Car Audio Topics

In my opinion, the correct enclosure is vital in getting the most out of your system. This is because the enclosure determines how your sub will react with the given airspace, tuning, and power.

For example, a sub in a sealed enclosure will sound very different than one in a ported enclosure. Ported boxes are easy to identify because of the port opening.

A combination of port area (length x height) and port length work together to create the tuning frequency. The tuning frequency is denoted by hertz (hz), usually in the 20-70hz range when speaking of sub frequencies. Sub frequencies are also why subwoofers are called "subwoofers" and not simply "woofers" which refer to midrange frequencies.

A combination of size and tuning determines the output of a system more than the power or subwoofer itself. You could have a high end subwoofer like a DD 9515, but in the incorrect box, it could be outdone by a lower end sub in an optimized box...

In my experiences, many newbies think they need a capacitor installed along with their amplifier and subwoofers because of the reason that a capacitor will provide power when the amp needs it.  Here's the problem: When bass is playing, the amp always needs power, and whatever "extra" power it needs will be sucked out of your capacitor in a few seconds max. After you have discharged the capacitor due to heavy power draw, the capacitor will need to recharge.

How does it recharge? Well, the capacitor sits in between your alternator/battery and your amplifier. Once the capacitor is discharged, it will attempt to charge itself by drawing power from your electrical system. The power that could just pass from your electrical system directly to your amplifier now has to pass through a capacitor before it reaches the amplifier.  Then, once the amplifier needs power again, the vicious cycle starts all over.

Most common car audio capacitors are rated at 1 farad, while I've seen some reach as high as 5, 10, 20, and higher. No matter how high the rating, a capacitor will still hamper performance. This is because capacitors cannot supply the needed current for any extended duration of time to a high power amplifier. When your amplifier needs current, it will.....

The "Big 3" is a very easy mod to your car's electrical system that will help it maintain higher voltages for more power hungry amplifiers.

If you've ever measured your voltage drop when playing music with the volume to the max with your engine running, you'll see that instead of reading 14.4v or 13.8 (depending on car), your voltmeter will read 13v, 12v, or even lower!

You can easily tell if you're experiencing these voltage drops by watching your headlights. If they dim while playing your system, you most definitely have voltage drop going on.

This voltage drop could potentially cause harm to your amp if it is significant enough.  I had a Treo SSX 1500.1 blow because I was letting my voltage drop to about 9-10v, which the amp didn't like very much.

What causes this problem are the stock, small gauge wires used to connect various electrical components. The stock wire is usually 8 gauge, which is sufficient enough for roughly 50 amps. Large amplifiers can pull up and over 200-300amps, so now you see the problem.

When doing this mod, 3 runs of wire will need to be installed. They are:

1. Battery positive (+) to alternator - From the positive terminal on your battery to the alternator positive (+) post

2. Engine block to chassis ground - From engine block to chasis. This is to strengthen the ground.

3. Battery ground (-) to chassis ground - From the negative terminal on your battery to your car's chassis.

Here's a picture of the "big 3" when completed. The colored lines correspond to the colors of the description listed above.

I recommend using 1/0 gauge wire. You could use 4 gauge wire if that's all you have laying around, but you might as well use 1/0 the first time so you won't have to go back if you decide to upgrade your system later on down the.....