WDPinit

Heat shouldn't be an issue as it's not even hot here and I use to beat on it in much hotter weather and it didn't over heat. Ground was checked a couple months ago. Battery I would think is fine as it starts up fine. Old school equipment would be fine, but I want a warranty just in case... If I wasn't worried about warranties and possibly price, I'd love an older JBL amp!

Bchester6

It's very easy but you should disconnect at battery first. Just mark the wires as you take them off of your old amp.

Bchester6

Warranties are like assholes everyone's got one. If it's the old JBL BP series amp (black pyramid shaped one) then it's gonna last forever and put out gobs of power for literally pennies per watt. That shit is made good like many others during that era and will give you everything your looking for and more. I would take that same JBL over any Alpine amp produced in the last 10 years.

Bchester6

WDPinit

Thanks! The only thing I'm slightly worried about really is the fact that some of the wires connected to the amp were trimmed down and the copper is exposed.... Will that make installation an issue? If you want me to send a pic tomorrow morning to better illustrate that I can do that, just let me know. And yeah, the old school JBL you were referring to do put out a lot of power for the price. Still, I'm worried about warranty haha. I'm torn between the Alpine MRV M500 and a JBL GTX 500. Both seem well rated, but reviewers say the Alpine has really good sound quality. I'd rather have better SQ over a little extra boom honestly. Trunk deadening kit is also going to be ordered we'll see if the difference it makes is worth the $

cyberquest

that alone could be the problem, if just one single strand of the positive wire touched the frame it will kick into protection mode. a honest piece of advice, stop taking it to a car stereo shop and start working on it yourself. you know you will take your time and make sure its done correctly.

your using a 4ga power wire and the RockFord amps are designed to accept 4ga wire so there shouldnt be any trimming of the wire needed.

WDPinit

Here's a pic. It has been like this since I first had it installed and things only started acting weird about a couple months ago, so it probably isn't touching. It never goes into protect when I start the car up only after it's been playing a bit. And yes, I'm going to switch out the amp myself. I went with a Kenwood Excelon X501-1. Both the guys at the shop recommended this over the Alpine that cost the same price, it also comes with a 2 yr warranty through Kenwood as opposed to 1 with Alpine. I'll have to let you guys know how it sounds tomorrow!

Bchester6

+1. Trimming is not a good idea. Use quick connects at terminals if you are unsure of proper contact. Also working on your own stuff is ALWAYS recommended as you will learn in the near future. Cost effective and you will take the time and do it correctly. Installs should be forever and done only once if done correctly. Take your time and do it right bro because NOBODY cares about your vehicle more than you. Good luck.

WDPinit

This is just a start switching out the amp. My next project is to take apart the trunk to deaden the lid and the spare tire area. While not optimal, are the wires still okay from what you see? Gotta love KnuConceptz tho, cheap price but good quality wiring! I think that 4 gauge kit cost me like $25 and it's just as thick or thicker than expensive stuff lol. One day I hope to be able to do an install all on my own haha

cyberquest

i would for sure fix those wires. i would cut off what they have sticking out and redo the ends. its hard to get through 4ga wire with a pair of wire cutters so cut it a little at a time. i usually take a razor blade and go around the wire then make a slice down the length of it and the part you need exposed should come right off and not take any wires with it. then make sure you give it a few good twists to tighten up the strands of wire.

if you notice on the new amp your getting it uses spade style connectors instead of the wire inserting into a hole and the screw just tightening down on the wire.


you will need to pick up some good 4ga spade connectors for the power and ground wires. and some 8-10ga ones for the speaker wires. a good crimping too will be needed, or you can use channel locks to crimp them down as much as you can then use a hammer to smash them and get them crimped nice and tight. following up with some soldering will ensure everything is getting the best connection possible.

WDPinit

Wow thanks for the tips! I'm glad I brought up this amp lol. I'll try to cut off what's sticking out. Do you just mean the loose pieces of copper or all the visibile copper? Also, will I have better luck with finding spade connectors at a hardware store or auto parts store?

cyberquest

i would make a fresh cut in the wire behind their work and then carefully cut the rubber coating of with a razor blade. that way you have a nice fresh end to the wire. those connectors you can find at BestBuy or even Walmart sometimes. the easiest way to find them....the internet...lol.

