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Well i just got all my stuff installed and im disapointed
Posted: Fri May 18, 2007 4:42 pm
by Capital_M
Maybe I need that break in period but from what people told me I just thought that the rsd12 off a x600 was gonna be LOUD!
It is loud but not like loud loud, not 824watts loud.
Now first off i should say my installer said he could hardly turn up the gain on the TLD 66 becuase it brought a lot of noise into the system, same goes for the xenons so in order for it to get pretty loud it needs to be at max volume of 62 on the head unit...wtf? he's a very very reputable installer and delt with PG stuff for many years so i trust what he's saying, so am i not getting all i should be out of the system?
Also would doing the big three help the engine noise and allow me to turn up the TLD? its just annoying going all the way up to 62, and i dont feel like im getting everythign out of it.
Also is it okay to run only one channel to the mono amp? becuase one terminal ended up being broken (fucking knukoncepts)
will I be happier after the break in?
Posted: Fri May 18, 2007 4:51 pm
by mr tibbs
DO THE BIG THREE!! This will help with the ground noise big time. It sure did with mine, but I did mine very shortly after I got everything installed. I would highly recommend doing this before anything else.

Posted: Fri May 18, 2007 4:52 pm
by Capital_M
so my question is, by not turning up the gains to where they should be, is it not getting all the power even tho its at max volume
Posted: Fri May 18, 2007 5:02 pm
by tsonka
Capital, bud, there is a whole lot that goes into Loudness, noise and sounding good.
I, myself, would say that the enclosure itself and the location of the subwoofer has just as much, if not more to do then the brand of the sub and the power your feeding it.
If your over all volume is lacking, id look more towards your componets. If your over all stereo volume just wont go loud at all, its not your sub or your sub amp. If your system gots loud but its lackign in bass then id look at how you have things set up
Help us aout abit more.
How big is your enclosure, where at in the vehicle is it located, what amp do you have on your componets, what is your power / ground wire gauge.
Spell out your system entirely, what you might think is a minor detail, such as 8ga power wire might be causing your problem.
Posted: Fri May 18, 2007 5:07 pm
by tsonka
Another thought. If your line driver is letting in noise then remove it and run straight off your deck and see how that sounds.
Remember dont get too high tech setting your gains with the DMM and such.... trust your ears
If you cant get rid of yoru system noise get you a DD5 and use it.
The only thing not powered of my DD5 is my amps, even my HU is powered off it.
Mind your system grounds too, don't skimp on any ground location.
Posted: Fri May 18, 2007 5:10 pm
by Capital_M
TLD 66
LPL 44
x100.2
x600.1
RSD 6.5 comp set
RSD 12
0 gauge to 4 gauge at amps
1.8 sealed firing to the back of the car
Its not lacking bass at all, I just think its lacking volume, dont get me wrong , its loud but i duno i guess i compared it to my friends w712 off a 500 watt amp which sounds a lot louder.
Posted: Fri May 18, 2007 5:18 pm
by vin78
Its kinda odd that your getting noise when you raise the gains on the TLD. What type of noise is it? Alternator whine, hiss, pops etc.
This may be the culprit.
Posted: Fri May 18, 2007 5:20 pm
by Capital_M
installer told me i got alternator whine/engine noise.
Right now i can turn it up full volume with zero distrotion, thats why i think im not getting all the power i should.
Posted: Fri May 18, 2007 5:25 pm
by vin78
Capital_M wrote:installer told me i got alternator whine/engine noise.
Right now i can turn it up full volume with zero distrotion, thats why i think im not getting all the power i should.
It could be a ground loop. Have your installer check the grounds. Also have him play around with different ground locations.
Posted: Fri May 18, 2007 5:33 pm
by Capital_M
Well i think it might be becuase gm's have very low gauge power and grounding to the electrical system.
Im gonna upgrade those and see what happens.
Posted: Fri May 18, 2007 5:37 pm
by bdubs767
if your intsaller did the wiring and you have ground noise tell him to fix it plain and simple
Posted: Fri May 18, 2007 5:53 pm
by Capital_M
its not ground noise, its only when you turn up thr gains you hear it, like an alternator whine, im just think its the gm wiring showing its weakness. Im gonna do the big three and readjust the gains.
Posted: Fri May 18, 2007 6:03 pm
by stipud
If it's the GM wiring, he should run new stuff. You paid for a working install.
Posted: Fri May 18, 2007 6:07 pm
by bdubs767
stipud wrote:You paid for a working install.
Bingo
Posted: Fri May 18, 2007 6:39 pm
by Capital_M
we agreed on a price for certain things, i just took another listen, and i do like it, its not an huge amount of bass that it hurts the sound quality, i just think im not getting enought output....however all the other systems ove heard ARE ported.
Im gonna play around with the gains and set them how i see fit, shouldnt take more then a few minutes.
Posted: Fri May 18, 2007 7:25 pm
by 1moreamp
Engine noise is just that "engine noise" Stop the noise at its source. Try running a 2 gauge ground from your battery negative terminal to the block, tie it off of a good clean bolt in the block, not the head.
Then run another 2 gauge from the battery negative terminal to the Alternator Body, again a good clean bolt.
Then run one more 2 gauge from the battery negative terminal to the base bolt for your distributor.
I have seen this setup in a car they could not cure the engine noise on, and it works like a champ. It solved the car owners issues 100%.
He bought his kit off e-bay of all places, for about $40.00 less the wire of course, and all it consisted of was a big platinum negative terminal block and all the gold 2 gauge ring terminals he used in the setup. OH you MUST solder all the terminals to the cable, crimping will not work well.
Good Luck C

