Blown Subwoofer Is it worth paying someone to fix my blown subwoofer? Hey guys, I have a Alpine Type R 12 that is my baby and I have blown it. Is it worth the price to pay someone to fix it? Or is it something I can do on my own.. I am pretty handy when it comes to electronics or should I sit this one out?

Hung C.

Answer:

Thanks for visiting the site Hung and emailing us your question. With so many people all over the globe BLOWING their subwoofers, the thought of "fixing" the subwoofer always comes to mind. Almost like fixing a car when something goes wrong with the vehicle.

Yes the subwoofer can be fixed just like anything else. No matter what, I have learned there is someone out there that will fix it no matter what.

I'm afraid the biggest set back for you though is the price. This variable needs to thought out of fixing the subwoofer versus just buying a brand new one.

Negatives:

1. Price.

Why pay someone to fix your subwoofer when you can just about buy a brand new one for the price to fix it. NOT TO MENTION, once they fix it.. is it going to work as good as it was before? Or will it just poop out again? Then your stuck with more lost money. This is just a simple spending trick when it comes to common sense and electrical products.

2. Will it work like like new?

As I said above, will it work like it did before?? What if you pay the person to fix it and it just happens again in a month down the road. BAM, now you just payed a person to fix the sub and you need to have it fixed again. You make the choice..?

3. Will it happen again after being fixed?

This one is pretty simple to understand. I see way too many people do this. They pay someone to fix the woofer itself but then go hook it up the same way it was before.. WHICH IS WHAT WRECKED it before..! Sorry to use caps, but it pisses me off. Doing this will just wreck the sub again the SAME EXACT WAY.

MY OPINION:

My Fix to this is to just buy a new one. I could see if you payed a thousand dollars for a special made 18 inch woofer that handles thousands of RMS power but this is just an Alpine Type R (no offense to you or alpine). These subs don't retail for more than 200$ usually OR AROUND THAT.

By the time you go and pay someone to fix it, you might as well just buy a new one. I bet you to pay someone to fix that sub will be more money than just buying a new one. Maybe I am totally wrong, but this is my opinion.



One of my subs is making wierd noise?? I have dual subwoofers in my trunk and one of them is making a wicked noise.. It's almost like a clanking noise. The subwoofers are Rockford Fosgate P2's and these things are my babies! The one that makes a noise only makes the noise when I turn the volume up to around the half way point. What could be wrong with it..? HELP

Erik "e-bass" Jones

Answer:

Thanks for the great question "e-bass" lol. I like the nickname too. Is that a nickname someone else gave you or you named to yourself? The question is a pretty common question one and happens to a lot of people. The mostly likely reason why the sub is making this noise is a reason your most likely not going to like.

Blown subs and I repeat "blown subwoofers" tend to make this "wicked clanking noise" you speak of. Hate to say it, but that's what my vote goes to. I'm guessing you have been pushing these subs to their max for a while for too long.

You really gotta watch subwoofers that are not heavy duty magnets like higher end subs. These subs produce great amounts of great sounding bass, but they are not made to handle large amounts of power and that may have been why your sub blown.

Even if the subwoofer is not blown, the odds of fixing it are pretty slim. This what sucks about the whole subwoofer design. These things need to be fixed by professionals that know what there doing.. and that usually does not come at a cheap price.

Sorry to break the bad news to ya, but that is just my best guess as to what is going on with your subs. I know you said they were your babies, but it just boils down to you saving your money and getting another of the same or .. upgrading to RF higher end equipment. Since you now know what you are working with.

Thanks for the great question!

Two Amplifiers How can I setup two amplifiers to my car system? I'm looking to hook up two amplifiers to one system. I don't know how to do it. I'm guessing somewhere along the lines that I'm going to need two different power wires and two different ground wires. Do I just run two power wires from the battery? and then two negative same gauge wires from the ground..? PLEASE HELP


Answer:

The subwoofer dual amplifiers question comes up a lot for us and we understand why. The whole art of having two amplifiers on one system is quite unique and an awesome idea for extra power.

