Bass Expanders & Processors.......

[CWood]

Did a search and found a thread that was a bit old that discussed the PG Bass Cube and the Audio Control Epicenter. The type of music I listen to really benefits by using the device. Since the PG Bass Cube is discontinued, any suggestions on what other brands to check into besides the Epicenter?
Thanks....

[kg1961]

Soundstream make a bunch of units

[CWood]

How is the quality of Soundstream products? Did a search and was surprised to see how many brands that are available.

-AudioControl
-Boss
-Power Acoustik
-Hifonics
-NVX
-Maxxsonics
-Precicion Power
-Audiotek
-Audiobank
-Performance Teknique
-Orion
-Nitro
-Epic
-Phonics Digital
-JC Power
-Soundstream
-SoundXtreme
-Interfire

[Kirghiz]

I looked extensively at the new gear and really wasn't keen on what I saw, so I ended up going on ebay and found a lightly used PG Bass Cube with remote for about $160 shipped. The strongest looking unit out of the new stuff to me was the PPI, but the Bass Cube seemed more robust. If you open up the case on the bass cube there are actually more adjustments you can make to it, not just what's advertised. I set the levels on my sub amp so that the bass cube's boost is very low on bass heavy music, like dubstep, but I have a lot of headroom on the bass cube so that I can bring rock/metal tracks up to a level that makes double kick drums come close to bruising your kidneys, and do it without clipping. It works pretty well for me in that regard. I also like the fact that it has an adjustable subsonic filter. The 24 db subsonic filter on my amp is set a few hz below tuning, and then the 12db subsonic on the basscube floats, but it's generally right around tuning. The two together pretty much guarantee that the subs won't play below the port tuning frequency. Pounding the subs below the port tuning frequency is one of the top causes of sub failure. Not only does it make the subs perform better, it also helps save them.

http://download.phoenixphorum.com/Manua ... ecrets.pdf

But yeah, I was looking pretty hard at the PPI unit before I found a bass cube. Ended up that I didn't like the subsonic options on it. The Soundstream XBP-10 is pretty nice too, but at the end of the day I'm a Phoenix Gold whore.

[CWood]

Looking and the manual for most the these bass expanders, it shows them being hooked up after the head unit. Now if you have Front, Rear and Sub out. Do you hook it up to the sub out or one of the Front/Rear output? The unit only has 1 input and 1 output, what happens to the other output from the radio? Seems to me since you are using it to enhance your bass you would connect it to the sub out, but the manual states before any kind of crossover.

[ttocs]

love my bass cubes and there are still plenty around to be found.

[kg1961]

I used the aoundstream 20unit large silver spider on the top it was great and only 80 plus shipping
With a lpl I don't think I would ever need a bass cube or other item make the right.box add power and if you amp lets you xover down and cut.it off at or above the sub/box will do


With all the differnt brand now making something either pg lost the patent on the cube or theyccan't compete $$ wish to make vs others
Its to bad they still don't sell replament remote. They did I had one I the box before.

[zeropoint0.5]

Looking and the manual for most the these bass expanders, it shows them being hooked up after the head unit. Now if you have Front, Rear and Sub out. Do you hook it up to the sub out or one of the Front/Rear output? The unit only has 1 input and 1 output, what happens to the other output from the radio? Seems to me since you are using it to enhance your bass you would connect it to the sub out, but the manual states before any kind of crossover.

if you have this possibility, it is better to hook it up just before the sub amp.

If you let the signal for the speakers go through a bass cube, with the cube on and the gain totally open, just listen to what

noise you'll hear through you're tweeters......

[ttocs]

Looking and the manual for most the these bass expanders, it shows them being hooked up after the head unit. Now if you have Front, Rear and Sub out. Do you hook it up to the sub out or one of the Front/Rear output? The unit only has 1 input and 1 output, what happens to the other output from the radio? Seems to me since you are using it to enhance your bass you would connect it to the sub out, but the manual states before any kind of crossover.

Ah well just curious, how would you put it in front of the head unit? It would not matter too much if you did it before/after a cross over but yes it goes on the subwoofer rca after the deck.

I used the aoundstream 20unit large silver spider on the top it was great and only 80 plus shipping
With a lpl I don't think I would ever need a bass cube or other item make the right.box add power and if you amp lets you xover down and cut.it off at or above the sub/box will do


With all the differnt brand now making something either pg lost the patent on the cube or theyccan't compete $$ wish to make vs others
Its to bad they still don't sell replament remote. They did I had one I the box before.

