Why Can't They Hear My Bass?

[Snake Plissken]

In the trunk of my 1999 Honda Accord EX V-6 Coupe resides a sealed box with two Rockford Punch XLC 15" subs; the subs are being powered by a Rockford Punch 800.2 amp running bridged to the subs, which have been wired in parallel for maximum gain from this amp.....the head unit is the stock Honda CD unit made by Alpine for Honda, and it sounds great in my opinion, so I never swapped it out for an aftermarket deck; an installer friend who put it all in for me has used an RCA converter at the amp, where he has tapped into my 16X9 rear deck speakers for signal, because we're using the factory head unit with no pre-outs.....

Dont get me wrong --- when I bring the volume up, and crank the stock head unit's bass knob up a bit, this system ROMPS.....the two 15's can make your entire body vibrate out of the car, even though they're in a sealed, not ported, box. But my question is, why, when I drive around with the windows cracked and sunroof open, and the bass blasting, do people not turn their heads until Im almost on top of them? Shouldnt this system --- which is "supposed" to be putting out nearly 800 watts when this amp is bridged --- be able to be heard from a farther distance than that to make people notice and hear the bass? Do any of you other bassheads experience this in your systems, where people wont turn and look on the street or in a parking lot or something until you're almost on top of them? SHOULDNT they hear my system coming from a distance at least when cranked?

[Easy E]

First off blasting your music isnt very cool. I dont like people who drive around all day with there subs all the way up. Second you dont really have that nice of a system thats why they cant hear you plus your car is pretty sound deadened so bass is hard to leave the car etc...

[Snake Plissken]

First off blasting your music isnt very cool. I dont like people who drive around all day with there subs all the way up. Second you dont really have that nice of a system thats why they cant hear you plus your car is pretty sound deadened so bass is hard to leave the car etc...

Well, thats YOUR tatste, about blasting music not being very cool......I DO NOT drive around all day with my subs all the way up-----I strategically pick where and when I am going to pump the system ---- and it is NOT in residential neighborhoods to wake innocent people up. You have the wrong idea here. So, your opinion --- and thats all it is is an opinion --- of it not being cool is something that YOU hold by, not everyone else. I bought 15 inch subwoofers TO BE HEARD; there was no other reason. Why else would you drop 15s in a car if not to be heard? BUT heard in the right place and the right times --- like driving through a busy Las Vegas hotel parking lot --- this DOES NOT bother people sleeping anywhere, no matter how you slice it. And whether or not "you like" these kind of people that enjoy blasting their subs is irrelevant to my question; I didnt ask if you like these people and you dont have to like me --- I just want to know how 800 supposed watts are not escaping out of the vehicle with windows cracked and sunroof open.

And what do you mean its not that nice of a system --- you DONT THINK THAT AN 800 WATT AMP IN BRIDGED MODE SHOULD BE OUTPUTTING ENOUGH POWER to produce bass that SHOULD travel outside the vehicle? Whats wrong with two 15's and an 800 watt amp? WHY WOULDNT that produce bass THAT CAN BE HEARD? And we're talking ALL Fosgate stuff here......isnt there anything to be said about that? AT ALL?

[Easy E]

Dude lighten up man.

About the subs yea ok you got 2 15s sure you can be heard outside, doesnt mean everyone is gonna turn there heads, and doesnt mean your gonna be heard from real far away. You have a car with lots of sound deadener from the factory its hard for the bass to leave the car... 800 watts and 2 15s in a sealed box will get loud relatively speaking but not really loud.... I was never a huge fan of RF stuff. But yea, if you want to be heard outside build ported boxs and have the ports firing out of hte cab lol, make a big hole nad have it fire outside or something. (Me being sarcastic now dont get mad) Try different angles of facing the woofers etc that can yield a bit better results. I guess low bass carries farther then high bass... Something to think about... If you have the room try going ported to get a bit louder... having the box fire into the cabin through the rear deck or something can help as well, since the windows is a good way for the bass to escape.

[Snake Plissken]

Dude lighten up man.

About the subs yea ok you got 2 15s sure you can be heard outside, doesnt mean everyone is gonna turn there heads, and doesnt mean your gonna be heard from real far away. You have a car with lots of sound deadener from the factory its hard for the bass to leave the car... 800 watts and 2 15s in a sealed box will get loud relatively speaking but not really loud.... I was never a huge fan of RF stuff. But yea, if you want to be heard outside build ported boxs and have the ports firing out of hte cab lol, make a big hole nad have it fire outside or something. (Me being sarcastic now dont get mad) Try different angles of facing the woofers etc that can yield a bit better results. I guess low bass carries farther then high bass... Something to think about... If you have the room try going ported to get a bit louder... having the box fire into the cabin through the rear deck or something can help as well, since the windows is a good way for the bass to escape.

