thinking of upgrading....

[Jonny-K5]

right now i have a pair of audiobahn 1205 in my truck. they are the 1000wRMS dual 2ohm voice coil version, circa 2000. basically the amp im using doesnt put out enough clean power for these things,they sound good, but not up to their potential. should i :

A- buy a new amp that can handle these, gotta be 1ohm stable and under 400.if its quality and used, that might work.

B-start over and buy some new subs and amp that dont require as much power,but still sound really good

if i buy new subs, then i want ones that are tailored for sealed boxes. i dont want ported. my audiobahns are more suited to a ported box, so it takes even more power to run them in the sealed box im using. i also need to keep the box volume low, at around 1cu ft.

 

[WakeBoard&4X4er]

look on Ebay for an old shool Rockford... i have seen punch power 50s (25X2) for 150-200...

at 1 ohm they will out out the power you need for those subs...

 

[Z3PR]

Just surf Ebay for a Class D mono amp for your subs.

 

[Jonny-K5]

i have a class d mono amp,just not a top of the line brand. im looking for reccomendations on what could power these,but not cost a grand.

i kinda doubt an old punch 50 would be able to support two of these power hungry things, let alone one. im pretty sure they arent 1 ohm stable either.

 

[Z3PR]

I bought a MMATS D200hc off Ebay last year. It does 350 Watts at 4 ohms, 700 watts at 2 ohms and 1400 watts at 1 ohm. I can't begine too say how much I like the older MMATS amps. Ebay search for MMATS A few MMATS amps right now.

 

[seschev3]

How about option C. Use only one sub. It will save you space with a new box which you can now port and cheat for a higher volume level. You can build a new box for about $40. Save money and space.And the old fosgate punch series amps are stable at 1 ohm. But to find one may be difficult since they are about 15 years old.

 

[Jonny-K5]

How about option C. Use only one sub. It will save you space with a new box which you can now port and cheat for a higher volume level. You can build a new box for about $40. Save money and space.And the old fosgate punch series amps are stable at 1 ohm. But to find one may be difficult since they are about 15 years old.

i was thinking about that too. i forgot im actually running a 2ohm load @ the amp, running a real hinky setup. i think my amp running one at 1ohm in a ported box would be the easiest way to go. i wanted to build another box anyway. thanks

 

[Greg72]

Are you sure you've diagnosed the problem correctly?

Low frequency information is usually one of those areas that is hardest for people to notice "distortion"...many manufacturers and experts have claimed that anything less than 10% distortion is really hard to hear anyway....at least for subs.

1. Is the issue that they don't play loud enough to "blend" with the rest of the system?

2. Is there "overhang" with the subs (the bass isn't tightly controlled) so the rapid drum beats aren't distinct, just a muddy mess?

3. Are you really having problems in the lowest octaves of music (20Hz to around 60Hz?) where the subs should be working?

My personal theory is that most people who complain about "bad" bass are actually looking for more immediacy and "punch" in the upper-bass range. The harmonics of a 40Hz bass note are also present at 80Hz and 160Hz, etc. If you don't faithfully reproduce them with your mid-bass drivers...the notes just don't sound very "believeable"....the richness of music comes from reproducing the notes and harmonics. If you've ever heard a REALLY good system (and all the detail it conveys) odds are that you were listening to a system that could do not only bass, but upper-bass and mid-bass well.....

If you are experiencing "overhang" with the subs, then you either have a low-power problem or an enclosure problem. As you mentioned, a sealed box will tighten things up, but at the expense of a less effiecient sub.....(so you'll need more power for the same SPL output).

Sometimes, being able to listen to "only" the channels you're trying to debug can be a great education. I setup my last stereo with switches on each of the 4 amps (to kill power to the remote turn-on leads). I was able to turn on just the tweeters, just the mid-basses, and just the subs. You can really learn a lot by listening to subs all by themselves.....there really shouldn't be any discernable vocals at ALL. If there are, your crossover is set way too high, or the crossover slope is too gentle (12db/Octave instead of 18 or 24)


Some random thoughts to keep you on your toes...!!! Give me more specifics about "what you're hearing" (or NOT hearing) and I'll see if I can help you isolate the problem further.