Not sure how anyone could ever stand the spider or even worse that fugly frozen dude on their equipment was beyond me. If I did soundstream it would be the old blue amp line...

[CWood]

Looking and the manual for most the these bass expanders, it shows them being hooked up after the head unit. Now if you have Front, Rear and Sub out. Do you hook it up to the sub out or one of the Front/Rear output? The unit only has 1 input and 1 output, what happens to the other output from the radio? Seems to me since you are using it to enhance your bass you would connect it to the sub out, but the manual states before any kind of crossover.

Ah well just curious, how would you put it in front of the head unit? It would not matter too much if you did it before/after a cross over but yes it goes on the subwoofer rca after the deck.
quote]

I should have stated it differently. "Looking at the manual for most the these bass expanders, it shows them being hooked up In between the head unit and crossover. What if the crossover is built in the head unit? Can you use the sub out RCA and run it straight into the Bass expander?"........

[Kirghiz]

It doesn't matter. Just put it straight off the HU and it's fine. Before or after the crossover doesn't matter a whole lot.

[CWood]

All the ones I mentioned above run in the $45-$80 range (only a couple were in the $80.00 range.) while AudioControl runs about $125.00+. Do you think the AudioControl is worth the extra $$$? May go with the Precision Power BP.8. Like the remote adjustability of the bass level and PSM filter. Best price I found for the PPI was $57.00. Question would be the quality/reliability of PPI.

[kg1961]

You can never go wrong with ac. To me that company has not chamged over the years kick ass products and built to last a min 5 years

[vwdude]

I get what the manual is trying to do. It wants to adjust the bass going to more than just the subwoofer. This might make more sense for you as you want to boost your Midbass rather than sub bass. Not sure how you would do it with your current setup.

Ideally you would run the front to the bass cube, then the output from the bass cube to an external active crossover. With this you would loose fader control (if you still want it) unless you you ran:
Front -->bass cube-->crossover--> front, sub amp and the rear from the deck straight to your rear amp channels (if using them). But with this you wouldn't be boosting the Midbass to your rear speakers.

[Kirghiz]

Wouldn't something like an EQ232 be better suited for that role? All a bass cube is, is a one band parametric eq with a variable frequency adjustment. If you had that eq you could adjust everything.

[vwdude]

I agree with the eq idea, but maybe the eq215x since it also has a xover so you can run it to all of your amps. That was always my issue with the eq230 and eq232, one set of RCAs in and one set out.

[ttocs]

as he said the 215x would allow you too put the base cube before the eq and then separate it out and use the lpl for the sub out volume instead of the decks sub out.

[CWood]

I get what the manual is trying to do. It wants to adjust the bass going to more than just the subwoofer. This might make more sense for you as you want to boost your Midbass rather than sub bass. Not sure how you would do it with your current setup.

Ideally you would run the front to the bass cube, then the output from the bass cube to an external active crossover. With this you would loose fader control (if you still want it) unless you you ran:Front -->bass cube-->crossover--> front, sub amp and the rear from the deck straight to your rear amp channels (if using them). But with this you wouldn't be boosting the Midbass to your rear speakers.

I "THINK" I might have this figured out. Let me know if I'm on the right track. Please bare with me, I may get a bit confusing in my old age trying to explain this in typing. Going through my closet, I found a BNIB Kenwood KGC-4042a EQ that I bought years ago that I forgot all about. According the Epicenter manual Outputs: These RCA connectors should be connected to the next component after The Epicenter, such as a crossover, equalizer, or amplifier. Just remember, The Epicenter should go inline before a crossover!!The EQ has (1) input and (3) outputs. Front/Rear/Sub. The EQ would give me the ability to have Front/Rear fader control. (EQ has knob on it.) Since the Epicenter only has (1) input and (1) output I run a set of RCA from the radio to the Epicenter, from Epicenter to EQ and use the (3) outputs from the EQ to the amps. The only downfall I see is having to run RCA's from the HU to the rear of the car where the Epicenter is mounted back up front to where the EQ is mounted. Does this make since? Would this work?

[LowandLoud]

Sounds right to me. I would suggest switching around the locations of the EQ and Epicenter though. I know its probably more convenient for tuning but running RCA's front to back to front to back again would be a PITA.

LL