Sound System. Please Help!!

[torreskzxn]

Hello everyone new here. I have a problem and was hoping if anyone can help me out please. Heres some background knowledge to help understand more.
I recently turned 18 and was gifted a beautiful ram 1500 2016 ecodiesel from my dad. The very first thing i did was spend money to get a system in there. Took it to shop #1 with no knowledge and spent almost 1000$ drove off and my subs froze and amp blew. they wouldn't refund me nor help me out. Did some homework and kind of got it on my own. i installed a foxbox with 2 12in kicker cvx (750rms) with a sundown 3500sia amp. and installed a 0gauge wire kit. i still have my factory head unit and door speakers. all i care about is bass lol. i have the factory battery and factory alternator. everything was running perfectly but i wanted it to be stronger and push harder. so i sold everything and bought a new fox box elite with 2 12in sundown sa v2 (1000rms) and kept the same amp and wires. so all i did was change the box and subs. i took it to a different shop because i dont know how to tune and they did it for me very quick and tuned it by ear and charged me 60$. All they did was move the gain and bass boost and everything was clipping. Literally as soon as i got home i tunred bass boost all thr way off and barley turned the gain up right before it clips and i dont know how to do the lpf or sonic. Anyways, after i upgraded and wasted even more money i still feel like my subs aren't hitting to its true potential and now i my amp cuts out because the bass hits to hard so i have it lowered down really low. it hurts to see all the money ive wasted and to not even enjoy it. i took it to another shop, shop #4 and he told me its because i need a new battery or secondary battery next to my amp because im draining my stock battery and just messing up my alternator. Also as im driving my lights dim and flash when they are on. I also told him i want to be able to fix that problem and be able to turn my gain up more without clipping because he said im clipping because of my HU is factory (alpine) so he insisted in a lc2i. will this work and is he being honest about getting a new battery? I know people have said stuff about the sundown sia amp being bad and dropping in voltage so i was going to switch to a 3k wat nemesis amp. would this be better? also i dont mind buying a new battery i just dont want to replace or have to upgrade my alternator. if i do need to replace my battery and upgrade what will me a good one? lastly i was also told that a lc2i wont do nothing and that i need a pacsub something. which is better and actually work. please hell me on this. hurts to not enjoy a system ive spent so much money on

 

[SitKneelBend]

Hello everyone new here. I have a problem and was hoping if anyone can help me out please. Heres some background knowledge to help understand more.
I recently turned 18 and was gifted a beautiful ram 1500 2016 ecodiesel from my dad. The very first thing i did was spend money to get a system in there. Took it to shop #1 with no knowledge and spent almost 1000$ drove off and my subs froze and amp blew. they wouldn't refund me nor help me out. Did some homework and kind of got it on my own. i installed a foxbox with 2 12in kicker cvx (750rms) with a sundown 3500sia amp. and installed a 0gauge wire kit. i still have my factory head unit and door speakers. all i care about is bass lol. i have the factory battery and factory alternator. everything was running perfectly but i wanted it to be stronger and push harder. so i sold everything and bought a new fox box elite with 2 12in sundown sa v2 (1000rms) and kept the same amp and wires. so all i did was change the box and subs. i took it to a different shop because i dont know how to tune and they did it for me very quick and tuned it by ear and charged me 60$. All they did was move the gain and bass boost and everything was clipping. Literally as soon as i got home i tunred bass boost all thr way off and barley turned the gain up right before it clips and i dont know how to do the lpf or sonic. Anyways, after i upgraded and wasted even more money i still feel like my subs aren't hitting to its true potential and now i my amp cuts out because the bass hits to hard so i have it lowered down really low. it hurts to see all the money ive wasted and to not even enjoy it. i took it to another shop, shop #4 and he told me its because i need a new battery or secondary battery next to my amp because im draining my stock battery and just messing up my alternator. Also as im driving my lights dim and flash when they are on. I also told him i want to be able to fix that problem and be able to turn my gain up more without clipping because he said im clipping because of my HU is factory (alpine) so he insisted in a lc2i. will this work and is he being honest about getting a new battery? I know people have said stuff about the sundown sia amp being bad and dropping in voltage so i was going to switch to a 3k wat nemesis amp. would this be better? also i dont mind buying a new battery i just dont want to replace or have to upgrade my alternator. if i do need to replace my battery and upgrade what will me a good one? lastly i was also told that a lc2i wont do nothing and that i need a pacsub something. which is better and actually work. please hell me on this. hurts to not enjoy a system ive spent so much money on

I remember those days...

