Printer Friendly Forum Posts - good amp/box for 2 sony 10’’ subs?

Alright, I have 2 sony pentagon 10 inch subs

so, two questions:

1) https://sm.crutchfield.com/S-bFsm51Xwett/cgi-bin/ProdView.asp?a=0&s=45&cc=01&g=110&id=morephotos&i=158XM2200#morephotos

is that a good enough amp to power them, its a 2 channel that puts out 200 watts rms at 4 ohm x2, so i was thinking use one channel for each sub? 200 watts per sub, not bad, right?

i can spend about 200 bucks on the amp, and it will only be powering subs, this just looked like a good way to do it, just some input

2) what kind of box would be best, sealed or bandpass? I have heard each is effecient, but sealed is more concise sound while bandpass is more 'bang'. Again, just some input if you would, thanks guys.

The amp will do fine, but you will be running in stereo (not always an ok thing). Usually if you run an amp bridged it will push the subs a little harder, but you couldn't do that with this amp since it is only rated @4 ohms bridged (correction you could do it, but you would risk blowing the amp because you would have a 2 ohm load). Do a little shopping around for a cheap monoblock that is rated at 400 x 1 watts rms @ 2 ohms. That would pound your subs.

On the box, go sealed. You will be much happier in the long run. Bandpass boxes have a tendancy to shorten the life of a sub and don't pruduce as dynamic of a sound as a good sealed box. Also you would have to have a bandpass custom built for it to sound right. a sealed one you should be able to build yourself.

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If quiters never win, and winners never quit, who the heck came up with the idea that you should quit while your ahead?

1. [url=https://sm.crutchfield.com/S-AY2DSpgQQ4J/cgi-bin/ProdView.asp?s=45&c=3&g=130&I=158XMD500X&o=m&a=0&cc=01&avf=N]This[/url] is what you should use (if you have to use sony).

2. Put those sonys in a good sealed box.

awesome, now, a couple new questions:

1) differance between stereo and mono? (for the sound illiterate)

2) what is the differance between the amp I posted and the one customsuburb posted (if i read this right, the one i put up would give each sub 200 watts rms, but the other one would put 250 into each? is that what is up?

3) why is stereo bad for subs then?

4) where is a good place online to get a good sealed box (low budget, i don't think they cost more than 40-50 bucks to buy, right?)

thanks again

oh, and last thing, in yalls opinion is it pretty easy to wire this stuff up yourself, if you are somewhat technically minded? thanks

1. A mono amp can handle a 2 ohm load at least usually and is a good choice for driving subs. If you buy a class D mono amp it will be more effecient then a stereo amp also. Stereo amps have 2 channels and can be bridged to run subs also.

2. The amp I posted will output 250 watts rms (probobly less because sony usually overrates their amps power handling) to each sub and the one you previously posted would output 200 watts rms to each.

3. Stereo amps arnt bad for subs they are usually just not as versitale as mono amps.

4. Crutchfield.com sells some ok q logic boxes.

5. wire your subs like this:

posted_image

if u can find one around ur area, you could even get the JBL 600/1 mono block amplifier.....around 200 bucks...maybe 220-240 but worth the money from what others have told me

I wouldnt buy that amp unless you want those sony subs to end up on the car behind you.

You know there is a reason that sony calls that line XPLOD.... I worked at Best Buy for a year in their car audio section, thats the sub that got returned the most...we had a lil joke going around the department cuz they quite literally.... XPLOD

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Love-peace-guidance

word-SOUND&power

Custumsuburb: Thats a series diagram unless I forgot basic electricity. Now, to adapt that to the amp (https://sm.crutchfield.com/S-FAorIoEPd45/cgi-bin/ProdView.asp?s=45&cc=01&g=130&id=morephotos&pi=4&i=158XMD500X&display=XL#morephotos) what wires do you route out from the amp speaker outs to what sub? More acuratly, why are there 4 speaker outs if you are going to wire it like that?

also, crutch sells a bunch of single sub boxes, whats a good site for getting a good dual sealed box, is ebay a good option here?

Humblel: I already bought the subs, so its a little late to return them....but what was causing them to break all the time? Were people putting too much power through them or something, because it seems to me 250 watts is a lot below the 350 max rms they can take...any tips?

#1 wire them right, with wahtever amp you get, ... most of the people who bought the subs did their own installations, and I guarantee they didnt know anythign past the basics, #2 dont abuse them, dont give too little power to them, because that could hurt them even more than too much power, and get at least 4g wires... think of it like sucking air through a paper towel roll, as opposed to breathing through a straw..... Just dont abuse them is waht im trying to say.. match them as closely as you can with whatever amp your getting, and take it from there.. but dont expect these to be cheap subs you can bang around.. you get waht you pay for you know??... treat them like diamonds and they could last you some time...

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Love-peace-guidance

word-SOUND&power

yeah, i get the picture. I won't abuse them, my only worry right now is the wiring (but that of course is what I am here to figure out). I was thinking it would be best to match sony subs w/ sony amp, and I have come to trust sony to a degree over the years.

4gauge wire sounds good, would you recommend getting a wiring kit, or visiting radio shack? The only thing that I am not totally sure I could pick up there that is in the kits is the inline fuse near the battery, but I would bet they sell those. Best buy charges 100 bucks or so for a 4g wiring kit, but I am sure I could put one together myself at radio shack for like 20. Thoughts?

