4 Mistakes that Kill Bass - Car Audio Subwoofer Improvements!

Big shout out to bassheads who began their life as an audiophile using home speakers in the trunk. ✌ EDIT* Extra shout out to all of you out there who dropped a comment like you drop bass.*

Even though I'd been into stereos since the late eighties, I still watch a lot of these videos. You're never too old to learn something new or possibly see something you've overlooked or even forgotten. Not to mention things have changed over the years. Not drastically but enough that it does make a difference.

I won’t lie , this is one of those expensive hobbies

I'm actually quite impressed by this video... this dude actually knows what he's talking about(which I've found, somewhat lacking in the car audio world).. and He's good at communicating what he knows in plain English without confusing people by the more maths heavy aspects of Thiele/Small parameters that bamboozle many folks.

This is wonderful information my og grandma can now correctly install her 2 18" subs into her hatchback and listen to her classic tunes of a timeless era.

Rule #1 for bass - there is no replacement for displacement. Cone area and XMax are critical. If you want big bass, the largest woofer you can fit into the car is the approach to take. But consider sensitivity as well. Some subs have great specs, but sensitivity so low you are going to have to put huge power into them to generate the same SPL as a lesser woofer. Rule #2 Adding subs is not as effective as having a good sub in there the first place. Double the subs is NOT double the bass. You get like, 3-6 dB more output. So, generally speaking, I'd rather spend about $200 on an awesome sub than $100 on two OK subs in a car environment. You save room and money. In a home environment, the logic shifts - 2 good subs are generally better than one great sub, because you can get more even in-room response even without EQ. Rule #3 Double the power is NOT double the bass. 100 watts to 200 watts gleans 3 db or so if the sub can handle it. 200 to 400 gains another 3 db, again, if the sub can handle it. Yes you want to match amps to speaker capability to the greatest extent possible, but in my experience you mainly just want to be sure you can achieve the volume you'd like to listen at without clipping anything. Rule #4 Marcus forgot to talk about a very important spec - Sensitivity! Assume you have a sub that can do 85 dB @ 1 watt. Then you have a sub that can do 95 dB @ 1 watt. All other things equal, the higher sensitivity sub will play louder with less power than the less sensitive sub. Remember, the "first watt" is really important in the speaker world. With 100 watts, you can drive another 20 dB or so, so speaker A is at 105 dB and speaker B is at 115 dB! For the next 10 dB, you need 1,000 watts, and not many speakers can take that kind of power. A lot of subs out there can do something like 82-86 dB/watt, so cone area and stroke become the next predictors of achievable output. A speaker with 3 dB greater sensitivity is like being able to cut your power in half for the same output. That matters planning your system (AND your budget). Yes Yes I know - cars routinely can hit well over 100 dB, and even 120-150 dB. But for the "average" guy like myself, I need a system that can probably play 70-80 dB on average, with 95-100 dB peaks. It will be vastly easier to get there with more, not less sensitive speakers that make better use of less, not more power! I mean how many of you have a 150-200 amp alternator? Exactly. Rule #5 This I am less sure about. In a car, you get crazy amounts of cabin gain. So, assuming your subwoofer measured perfectly flat, at what frequency, and rate, should the bass be allowed to roll off? "Full range" music generally reaches down to about 40 hz. Do you need incredible output at 20 hz? No. Do you need some response in the 30hz range? Yes, for the synthetic bass stuff. What is a good rule of thumb, or "target curve" for an in-car subwoofer? According to Audiofrog, you can expect a good 5-20 dB of cabin gain from 60hz down to 20 hz (increasing gain for decreasing frequency). That's a ton. You can easily be down 5-10 dB from 60hz down and still expect to hear good output in the sub-bass frequencies. If you are all about sound quality, a slow roll-off will be rewarded with a "natural" bass boost. IF you build a ported box, which roll off at 24dB/octave, than only a bigger box will generally let you achieve extension. But then the extension might increase the "boom" so much you'll need to play with levels / EQ to get a proper integration. Rule #6 - Group delay. Yes you can build any box you want, designed for output or convenience, or sound quality or whatever. But having a lot of group delay (above 400-500) probably leads to a "slow" "muddy" sounding bass. Not all woofers are going to like being ported. And not all ported woofers are going to sound stellar unless designed a certain way. Sealed boxes tend to have low group delay, but less "slam", and the "tightness" can sometimes take a bit of the fun out. Personally, in a car, I lean toward ported boxes that allow for some added energy in the 30-50hz area. I hate to plug a company, but the JL Audio Microsub, the 8 inch, truly impressed me with Bass that had some guts, could ALMOST reach all the way down in the songs I played with the most bass, and still managed to sound pretty tight and well behaved as if it were designed for sound quality. If WINISD is correct, it had a pretty slow roll off, and low group delay down to 30 hz or so. A great design, in other words. No one cares. But I am sharing anyway! Thanks.