First thing I will tell you is you are learning a valuable lesson in the fact that some of these shops may be picking up on your inexperience and taking you for a ride. Did the shops give you any reason as to why the system is failing other than it needs more money thrown at it?

Next I will tell you to stop paying others and learn to do this yourself to understand what is happening with these failures and get some realistic expectations of what to expect from a system in your truck. Coming here is a great start, but I'd hop on YouTube and search to see what others have done for installs in our trucks, as well as looking up your amp and speakers to see if your combo is a good match. Take it one topic at a time when searching for your issues such as "(insert model number of speaker and/or amp) clipping at high volume". See if there are any issues to address from you initial searches and apply fixes, then go back and address the next issue. In this way you will learn more about your system and at the same time learn how to tune a system.

Asking questions here definitely doesn't hurt either and if you still feel you want to pay someone to make the changes for you at the very least you'll have a better understanding of what they did or did not do.

 

[zrock]

You need to sit down like said above and do some research on components and brands and stop using these off brand amps because they are cheap you get what you pay for.. YOu should also sit down and build a well balanced system and just not throw subs at a stock system just because you want bass, while 12's may hit hard when properly tuned you can get a much better sound out of 10's. Get a good quality digital amp that matches your subs and hopefully some fresh speakers as well and you will see a world of change. You really should not have to mess with the Gain much or at all. Like you when i was young i went with inexpensive and large with the difference being back then even cheap was quality and you could over drive everything and it would still last. Over the years i changed from loud to a nice balanced system and to tell you the truth it was louder and better than all my old systems. Now im past the point of changing and messing with car audio and im content with the factory system and my ears thank me since now i also have some hearing loss from 35 years of extremely loud systems. Running of your stock head unit has nothing to do with any of your issues other than any place you have taken it to have no clue what they are doing.

 

[ibike]

I painted the stripes on my zebra and now she looks like a white horse!!

 

[torreskzxn]

ok will do thanks!!

 

[crash68]

its because i need a new battery or secondary battery next to my amp because im draining my stock battery and just messing up my alternator.

The factory spec battery is a 800CCA AGM H7 battery, if it's still the original then it's time for a new one. You can switch to H8 battery, one of the largest capacity available is a Odyssey 49-950. A second battery just for the amps wouldn't be a bad idea.
The OEM alternator is 240 amp, should be plenty if running a dual battery set up.

 

[Marshall]

I use to do this type of stuff way back, but not anymore.
If you are trying to blow the doors off, you need someone that knows wht they are doing.
The first shop should be taken to small claims court, but too late now.
you are likely getting too much voltage drop at the amps, put some meters on them and see what you have.
Then when you get old like me save up for the hearing aids.
there are limits what you can do with small boxes that will fit in a small truck or car.
Big is not always better, no matter what some say.

 

[Atcer2018]

As the other posters have already stated begin by learning more about automotive audio systems. We were all young once and have made many of the same mistakes you are currently experiencing. As someone else has stated most systems are not built around a stock factory system with attached big boom subs. It’s more realistic to start with everything before the subwoofers.

We don’t know how your current system is wired so we can’t give you absolute advice. Running a factory system with aftermarket subs you are probably using line level inputs to the subs and when your factory system clips the signal is distorted to the subs, amplified and it will wreck your investment. If the subs are installed with a LOC the gain may be too high on the LOC even before it feeds the sub amp. Sad that an audio shop didn’t explain anything for the money you paid.

I understand your desire to have powerful bass but to achieve thumping bass and clear loudness requires lots of money or you’ll end up with what you are experiencing now. My best advice is to put the subs away for now and upgrade your basic audio system. Once you are satisfied with the basics add the proper sub or subs in to compliment the system. Begin with new aftermarket speakers. Then decide if you want to remain with the stock head unit or upgrade to aftermarket. You can add an amp to the stock system and keep all the factory features or you can go aftermarket and use a iDataLink maestro to retain the factory features. Depends on how much money you want to spend.

