I went to a local stereo shop today and they had a decibel meter. I decided to see what my car could do since ive always wanted to enter a SPL competition but never had time to.

In my 96 Max GXE with 2 Audiobahn AW1200s in a custom sealed enclosure (1.7 per chamber)pushed by a Rockford 800a2, I hit 142.7.

Has anyone ever entered a competition and if so what did you hit? and with what?

 

back when I had a 2000 watt stereo in my Ford Explorer,it consited of 14 speakers,2 sets of kicker resolution and 1 pair,and 4 12' kicker comp VR's in a costum built box,a 1100 watt memphis class D amp and Rockford Fosgate Punch 360X6,4 kicker resolution crossovers,1 MTX crossover,and 2 lightning Audio 1 farad caps and it would consistently hit over 150 DB the highest I remeber was 151.2 DB'S which is very loud!! too loud I was going deff so I quit and started getting go fast parts instead but I sure do miss a powerfull stereo.

 

IN my altima i hit 151.1 DB with two fifteens.I won first in that comp.I entered another and got second with 150.8 DB.They were jl audio W-4 DVC's.Powered by the older(and better imo)punch 200.The gold and silver model.The altima trunk is the same shape etc,so i think similar resultd could be acheived.

 

HaHA I beet your A$$ haha jk.

 

150.8, 2 12"s, 1000w.

Optima battery, and I have a cap too but I removed it because it does nothing except drain extra current for an SPL comp.

 

I've been to a few before....i have two 12" cerwin vega vegas and two rockford amps...rated at 300 or 400 watts a piece, but they put out 600 a piece. Top spl i hit was 142.8...which is decent for two 12's...

To get a 150 w/ two 12's you have to run a lot of power w/
real good dual voice coil subs. Like storkers or juggernaughts....
it depends on the size of your car and how you have it set up. There was some guy at one show who had the exact same stuff as me, but in a little civic crx and he hit a 145-146.
If you want some figures, in GENERAL with good subs and amps (pioneer, rockford etc. Not jensen and pyramid)...
2 12's should do 138-146, 2 15's should do 145-150, 2 18's should do 148-155. These are general figures! I've seen the numbers much higher and lower...i've seen two 18" digital dyanmic subs in a geo tracker do 158 and two 18" kickers do a 146....and i've seen two 15's do 140.

Point is smaller cars have an advantage when you only have
two subs. And seats that don't fold down to the trunk is another disadvantage. If your within those numbers, then you have a loud system. There's always going to be someone who went a little further and got it a little louder.

 

check out newsgroup rec.audio.car, for a group of people just as obsessed with car audio as we are over here with Maximas.

 

The 150 I hit with my subs came from a pair that cost $135 US each =) buhahaha. Atomic Thunder "shockers" .. Cheap SPL sub made by this guy on the http://www.termpro.com forums. Real loud for the money they cost. SQ isn't comparable to something over $200US though (assuming it's not a pure SPL sub)

 

how many damn car's have you had?

 

150+ with my old system. Two $700 dollar a piece competition 15"s running off a 800a2 RF, and they were way underpowered.

 

Ive never seen a Maxima hit over 150.

Ive never known them to be good SPL cars with the trunk and being that the seats dont fold down. (Atleast mine doesnt)

Also with my system I have some rattle sometimes and when i step out of my car and look at my trunk it looks like its gonna burst. I cant imagine what 150 looks like.

I also have HUGE rear deck rattle which i am told if i can stablize it, i can gain a tad bit more SPL...anyone know how i can do that?

 

These are really good db's!! When I went to get mine put in the guys at my shop told me it's hard as hell to get good SPL's out of Nissans. (especially Maximas). I use to have 3 12" MTX 6000's, Orion 500 Extreme. I hit 138.4 at the only comp I entered. I got rid of the subs when I got my intake cause I loved the sound of my intake so much, I always had the subs turned off. I'm all about some go fast mods now.

 

The I30 is my 5th car and I am only 20 haha,
Heres a list,
1986 Volvo 240 wagon when I was 16,{pimp dady}
1990 Volvo 740 when I was 17,
1991 Ford Explorer when I was 18,
1995 Nissan Maxima when I was 19,
1998 Infiniti I30T and I am 20,
I get sick of cars rather quickly because once I am done fixing them up I have nothin to play with haha,anyways I paid for the Ford Explorer the Max,I30T my self.