There are a couple different ways to setup two different amplifiers to one system and we will try to help you go through them. Here is a supply list you will need.

-Distribution Block
-Power Wire. Size before block and for after
-Two RCA Cords
-Speaker Wire for both amps

To answer your question, we will just walk you through on what you need to do to install the setup. We could answer each of your questions, but this will be easier.

First, you will need to do the math and figure out what size power wire your going to need for both of your amps. To figure this out, Take whatever size each of your amp calls for then double it, because that is what you are running from the main power wire.

For example, most medium sized amplifiers call for 4 gauge wire. Since you have two amplifiers, your going to need 0 gauge coming from your battery terminal. This way you can split the main wire at a healthy level so that your amps are getting the needed power. The most common complaint is the price of that 0 gauge wire.. it's not cheap.

Secondly, you can hook up your "distribution block" to the main power wire coming form your battery. When buying the block, make sure you have the right sized block. In my example, the block would need to be "0 gauge at the internal portion and two 4 gauges at the external" section. You can hook up your three main wires there, then move to your amplifiers from the external wires of the power block.

As for the RCAs go, you can either split your main RCA that is running from your deck with just your average "rca splitter." Or you can run dual RCA wires from the stereo deck itself, that way your sound signal is not "split."

So it's pretty much all the same as a regular setup but with a distribution block for the power wires. It's quite an easy task and tons of people are doing this.



What Will Dual 10" Woofers Sound Like In A Durango? I'm looking at getting two P1 ten inch woofers to put into my dodge durango. I'm wondering what there going to sound like in my vehicle. Do you have any advice to me as to how these will sound and how they can be the loudest possible?

Jose N.

Answer:

Great question Jose! Glad to see you decided to choose to email us your question. You have come to the right place for that answer. There are a lot of people running subs in SUVs and in my opinion, they sound the best in vehicles like this. But I will help you a little more in depth just to make sure your on the right direction.

Firstly, your going to want to use a vented enclose. Most people think that sealed boxes are the best route to go just because they are the oldest style and have been around for ages. Vented boxes when made properly, are double the loudness of a sealed box.

Next, your going to want to get the right amplifier. Two amplifiers is a bit more confusing to setup, but you can usually buy two small amplifiers for a pretty cheap price versus buying one pretty spending amplifier.. All depends the cirucumstance. I'm just stating my opinion on that.

Lastly, make sure you power your system with enough juice. Meaning, big enough wire in a nut shell. If you don't know what size your amp recommends, than just go bigger than what you think you may need. There is always room for upgrades this way as well. So many people tend to start with a cheaper system then later move up once they have found out they are addcited to bass.

That's my advice to you man. I don't much more for your without me getting into super technical jargon that may be hard to understand. If you have yet to buy the actual subwoofers, I would look into the P2's. They are only a tiny bit cheaper but a way better magnet.

Thanks for the question!

I just bought two Audiobahn AW1000q's and these things are loud. There not setup yet, but the reason I bought them is because a friend of mine has them and I heard them.

What is louder?

-Two Separate Sealed Boxes
-One Dual Subwoofer Box
-Two Separate Vented Boxes
-One Dual Vented Box

Shawn F.

Answer:

Thanks for emailing us the good question Shawn. It's really a tough one to answer, because like most electronic quesitons there was NOT ENOUGH information given. I tried emailing you back, but you delayed to reply so I'm going with this now.

First I will tell you what I crave to know that would of helped me answer your question better. I know it's tough to give all the details when you may or may not even know what details I desire to know. So here they go.

-What size subwoofer?.. 10s, 12s, 15s.. This helps me because I can look up what specs for the subwoofer needs to make the enclosure. For example, a 15 inch sub is going to need a lot more cubic feet space in the box then a smaller ten inch woofer.

-What type of vehicle you have. At times, vented enclosures sound worse than sealed enclosures because of the vehicle and air space available. There are so many different variables in this. Vehicle make really helps.

-MOST IMPORTANT OF ALL, what bass sound do YOU DESIRE? The different enclosures give different sounds of bass and that is a big deal for those of you wanting different bass sounds. A sealed box will sound more crisp and heavier closer to the box. But I wont get into that too much right now.

