question on watts
 

to get right to the point i have a Sony XMD9001GTR powering 2x JL audio CP110G-W1v2 and i recently blew out one of the subs. i have about 8-10 feet of 4 gauge wire with a inline 80 amp fuse (3x 30amp on the amp itself) and am using the stock deck with a Line Out Converter off the back speakers.

now i got 1 of the subs before i had the second on the same amp alone and i had the amp up a bit to high so when i listened to bass intense songs i could smell the coil to start smoking a bit. i would then shut the system off and listen the next time i was in the car. so as i said that sub recently blew out and i got it replaced with the same speaker.

the bass is now friggin awesome :D but i would like to know a couple of things.

the amp is rated for 500watts at 4 ohms and the speakers are 300watts max @ 4ohms.

1. how much wattage is getting to the speakers if both are hooked up? does it split the wattage so each gets 250?

2. i looked through the faq section of the forum and was looking at caps and wanted to know if adding one helps at all with the strength of bass and not just with your lights dimming?

thanks for any and all the help!

Are you running the subs in 2ohm mono? I think you are and thus getting 900 watts rms no? If so you are over powering the subs. From a quick search I found that amp to be rated at 550wrms x1 at 4 ohm and 900wrms x1 at 2. The subs I think are rated to 300 watts rms. To answer your question yes. if you are using 2 subs then the watts are divided into both subs.

i think i'm using them on 4ohm. i thought the ohm was decided on what speaker you get in which case the 2 subs i have are 4 ohm so it should then be running at 550watts.

i would have already posted the links to the subs and amp but you need to have 5 posts.

below is the link to my subs. they say 4ohm mono
http://mobile.jlaudio.com/products_enclosures.php?menu=8&prod_id=315

Yes but you are using 2 subs which changes things. if you are using 2 depending on how you have it wired you are either running 8 ohms or 2 ohms. Do you just have the positive and negative from each speaker to the positive and negative on the amp?

you proably clipped the outta the signal (especially because the sony WILL NOT put out rated power) and burnt a voice coil

Based on that information...you have two 4ohm subs more than likely wired parallel. That will yield a final load on the amp of 2 ohms (2 dual 2ohm subs will yield either 8 ohms, 2ohms, or .5 ohms), then your amp is delivering equally 450 watts to each sub rms(900 x1 @ 2ohms). I think those subs are rated for 150 rms each...that would explain the burning smell when you get when you push it...not good! You need more powerful (in terms of thermal handling) subs...a pair of 400-500 watts rms subs will do the trick.
Regarding the cap...some swear it does help, others say no. My personal experience has been good, I've found very low esr caps enhanced my system noticeably...was this psychoacoustic? maybe, but does it matter whether it actually sounds better or if i just think it does? I guess in the end..if I think it sounds better then it does...to me!

Think of it this way.... the ohms rating is the resistance of the voice coil. so if one sub is 4 ohms and you have 2, and hook them in parallel (both + and - terminals together to the amp) you divide the ohms in half. If you hook them up in series (+ from one sub to the - of the other then them remaining + and - to the amp) you double the ohms. Clear?

there are 4 terminals on the sub.

1 2 3 4

the manual says wire your sub to 1&2 and 3&4 or 1&4 for bridged.

i have it wired the first way.

ohwell i will just turn the bass down a bit and leave with them until i get more money and upgrade, if i do, to better speakers. i personally don't care to much about quality of sound i just enjoy the feeling of bass. i can also flip down my back seats and get more bass from them.

thanks for all the input and i don't think i will get a cap based on what was said and my cash flow.


yup. thanks for that.

though i've had my stuff for a year i've never really tried to learn anything about it.


i am also going to try to adjust my line out converter so i can get proper bass in songs.

4 terminals one the sub? Are these dual voice coil subs? Or did you mean amp?

sorry i meant on the amp ya.