WDPinit

So when I cut I just want to leave enough copper for the connection correct? And with these connectors and everything trimmed I'll have a nice good connection?

Bchester6

Correct.

WDPinit

We bought a few sizes of spade connectors including those listed and none wanted to fit. So instead, we just trimmed the wires a got them in. The ground and power wires had to be in a way split to connect but we made sure to wrap with electrical tape so nothing would touch. New amp plays well. It's said to not get warm really but I found it got warm, but that's probably because we're just first using it. Sounds cleaner for sure. It feels as loud but it doesn't move my mirrors like the other amp for some reason and gain is set the same.

Bchester6

Not all amps are created equal. Keep tuning until you achieve desired results. Remember that gain is not volume?

WDPinit

Yes, I'll have to tweak it a bit. Setting the low pass filter on this was much easier as the markings are much better. I'm just so surprised at the difference in sound. My other amp made my sub sound too boomy but this had such a clean sound to it that has really changed the way whole system sounds. I'm just a little worried about heat. The guy at Audio Express said it will stay cool anfany reviews online said the same. I felt it today and it was definitely warm, but not hot. Should this be a concern? It's attached to my box as I have no other place to mount it

Bchester6

Not my favorite spot but a popular mounting location these days as modern cars don't have a whole lot of wiggle room. Warm is fine but hot on a consistent basis will shorten the life of your amplifier. Heat and electronics= BAD.

WDPinit

I agree. And the heat thing is what im worried about the most with this amp. What are some ways to reduce heat in the amp?

Bchester6

Fans? For my current install I sought out an amplifier with a built in fan due to the mounting location under rear deck. Class D amps are more efficient than your typical A/B amp therefore should run cooler but... just run it and see what happens.

WDPinit

It has two fans and is said to run really cool. I'm just worried there could be some issue with my system making it run warmer than I expected. Then again, my last amp used to get hot lol

Bchester6

As far as clarity in sound, you are probably hearing the 24db slope crossover. IMO 12db slopes sound muddy and lack definition.

WDPinit

Oh ok. I honestly didn't know that. Is it kind of like a crossover in component speakers separating frequencies, but Obv not high vs low? And yeah this amp just has a smooth sound to it. I turned up the gain but wasn't too fond of the sound, guess it was causing too many rattles and what not for me. It didn't sound distorted just not as good. In particular, metal has changed in sound. It used to really kick but sounded too loose now it doesn't kick me as much but it just sounds so well rounded and well blended I don't really care! That honestly can go for all of the music.

Bchester6

It's the rate at which your speakers attenuate at the set crossover point and beyond. The greater the number the steeper the curve in which rolls off. I have had more success with 24db slopes on the subwoofers and 12db slopes on the components speakers. Blending everything together seamlessly is your next step and this becomes one of the many facets of "tuning" your system. Achieving high fidelity in a moving vehicle is truly hard to accomplish but can be done by simply educating yourself with your equipment.

WDPinit

Thanks to this new amp everything seems more blended for sure. My installer seemed to have tuned my crossovers well in my speakers as they don't play too low and never really sound sloppy or muddy. Low pass filter is set right at 80 (finally lol). Everything sounds pretty good honestly. Rattles aren't as prominent since switching amps, but still there are some obviously. That's why for a better listening environment and to make everything seem a little louder with less road noise my next two "mods" are for sure going to be a NVX trunk sound deadening kit. I'll start with just the trunk lid and spare tire area. Then, I'll have a shop do my doors with Stinger Roadkill. Not confident in taking the doors apart haha.

Still, I'm a little worried about heat. It's about 80 out and I was listening to music at higher levels for about 45 min or so. Checked my amp when I got home and it felt pretty warm. Even tho AC was on the rear vents point right at my ski pass near the amp they don't seem to be getting much air. How do I go about adding a fan or something?

