Hi guys I've put together quite a crappy system it seems. It's got a problem for sure.
Sub amp is this Polk PA D1000.1:
The single subwoofer is this Skar EVL 12:
www.skaraudio.com
For some reason, the amp needs to have the gain set at the highest and the 'bass boost' set at the highest to get any kind of significant performance from the sub.
And although the sub sounds great when I do max out these two settings on the amp, the sub gets way too hot and starts smelling very strongly. I'm quite sure I've reduced the lifespan of the subwoofer by playing it hard the other night while testing. Very strong glue and other such smells filled my trunk although no smoke was emitted.
For now my head unit is this Sansa clip jam:
I've run tons of amps off this source unit and never had a problem. It has always delivered a plenty juicy signal and I usually only have to turn up the gain on amps halfway or less.
And I've also tried using the factory HU to a PAC LOC with the same exact results. So, the problem doesn't seem to be the signal that's getting sent to the amp and sub.
I've done probably 4 systems myself in my lifetime and have never seen a problem like this. Amps usually only need to have the gain set at about half or even less.
Me and my friend got to talking today and surmised that maybe this D2 sub is wired out of phase with itself inside the enclosure. That would be crazy and would be coming from the factory because although I had to unload the enclosure to get it into the car and then reload it, I only disconnected the one wire from the enclosure terminals to the one set of posts on the sub. I didn't play around with the short wire inside the enclosure connecting the 2 sets of posts on the sub together. That was done at the factory.
I read 2 conflicting reports tonight on dual voicecoil subs wired out of phase. One says no movement and damage will occur. The other says you'll just lose 20% of output and the subwoofer will get hot. Well, my experience matches the 2nd report.
I'm loathe to unload the enclosure to check for this because I risk injury with such a heavy sub and the awkward angles of working inside a trunk. Thinking I'm just going to pay the excellent shop that did my power wire from front to back and big 3 to look at this for me.
Anyway, what do you guys think? Does this sound typical of what happens when a d2 sub is wired out of phase with itself or maybe is there some other problem?
Sub amp is this Polk PA D1000.1:
Amazon.com: Polk Audio PA D1000.1 Class D 1200 Watt Monoblock Subwoofer Car Audio Amplifier with Remote Bass Level Control and Stainless Steel Hardware, Black : Electronics
Buy Polk Audio PA D1000.1 Class D 1200 Watt Monoblock Subwoofer Car Audio Amplifier with Remote Bass Level Control and Stainless Steel Hardware, Black: Mono Amplifiers - Amazon.com ✓ FREE DELIVERY possible on eligible purchases
www.amazon.com
The single subwoofer is this Skar EVL 12:
Single 12" 2,500 Watt EVL Series Loaded Vented Subwoofer Enclosure
The Skar Audio single 12" EVL series 2,500 watt loaded subwoofer enclosure is the perfect all-in-one solution to add powerful bass to your ride. This wedge-style enclosure features our advanced port design, and arrives pre-wired, ready to install.
www.skaraudio.com
For some reason, the amp needs to have the gain set at the highest and the 'bass boost' set at the highest to get any kind of significant performance from the sub.
And although the sub sounds great when I do max out these two settings on the amp, the sub gets way too hot and starts smelling very strongly. I'm quite sure I've reduced the lifespan of the subwoofer by playing it hard the other night while testing. Very strong glue and other such smells filled my trunk although no smoke was emitted.
For now my head unit is this Sansa clip jam:
Amazon.com: SanDisk 8GB Clip Jam MP3 Player, Black - microSD card slot and FM Radio - SDMX26-008G-G46K : Everything Else
Buy SanDisk 8GB Clip Jam MP3 Player, Black - microSD card slot and FM Radio - SDMX26-008G-G46K: Everything Else - Amazon.com ✓ FREE DELIVERY possible on eligible purchases
www.amazon.com
I've run tons of amps off this source unit and never had a problem. It has always delivered a plenty juicy signal and I usually only have to turn up the gain on amps halfway or less.
And I've also tried using the factory HU to a PAC LOC with the same exact results. So, the problem doesn't seem to be the signal that's getting sent to the amp and sub.
I've done probably 4 systems myself in my lifetime and have never seen a problem like this. Amps usually only need to have the gain set at about half or even less.
Me and my friend got to talking today and surmised that maybe this D2 sub is wired out of phase with itself inside the enclosure. That would be crazy and would be coming from the factory because although I had to unload the enclosure to get it into the car and then reload it, I only disconnected the one wire from the enclosure terminals to the one set of posts on the sub. I didn't play around with the short wire inside the enclosure connecting the 2 sets of posts on the sub together. That was done at the factory.
I read 2 conflicting reports tonight on dual voicecoil subs wired out of phase. One says no movement and damage will occur. The other says you'll just lose 20% of output and the subwoofer will get hot. Well, my experience matches the 2nd report.
I'm loathe to unload the enclosure to check for this because I risk injury with such a heavy sub and the awkward angles of working inside a trunk. Thinking I'm just going to pay the excellent shop that did my power wire from front to back and big 3 to look at this for me.
Anyway, what do you guys think? Does this sound typical of what happens when a d2 sub is wired out of phase with itself or maybe is there some other problem?