 

i would like to see proof from all you guys that you hit 140-150 whatever...you probably have no idea how hard it is to reach that kind of number in a car..my car hits an estimated 120 db and it is pretty loud...you can see my install link in my sig.

 

It depends a lot how you have your system setup. I can tell right away from yours, sweetsound2001, that yours doesn't hit that loud. Not a 120 though, that is reserved for two 10" and 300 watts. I had 4 12" and the way it was set up was crap. I dropped to two 12" and the same power and it hit higher. Check out: http://www.termpro.com/asp/competito...titor_ID=14002

if you want proof

 

As i said before, a full size sedan is not ideal for car stereo competitions

 

were rather high,but trust me my Explorer made some serius bass,It was well none in my city for being very very loud.Question you don't believe my Explorers system reached the #'s I staded?

 

SWEETSOUND2001: If you wanna hit the higher SPL's turn the subs around and face them tword the trunk, you will get alot better sound quality out of them. Having them like that looks good but probably doesnt come close to the real potential of those subs. My boy has two 12" perfects in a lincoln and they are sooooo loud, each with a 600 watt prestige amp.
I have one 12" Eclipse DVC 1,000 watt sub. I hit a 126 DB!! Thats with only one 12". I was like WHOA. I have my sub tucked in the far passenger side corner of the trunk and it slams the f*ckin $hit out of my Max. Just think if i had another one in the trunk what i could hit. Id be in the 140-150 DB range, depending on what frequency and how i tune them.

 

im sorry but by adding another eclipse sub you will gain 3-6 db's max....its that simple...gotta learn physics....

 

my buddy won 1st. place at the hot import nights with his maxima. he even beat kenwood's own show maxima......

 

Sweetsound....If you turn those subs facing the back of your car it will make a huge difference. I used to have 2 MTX Blue Thunder extremes facing like you have it and when i re-did my set-up I made a standard 2 12 box and faced it towards the back and it was if i gained another sub.

Also, you have your subs facing eachother, im not certain but im not sure if that helps your Db level.

As for your comment about 140-150 in a max...150 is a lot, i cant picture seeing a Maxima get 150 without the seats coming out and some heavy duty subs and a lot of them.

140 however, is very attainable.

 

what were you running when you hit the 142 with the 2 subs?

 

dcmax..thats funny..my previous subs were blue thunder extremes in that same box the perfects reside in now...it was pretty loud, the rubber surround unglued though so they had to go...

 

I had two 12" cerwin vega (vega series) 400 W rms, 800 max...94 db sensitivity....
two rockford 225.2 amps. rated at 300 or 400 watts. Putting out 600w or so.

Like i said before, i have four 12" vegas and the two amps bridged (in a sealed box) and i hit a 140. Then i got it redone at a good car audio shop and he took two out and put it in a ported box. That hit a 142. No caps, extra batteries, or after market alternators. I do have a new head unit and speakers though.

 

I had two 12" cerwin vega (vega series) 400 W rms, 800 max...94 db sensitivity....
two rockford 225.2 amps. rated at 300 or 400 watts. Putting out 600w or so.

Like i said before, i have four 12" vegas and the two amps bridged (in a sealed box) and i hit a 140. Then i got it redone at a good car audio shop and he took two out and put it in a ported box. That hit a 142. No caps, extra batteries, or after market alternators. I do have a new head unit and speakers though.

 

What ya'll need to do is put some cash down on some competition sh*t. Much more expensive, but much better SPL's.

 

I don't believe some of you on the numbers you have said, I have a very nice system consisting of 2 18". I hit 138 with it being underpowered at a time, but it was still very loud. First of all SPL is not the same as dBs. SPL is measured with the doors open and the sensor positioned in the middle of the car, is that what you guys had done? Also some shop dB equipment isn't set up right, like at the competiotion. But I know competitions, I have helped set up few of them when I worked at Circuit City. The cars that hit high 140s, 150s, were cars set up for competitions, not just everyday cars. Emax95, I believe you, but people telling me they hit 148 with 2 12s are nuts. The only 12s that would hit that are Cerwin Vega Strokers, which take about 1500 watts each.
By the way, if somebody wants to buy my system, lmk.

Adam

 

18" subs take a lot of power. Putting 500 watts to an 18 is not the same as putting 500 watts to a 12. In addition the resonant frequency of subs are different. Different subs and different boxes play a role in the resonant frequency.
Basicly, what you play determins how hard it will hit.

