s_carter

Stock alts are only designed to leave a few amps headroom on the charging circuit as the vehicle comes from the factory, so I would seriously look into a high output alternator, then the big 3, and the battery last.

Ideally, your looking at around 200-250 amps for a 2500 watt continuous amp, and 300-350 amp draw for a 3500 watt amp, so plan accordingly. If your stock alternator is 100 amps, then add that in as well. It usually has enough juice just to cover the vehicles electrical draw from the factory. If you are running a second amp, or any other aftermarket electrical, be sure to calculate that in too, remember, ohms law is your friend here. Adding in more batteries will help if you can't get enough charging, but it is like putting a band aid on a broken bone.

I would start looking for a bad connection, or even check your inline fuse. I have had a rash of installs I have worked on lately where the fuse looked fine, but once you turned the amp up it would start cutting out. Turns out the fuse was reading some funky resistance on a DMM and causing the problems. Changed the fuse, problem solved! Simple check, even if it doesn't solve your problem.

Personally i would have probably doubled the port area, but it should be a sick setup anyhow. What kind of amp are you running?

Yep, I have to agree, these are some very well built subs that surpass the standards of much more expensive mainstream subs in both build and sound quality and output. I have pushed my two SSD18's to over 3 inches of excursion and still have no mechanical noise presenting itself. Thank you Nick and Scott, for my small slice of heaven. I am running a 6.75 ft3 box (per driver, after port and driver displacements), with about 48 inches of port area per sub (I realize it is not near enough, but I was limited by amount of wood on hand at the time.) It is tuned to 26 hertz, though box size limits my response peak to around 45 hertz. I absolutely love it, but I was wondering if the subs would sound better in a small sealed box. They seem to have a slight null in the 50-60 hertz range, would running a small sealed box help with this? I was thinking of building a separate chamber sealed box to run, at 4 or 5 cubes per sub, to see how they sound, but that's a lot of wood to use, and a sealed box for two 18's is not easy to get rid of. So I though I'd ask first.

Haha, nick said boob! LAWLZ. Ehem, back to the topic on hand.

As long as you can feed them good clean signal, you can run that much to them all day long, stock. If you plan on really beating on them everyday, the cooling option never hurts.

magnet size is no measure of the magnets quality and motor force. bigger isnt always better.

yes, in order to make the SSD18's really shine, you will need about 6-8 cubic feet per driver for a ported setup, but even going with more than that (12-15 cubic feet per driver) will not hurt the low end, though the box q will limit the power handling of the sub beyond the "optimal" box sizes. I love my SSD18's, and they are some of the most brutal subs I have ever owned, but I think that's just due to the fact they are 18's. Going into a Silverado will limit your options on that front quite a bit, I would imagine, unless you have a crew cab or or planning on running a blow-through box.

Thats a lot of bass for an EK, I had two Audiobahn 10's in mine running 2kw, and it was insane for such a small cabin. Thats gotta be enough to tear that poor car apart. BTW, how do you like your Q's ? I have a pair of the SSD18's and was hoping to upgrade to a pair of the Q's, I am looking for an SQ oriented setup, above all.

Im using the RUB1.1600d. The output board has blown twice on two different amps for no reason that I can find. Tested everything in my system a zillion times with no issues found. Only amp I have ever had an issue with. First time it happened I chalked it up to a lemon that got by, second time though I'm just going with shitty QC. Both blew within 2 weeks of being hooked up and both were brand new. Soundstream is replacing the second one that blew too. So when that gets here its promptly going to get getting posted f/s for cheap! lol Wow, thats a bummer deal! I have had my ruby for a few months now, and have had no issues with it at all, it's never gone into thermal or shut off, but then again, I haven't been able to find its limits, though the RJ11 jack in the bass knob is a bit finicky, but otherwise, it has been a trooper. Do you run yours at 1 ohm?

Some more woofer porn for you guys.... I have a Soundstream Rubicon 2500 that I picked up for them, though they are dual 2's so I am not getting the full power out of it, but I have a 1500bd on them that just doesnt sound as good to me, though it gets just as loud, at least running at 2 ohms, anyway. I am really happy with the sound quality of the Rubicon, though people tell me it doesn't do rated, I am really not too worried about it. What model are you running? I feel you with the airspace limitations, these subs really need about 15 cubic feet per driver to see their full potential, and even double that would be better. But I have a fullsize Bronco, so I got nothing but room in the back! I'm thinking they would look sweet walled off behind the back seat with about 2 to 4 square feet of port area, should blow some people away, after it blows the windows out of my truck first! But, like I said, I am trying to find an interested buyer for this pair, as well as the RF 1500BD and a RF 400A4, for an upgrade to a pair of fully loaded Q's, in dual 1's.

Yes, they are in my house, for the moment anyway. I lost my license for a bit. But- they get down and dirty, maybe too well, people complain about their windows rattling for almost 3 blocks. But I am thinking of upgrading to a pair of Q's if I can find an interested buyer for this pair. I am a huge fan of SQ. No idea on numbers, but I have never had a chance to turn them up to 11, I am afraid I will break my windows. I blow light bulbs and break things when they vibrate off my shelves as it is. On a good subsonic song like "The Bass Will Destroy You", I can watch the blinds around my house flutter to the bassline, and have managed some small hairtricks in my house with that song. I'm hoping to get a ride lined up for the Newport City Sound Off next month, and see what they will do on the TL.

All I can tell you is that I m running two SSD18's on about 1800 continuous, and they are beastly. Man, just do it already- they are a great deal! I can't give you any solid TL numbers, but I am an installer and they are awesome sounding and loud as all hell.

I'm not here to bash amps or get in a pissing match, I was just saying that I am more than happy with mine so far. As for the price difference, I got mine for $300, so its right in the range of the PA3000DB amp as well.

I just bought a Soundstream Rubicon RUB1.2500D and it pushes my two FI SSD18's with ease, no actual numbers on it, but it is a very loud and clean sounding amp.

I just bought a Soundstream Rubicon 2500 watt RMS amp for my pair of SSD18's and it is a totally awesome amp for the price. Don't have specific output numbers, but i was using a Kenwood 2000 watt amp before, and this just blows it away!

i just picked one up for myself, to run my two fi ssd's. it sounds good, and gets pretty loud, since at full tilt i cant see straight, and my hair flutters to the bass, and it gets hard to breathe, but it still doesn't seem like its enough for me. but then again after some of the crazy setups i have had, nothing is ever going to be enough.