And yes, you may very well need to upgrade your truck’s electrical system if you are running high power.

 

[torreskzxn]

The factory spec battery is a 800CCA AGM H7 battery, if it's still the original then it's time for a new one. You can switch to H8 battery, one of the largest capacity available is a Odyssey 49-950. A second battery just for the amps wouldn't be a bad idea.
The OEM alternator is 240 amp, should be plenty if running a dual battery set up.

This is my current battery but if i upgrade to the odyssey 49-950 would i need to change my alternator as well?

 

[Hanover Fiste]

I was big into car audio years ago, and have installed my own systems.

If your headlights are dimming, then the amplifiers are drawing more power than what your charging system can handle. Either that, or the power & ground wiring connections need to be checked. Installing a higher capacity alternator may help, but only if everything else checks out OK. Installing a second battery adds to the alternator's load, and in my opinion and experience, it's a band-aid approach to a more serious problem.

Check out Crutchfield or the12volt websites to gain more knowledge of car audio systems before throwing away any more money.

 

[torreskzxn]

I was big into car audio years ago, and have installed my own systems.

If your headlights are dimming, then the amplifiers are drawing more power than what your charging system can handle. Either that, or the power & ground wiring connections need to be checked. Installing a higher capacity alternator may help, but only if everything else checks out OK. Installing a second battery adds to the alternator's load, and in my opinion and experience, it's a band-aid approach to a more serious problem.

Check out Crutchfield or the12volt websites to gain more knowledge of car audio systems before throwing away any more money.

Thank you! i will do that. i will check everything out tomorrow and make sure its all good. i did take the amp to a shop and they told me my sundown sia 3500 amp is no good and its dropping voltage and something else. so right now im buying a mew battery. (odyssey 49-950) because mine is worn out and then im going to be running new wires because right now i have my amp underneath the driver seat but im going to move it to the back and mount it to the wall in the back but right now IM looking for a good amp to push my subs good. Have any in mind? i have a brand new nemesis 3k amp as back up but is it good enough or no? Its 2 12in Sundown sa v2 1000rms

 

[crash68]

This is my current battery but if i upgrade to the odyssey 49-950 would i need to change my alternator as well?

I've had the Odyssey 49-950 in my truck('15 EcoD) for a few years already, these trucks already have a higher current alternator(240a vs 180a) than the Hemi trucks.
New battery, do the big 3 wiring upgrade, use properly sized wire to the amps and consider a good 1F cap attached to the amps wiring, see where things work from there. As for second battery vs larger alternator that is more along how you going to use the system. An alternator can only put out so many amp if your just idling.

 

[Marshall]

If you are running hi power amps, you HAVE to keep the heat down, so along with proper wire gauge for the load, you have to have air movement so the amps don't over heat.
Having to run 2 battery's sounds to me like something is done wrong.

 

[crash68]

Having to run 2 battery's sounds to me like something is done wrong.

Without knowing how the system is being used and the demand of the stereo system, saying that something is done wrong if having to run a second battery is just a pure speculative guess on your part.
A second battery is stored capacity, batteries deliver more current than a 400 amp alternator in the short term, capacitors can supply even more current but only in very short bursts. A larger alternator is needed when the current one can't keep the available storage charged up. Also alternators are limited by the RPM they are spinning and stereo system electrical loads a very dynamic dependent on the music being played.

 

[Hanover Fiste]

but right now IM looking for a good amp to push my subs good. Have any in mind? i have a brand new nemesis 3k amp as back up but is it good enough or no? Its 2 12in Sundown sa v2 1000rms

I don't know anything about the new equipment that's out there currently. I'm only familiar with what was available some 25-30 years ago: Kenwood, Pioneer, Alpine, Rockford-Fosgate, Zapco, Audio Control, MBQuart, Infinity, etc.

Edit: I just looked at the Nemesis 3Km on Amazon, and checked out the specs. The <0.2% THD (Total Harmonic Distortion) isn't that bad, but that spec is only for the amp at 30% rated power. The THD will be larger at higher power output. The Signal-to-Noise Ratio at 70 dB is really poor. A good amp will have a S/N ratio of at least 100 dB.

