dtximages Posted July 19, 2010 Share Posted July 19, 2010 Ok so my cheap infinity car sub went dead. I have a Klipsch SW 12 and a Velodyne HGS 18 sub hangin around, both amps are dead. Heres my crazy question: Can i use my car amp (Orion external something made for a sub) and run the speaker wire directly to the active speaker in one of those home subs? I would take the amp out, run the wire, use some rope caulk to kinda reseal around where the wire goes in and screw the amp back in the back of the sub. i mean this works in theory. then my next question is this, as much killer bass as the hgs 18 puts out, would it rival similar 18" car subs? ive never seen what i might call an "engineered" car sub. they all look like theyre just big and made to "fit somewhere" and play loud. i wonder if my bass with the klipsch sw12 or the Velodyne would be "better" than most car subs since were talking some very expensive subs here for home. if not im going to get the velodyne fixed sometime. it scares me because i dont want to spend a fortune on it. opinionss???? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
FireWave Posted July 19, 2010 Share Posted July 19, 2010 Ok so the question is: Can i use my car amp (Orion external something made for a sub) and run the speaker wire directly to the active speaker in one of those home subs? Yes you can, as long as you don't mess with the enclosure you should be fine. Also, be sure your amp can power that beast. You have to remember that in order to achieve good low end frequency response you have to have a big space. Its something like this. 1Hz = 1130' thats how long the wavelength is from crest to trough. Now for 10 Hz that would be 130' and so on. Im no car audio expert but it seems that Car subwoofers tend to fold over low end wavelengths in order to have higher dB's. Sure you can try it, Just don't be surprised if it doesn't sound that great. But it sounds like a fun idea! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dtximages Posted July 19, 2010 Author Share Posted July 19, 2010 yeah i dont expect audiofile quality because its coming out of my trunk haha. but i hate the way most car subs sound. most seem like the crossover is way too high (hear alot of voices in the sub) and they sound so colored. i know the environment of my car will take away from the great sound that these subs would normally make. but would sound better than most other car subs? i mean especially the velodyne. i dont know if ive seen a $3500 car sub. i wonder if that thing would kick some serious tail? i know it did in my HT! the klipsch, although smaller, dang high output too. and my changes to the enclosures would be minimal. thanks Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TheEAR Posted July 19, 2010 Share Posted July 19, 2010 If the HGS18 cabinet fits in the trunk then go with the HGS18. The servo no longer in use, you still have a very descent sealed sub. In a car the cabin gain is HUGE in the lower spectrum. An 18 inch driver will not have to work hard to pound. Make sure you observe the driver cone as you test this setup. Bottoming out is not a great idea. A puny TangBand 8" sub does a descent job in a ported box,in a car. When using 12" up a sealed will be capable of plenty of output measured at the dash. Provided you use proper amplification. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dtximages Posted July 19, 2010 Author Share Posted July 19, 2010 yeah i bought a new amp and sub today (for car) but i was wanting to try out the home stuff i have laying around. i could NOT get it to work.. i hooked everything up just like my old infinity basslink was hooked up.. just used the same wires. some lights came on on the amp, but the "power" light didnt come on.. i cant figure car stuff out... veerrryyy frusterated! do you think i should save money on the sub and just use the Klipsch SW 12 instead? i cringe at putting an HGS18 in a car! haha Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CECAA850 Posted July 20, 2010 Share Posted July 20, 2010 Car amps have a large power wire to supply the amp with current and a smaller "turn on" wire that is only hot when the radio is on. Did you run both wires to the amp? Are they both hot when the radio is on? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dtximages Posted July 20, 2010 Author Share Posted July 20, 2010 yeah i guess so.. this amp has a blue light on top thats just for asthetics and then a power led light on the side. the blue lights on top came on, soooo im thinkin, great i have pwr. but that red led power light never came on. i hooked up the big power chord from the battery, blue REM going to my fuse box, and the ground. i had the Infiniti BassLink professionally installed. it quit, so i just used the same wiring. I KNOW im getting a music signal from my rear speaker because i hooked up my klipsch sub and ran those RCAs to it, and it worked. of course i had the Klipsch plugged into the wall. I just cant get this Orion amp to work. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CECAA850 Posted July 20, 2010 Share Posted July 20, 2010 Remote to the fuse box? Is it key hot only? The remote wire should come from the back of the radio and only be hot when the radio or CD is on. There are 2 wires back there, one is blue and the other blue with a white stripe (normally). One is for an electric antenna which is hot only with your tuner section, and the other is hot with tuner or cd. That's the one you want to hook to the amp remote. