Will do.. I will take pics of the back of the subs and the way they are wired up tomarow.. then wait for some responces.. Thanks for the help

 

If they sound blown they are likely getting some distortion. Definitely check out the wiring situation. As radio mentioned you may have some airspace issues with how many subs you have in that amount of space. Also you need to find out how those subs are connected and what load the amp is actually seeing.

Lots of stuff to check out .. I would NOT be cranking that up at all until I knew the answers to the above questions.

Fej

 

In order to be of real help, I need the make/model of the amp/subs.

 

Its probably worth mentioning that the impedance can vary highly based on the wiring being series or parallel.

If possible can you find the location where the one wire coming from the amplifier splits into 2 wires going to the "pair" of woofers on one side?

My guess is that they are in parallel meaning the (+) wire is split into 2 and then each of those 2 goes to the (+) side of one woofer. Then same with the (-) side.

Confirm if you can, but Id be willing to bet you will get better sound if you dont try to drive this many woofers this way. I know it seems like 4 should hit harder than 2 but a properly driven speaker with no distortion will hit harder and sound better than an improper load. The 4 x 10 install looks cool but truth hurts somtimes.

* Also, please do not reverse the wiring on the "inner pair" as suggested. This will result in one driver moving in the opposite direction as the other driver for sure, but that will create "cancellation".
Basically the output of one cancels the other, so you get no sound or extremely muddy low impact bass.

This is how those fancy noise cancelling headphones work, they sample the sound outside the headphones, invert the wave electronically then play the sound into the headphone. By the time it arrives at your ear, you hear nothing.

Not a flame or anything but thats terrible advice

 

Wired properly the amp will see the correct load. Obviously you have to have the ability to get to the correct load based upon the individual coils and their impedance. But some things cannot be debated ... adding a driver playing the same frequency range = 3db. Same as doubling the power.

If the amp will make more power at 2 ohms and your subs can be wired at 2 ohms .. only a large mistake in the gain structure will allow 2 10" subs with identical power to outperform 4. This of course is identical subs and enclosures.

Sorry to disagree, but the rest of your advice I agree with.

Fej

 

Thanks for the info. I have put my 4 subs up for sale, and my 2 amps. I went out and bought two new (but old model) subwoofers. The Diamond Audio 12 inch MacDaddy subs. My friend had some he had never used. I used to have these subs and they were awsome. He paid 365 a piece for them. I also got his new(but old model) Directed 1100D amplifier. I don't know why he hasent used this stuff. I am now looking for a place that makes or sells custom fiberglass boxes that will hold my two twelve inch subs. I loved the look of the 4 tens, but just not the sound I was looking for.

 

G'luck on the search to find someone to make room for those monsters. I invision a trunk with one amp, 2 12's .. and not much else heh.

Fej

 

Good luck.

 

That install was nice but I think you will like 2 12" subs better I have 2 12" in my DD and 1 12" in my Vette, I have 4 15" in my home theater, when I do my next theater upgrade I am going to pro JBL 18" woofers nothing hits like a larger driver.

Good luck with your new set up

 

4 15's in a home theatre!!!! Holy Crap. i can only imagine. I just got my new infocus projector for my house and am looking to getting some badass souround sound.. But thats a little out of my price range.. I would be in that theater room all the time.

 

adding a driver playing the same frequency range = 3db. Same as doubling the power.

I understand your logic but in this case it wouldnt be apples to apples

If we agree that his amp can make 400 Watts into 2 Ohms in both installs

My way 400 Watts into one driver = x dB
Your way 400 Watts into 2 drivers or 200 Watts into each driver = 1/2x dB times 2 drivers = x dB

Okay 1/2 x dB isnt a great way of representing a logarithmic function but Im guessing its a push on SPLs. You are adding a driver but not adding an extra amp so you half the power to each.

You could argue that there is a benefit to having multiple drivers as a way of de-emphasizing non-linearities present from speaker to speaker. But I dont know that you get +3 dB unless the drivers are most efficient at 200 watts versus 400. They might be.

If hes playing these woofers near frequency of highest impedance (Zmax), he probably wont have worries. But if hes dropping down into the minimum impedances (Zmin) hes likely going to hit the "rails" of the power supply and he will get a clipped signal or at best he will not have the headroom to have a dynamic sound. This happens fast if you are in parallel because to the amp (Zmin) is cut in half. So you get a little breathing room with just one driver when you dip below the 4 ohm(Znom) rating of the driver.

Im a little jaded because of installs where Ive bought too much gear and couldnt get a sound I liked until I pulled half of it out, so I fully believe less is more. The woofer wall looks cool but happy electronics make better sound, and thats the point.

Anyone that is loading 4 subwoofers into a hatchback is going for impact and I believe that his 2 by 12" is the correct route anyway. Without specific tuning or bandpassing the 12"s should play lower right out of the box and you tend to "feel" the lower frequencies more. Im guessing thats what hes going for anyway.

I hope I dont sound like an ***, Ive had a bunch of coffee this morning

 

Sounds like you have a leaky box...

 

You would need a big leak. I remember when I was new to car audio, and people told me that my similar sound was a leaky box. I wasted hours coating the inside of it... Come to find out my gains were just too high, and I was clipping, trying to get more out of it than they were capable of.

I can guarantee his low volume issue is cancellation. But we'll never know now.