Ok, you know I blew my 10's...so I went today and bought a new bandpass box and 2 Pioneer IMPP 400w 12's. Installed them in the box and then hooked it up to my amp myself. Now it does not hit hard at all. It is a little bit, but not what it should be for 12's. My 10's sounded better when they were working.
So do you think it might be my amp? and maybe it wasnt my 10s to begin with. Or did I do something wrong? I pretty much know what Im doing, and I checked my work 3 times. Here is some pics below, you cant see much because the box takes up the whole damn trunk
HELP

 

did u try the gain on the amp?

maybe the bass adjustment on the headunit?

 

Ya, i adjusted the headunit. No i didnt try the gain, but will go do that. Thanks

 

Take the bandpass box back and go get yourself a proper box made.

 

1) check the gain on the amp as was said...
2) the 10's are going to hit crisper and "harder" than the 12's...you are definitely going to notice the difference between the 2....the 12's are going to be a lil more boomy...the bandpass box is going to help with quality either...(just M.O. here)

what kind of 10's did you have and what kind of box were they in...

 

They were in a bandpass also, they were Rockford Fosgate.

 

WHat kind do u suggest?

 

doh...i like the RF 10's over the pioneers (M.O. again)....if you were to get another box....a sealed box is better for sound quality...i guess you can say thats opinioniated too but i have heard many systems both bandpass and sealed and th sealed have always been better quality...

what you got isn't really the issue...its the lack of bass out of the subs right? have you checked the gain on the amp yet?

 

I havent checked yet, cause its raining, so im gonna go to bed..I will check in the morning and post again. Thanks

 

Ya, the sealed box definitely delivers more accurate bass. Also, Rockford is def better than Pioneer, so maybe that's why? Check the gain like the previous posts said. A suggestion?...Try JBL Loud and Clears in a sealed box. They aren't awesome, but they are the same price as the Pioneers, and they boom pretty hard in my trunk. Good Luck!!

 

You might also want to check to make sure you didn;t accidently hit a button on the amp that turned it to high pass or something like that. . . I have doe it a few times to my interior speakers and wondered what happened to all the highs.

 

Anything, as long as it's properly built... I stick with sealed, bandpass boxes are great for volume but not so great for sound. You can build a bandpass that sounds great, but it's difficult, the hardest type of box to build properly. The box is the key to the sound, a $10 radio shack sub in the right box will sound better than a $1k Velodyne sub in the wrong box. It should be matched to your sub, your amp, and your tastes. Most sub makers include enclosure volume for the sub, but since production isn't an exact science, they are not always accurate. That's why it's a good idea to buy subs from a reputable shop, they are familiar with it and should know what type of box would be best for your specific setup.

 

If everything is connected and set correctly, then you have to think about placement. I posted a reply a couple days ago to a guy with bandpass problems. http://forums.maxima.org/showthread.phtml?threadid=9875 With mine, I found the setting it in the trunk in the traditional way(the way your's are) doesn't always work for bandpass boxes. If your ports are on the top of the box, facing the rear deck, your bass will more than likely suck. Try laying the box on it's back, speakers facing up, with the ports facing you with the trunk open( not into the back seat). since most of the sound output comes out of the ports, you have to give them room. firing the ports into the trunk should help alot....

[Edited by Whitemax on 11-27-2000 at 08:42 AM]

 

But since she bought a generic bandpass enclosure for the subs, I guarantee you that the box doesn't match the subs' specs exactly. And with bandpass enclosures, being just a little bit out of spec is a huge problem. They aren't nearly as forgiving as sealed enclosures. We don't even know if the subs that she has can even be used in a bandpass enclosure at all (not without knowing the T/S parameters). Not all subs work in all types of enclosures.

 

i agree...i'd put some money down saying the box is designed to the specs the subs require...if not then she definitely won't get what she wants out of the subs...the right box for the sub is just as important as the sub itself...

 

But having a generic bandpass box, having a Pioneer sub, and using this box for 5 years in 2 different cars, with a couple different amps, I've found that bandpasses can give acurate bass, and be louder than a sealed box at the same time. I'm not saying it is as acurate as a sealed box, but I have had no probs with mine. Maybe box placement is the key to fixing her problems , maybe the box sux ***. Just thought I'd give my opinion on fixing the problem. But the interesting thing is, her last pair were in a bandpass as well, and she had no complaints.

 

I guess she got lucky with the first setup. But who knows... maybe it could have been even better with a more accurately designed enclosure.

 

turn the ports to face the back of the trunk(like the taillights)...it'll be a LOT louder..i had the same kinda box with 1 12(same brand n stuff) and it was quiet standing up, but firing backward it was 3x as loud. Sorry if someone already mentioned this but just thought id get it out

 

It took me a few days to get mine right.

 

And they were 10's and they sounded better. I did adjust the gain today and it helped a little bit. About turning it around to face the lights, its too big to lay that way
I am going by a friends shop tommorow and have them look at it. Thanks for all your help guys

 

Forgot to tell you all that i got a new alpine amp to run the subs and i put the other amp to the mids and higs. It KICKS *** now im really happy!

 

A problem I had once, was that the crossover frequency of the sub was too low.. .in other words, the sub was being crossed over at maybe 60 or 80 hz, so that frequencies from 80 to 120 hz were not being produced by the sub. There's a TON of musical and bass content in that area, so just check that out, and try a crossover freq. of 120 hz... That opens another can of worms, but I think 120 hz is a good frequency for most people

And to answer the bandpass question... they're fine, just MUCH harder to tune properly. If you (and I include myself here) are not equipped with the knowledge, the skill, and the equipment, don't mess with it.

And about facing the woofers towards the BACK of the Car... 9 out of 10 times, that works better. Just a general rule, not guaranteed to be true every single time, but most of the time, it is the case. Usually, it's pretty easy to try both ways

[Edited by jsmiam on 12-24-2000 at 08:15 PM]

 

I think she has the suckers out of phase because a 12 has considerable greater surface area than a 10. Increase surface area by roughly 40%, then multiply by X-mas. . . The twelves connected properly and put in the correct box should hit harder, deeper, louder and just as crisp. Size doesn't affect clarity if of equal quality.

 

I wouldn't doubt if it is the amp like she said. . . Remember 12s need a lot more power than 10s to sound the same. . . if she wasn't using around the minimum of what the 10s needed then that won't be enough to power the 12s properly. . . Reason number 1 to check the power handling capabilities of the subs.

 

Not really. Depends what brand 12's you go with, there are sloppy 12's and good sounding 12's. It also depends on how the box is built. My Infinity Perfects will blow away in SQ and SPL most 10s out there. They hit every beat! Especially now when I am done, there gonna be even more accurate with a custom MDF 1 1/4 INCH WOOD box...

 

First of all most companies which build 10's and 12's use the same motor system for both subs. Especially if we are talking average subs . . . less than $300 a piece. So the twelve does not, I repeat does not need more power to sound better. But anytime you do add power it will sound better. You ca come closer to the full potential.

 

Since she had Rockford 10's before, requiring 100W RMS handling 200W Peak each (according to the RF website), and now has Pioneer 12's, 160W RMS 500W Peak each (According to Pioneer's Website), I think the power will matter. If they were of similar design and brand, then it may not matter but in this case it does. . . That was all I was saying.