Posted: Tue May 22, 2007 11:24 am
by tsonka
How are things coming along?
Posted: Tue May 22, 2007 5:24 pm
by VW337
The noise you are experiencing, does it change with the vehicle RPM?
If so then it is a ground loop, or a ground problem of some fashion.
First make certain your battery is fully charged, a weak battery is a sure cause of a ground noise.
Next make certain your HU TLD and amp all share the same Ground point, run a chassis ground between the 3 to make certain.
and yes you are losing a ton of output do to the fact of keeping the gains low in order to keep noise out.
Also try different RCA's since you said one terminal was bad, a bad RCA can inject noise.
Print this and give it to your installer:
http://phoenixphorum.com/trouble-shooti ... vt178.html
Posted: Tue May 22, 2007 6:39 pm
by Capital_M
Well its broken in a lot after a weekend of playing it and it is sounding a lot better.
Some songs have just insanely loud bass while others not so much. Im starting to think that any louder and the RSD wouldnt be able to take it anymore lol. I guess Im just worried since this is my first system.
Right now there is ZERO noise at all, What Im gonna do is do the Big Three then set up my TLD at 8 volts and then set the xenons by ear. I just dont want to damage the subs/components. Some songs have INSANE bass that rattle the car, while others dont.
What does clipping sound like? Is it bad distortion?
Posted: Tue May 22, 2007 6:53 pm
by VW337
From what you are describing your installer cranked the Bass-boost on the amp to get better output. Rotate that bitch counterclockwise then listen.
Posted: Tue May 22, 2007 7:42 pm
by Capital_M
bass boast is at zero, same on the H/U
Posted: Tue May 22, 2007 7:43 pm
by Capital_M
Im guessing some of these songs just arent very bass heavy
Posted: Tue May 22, 2007 7:51 pm
by fuzzysnuggleduck
When you actually have a stereo that can reproduce music well, you begin to notice very obviously differences in recording quality and tastes. Some albums lack deep bass while others have bass you've never heard before

Same goes for the whole range of frequencies I guess, just more obvious with the bass frequencies.
Posted: Tue May 22, 2007 8:02 pm
by Capital_M
The stereo i had listened to for a long time was basically 3.5inches with a 6.5 for all deep freqs, so yea BIG change.
It sound really good now, and I am not disapointed. but i know the RSD's are not at their max, i just dont want to exceed their max either.
How do you know when a sub/components are at their max?
Posted: Tue May 22, 2007 8:10 pm
by AVICJR
Capital_M wrote:
How do you know when a sub/components are at their max?
When you can see and smell smoke! J/K
If you set everything right, and don't pound it on
EVERY song then, don' t be afraid to play with the gain. Trust me, you know when you are about to do some damage to a speaker. You will see and feel it.