There are a lot of things I would of loved to know, but I will give you an answer off of what I do know to help you Shawn.

I would and I repeat "I WOULD" go with a vented box because I like the sound of them and they are tested to be a lot louder than sealed boxes in most circumstances. As for the dual single box or separate boxes.. Figure out how big the boxes need to be by looking up the subwoofer box specs and go from there.

If it is a lot of space, and making one box will be tough.. than make two different ones and place them nicer in your vehicle. It's all mostly opinion based on what you want. The math of it is, one box really is the same as two boxes because they are seperated inside any how. That might look really cool with separate boxes ya know.

Thanks for the good question man. Enjoy!



What is louder, dual boxes or one big box for dual subwoofers? I'm deciding what to do for my box situation. I need to know what is louder? Will two separate boxes be louder than one box that holds two subwoofers? The quicker the help, the better. I'm not sure if it matters. Please Help?

Geneva H.

Answer:

Thanks for sending in the question Geneva. Our sites are on the growth and that is a very cool thing. Your question is a good question and makes for a serious answer.

In all nature, all subwoofer boxes that hold dual subwoofers ARE actually separate boxes on their own. The way they are designed is so that they are literally separate, but they are just connected and built as one. This might be hard to understand, but one you take a look at the box itself it may be a bit easier to understand.

If you think of a regular box as a rectangle, you just need to imagine putting a piece of wood in the middle to separate them and that is what they do. Vented boxes are the same concept but a bit more difficult to explain and imagine.

So to answer your question, EITHER the separate boxes or a single box for two subwoofers. They literally are the same thing unless built wrong. Sometimes it is ok not to separate the two woofers in a single box AS LONG as they are the same woofer.
Different woofers will push different pressures on each other and most likely wreck the weaker of the two.

I think some more important variables should be looked into that may help you a bit more. I will list a couple to help you get started a bit.

1. Box Size

Box size is very important. Your subwoofer/s have different specs for each different brand and different make. If a sub calls for a lot of box space and you only give it a tiny bit.. the sub will not be to it's full potential. So many people FORGET THIS, and it is one of the most important factors.

2. Vented versus Sealed

Most of the time, vented enclosures are louder now a days. It depends on what type of bass you desire, but like I just said vented boxes are mostly louder. Look into this a bit. I know a lot of spec sheets will tell you what your subwoofer sounds best in.

3. RMS Amplifier Power

I know this is way off topic, but this is the last huge deal I like to include when it comes to powering up a loud system. Look into what it means and how much your subwoofers need. It is very important and will make the difference in your system being super loud versus kinda, not really that loud.

Hey, I thought maybe you could help me with my subwoofer problem. I have an 03 tiburon with stock infinity sound system which is very nice but I wanted more bass so I got a 10" Dual subwoofer and box that is bandpass.

It was around $100 and I was told it would sound good cause I have a hatchback but the problem is, I can't hear the words or hardly my music over the buzzing of the subwoofer. I turned it all the way down and it still sounds horrible. Is there a reason why this happens or is it just a cheapo sub?

Also, I'm not sure what brand my amp is but I know its decent and I have a pioneer deck.

Thank you!

Megan:D

Answer:

Thanks for visiting the site and sending us your question Megan. Your question is a pretty unique question, and I like that.. little something new for a change. When reading your question a couple of questions came to mind right away.

For instance, What do you consider buzzing to be? And have you heard different subs to judge how yours sound different too? Anyways I don't have the answers to those questions but it's not a big deal. I'm pretty sure I know what is going on.

The whole bandpass mixture with the Dual subwoofers is sort of a "laggy" bass. First of all, bandpass boxes sort of do that to subwoofers. These boxes are pretty much designed to make the bass noise as loud as it CAN BE heard from long distances away.

For example, you will hear that bass better from 5 blocks down the road better than the same sub in a sealed box.. where as you would only hear it 1 block down the road. Bandpass boxes really only work in "open spaces" where they can move air WHICH you have so that was a good idea.