Thanks for the videos man. I used to install professionally, but that was 20 years ago. Some things have changed, some hasn't. But watching your video's is giving the confidence to tackle my new project. I am doing a custom install in the floor of my cargo area of a 2004 Ford Explorer, while still having full use of the area by not having an enclosure just sitting there.

Hey, I made it to the end of the video. Just wanted to thank you for taking the time to explain car audio. I learned much of it through trial and error as a kid. I'm now 52 but still love my music LOUD! Loud isn't enough though. It has to be very clean and have enough bass to rattle my old bones. I've watched several of your vids thus far and the only thing I'd add is this....Be careful when upgrading your alternator. An alternator that has too much output can destroy your car battery and lead to overcharging issues. So, if you upgrade your alternator and end up replacing your car battery a couple times a year, you likely have a overcharge issue.

Enjoy this video? I also do complete build videos, basic and advanced tutorials, and reviews. I also just finished a ported subwoofer box build that you can watch here: https://youtu.be/eTQeUfv1dDU Thanks for watching!

Mistake 5 the gain and bass boost on the amplifier should not be cranked all the way up. Seen too many subs get clipped to death because the gains weren't set properly.

Great video. I watched the entire vid too. 😂😂😂 I tell everyone about your channel that is looking to upgrade their ICE.

Just want to say thanks for the videos... Took out my Mach speakers in my Mustang convertible, upgraded the head unit, upgraded speakers and did it through two different installers; I realized only after that I needed to do much research before jumping in (Planning phase of your other video), as the sound is lack luster... With COVID freeing up my time, decided to jump back in to make a great sound experience in my car and your videos are helping the path.

Also, new speakers and especially subs have a break in period. The difference in sound between the day you install and tune and a month or two later is noticeable. Be prepared to retune your settings several times in the first year of your install.

Thank God someone that knows what they are talking about

I always watch your full videos. They are very insightful and extremely informative and helpful. Thanks for the awesome job Mark.

I’ve been doing installs in my own and some in vehicles for friends for over 20 years. I recently did an install with around 2400W/RMS... I was having cutouts and cutoffs on bass. I watched a few of these videos and totally forgot to do the Big 3 upgrade 🤦🏼‍♂️ Thanks for the videos man 🤘🏼

Not only did I make it to the end, I loved every second of your explainations. I am a 40 year old confessed basshead. I had multiple "systems" in my teens and early 20s. I made a lot of mistakes then and after 20 years of missing that chest pounding bass I am planning to have a bit of a 'mid-life crisis and reinstall some window cracking thump. However, this time I will do it right and your videos are extremely helpful in my journey. BTW I am thinking of starting with a single 12" sundown nsv4 (properly boxed and powered) to start. I think that should be enough.

Honestly I wish the videos were longer. I learn alot but I'm always itching for more

This helped me make the right decision about everything!!!

I watch every video until the end. I have learned more in 2 months from this channel then I have in the 10 years prior. You and Steve Meade are the places I go for my car audio fix. Lucky for me I live in the same town as Steve so I can go by the shop and pick up what I need.