For the Sundown speakers, the sensitivity of the 4-ohm speakers is 85.59. Those are really inefficient speakers, meaning you'll need more power to achieve the same volume as a speaker with a higher efficiency rating. I would suggest looking for speakers with a sensitivity rating of at least 93 dB.

Lastly, most beginners want nothing but bass, but a well-designed audio system sounds good throughout the entire frequency spectrum.

 

[zrock]

I use to do this type of stuff way back, but not anymore.
If you are trying to blow the doors off, you need someone that knows wht they are doing.
The first shop should be taken to small claims court, but too late now.
you are likely getting too much voltage drop at the amps, put some meters on them and see what you have.
Then when you get old like me save up for the hearing aids.
there are limits what you can do with small boxes that will fit in a small truck or car.
Big is not always better, no matter what some say.

Well said.. hearing loss sucks

As for the OP please step away from amazon and ebay amps and so some research I ran Kenwood, rockford, and alpine over the years after i got away form the no name crap. Out of all those amps i found the Alpine digital amps the best out of everything i had ran. You need to hit up your local GOOD stereo shop and talk to them, these shops are far and few between now. Or sit down and get on some good audio forums and start reading. Like said above your probably using some sort of line out converter and if these are not set up properly this is where all your troubles are starting from. Also you need a balanced system your amps need to match the output of your speakers and subs instead of trying to over drive them, this way you get a good clean sound. Out of all the systems i have built i have only ever blew one amp up and that was not because of my install and i have run some big systems in small spaces. THe only amp i blew up was a few years back one of my alpine digital amps did not like the feed back my VHF radio was introducing into the system, i did not know about the feedback until i started the veh and keyed the mike and by then it was 2 late. Something to do with the position of my antenna and how close it was to the veh computer.

 

[SitKneelBend]

Well said.. hearing loss sucks

As for the OP please step away from amazon and ebay amps and so some research I ran Kenwood, rockford, and alpine over the years after i got away form the no name crap. Out of all those amps i found the Alpine digital amps the best out of everything i had ran. You need to hit up your local GOOD stereo shop and talk to them, these shops are far and few between now. Or sit down and get on some good audio forums and start reading. Like said above your probably using some sort of line out converter and if these are not set up properly this is where all your troubles are starting from. Also you need a balanced system your amps need to match the output of your speakers and subs instead of trying to over drive them, this way you get a good clean sound. Out of all the systems i have built i have only ever blew one amp up and that was not because of my install and i have run some big systems in small spaces. THe only amp i blew up was a few years back one of my alpine digital amps did not like the feed back my VHF radio was introducing into the system, i did not know about the feedback until i started the veh and keyed the mike and by then it was 2 late. Something to do with the position of my antenna and how close it was to the veh computer.

Your story conjures this image in my mind...

Back to the Future (1985) - Back to the Future Scene | Movieclips

Back to the Future - Back to the Future: Doc (Christophe Lloyd) risks life and limb to get Marty (Michael J. Fox) back to the future during the lightning sto...

youtu.be

 

[Atcer2018]

Thank you! i will do that. i will check everything out tomorrow and make sure its all good. i did take the amp to a shop and they told me my sundown sia 3500 amp is no good and its dropping voltage and something else. so right now im buying a mew battery. (odyssey 49-950) because mine is worn out and then im going to be running new wires because right now i have my amp underneath the driver seat but im going to move it to the back and mount it to the wall in the back but right now IM looking for a good amp to push my subs good. Have any in mind? i have a brand new nemesis 3k amp as back up but is it good enough or no? Its 2 12in Sundown sa v2 1000rms

While running new wires consider using pure copper wire. From the pic you posted of your battery/amp wire connection I’m assuming it’s CCA wire unless you spent a lot of $$$ on OFC wire. CCA is cheap and has current loss at higher power levels.

 

[Dusty]

I can't add much to this conversation, except that my young neighbor also is 'all about da bass.' I don't know what kind of system he has. The only thing I'm slightly jealous of is he no longer needs a snow brush. His system just rattles the snow off his car.
Regards,
Dusty
2019 Ram 1500 Billet Silver Laramie Quad Cab 2WD, 5.7 Hemi, 8HP75, 3.21 axle, 33-gallon fuel tank, 18” wheels. Build Date: 3 June 2018. Now at 123816 miles.