Printer Friendly Forum Posts - mono vs Stereo for subs

Hey guy's,

When running subs, I am told that running them mono is the best way. Why? Some or most music is recorded in a stereo type format (or at least I think so) so, if you have a good enough amp to drive the subs is stereo wouldn't it be better. I listen to alot of music that incorporates double base and I would think that having the subs working independently might sound better? Your thoughts on this issue please?

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Alpine CDA-9833 HU
Diamond Audio M661 Components
MTX Thunder T6.6 Components:rear fill:
Cadence Q400 4 Channel Mains + rears
Thunder 801D Subs
MTX 1004 10's
Dual 4g wire to rear
4g grounds

That is BASS guy's Not BASE. I hate not being able to edit my posts.

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Alpine CDA-9833 HU
Diamond Audio M661 Components
MTX Thunder T6.6 Components:rear fill:
Cadence Q400 4 Channel Mains + rears
Thunder 801D Subs
MTX 1004 10's
Dual 4g wire to rear
4g grounds

Low frequencies below about 80Hz are not directional (actually, some people say sounds down to about 65Hz can be located but 80Hz is the THX standard) so you need only one loudspeaker to produce all the energy in the lowest bands of any recording. If it is not directional (meaning you can't tell where the sound is coming from except sometimes in a very general way) then there is no advantage to being in stereo. Since you only need one speaker, a mono amp makes the most sense. Using stereo amps is simply a hook-up flexibility option.

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Support the12volt.com

The edit button is to the right of the +buddy link below your post.

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I understand frequency direction as I have been doing Home threater for sometime and have quite a system built up here.

I guess the issue that I was trying to address or the question that I was asking relates to the fact of the subs being able to hand fast pulses such as Double Bass riffs. Mine seem to hit a tad slow. Maybe twelves are just not for my type of music. Ten's would respone to fast pulse's much better and much tighter, right?

customsuburb wrote:

The edit button is to the right of the +buddy link below your post. <IMG alt="Edit Post" src="https://www.the12volt.com/installbay/forum_images/edit_post_icon.gif" align=absMiddle>

He is a newb and cannot edit yet.

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Certified Security Specialist
Always check info with a digital multimeter.
I promise to be good.
Tell Darwin I sent you.

I've been sick lately, sorry I won't be on much.

racer427 wrote:

I guess the issue that I was trying to address or the question that I was asking relates to the fact of the subs being able to hand fast pulses such as Double Bass riffs. Mine seem to hit a tad slow. Maybe twelves are just not for my type of music. Ten's would respone to fast pulse's much better and much tighter, right?

Actually mass doesn't effect the transient response of the driver, inductance does.

But what you are hearing can be caused by several different things. It could be caused by your sub having too much low end (unlikely, but possible), or you have a dip in the midbass response which cuts out the harmonics of the kick drum. Or it could be that the driver is producing too much distortion or the inductance is too high like mentioned above.

Steven Kephart

Adire Audio

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Maybe it has to do with the subs themselves. They are an older model Rockford 1812. Cheaper line I think. I bought the whole setup from my neighbor including the head unit and the amp for $250.

There could be 2 possable problems.

1 Cheap subs?

2 Rockford Punch 120.2 wired mono at 2 ohms I think pushing 140 watts to the subs? Underdriven?

And, I was always told in the past that 10's high harder and fast due to the fact that they have less mass to move. Can that even be a little true?

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Alpine CDA-9833 HU
Diamond Audio M661 Components
MTX Thunder T6.6 Components:rear fill:
Cadence Q400 4 Channel Mains + rears
Thunder 801D Subs
MTX 1004 10's
Dual 4g wire to rear
4g grounds

racer427 wrote:

And, I was always told in the past that 10's high harder and fast due to the fact that they have less mass to move. Can that even be a little true?

That is a common misconception. The problem comes from where people don't fully understand how a speaker works. They think of it two dimentionally instead of three dimentionally. If you want a good technical paper discussing this idea, read the following: https://www.adireaudio.com/Files/TechPapers/WooferSpeed.pdf

Steven Kephart

Adire Audio

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I've got a question along the same lines...kind of. I've got the Audiobahn A2150HCT and it says its 1 ohm stable and can produce 1200 watts RMS. Then when you look in the manual, it only lists ratings for 1 ohm stereo, and only lists mono specs for down to 2 ohms. Can I not hook up my dual 2-ohm sub to this thing at 1 ohm mono and get 1200 watts RMS? What the fizzle!?

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MG

A 2 ohm bridged mono rating is the same as 1 ohm stereo (on the same amp), so the specs in your manual should show the same amplifier output at both ratings. To use that amp with that sub, you would have to wire the coils in series for a 4 ohm load, and bridge that to the amp. The specs then would be the same as those for 2 ohm stereo, or 4 ohm bridged mono.

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Build the box so that it performs well in the worst case scenario and, in return, it will reward you at all times.

I predict this is going to turn into one of those huge discussion thread where alot of the information will fly over most of our heads.

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Certified Security Specialist
Always check info with a digital multimeter.
I promise to be good.
Tell Darwin I sent you.

I've been sick lately, sorry I won't be on much.

Racer, sound like you have a sub control problem. This could be cause by many issues.

The first way to check your system is to research all of your equipment. Look for the specs for your subs. Than measure the box to see if it is within spec. A sub in a larger box than required can get sloppy due to a lose of control. If you listen to music with rapid bass changes and don't mind losing your real low end you can opt. for a smaller box. A smaller box will probably correct you bass kick problems but you will lose some low end.

Ok, First off, The punch 120.2 is only stable at a 2 ohm load bridged and that is how it is wired. 2 4 ohm subs wired parrellel. I now know one of the problems, the subs are ineficient. The 1812 fosgates are rated at 90db. They are just cheap subs. So, that is the first upgrade. MTX 7500's I think.

Second, I beleive the amp is just under powered. 140 watts bridged into a 2ohm load is way under what I would normally run. So, Class D mono amp in the near future 500 watts RMS minimum should be enough.

Ok, well another delema, just looked the amp up on fosgates site and the spec sheet says that a bridged load needs to be 4 ohm minimum. I have the subs wire for 2 ohm to the amp. This is a problem?

could Subs running in stereo cancell eachother out???

I always thought in mono they pound harder because both cones are in sync.

but in stereo both subs are on there own.. not 100% but slightly off sync.

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Hunter S. Thompson for sheriff

subs in mono are in sync

subs in stereo arent as much causing slight cancelation

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Hunter S. Thompson for sheriff

racer427 wrote:

Ok, First off, The punch 120.2 is only stable at a 2 ohm load bridged and that is how it is wired.
Ok, well another delema, just looked the amp up on fosgates site and the spec sheet says that a bridged load needs to be 4 ohm minimum. I have the subs wire for 2 ohm to the amp. This is a problem?

Yes, it is. Two 4 ohm subs don't match up well with that amp for your purposes.

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Build the box so that it performs well in the worst case scenario and, in return, it will reward you at all times.

UPDATE: Today I disconected on of the subs and all is fine. Sounds just about as good as having both subs running.

Another question without posting a new forum: I have all of the Sh*t in a 92 Chevy Lumina APV. With the cabin volume of a minivan will it take more power and subs to creat the same SPL as if the same setup were in Say a Camaro or another hatch back style car?