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dtximages Posted July 20, 2010 Author Share Posted July 20, 2010 hmm idk.. nothing is going to my "head unit".. the REM wire is going straight into a fuse panel thats in my trunk. i dont have an electric antenna. this is a saab 9-3 (2003 model) if that helps. i know these cars can be quirky. the infinity bass link worked... for a while. then the stupid thing quit. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CECAA850 Posted July 20, 2010 Share Posted July 20, 2010 This should be pretty simple, do you own a test light or DVOM? What model Orion amp do you have? Do you have the stock radio or an aftermarket one? If aftermarket, what make and model? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dtximages Posted July 20, 2010 Author Share Posted July 20, 2010 nope i dont have that equipment... its stock radio. im keepin it simple.. i just wanted some bottom end to make my "white boy" music sound better. im not tryin to impress the people a street over hahaha.. anyway im gonna take it to the car audio place here and let them charge me more money. back to my original question.. should i return the 12in woofer and banpass box i bought yesterday? the name brand is PB??? pretty dang cheap.. but for the money, better than another infiniti bass link... OR should i rig up my klipsch sw 12??? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CECAA850 Posted July 20, 2010 Share Posted July 20, 2010 I can help you get your amp to turn on but I have no idea how either setup would sound in your vehicle. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dtximages Posted July 20, 2010 Author Share Posted July 20, 2010 haha pleaassee help me get that turned on.. im actually going to the audio place during lunch today.. i know hes gonna charge me.. but you have a quick fix? i dont want to rip the car apart.. again, with the wrong tools this can be a nighmare.. what do you think? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CECAA850 Posted July 20, 2010 Share Posted July 20, 2010 It should be an easy fix, do you have a test light? If so, I could PM you my cell # and try to troubleshoot it with you. Also, get me the model # off the amp so I can look up the manual. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dtximages Posted July 20, 2010 Author Share Posted July 20, 2010 actually i got it to work! the ground wire had a bad connection.. i even thought about checking that but it was pretty new, professionally installed and was very tight an secure... the dude at the shop just tightened it realllll tight.. i guess ill sand the paint off the connection. anyway i got the new sub in there and working.. my only complaint is i cant seem to get the volume right.. its either reallly loud and boomy, or theres not much at all.. and you have to adjust the volume knob (remote) from my front seat when switching b/w radio and cd.. the bass output seems alot different.. radio seems to have alot more bass and boomier bass. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CECAA850 Posted July 20, 2010 Share Posted July 20, 2010 It will be boomy, if you have the band pass sub in there. A band pass enclosure is loud at the enclosures tuning point but falls sharply above or below that point. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dtximages Posted July 20, 2010 Author Share Posted July 20, 2010 hm really now? i know very little about that stuff for cars. but yeah it seems like maybe my gain is set too high, making my remote knob ultra sensitive. barely turn it down, very little bass.. just touch it up and TONS OF BOOMY BASS. again i wonder if my klipsch would sound better Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
djnick Posted July 20, 2010 Share Posted July 20, 2010 lol dont use that sub in car ok not made for it what hell u doing klipshe should make car line magnet on rw12d is nothing small as hell u want great sub in car buy new alpine 1023d ser 26hertz to 150 120oz magnet in ported box 1.5 cubic ft on 500 w x1 amp big monster power cables and u need power capistor 1.5 fared intsnt punc power to amp sony 1200w am is fine runs 500x1 rms to dual 2ohm sub bridge to 4 ohm show sin manul get 12 or 10 inch it blow that kilpshe out door in car k i own rw12d not made at all for car or any sub klishe makes none work in car why dont say car on it k home only so buy right shit if uw ant big fast clean punch Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
djnick Posted July 20, 2010 Share Posted July 20, 2010 also on any klipshe sub set corss over at 70 hertz max k if u try in car anyting above 70 boomy bs bass u dont want trunk rattle k use fat mattt tooo help dampin set vol at -14 if digital panel if dial half way max thats al u get but relly dont use that go buy alpine new models on ebay 1023d k latest big magnuts fats power rocks man just liek klpshe but in car made 4 ohm right way k Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dtximages Posted July 20, 2010 Author Share Posted July 20, 2010 im sorry i had a hard time reading that and understanding it.. so if i use my klipsch sub, set the crossover to about 70hz? where do i put fat matt? what is that? how do i set the volume at -14? is that the gain knob on my outboard car amp? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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