Easy,

Im sorry for coming across like I did; its just that I thought you were getting the wrong perception of me and WHERE and HOW I pump my bass ---- I have respect for all neighborhoods and I pick certain places I WANT to pump it up. Now, it is possible, like you say, that not everyone will necessarily turn their heads; that could be. But I dont see HOW two 15s with a Rockford Punch 800.2 in BRIDGED mode CANT be getting the bass to be heard outside the vehicle --- you say its possible that 800 watts into TWO 15s isnt really "that loud" but how can that BE? The main problem is that people turn their heads ONCE MY CAR IS ON TOP OF THEM, NOT from a distance off.....you think this has to do with the sealed box? The box is flush up against the rear of the back seat, with the woofers firing FORWARD, so you see the subs when you open the trunk.....my installer told me THIS is the correct way to load a sub box in a trunk like mine so a massive "bass wave" develops against the trunk and couples the bass response......is this not correct? Should the subs fire FORWARD toward the back seats? And do you honestly think that a PORTED box INSIDE A SEALED CLOSED TRUNK like mine is going to make a difference in the bass output? The ported box is STILL going to be trapped inside that trunk......

Thanks for your ongoing help, by the way.....

[Slanter]

Could be the sound insulation. If it's good at keeping noises out, it's also good at keeping noise in. Unlike, say, a stereo installation in a '64 Impala, which has practically no sound insulation unless you add it.

Then again, I've sometimes suspected that the cars with the bass that's really easy to hear from outside actually put the speakers in the fenderwells.

[Easy E]

A ported box will be louder, because ported boxes are louder and louder the bass more it will travel. You can try rear firing that might help with the loudness and bass. I had a old maxima for a while I always had the woofer rear firing or side firing never forward. Same with my truck now....

[jadedstar499]

EASY!!!! Look at your PM's every once and awhile!
I need your help!
haha

[BonneMe]

Different sub placement in the trunk can have a huge effect. Also so does what's in your trunk. Accords might just have bad (n your case) accoustics.

In my bonnie with the JL's agaisnt the seat facing the back, they're loud when the trunk is open, and/or my pass thru is open and windows down. Otherwise they fall eerily silent whent he trunk lid closes.

I wonder what the new Diamond will do in the corner...

[Snake Plissken]

"A ported box will be louder, because ported boxes are louder and louder the bass more it will travel"

Even though it WILL STILL be trapped within a closed trunk?

"You can try rear firing that might help with the loudness and bass."

I thought thats what I was doing now, rear-firing......I said the box is firing BACKWARDS towards the trunk, so when you OPEN the trunk, you SEE the woofers.....is this not what you mean?

[Snake Plissken]

"Different sub placement in the trunk can have a huge effect"

I have the box so that the woofers are firing BAKWARDS into the trunk; is this not the best way for a bass wave to develop?

"Also so does what's in your trunk"

Nothing but the sub box and a cargo net.

What Im wondering is why people dont turn their heads from a distance off when the bass is coming; seems I need to be right on top of them for them to turn around.....this doesnt make sense with two 15s and a Punch 800.2 amp......

[CT!!]

"Different sub placement in the trunk can have a huge effect"

I have the box so that the woofers are firing BAKWARDS into the trunk; is this not the best way for a bass wave to develop?

"Also so does what's in your trunk"

Nothing but the sub box and a cargo net.

What Im wondering is why people dont turn their heads from a distance off when the bass is coming; seems I need to be right on top of them for them to turn around.....this doesnt make sense with two 15s and a Punch 800.2 amp......

Have you tried giving the keys to a friend and let them drive it around the block so you can be in the "reciepent" seat, so to speak? Maybe it is loud and people are not turning because they simply don't give a damn.

Try taking the box out and put it in the back seat with the windows down...see if its loud then. Maybe your trunk is hindering your broadcasting of sub 150hz tones.