Bchester6

You shouldn't have to worry about it. Warm is fine... especially after 45 minutes of high volume listening.

cyberquest

mine run warm too when listening to them for long periods of time like bchester mentioned. the difference between warm and HOT will differ between people, if you can leave your hand on the warmest part of the amp with no discomfort then you should be good to go.

glad to hear your happy with the new amp.

WDPinit

Yeah I just don't like how some rap songs don't always have much powerful bass, but hey that's the trade-off of a sealed box... I don't want to go ported due to space so hopefully sound deadener will add a couple dB's

cyberquest

if the ported box used just a regular slot port or a round port the box wouldnt need to be that much larger then your sealed box.





the reason my boxes i build are a little larger is because i do a L port or the Labyrinth port one, since the passage for the port isnt considered air space for the subwoofer the boxes have to be built larger to get your required cubic feet. with the single slot port or the round port boxes there ports dont take up as much space inside the box so the size of the box can be smaller. pre-made boxes like those shouldnt be much more then your sealed box cost.

WDPinit

Well Infinity specs are 2.0 cuft as opposed to 1.0 for sealed. So it'd actually be double. If I could do a smaller ported box, that'd be fine, but I don't want it to not sound good lol. I don't mind loud as long as it sounds good Once rattles are fixed that's much easier to do!

cyberquest

finally got around to doing something with the amp in my sons thunderbird so it wasnt just laying there in the trunk.



nothing special by any means, i had to use the distribution blocks because his power wire wasnt long enough but this allows us to add a second amp if we wanted to for the mids and highs. i actually have a 4 channel Sony amp laying in the kitchen so it may get installed once we replace his rear deck speakers.

WDPinit

Looks good Cyber! The way the spray on the box turned out still surprises me! I think I'll have to try that when I make a box (yes I'm finally doing some diy). I know you build the labyrinth style enclosures which prob hit well and sound good doing so. I also know those aren't easy to make haha. I'm going to ask around for specs on audio forums, but can a good blend of sound quality and spl be achieved with a simpler ported enclosure design?

Bchester6

Ported is a good compromise between the two but ported enclosures are known for output. You also have a trunk to deal with so it's almost like a bandpass enclosure... Sound quality is subjective and elusive so tuning will be a big part of achieving the sound you're after.

cyberquest

just a simple ported enclosure is very simple to build and you dont need a audio forum you just need a decent box building program.

this is one of the main websites i use to build most of the boxes i do. you just out in your driver specifications (also known as Thiele Parameters), box size, and wood thickness and it will tell you the exact size pieces you need to cut.
On-Axis Bass Reflex Enclosure Calculator - DB DYNAMIX AUDIO

your owners manual for your sub should have some information also on recommended airspace and what HZ to tune the box to. on your subwoofers website they are recommending 2.5cf of space with a 10" long 4" port. (that would be using just a round port)
http://demandware.edgesuite.net/aauj...0language).pdf

WDPinit

Thanks for the tips! My manual recommends a 2.0 cuft enclosure, but still wants the 4" diameter port. With the circular ports, do those deliver more or less port noise than a slot? Also, do you have a tube running thru the hole into the box for a circular port? What are the benefits of sticking sound deadening in the box? I've heard it's a good thing to do and I'm buying a bulk pack of stuff soon

cyberquest

with round ports you can get some port noise depending what you use for the port, i have used 4" PVC pipe before and even with rounding all the edges i was still getting some port noise. if you use a flared end port thats designed for being a bass port then you shouldnt get the port noise or at least reduce it greatly. i am not sure what you mean by your question about a tube running thru the hole into the box for a circular port. a circular port box is just a square box with a hole in it for the port, look at the box i posted in post #149 and you can see the port.

they are designed so that you can cut them down to the desired length you need.

