will try our best to help you out.

Here are some terminology that might help you out.

Ohms
The measurement of electrical resistance and system impedance. It is a measure of the degree to which electrons are limited in both velocity and quantity in passing through a circuit. In Impedance measurements, this takes into account, the mechanical resistance inherent in the motion of transducers. The standard is usually 4 ohms for car audio and 8 ohms for home and commercial audio. Some specialty woofers may be rated at 16 ohms.

Channel
Common name for a complete amplifying stage in any audio amplifier. Most amplifiers are denominated as 1, 2, 4, 5, or 6 channel units. Each of these is a discrete audio amp on its own, capable of taking a small line signal input and amplifying it sufficiently to be heard on an appropriate speaker. Some amplifiers are capable of bridging two channels together, to form one channel of double the power of each separately. The manufacturer's instructions differ widely on how to accomplish this, and each must be followed exactly.

Bridged Power
Bridging an amplifier, combines the power output of two channels into one channel. Bridging allows the amplifier to drive one speaker with more power than the amp could produce for two speakers. Because of this high power output, bridging is the best way to drive a single subwoofer.
If the amp is bridgeable, the owner's manual will have directions that tell you how. Usually, an amp is bridged by connecting the speaker leads to the positive (+) terminal from one channel and the negative (-) terminal from the other channel. However, be sure to consult your owner's manual before attempting to bridge your amp!
Also, keep in mind that most amplifiers need to see a 4-ohm load when bridged to mono operation. When bridging an amplifier, use one 4-ohm speaker or, if you prefer multiple woofers, connect two 8-ohm speakers in parallel. Again, consult your manual before operating your amp in bridged mode.

Impedance
The totality measured in Ohms of all electrical opposition to current flow: resistance, reactance, capacitance, as well as all mechanical factors inhibiting the completion of energy transfer in a contained system. In practical terms, this means that most Drivers are assigned a certain nominal impedance based on their DC voice coil resistance and mechanical stiffness. For car audio this is usually 4 ohms; for home stereo, 8 ohms is the standard.

Parallel Wiring
A circuit in which two or more devices are connected to the same source of voltage, sharing a common positive and negative point, so that each device receives the full applied voltage.



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Be careful whose advice you buy, but be patient with those who supply it.

I think the JBL 600.1 will deliver more power, and is stable down to 1 ohm, which allows somewhat for later system upgrades, and doesnt really limit you so much...

as far as that head unit, I would probably use the crossovers and EQ on both, but I would ensure that everything matches all the way around as far as setting everything up...I am not sure really what is best there, because I know people that do it all 3 ways...some run both, some run the deck exclusively, and some run the amp exclusively...and then there are guys who buy fancy EQs and crosssovers and leave the deck and amp all at zero and just use the other equipment...

RMS stands for Root Mean Square, in English what it really mean is the continuous power, measure in watts, which your amplifier delivers to your speakers. The higher the RMS figures, the louder and cleaner your music sounds. As for “Power”, this figure tells you the maximum wattage an amplifier can deliver during a brief musical burst, like a dramatic drum or bass guitar accent. The RMS figure is more significant.   

“I was thinking I should have had a 1000w amp.”

It doesn’t hurt to get a bigger amp because you can always turn the gain down when you notice that you are over powering your sub woofer.

“Does having more power with less watts mean less pull from the alternator than an amp with the same power and more watts?”

Now that you understand what RMS and Peak Power means I think you can answer your own question.

Here is something that you can use to help you out a bit more.

Before you go out and get an upgrade on your alternator. You can actually do a bit of math to see if it is necessary to upgrade for one. First you have calculate the current draw from your amp. To calculate this you need to multiply the number of channels by the RMS watt per channel. If you have two amps you need to add both of them together to arrive at a grand total. Double it, then divide by 13.8, which is the average number of volts an alternator produces. The result is your system’s approximate current draw in amperes. For example, if you have a two channel amp that puts out 50 watt rms each. You would multiply (50 x 2)=100, 100+100=200, 200 divided by 13.8 = 14.49, 14.49 is the approximate current draw of your amp in ampere.

To calculate if your alternator can handle your current system or the system that you are planning to put in, you would then take your alternator amp rating and multiply by 40%. This will give you a rough idea of your electrical system’s reserve capacity. Say you have a Honda Civic that has an alternator rate at 50 amps, Multiply 50 x 0.4 = 20, 20 amps is what is left to power your sound system.

This is just a rough guide and for reference only, so changes the number to reflect what you have for your car.

“I was wondering if it is better to use the filters on the amp or the HU or use them both”

As Big Purds said, used both of them. The only thing I can see adding in here is that if you use both filter you might find a sharp roll off in your slope. But again, your ears would be your best tools to make the adjustment to your music according to your liking.      






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Be careful whose advice you buy, but be patient with those who supply it.

the way I have always determined if my system was too big for my alternator was to add the values of the amps fuses...when the amps have fuses anyways...right now I have 2 amps in my car, each with 3 30A fuses...so thats 90A maximum potential draw, per amp...so 180A for my stereo, and I happen to know that my car, with absolutely everything else but the stereo going at full bore, happens to only draw 17A...heh, this is my anti-technology car, lol...

so 180A + 20A = 200A...so at this point in time, I would go out and buy an alternator capable of doing 200A or greater...typically greater, cuz that allows for further upgrades without further upgrading my alternator...since high output alternators arent really that cheap, I figure I may as well only do it once per vehicle, lol...

personally, I just slammed a 250A alt in there, cuz I know I am going in a different direction soon, and will need a wee bit extra power...

but, as I was saying, if you add the total values of the fuse ratings for the amps, you should be safe, cuz that would lead you to believe that if that amp were to draw more than the fuse rated current, the fuses should pop fairly quickly...

again, this isnt a very scientific method either, its just my common sense method, lol...it hasnt failed me yet!

Nice and quick. Thanks for the tip Big Purds! Never thought of it this way.

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Be careful whose advice you buy, but be patient with those who supply it.

lol, it sounds fairly n00bish and is extremely simple, but I havent been decieved by it yet...

well, sometimes when an amp goes low impedance, it will take something out with it...but, if your amp shuts itself down with an overload protection circuit, you should be fairly safe...you might end up spending alot of time without bass until you replace it, but it shouldnt hurt too much...

however, without the protection I would not play it at all or rewire for a higher impedance...