Although I'm still an audio gear head, I will not give a basshound the time of day rolling down the street on me. I know they are looking for exactly what you are...attention. The less they get of it, the more tiresome of plunking down loose change for the next upgrade becomes and they'll move on to something different. This coming from a guy who had a dual 12" bandpass enclousure in the back of an open bed truck back in his early days. I know what its like in your shoes. You'll grow out of it.

[Snake Plissken]

"Have you tried giving the keys to a friend and let them drive it around the block so you can be in the "reciepent" seat, so to speak? Maybe it is loud and people are not turning because they simply don't give a damn."

That could very well be, CT......but see the problem is THEY DO TURN AROUND only once Im practically on top of them....so, if they dont give a damn, they why turn when the bass is heard RIGHT ON TOP OF THEM? See what Im saying? It seems they are "interested" because they DO sometimes look ---- but not from a distance and wonder "where the **** is THAT coming from?".....its usually when I drive right on top of them.....

"Maybe your trunk is hindering your broadcasting of sub 150hz tones"

This could be what is happening, but I dont want to drop my back seats to compensate, so thats not an option; I DONT want to "ghetto rig" my car just for the bass to be heard, if you know what I mean....putting a sub box on top of the back seats and **** like that......to me, that's ghetto rigging the system and I dont want to do that with my nice car with the leather seats and all skirted out and in showroom condition, etc......

[CT!!]

Well, not put the box permenantly in your back seat....just to see if the trunk is the issue. Have a few friends stand by for a A/B comparision...drive around a few times with it in the back seat and a few more with it in the trunk. If it sounds the same...not the trunks fault. That sort of thing.

[Easy E]

Yea or try changing the way the box face... Or port into rear deck like I said

[Snake Plissken]

Okay fellas, but in the end, why do you think they can only hear the bass once Im right on top of them, and not from a distance? Is this possibly because with vehicles like SUVs or hatchbacks, the rears are completely open, and that bass is going to carry much louder and further than when its trapped in a closed trunk such as on a coupe or sedan?

And, IN GENERAL, SHOULD a sub box be loaded in a trunk the way I have it, with the woofers firing backwards towards the trunk? Is this the "standard way" to get more bass from a sealed box like mine?

[CVStroker]

Okay fellas, but in the end, why do you think they can only hear the bass once Im right on top of them, and not from a distance? Is this possibly because with vehicles like SUVs or hatchbacks, the rears are completely open, and that bass is going to carry much louder and further than when its trapped in a closed trunk such as on a coupe or sedan?

And, IN GENERAL, SHOULD a sub box be loaded in a trunk the way I have it, with the woofers firing backwards towards the trunk? Is this the "standard way" to get more bass from a sealed box like mine?

Hatchbacks and SUVs have a HUGE advantage over trunk cars for bass. The larger internal volume allows the bass wave to better develop and seem louder.

Plus, in all reality, 800 watts for a pair of 15s isn't that much. I was giving 650 to a single 12, and will be giving 1700 to a pair of 12s in the near future.

If you really wanna get someones attention from a distance, you have to play something that carries more. The deeper the bass, the farther it will carry. Try something like Three Six Mafia - Late Night Tip. Nice deep bass that carries a long way.

And to add onto what CT said. Subwoofers in cars are so common anymore, that most people don't give a **** about them. They may turn their head when you get right up on them because your vehicle is possibly rattling like hell.

[Snake Plissken]

"Hatchbacks and SUVs have a HUGE advantage over trunk cars for bass. The larger internal volume allows the bass wave to better develop and seem louder."

Thank you; this is what I suspected.

"Plus, in all reality, 800 watts for a pair of 15s isn't that much. I was giving 650 to a single 12, and will be giving 1700 to a pair of 12s in the near future."

Then I must have been mistaken regarding the power these subs are "seeing"; thank you for clarifying this.

"If you really wanna get someones attention from a distance, you have to play something that carries more. The deeper the bass, the farther it will carry. Try something like Three Six Mafia - Late Night Tip. Nice deep bass that carries a long way."

THAT may be the problem, too.....I play a lot of club music that doesnt really carry a lot of sub-bass; so this may not be letting my 15's perform all that much.....when I play hip hop, I usually throw in 2 Pac's Greatest Hits double CD, where I put on something with TONS of bass like "California Love" or the remake of "Thats The Way It Is".....I also have a bass test demo CD with jaw-dropping bass tones that I play, so perhaps I will do what you suggest --- start playing things that can CARRY MORE. Thank you.