SPL is sound pressure level and it is measured is decibels.
Most car stereo competitions have standards for measuring the SPL. That is everything is closed (doors, windows, sunroofs) and the meter is above the from dash on the passenger side, almost touching the windshield.

 

Mine was metered at the dash with all doors and windows closed. Ive heard that a car with a window open will produce more SPL since the car works as a large port.

SPL is an interesting thing. Im not clear on exactly what SPL sounds like or if it does have a "sound".

My friend has a setup that when the bass hits, it gets you in the stomach and almost takes the wind out of you. He has two Infinity 12s in a bandpass in a 94 Pontiac Grand Prix.

My system consists of 2 Audiobahn AW1200s in a sealed box with more power than my friends but it doesnt really get me in the stomach, more like it makes my head hurt and I end up having to pop my ears from the pressure.

Is that SPL?

 

With all this bass, dont you need some dynomat stuff. I like SPL but i heard that it would mess up the bondo on your car if you have custom work done. Is that true? Where can i get my system checked for proper SPL? I have MTX stuff. Is that any good? I'm running 2 10" 8000 subs, 4200x amp, 2150 amp running subs! Help me reply here and email me too.. nizmolee@onebox.com

 

My numbers are definately true,and they were official readings,but in an altima.I still believe it would be close to do in a maxima.It would prbably be a little lower due to an increase in cabin space.It was a 96 altima,the kind with the part that folds down in the middle of the seat.The system was completely custom made.The sub box had 2 1/4 cubic airspace per side.It was made with custom brakets that trimmed all the edges.This forced all the pressure up front.It was awesome.It would push the windows and windsheild out pretty far.Everyone was amazed at it.I had no problem selling it,all my friends were dying to get it.The guy i sold to installed it in a 2000 grand am.He is still consistently in the 148's and 149's.If i had a way to post the score sheets i would,sorry for all youu nonbelievers.I also definately believe the explorer guy,i knew someone with 4 15's in a 94 limited explorer.Man it was bad.

 

Well, how do you do this?

Simple, take the trunk out the equation =P.

My average listening setup runs 140dB at best. If you really want to bust the stuff out you have to remove your rear seat and setup a wall. I never sealed mine off which is an extra dB or two, and it was ugly as sin because I never left it in there long enough to do something "pretty"
ie:

But as for building a huge ported box, and puting it in where your seats are, it's pretty easy to do. Check out the rest of his pics, and how to do it at http://kyle.itsloud.com. He hit around 149dB his first try, and with a little tuning, he's up to 156.6dB now. With the wrong box size, wrong subs and wrong amp, you're still probably going to hit in the 140's.

If you want to bust high numbers, you've gotta do some thinking. How can you maximize your pressure level? Fix leaks. Fix distortion. Fix rattles. Maximize port size while tuning it to something under 80Hz (most people aim for something between 40-60Hz in recent years.) Build a good solid, non-flexing ported box. Where can you position your subs for the maximum SPL?

As for nismo96max in particular being doubtful of my number (I assume he was speaking of me because I was the only one with 2 12"s and 150dB+), PLEASE, Go to that website (www.termpro.com) and check the forums! You'll find a lot of cool stuff on increasing your score there. And 95% of the people there know what their talking about (ie, not spewing garbage out their you-know-what with false numbers like you guys think I am ) And additional about the open doors/windows, etc.

http://www.termpro.com/dbdrag/rules/rules00.html

Note the:

· The contestant must be outside of the vehicle during judging and all doors, windows, and other openings to the vehicle must remain closed during this time.

Note #2:

Many, many, many competitions allow things such as opening windows, placing the meter where ever you want it (ie, in the port, usually refered to as portwars), but personally it takes a lot more trial and error box building, port resizing, and mic placement in order to win these consistantly (ie, annoying!)

Many 18's are designed for sound quality rather than SPL. Since I believe the last time I checked you were running 18"s that were designed for home use (don't hold me to that, it was a while ago ), this may have something to do with the 138. You were also running a sealed box. Port those suckers, you'll get at LEAST a 3dB increase, regardless of the fact they may not be designed for SPL.