There are a couple of different answers to this:

1. I would check your amplifier settings making sure you don't have the "audio" going through the subwoofers too BUT ONLY the bass setting. Most of the time it will be a push dial and something along the lines of "LPH" or "LPF" or some along those lines. If your subs are playing the audio and the bass through them.. there working as speakers and subwoofers.. there only subwoofers.. for bass. Hope I explained that good enough.

2. Dual subwoofers suck. I know it's mean but.. it's rainy today and I don't feel like being nice haha. They truly are not good though. Why does walmart sell them for 30$ or whatever they are? I know.. cause there junk.

3. You just don't like the bandpass sound. It takes a certain person to like it. And in certain vehicles they do sound funny. It's kind of a clanky bass that I myself do not like.

4. Maybe there is really a buzzing noise. This may happen because of of certain wires touching things they should not be or.. the subs are messed up or the amp is going to crap.. so many different things it could be..

My advice Megan would be to return that stuff if possible or just sell it and maybe move the next step up to sony xplod or the rockford fosgate p1s. It's ALMOST the same price range but the components are a billion times better. I just installed the xplod woofers in my gf's car for her bday and she couldn't be happier and I am honestly impressed.

Greaaaaat question though Megan, thanks for getting my brain working today. Oh and cool name too (my gf's name too). Let me know what you think by maybe leaving a blog post or emailing me. Thanks.

What amplifier should I buy for these subs? I'm looking for a good amplifier to run to my RF p1s. I have a set of two tens in a sealed box and am really in need of the perfect amp. I know nothing about car audio and just pretty much impulse bought these subs? Help me out?!

Mike S.

Answer:

Thanks for the great send in question Mike! We always love hearing of new people getting sucked into the car audio field. It is sort of like a drug so beware and be ready to be addicted. Your first system will lead to your second system. And then form there on, your systems will be massive and great projects.

To actually answer your question now, choosing an amplifier in your position is exactly what the source here to do. Amplifiers come in sizes from round to square and one needs to be aware of he or she is purchasing before just going about it. I have seen so many people first hand waste money and I repeat WASTE money on amplifiers. I have seen home amplifiers in cars doing nothing for the subwoofers too.

When buying an amplifier, there are a couple of gimmies that can really help a person buy something descent. There are so many brands out there than make their amps seem like jesus gold, but really they just burn out in a month of use.

First off, I would go with brand. Certain brands hold nothing but good reputations and that should be looked into. I wont even touch on what brands those are, but with a bit of searching or walking around your local audio shops, you will be able to tell.

Second, online forums and reviews. This will be your most helpful source. Get interactive with others online. I know I am a proud memeber of the steve meade forum, but you can make up your choice. Mixing subwoofers with amplifiers is also a huge deal. Most times than not, brands make their amps to properly power their line of subwoofers. Look into it, iti will help your system sound better.





What type of amplifier do I need for my speakers and subs? I have two subwoofers and a couple of speakers that need to be powered by an amplifier. How do I know what type of amplifier my speakers need versus subwoofers?

Joey M.

Answer:

Great question Joey. Like most electronic questions, you most likely didn't give enough information for me to answer your question exactly to the needle and thread.

In reality, any amplifier is must made to power a subwoofer or speaker. and in more reality a subwoofer is just a "loud" speaker that puts out bass. So the fact of the matter is, all amplifiers are made to power speakers. I know this is not the answer your looking for but it is the all in real answer.

To answer the question in the way you want me to.. I would say your best bet is to get a multi channel amplifier. For example, if you are powering two speakers and two subwoofers, a four channel amplifier would work perfectly. Figuring out what audio amplifier to buy is not an easy task by any means.

The only stop to this idea would be if you had high powered subwoofers. Usually amplifiers aren't able to just put a huge amount of power to subwoofers and a small amount to speakers.. Unless.. your really good.

My advice for the high powered woofers, is to have two amplifiers. This is an easier task that what it actually sounds like. This is a common Y split of the power wire and bam you have it figured out. As long as you have enough size in the wire to be able to split the amplifiers you should be fine.

