Sub not loud enough, components overloaded

Printed From: the12volt.com
Forum Name: Car Audio
Forum Discription: Car Stereos, Amplifiers, Crossovers, Processors, Speakers, Subwoofers, etc.
URL: https://www.the12volt.com/installbay/forum_posts.asp?tid=8252
Printed Date: May 10, 2025 at 8:44 PM

Topic: Sub not loud enough, components overloaded

Posted By: wxxyz
Subject: Sub not loud enough, components overloaded
Date Posted: January 17, 2003 at 12:33 AM

hey...

I'm running 2 way 4 inches in the front, 2 way 6 inches in the rear. I have a 12 inch sub powered by a 200watt amp....the gain is cranked.

With the rear speakers disconnected and the fade to the back, the sub is plenty loud. How do I get this same volume from the sub without over powering my rear speakers?

Replies:

Posted By: wvsquirrel
Date Posted: January 17, 2003 at 12:45 AM

Does your head unit have RCA pre-outs? Judging by what you've said, you have the signal from the amp comming directly off the rear speaker wires (high level input into the amp). Keeping this configuration, you will alyaws get less volume if you put the fade to the middle (Front and Rear). However, you should not have a problem with the rear speakers by reconnecting them and adjusting the fade. The amp will pull what it needs from the high level inputs, and send the signal to the sub. The rear speakers will get what they need as well. If the amp has a built in crossover, then you should only get bass out of the sub. Adjusting the bass level from the headunit will directly affect the sub's volume as well.

If your headunit has RCA pre-outs, and the amp is equiped for RCA inputs, then use RCA's to connect to the amp instead of the rear speaker wires.

-------------
Squirrel
"No more Cpt. Kirk chit chat"
If its too loud, then you're too old
Donate to the12volt.com

Posted By: wxxyz
Date Posted: January 17, 2003 at 11:30 AM

sorry, I should've specified...I am using the rca oputputs, theres both a rear and front pre-out, and when I put them on the rear pre-out, with no rear speakers, the sub pounded. (the amp has a built in low-pass crossover)

Maybe I need to put a high pass crossover in-line with the rear speakers so they don't try producing the low frequencies?

Posted By: swerks
Date Posted: January 17, 2003 at 2:38 PM

what kind of hu is it

Posted By: bberman1
Date Posted: January 17, 2003 at 6:50 PM

use a 3 way electronic crossover such as this one.https://cgi.ebay.com/dll?ViewItem&item=3001458315&category=14931 it will then split your 2 inputs and give you a rca output for the sub as well as allow you to adjust the way things sound.

Posted By: SnomanF150
Date Posted: January 17, 2003 at 9:56 PM

Radio power on the high end or an amp on the high? If amp on the high, turn the gain down on the high amp

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George

David's Car Stereo

Baton Rouge, LA

Posted By: wxxyz
Date Posted: January 18, 2003 at 12:51 PM

It's a Sony head unit, mp450x.

Snomanf150: Amp is on the LOW end...I need more bass captain!

The Crossover thing would probably work, I was hoping for a cheaper fix...perhaps free!?