Completely new to Subs

BeatBox

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todd5854 said:
The sticker on the bottom of the 12 inch JL Sub says 12w0, so i'm assuming that's what it is. 125 watts RMS. I don't need it to shake windows, or anything. I picked the pioneer because walmart sells it for $58. I'll look at the sub more later. There's a serial number and Im on this site at school.. lol. really i don't care what kind of amp it is as long as it does its job... looking at used ones too, not too much luck on craigslist. maybe an ebay refurbished unit would do alright.

My radio actually shuts off due to lack of power when i turn my speakers up real loud. i might need a new battery, im not sure. just bought the car so it's possible. takes slightly longer to start on cold days too.

yeah i mean the remote wire. What color is it? how do i know which one it is..? i bet its the same one that makes the antenna go up and down, because that same color (ASSUMING its the one that i think it is) on my truck didn't have a connector for the ford wiring harness.

What do you guys think of these?

DUAL 580watt
http://cgi.ebay.com/DUAL-580-WATT-2-1-CHANNEL-AMP-CAR-STEREO-SUB-AMPLIFIER-/380318398018?pt=Car_Amplifiers&hash=item588cbe3642

PYLE 400watt
http://cgi.ebay.com/NEW-PYLE-400w-MARINE-2-CHANNEL-STEREO-SUB-AMPLIFIER-AMP-/200592257768?pt=Car_Amplifiers&hash=item2eb43af2e8

Which of these is crappiest? I'm guessing dual is junk because their subs sell for $30 at walmart. I'll probably buy that Pioneer at walmart for the $58 honestly. didn't see any bad reviews on it.
Click to expand...
Alright the subs is the JL 12w0, not bad at all their stuff is usually pretty good or really good but has a nice price tag. your not expecting it to shake windows so Honestly from the amps your posted your better off WITH the pioneer, if not the Pyle since its new then maybe the Dual (i wouldnt waste $$ on the last two)

replace the battery if get a chance, do TheBig3 (google if ur not sure what it is) those small upgrades should be enough

the remote wire would be coming out your after market deck (i u have one) that the wire u use when u run the wire to the amp to tell it to turn on
 

todd5854

New Member
Does this cover it?
http://www.the12volt.com/installbay/forum_posts.asp~TID~73496~PN~1

I have a Sony Xplod head unit. Its starting to make me mad I might sell it and a Kenwood for something nicer. Parents will buy me a dvd deck for graduation :)

Also, I turned my radio up a bit while the engine was OFF. I put on a song that had bass and went outside to see if the headlights dim. They do not. only the interior lights by the radio. and ESPECIALLY the radio.... help..?? turned it up too loud and the radio shut off. but all the headlights stayed on. so it cant be my battery.... right?
 

BeatBox

Real Good!
todd5854 said:
Does this cover it?
http://www.the12volt.com/installbay/forum_posts.asp~TID~73496~PN~1

I have a Sony Xplod head unit. Its starting to make me mad I might sell it and a Kenwood for something nicer. Parents will buy me a dvd deck for graduation :)

Also, I turned my radio up a bit while the engine was OFF. I put on a song that had bass and went outside to see if the headlights dim. They do not. only the interior lights by the radio. and ESPECIALLY the radio.... help..?? turned it up too loud and the radio shut off. but all the headlights stayed on. so it cant be my battery.... right?
Click to expand...
yup that covers it, i have it done to mine too
heres a video of it: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HcAY3-J7XyE

i have a pioneer deck if you looking for a cheap upgrade for now $60 shipped

hard to say, never had that problem before, on my deck with car 1/2 on for just the radio some of the lights if u really pay attention they dim alittle. when its off the voltage should be around 12-12.3
i would try doing Thebig3 see if anything improves and go from there might help charge your battery alittle better and might not need to replace the battery, if it still acts up then i would replace the battery.
 

DAWGSwlms22

New Member
i'm not sure what color the remote wire would be. it probably depends on the radio. the aftermarket radio should have came with a diagram on it telling you what each color is for. and the lights, is either the battery, or you may be pulling too many watts outta your radio? i've never heard of it happening, but eh, it's a though.
 


todd5854

New Member
The radio is a 52 watts x4. I have the bass +5db and the mids +4db. the highs are -4db because out of those 4 speakers there are 4 tweeters. Whenever I listen to a song with a lot of bass though the radio shuts off. But the outside lights don't dim at ALL! I don't know why the inside ones almost shut off, but the outside ones are fine. Maybe there's limited wattage and current available for the radio? I have no idea honestly...

I'm gonna add in the amp and see if it even runs at all. Then i'll upgrade, so I know how well I have to do it :)
 

TegSox

Super Duper Moderator
Most companies have the remote lead wire solid blue, power antenna wire blue with a white stripe.

I wouldn't be too concerned about doing the Big 3 for such a small amp running a 12W0. Don't get me wrong, it certainly won't hurt, but don't expect to hear any audible difference. Whether it's "worth it" putting in the time, effort and money doing it is up to you.
0 guage power wire is extreme overkill for that Pioneer amp.
I see that GM-5400 has speaker level inputs. Speaker level inputs nowadays are a characteristic of a low end amp. You'll never see a quality amp with speaker level inputs because sound quality is seriously downgraded (and s/n ratio greatly increased) when their used instead of the RCA inputs.
I'd instantly be concerned about a brand new amp claiming to put out 760 max watts for $58 brand new. At least it's a name brand, but expect to get what you pay for.

My first guess as to why your deck is shutting off when the volume's high is it has a poor ground connection, or the deck is defective. A low battery is possible, but if your not seeing symptoms of a poor battery elsewhere in the car I'd rule that out.
 
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