As for answering your question completely, it is somewhat tough. Maybe you could email me back on what type of equipment you are running, and I can fully answer it then. I feel I answered it descently to whatever equipment you have without knowing them but if you want you can email me them.

Thanks for the great question again!





Should I play audio sound through subwoofers or just bass? I was helping my friend install my system the other day and I'm not too smart when it comes to car audio but I was wondering if I should be playing the audio sound through my subwoofers or just the bass setting. There is a small switch to switch over the two.

Subwoofers playing audio sound plus bass VERSUS just bass ??

James N.

Answer:

Thanks for sending in the great question James. This is a great question and I'm glad you have sent it in. It gives us a reason to touch base on the subject of this audio playing through the subwoofers.

This is a question that is really based on your opinion. There is a reason for the switch. And that is for the change to really switch it over to what the person using it desires.

Now if you want my strict opinion, I would do only bass. Why have audio play out of subwoofers? This setting is MAINLY USED FOR SPEAKERS ONLY. That is because speakers use amplifiers to power them as well. Most of the large mono block amplifiers do not even have this setting.. I may be wrong on that but in the back of my mind I do not remember my amp having it (1000 rms).

You can also check out our amplifier guide here. It's a bit of help when chatting and learning about the differences between amplifiers that are meant to be used for speakers and others that are meant for only subwoofers.

Usually smaller amplifiers will give you the choice to run them at speakers and subwoofers and this switch your talking about is usually the main switch to do this. I'm not recalling what the exact name or label it is above the switch usually but I wanna say something like.. "LPH or LPF." But I could be totally wrong on that one.

Sorry I couldn't give you a direct answer, but this is somewhat of a tough question to answer directly. It is somewhat based off of what equipment you are running and what sound you desire out of your system.

Are audio speakers a better choice than subwoofers for bass? I'm looking for a descent mid bass that is heavy but yet not too loud. Is it a better route to go with a subwoofer straight up or a really good speaker? I'm also looking at the price range of the two variables too. What may be cheaper and what may sound better? Please help?

John S.

Answer:

Good question John! And thanks for sending it in to us. Our sites are really on the growth and it is cool to see people reaching to our professionals for answers.

The decision of subwoofers versus speakers for bass has always been on the battling radar for decades and really still is up for debate. I think it's all a matter of opinion on what you as an individual are looking for. I'll just jump into the debate instead of of just sitting here babbling.

First of all. all audio speakers bass can only get so loud. It really depends on how much bass you want. If your looking to shake your rear view mirror and get people's heads turning than speaker bass is not for you. There is a reason subwoofers were made, and that is to push low levels of bass.

The subwoofer setup will cost more and there is no way around that. You have to have someone run the wires under the carpet and from the battery to the amplifier. Wires from the the back of the deck to the amplifier. Then wires from the amplifier to a ground on your car. It really is not that complicated, but some find it very complicated.

Installing new speakers really just amounts to taking off certain panels and unplugging wires and installing the new speaker and re-hooking up wires. THAT IS, if there is not a amplifier pushing the speakers. And if there is a car amplifier pushing the speakers, you might as well just re-do it all.. subwoofers and speakers all in the same idea.

I know its a bit complicated.. but which ever way you take there will be some expenses you cant get around and it will be some hassle. To get GOOD sounding bass is never cheap unless you know the right person to do it.

So to give you nothing but my complete opinion, I would "if it was me" get a descent quality of speakers and just get descent subwoofers installed with their own separate amplifier. It will be the easiest for the cost. Because most speakers that put out some bass need an amplifier and by that time, you might as well just do the subwoofer thing.. that way you can get as much bass as you need for your desire.

Hope that helps! Thanks for visiting!





What Speakers To Buy??

I am in need of a good speaker to really tune my audio system. I have very heavy bass to where it rattles your brain. I am running two T1 RF 15's. I need to hear the words a bit more when I jam to my tunes. Whats a good route?

Miguel N.

Answer:

Thanks for sending in the great question Miguel. The whole speaker issue of which ones to buy for your system has been around since cars have been around. It goes all the way from just being basic and seeing what happen TO doing math equations of sound decibals bouncing off the glass of your automobile windows.