"And to add onto what CT said. Subwoofers in cars are so common anymore, that most people don't give a **** about them. They may turn their head when you get right up on them because your vehicle is possibly rattling like hell."

Could be......could very well be......thank you. Its probably my TRUNK they are hearing vibrating.......

[seans]

i think cv finaly hit the nail on the head...loud bass in cars are common now days, it seems as if almost everyone has a loud bass system, so many that it is the ones who dont who i wonder about now.....sure you have 2 15's, but if you really want to be "notice" and get attention take it to the next level that everyone dont have, how are your mids and highs? i live in west houston and you will always hear bass, no one is going to care or notice unless that person has lighting or airbags, a custom paint job, or what always gets my attention is when i feel the bass inside my body and on the ground , but i dont hear it, what i do hear are extra crisp clean mids and highs that are so good that the bass is really a second thought, and the car is still about 5 cars down the street......bass isnt everything nowdays, spruce up your system, build a beter box, add beter mids and highs, i think its easy or ct that says its 10% product and 90% install

[Snake Plissken]

"what always gets my attention is when i feel the bass inside my body and on the ground"

THIS was the effect I was after, but I guess thats not gonna happen with two 15s stuffed inside a closed trunk in a sealed box......

"but i dont hear it, what i do hear are extra crisp clean mids and highs that are so good that the bass is really a second thought"

I guess all Im after is people just HEARING the bass --- not FEELING it because to get that effect would require TONS of money and multiple subs all over the trunk and custom work, etc; I know what youre saying about being impressed with hearing a system's clean crisp highs --- in my case, its really the bass carrying that I was after, but to me, my stock mids and highs sound clean enough, believe it or not, when cranked up. I dont really mind that the people outside are not hearing the vocals of the songs Im cranking --- Im more concerned that they're not catching the booming beat coming from the vehicle.


"build a beter box, add beter mids and highs, i think its easy or ct that says its 10% product and 90% install"

The box these subs are in was pre-bought and pre-made and I bought this box WITH the subs in them in a car audio shop, already built and ready to install.....my installer friend does this for a living, so I dont think the problem lies with the install or this box; it was designed BY Rockford FOR Rockford subs WITH Rockford subs in them......

[Easy E]

Umm factory made boxes for a woofer sometimes arent optimal. Going with a enclosure designed for your car and sub can help alot... Like they say install is 90% equipment is 10%

[BonneMe]

"A ported box will be louder, because ported boxes are louder and louder the bass more it will travel"

Even though it WILL STILL be trapped within a closed trunk?

"You can try rear firing that might help with the loudness and bass."

The ported box may be in an enclosed trunk, but it's utilizing almost 2x as much cone area.. All conventional drivers use a cone that moves to push the air into a soundwave right? A sealed box seals off one side of the driver, so you only get bass from one side (in theory). A ported box makes use of all the potential sound from the rear of the driver, so you get sound from both sides, as opposed to 1 side. Double the soundwaves in the trunk and it will be louder. ;)

[Easy E]

The ported box may be in an enclosed trunk, but it's utilizing almost 2x as much cone area.. All conventional drivers use a cone that moves to push the air into a soundwave right? A sealed box seals off one side of the driver, so you only get bass from one side (in theory). A ported box makes use of all the potential sound from the rear of the driver, so you get sound from both sides, as opposed to 1 side. Double the soundwaves in the trunk and it will be louder. ;)

That is correct... But thats only around tunning at at tunning. Theroticaly you gain 3DB from ported box... Bellow tunning the ported box will cancel itself out, hence the steep roll off and over excursion.

[Snake Plissken]

Umm factory made boxes for a woofer sometimes arent optimal. Going with a enclosure designed for your car and sub can help alot... Like they say install is 90% equipment is 10%

I cant believe for the life of me that Rockford would load these boxes without calculating optimal performance from them before putting in the right woofers; why sell them then? I dont this "box" is my problem with the bass not carrying outside the vehicle........

[Snake Plissken]

The ported box may be in an enclosed trunk, but it's utilizing almost 2x as much cone area.. All conventional drivers use a cone that moves to push the air into a soundwave right? A sealed box seals off one side of the driver, so you only get bass from one side (in theory). A ported box makes use of all the potential sound from the rear of the driver, so you get sound from both sides, as opposed to 1 side. Double the soundwaves in the trunk and it will be louder. ;)

Thanks Bonne,

Then I SHALL consider a PORTED BOX for these subs.......perhaps the sealed design is robbing some bass throwoff......