with the slot port box the port is much larger so a lot more air can flow reducing the port noise, but because they are larger they take up more volume inside the box so you have to account for that space and the box will need to be a little bigger. the advantages to the L-Slot port and the Labyrinth port boxes is that it allows long low frequency sound waves to easily escape while short high frequency waves remain trapped unable to cause unwanted cancellation and distortion. and with you being a stickler for distortion even though they seem a little more complex to build the sound "quality" is much better.

i think i would say though the L-slot and Labyrinth boxes seem to sound much better in a hatchback or suv with a open cabin. the original box we had in my sons car was just a square port box, exactly the same as a circular ported box only the port is square. and i think that box was actually a little louder then the one we built specific for the car, but i have to take into account that the first box we put in there the speaker and port were aimed at the quarter panels and not towards the rear of the car like the new box is. so its possible its just the placement of the speaker that is causing the less loud effect. his trunk is also completely blocked off from the cabin as where the acuras have the ski port in the armrest you can open to allow some of the sound inside the cabin. i want to add two 4" ports to the rear deck of his car so that sound can get inside the car and i think it will sound much louder.

cyberquest

with round ports you can get some port noise depending what you use for the port, i have used 4" PVC pipe before and even with rounding all the edges i was still getting some port noise. if you use a flared end port thats designed for being a bass port then you shouldnt get the port noise or at least reduce it greatly. i am not sure what you mean by your question about a tube running thru the hole into the box for a circular port. a circular port box is just a square box with a hole in it for the port, look at the box i posted in post #149 and you can see the port.

this is a flared end port they are designed so that you can cut them down to the desired length you need.

with the slot port box the port is much larger so a lot more air can flow reducing the port noise, but because they are larger they take up more volume inside the box so you have to account for that space and the box will need to be a little bigger. the advantages to the L-Slot port and the Labyrinth port boxes is that it allows long low frequency sound waves to easily escape while short high frequency waves remain trapped unable to cause unwanted cancellation and distortion. and with you being a stickler for distortion even though they seem a little more complex to build the sound "quality" is much better.

i think i would say though the L-slot and Labyrinth boxes seem to sound much better in a hatchback or suv with a open cabin. the original box we had in my sons car was just a square port box, exactly the same as a circular ported box only the port is square. and i think that box was actually a little louder then the one we built specific for the car, but i have to take into account that the first box we put in there the speaker and port were aimed at the quarter panels and not towards the rear of the car like the new box is. so its possible its just the placement of the speaker that is causing the less loud effect. his trunk is also completely blocked off from the cabin as where the acuras have the ski port in the armrest you can open to allow some of the sound inside the cabin. i want to add two 4" ports to the rear deck of his car so that sound can get inside the car and i think it will sound much louder.

WDPinit

My bad, I didn't know the terminology lol. The flared end port is exactly what I was referring to judging by the pic. I think I will go with the L slot port since you said that it sounds better. You mentioned that it "traps" the higher frequencies, does this mean that frequencies in the 70-80 or so Hz range will be almost eliminated? For certain rocks songs or other songs with a high amount of sound quality, picking up bass in this frequency range is kind of necessary.

cyberquest

sorry havent been on here in a few days, i have been busy painting my sons 81 Thunderbird as a early surprise Xmas present because he will have his license in a couple weeks
it took me 4 days working on it at night time to get it painted but it was totally worth it because my son was in tears when he saw the car for the first time.

the car used to look like this....


and NOW it looks like this....




as for your question about the higher notes with the L Slot box i dont think it eliminates the 70-80 hz tones at least not to the point you say where did the bass go. when i listed to stuff like creed, rage against the machine, disturbed or music of that nature the bass is still very good. now when you pop in some Dub Step or Bass Mechanic type music the box will really shine in the lower tones.

you already know that to go ported you will need double the space, so it would be about twice the size of your current box. for just a round port box to get 2 cubic feet of space the box would need to be at least 14" H x 30 W x 12.5" D with a 3" port so thats a pretty good sized box. to make the same box a L Port box it would need to be even bigger because of the added space the port takes up.

WDPinit

Yeah, I may wait on a new box, but it should fit in my car. That car looks completely different now! The paint job is fucking bad ass! Looks like someone has painted a few cars before....