Depending on how in depth you really want to get. I would say there are a couple of variables that may take into effect when your looking for a certain sound level for your automobile.

I would say the biggest one is what sound you desire out of the speakers.. In your case, you want audio speakers that put out less bass because you have enough. I'm guesting your "high levels" of bass are coming from a pretty descent size subwoofer.

Something a lot of people do not know is that having a subwoofer or subs on a audio system with just stock or close to speakers, it will slowly melt down their sound levels. I don't want to get too technical but that could be the reason why your speakers don't sound as good anymore.. or I could be wrong and they never did sound good to begin with. Either way, good to know.

I wont get into what good brands of components there out there, but with a tiny bit of searching you will easily find them. And remember, you nine times out of ten GET WHAT YOU PAY FOR.

What really helps a speaker sound better is the environment it is setup in. For instance, people hope to see huge results out of certain speakers when they are only "wire nut-ed" together..! I will never understand this. Do you homework if you want your equipment to sound top notch.





What size speakers are ususally in the front doors of a car? I just bought a new car (well new to me) and the front speakers are blown and making weird noises when I turn the volume up. I also have Rockford subwoofers in my trunk. I need a good balance for the highs. Do you have any suggestions for speakers?

Teressa R.

Answer:

Thanks for the great question Teressa. Balancing out the bass lows with the highs is a tricky task and not for the light heart. And like you said stock speakers do have a tendency to just poop out on people. After a couple of long jamming sessions and some years down the road those cheap speakers always seem to blow.

The size of the speakers in the front doors of cars are usually different. It all depends on the year of the car and what make. Most makes of vehicles tend to stay the same though. For example, Chevy Cavaliers would most likely have the same size speakers in the front doors.

A good all around speaker to go with to reach those highs is the brand of Infinity. I don't like to give out actual brand names here on our sites but I'll do it just now because Infinity has been around for a very long time holding nothing but a good reputation.

Any size speaker from their brand will give you the highs you need. A lot of luxary cars now a days come with stock infinity speakers which just goes to show the reputation they hold.

With out the highs in a car audio system, you really have a weird sound at times. There are a lot of bass heads out there just bumping their huge levels of bass but you can't hear any of the highs. Some of them car and some of them do not. The math of it is, a highly tuned system will have the right amount of highs. How can I achieve more highs with my bass system? I have two T1 Rockford Fosgate 15's and these things turn heads to say the least. I might go brain dead from sitting in my ride. I love love love the bass and need it in my life. WHAT I NEED though, is more HIGHS.. I have just the basic stock setup for speakers that comes stock in a 1995 Tahoe. What can I do?

Kelly P.

Answer:

Thanks for sending in the good question Kelly. This is a great question and I have honestly been waiting for someone to send it in. Highs are a big deal to manage with large levels of lows. Without highs your system will sound a bit funny.

As far as getting those highs, your going to need to upgrade the equipment a bit on the smaller end of things. more tweeters and smaller speakers that really scream those highs over the bass. Well.. not over but .. WITH the low levels of your bass.

Also, better brands equal better quality a lot of the time. We all try to find the happy medium balancing out price versus quality but remember, you get what you pay for.. to a point.

It also helps to mount the components that will be putting out the highs more towards the heart of the music.. or towards the person desiring to hear the highs. That is why most times than not, they put tweeters in the front panels of the car. For the operator of the vehicle and person in the front to hear the highs and balanced lows in the rear.

If I was you, I would mount some tweeters in the front of your tahoe and go from there. Test it out for a while and see what you think of the new sound. They can really go the distance. They are small but really do more that what they seem to. Mount them off the ground too. In my opinion, the higher they are mounted from the floor of the vehicle .. the better.

Let me know what you think and thanks for the great question. And don't get me wrong, I do not claim to know tons about this.. I am sort of just giving you some of my known knowledge that I believe to be correct.

I URGE OTHERS TO CORRECT ME in some posting below because I need the best information being sent towards this question. Thanks guys!