1. You wire each sub to each terminal. There are two outputs on that amp to make it easier to hook up multiple subs (the two outputs are connected to one mono inside the amp).

2. Ebay if fine for a box, or you could buy one like this off of sound domain.com. The box off of sound domain has a slightly smaller cutout then the sony subs so a little bit of cutting is going to be needed if you buy that one.

3. They probobly blow so often because they are running off of sony amps that have the gain all the way up therefore feeding them a clipped signal, and are in too big or small of a box.

4gauge wiring kits for $100 bucks... listen bro... best buys price$ are outragous!!.. although I worked there.. I got heaps of discounts.. now that I dont.. I woud lnever buy anything from there.. although if you buy something from them (like a sub) if you blow it they will replace it if you ge the service plan ( which is sick .. cuz you can blow as many as youd like ;) ) .... but I would go to circuit city, one of those sorts of places... or you could buy offline... go to INSTALLER.COM and look at their selection they have amp kits sold together.. or you can piece together one by yourself... some of their stuff is a lil pricey but its just an idea.. look around, see what you can find.. If your gonna make it yourself... more power to ya.. just make sure its sealed and holds together tight...

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Love-peace-guidance

word-SOUND&power

Alright, now, assuming that amp, and a 0.7-0.77 cubic-ft box, how would I prevent blowing out the subs?

Also, would a .77 cubic sealed box be alright, found one on ebay that looks alright, and would not require cutting like the other one (made of MDF too)

Yeah, I agree, best buy prices are pretty sick. I will probably just get a kit online, just cause saving the 10-15 bucks really isn't worth that much of my time.

Oh, and what is a 'clipped' signal?

Also, if i go with a sealed box, is it wise to get some grills, in the interest of protecting the speakers?

If you carry alot of stuff in your trunk then you may as well.

Yeah, i guess thats a bit more of a personal problem.

So if I just keep the power at a normal level, i should be ok as far as blowing them out, right?

Also, while I am thinking about it, what are the pre-amp outputs on a aftermarket stereo for? Are they the outs that hook up to the amp and take the sound from the stereo to the amp and from there to the subs?

While I am thinking about it, I drive an explorer, dunno if that factors into all this, but I had thought it would be better with an explorer cause the box will be in the back and not behind a trunk wall or whatnot

Preamp outputs send a low level signal (your music) to aftermarket amplifiers.

It will sound good in your explorer.. because of rolloff, which is pretty much a fancy word for "it sounds better when its in the same cabin as you".... Im not sure what the box recommendations are for that particular sub but make sure you get it as close to them as you can.. that is CRUCIAL to not blowing them... its always smart to put a grill on them, especially in an SUV... like in my accord, I have come to accept that I just have no trunk lol... so i never put shiz in there but Im a surfer, and definately wouldnt want my fins hitting into the subs and breaking them... ( in the case that that does happen.. a little bit of nailpolish, duct tape and glue or sealant that wont hurt your subs should do the trick)

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Love-peace-guidance

word-SOUND&power

and yes keep the power at a normal level... If you here ANY distortion.. def turn it down.. Clipping is when your amp cuts in and out, could be a result of a bad ground or a bunch of other things.. I dont know everything about it.. but you'll knwo it when you see it.. shut off your system and check your connections.. it was happening to mine for a lil bit and it turned out to be a bad ground hook up

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Love-peace-guidance

word-SOUND&power

HumbleI wrote:

.. a little bit of nailpolish, duct tape and glue or sealant that wont hurt your subs should do the trick)

so thats how sony makes their subs....

the best way not to blow the subs is tuning your amp correctly, thus not getting a "clipped signal" there are three easy steps to tuning your amp correctly

1. turn your amp gain completely down

2. turn your headunit volume to where you wont play it normally

3. turn up your amp gain until your subs start to distort, then turn it back down just a little bit

you will be happy with your results

1) amp gain, is that how much power they are sending out?

2) ok, 250 watts rms on the amp to each sub (prolly less since sony seems to lie about this) and 300 watts max rms on each sub, if i get a box about the right size sony recomends, should i be ok as far as blowing them, if the 'gain' is not way up?

https://sm.crutchfield.com/S-g7XrpycDF4A/cgi-bin/ProdView.asp?s=45&cc=01&g=130&id=morephotos&pi=4&i=158XMD500X&display=XL#morephotos

so does one simply connect the + and - of one speaker to one set of +/- on the amp and the other speaker to the other set?

yes unless you can bridge your amp... in which case your amp would put most of the power out of the one +/- and power all of your subs from there.. youd have to wire them in a way which the +'s would lead into one cable and the -'s do as well.... you could ghetto rig this and just put all the posatives into one and all negatives but its better to wire it in parrallel...

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Love-peace-guidance

word-SOUND&power

You simply connect one sub to each terminal on the amp. The only reason this mono amp has two outputs is to make it easier to connect multiple subs. The two outputs come from one mono output inside the amp.

Makes me wonder...Don't they say that in the instructions??

prolly, but i didn't buy it yet :P

when you buy it and get it, you will see on the area near all of the adjustments for the amp, one that says gain level, before you turn on the system, make sure it is turned all the way down, then as you tune it, turn the gain level up