The subs I used were being fed 1000-2000w for burps on a regular basis. Just because I say their cheap subwoofers doesn't mean they're garbage. They look like garbage, they cost similar to garbage, but they put up good numbers. Stroker's are certainly a great sub, but look at the price. For that cost you could buy a Juggernaut or a Treo. (hehehehehehe. Treo. Those things are absolutely disgusting, check it out:

)

But anyhow I'm just rambling on now. Read that site if you wanna learn how to bust out nutty **** at competitions. There's people on there that put up 148's with ONE 12, and 600w ---- FROM THE TRUNK. There's other people on there that also put up 160's with two 12's *grumbles* .

PS: SWEETSOUND2001, Email me some info on the size of the V you have in your box? After months of thinking on how to get the best sounding setup in the max, (ie, drilling two 12 holes in the rear deck, bandpass firing through the rear deck, subs in trunk, subs in car, yadda yadda) I came the the conclusion that the way you have your subs positioned would be the *easiest* way to get the best setup (I still think redoing the trunk lid with hydraulics, and having a box positioned like yours, with the subs firing through the upper rear deck where the 6.5"s are would be the best =P but hey I have a budget hehehehehe)

Check out them Treo things =P Only $2000 US a piece. What a deal eh?

[Edited by ereet on 12-27-2000 at 10:57 PM]

 

The shop that made the box for me says the angle in the V shpae is 6 degrees. i find that hard to believe as the space between woofers seems too far apart to be that. The subs are in approx 1.15 sq. ft. each, two separate sealed enclosures firing at each other, thus forcing the bass through the ski hole opening. i've yet to wonder whether i get any cancellations of bass from this setup. Bass goes really deep, those perfects are very nice subs, im in process of installing dynamat and a mtx 1000d 1600 watt amp to run my subs. Ill let you know how it goes, might be a while though. Rattles are a word i almost never heard of due to my sub setup. The only thing that rattles is your back if you seat on the back seat. You get a nice massage. Anyway, im looking forward to your reply to this.

120db and soon to be rising....

 

Yeah I'll definately post some pics when I'm finished. I just need a month or two to rain and clear off all the salt so I can actually not be afraid to mess around near my car. It's dirty as hell =P .. I'm planning on something similar to your setup, with a rear panel plexiglassed to look something like this:



.. Decent eh? I don't like the neon placement though, I just want a glow, without the actual light being visable (if I decide to do any =P).... I figure it'll be good if I can figure out a way to have it like your setup, and manage to seal off the trunk without creating a bandpass box (ie, have the pathway between the speakers/rear seat act like a port) ...... Should be tricky, and yeah 6 degree's sounds kinda off. I'll get the measuring tape out I suppose.

 

I agree w. Sweet. I use to be into the whole car audio scene and for a while i worked at a car audio shop.

First and foremost, the Maxima isnt a great car at all to have in a compitition for SQ, SQ+, dB Drag Racing. Worst of all, our seats dont fold down.

Last time i competed was about a year ago at SoundWaves (in NJ) This is what i ran:
-Alpine CVA-1000 (Now replaced by my CVA-1005)
-MB Quart DSD216 up front powered by my PPI A600
-Coustic X-over
-Trio of 12W3's powered by my MTX225HO, ran almost full power (BTW, i must of blown these subs 2-3 times)
-Phoenix Gold PD1 Line Driver
-Trio of 1 Farad Stinger Caps
-Whole trunk/rear deck was dynamtted and stuffed w/ polyfill.
-My trio box had about .85ft^3 per chamber. This box was braced, stuffed, and dynamatted too

With that setup, i was only able to hit 140.3dB@63hz w/ Bass Mechanik. I'm not calling anyone liars but it is very hard to hit a high dB. If you have a SUV or like a Honda it is very easy to break into the 140dB area w/ on a pair of 12".
Oh yea, when i had this same set-up w/ my pair of 12W3s, i was only able to hit 126.0dB@55hz

 

Hey Synki, I was at that soundwaves competition...it was like 1000 degrees. What were you in? street 3-4? I was in street 3-4 and got my *** kicked...that was before i had my system redone...I had it redone by morris county audio...they were the guys who went last with that blazer that had the 15" juggernaughts. They win a lot of stuff with that truck so i had them redo my system and they dropped me down to two subs and it gave me a 3-4 db gain

 

Yea, i was there at that show but didnt compete in that one. I remember what morris co audio brought... they truck with the MMats setup. That sh*t was loud. I did however see a black max that was competing. Do you live around there?

 

Yea i live like 20-30 min from there. a town called new providence...it's next to summit and chatham. Morris Co made that thing even louder than it was at the soundwaves comp....It probabily did well in the finals