Hi, I'm kinda new at car audio. My first question is what exactly do subs do? Do they all annoy the heck out of other drivers, or is that only if you turn it up extremly loud?

Also, what kind of system would you reccomed for someone who likes rock music? I like it loud with not a ton of bass.

All that I have so far is a pair of Pioneer 3-way 6X9's and a Clarion DRB5475 head unit. Thanks for any input, comments, and suggestions.

 

1. What do subs do?
Subs handle the low freq. noise in music that most speakers cannot. This typically ranges from 30-120 Hz. They are needed in any system no matter what you listen too in order to hear all of the music on a recording. More music favors these frequecies more than others but I haven't heard a song that doesen't except for some vocals.

They shoulden't annoy the heck out of other drivers unless they are turned up too loud. In a good system the subs are 10% louder than the rest of the system, not 300% like some kids think.

2. What do I need for a system?
Any system needs good clear full range speakers since they play about 90% of the music, the front speakers are most important, rear much less and could even be thrown out. A basic system will contain at least one amp, for the sub(s), two front speakers (either components in kickpanels or 4x6's), a head unit, and a subwoofer in an enclosure. You can go further and amp the full range speakers or add another sub. It really depends on what you plan on spending, not what kind of music you listen to.

I'm not going to name brands for anything becouse most people will not agree that a single piece of equiptment is best.

-Matt

 

What Matt said!

Think of each speaker as being designed to run at a certain frequency. You don't want (and probalby can't get) deep bass out of your front 4x6 speakers. You can probably get deep bass out of the 6x9's, but I haven't heard decent bass out of 6x9's in 3rd gens yet, including mine. Subwoofers are meant for low bass, and you don't expect high frequencies from them.

If you still have them (or can look them up on the 'ol internet thing), try to find the specs for your 6x9's. I bet they don't drop down to 30 or 40 or 50 Hz. That's where your sub comes in.

A full system (with an amp for the inside speakers and one for the subs) would have "crossovers." These can be on the amps, in the radio, or external stand-alone units. They limit the frequency response to speakers. Crossovers, when set properly, don't allow any "overlap" in frequency. For example, you don't want your subs putting out bass at 120 Hz while your rear 6x9's are also putting out bass at 120 Hz. This makes for a "flat" sound, since there's too much bass. An example of a crossover setup would be:

Sub: All frequencies below 90 Hz
Rear: All frequencies above 90 Hz
Front: All frequencies above 500 Hz

Since the front and rear "share" 500Hz and up, they can run with a less powerful amp than the subwoofer.

Someone correct me if I'm way off!

For rock music, you'd want a "sealed" subwoofer enclosure. That's opposite of a "ported", which has a hole drilled in the side of the box, with a plastic tube coming out. A ported enclosure needs less power to produce low bass- but, it's a "sloppy" bass, good for rap and dance music. Rock music usually has "tight" (fast) bass, and a sealed box is better- but would need more power to be just as loud.

And stay with name brands... no cheap $200-for-1000-watt amps or subs. Always look at "RMS" power, and NOT peak power, when going for an amp.

 

Sealed enclosures tend to be more accurate while ported or vented enclosures are usually more efficiant. It doesen't really matter what kind o music you listen to, a ported/vented would work just as good for rock as it would rap.

Amen to staying away from cheap stuff!

-Matt

 

a sealed box is what you're looking for. If it's built correctly, it will sound amazing. make sure you use these materials :
medium density fiberboard
liquid nails (industril strength) to seal the box cracks
1.5 inch coarse drywall screws
use a circular saw or table saw (it makes the straightest cuts)
pre drill screw holes to prevent wood splitting
and allow 1-2 days for the liquid nails to dry