Poor dynamic range from sub/amp?

[creyc 1]

I have installed a new pair of Havoc 15" subwoofers in my truck, powered by two SAE-1000D amps bridged and notice a distinct lack of dynamic range, or ability to hit "peaks".

It's almost as if it's built to play test tones, only. As soon as I play rock music at relatively high volumes, the fast bass notes and kicks clip and distort. It's not very loud, but I turn the gains down till it no longer clips, as any good car audio enthusiast would. Now it's quieter than quiet, and it just barely wants to clip if a loud enough drum comes along.

Now if I play a bass mekanik CD I rattle store windows and do mini-hair-tricks at 20Hz. No clipping, sounds good. Switch to rap or rock and its crap. I don't want an SPL/burp setup, it has to sound good with music. Two 15's and 2000W of sundown power, surely that would be enough for some rock music and the occasional rap song? I'm almost ready to rip it all out and go back to two Kicker 10s on 1000W.

What would cause this? Electrical isn't amazing right now, lead battery up front, 1/0 to amps, small stinger deep cycle by the amps.

[johnecon2001 82]

I'd guess its because you have them sealed, and you aren't accustomed to that type of sound.

Might as well go ported. That's what you really need.

[JimJ 11]

It's your lack of midbass...as we said in the last thread

[sqguy 0]

Find a song with a bass track that goes up and down. One I use is a couple of modanna songs on a best of cd but there are others. The bass goes low and steps up above subs all through song. Now if it gets loud on some tones and quiet on others, there is your problem. Between tune of your box and output of mids you can have ugly peaks/valleys that make one song sound fine but another that hits those faults sounds nasty. You can use a test cd also but I find it easier to use the right few songs at a reasonable volume. Also try moving/aiming the sub.

It seems to be worse with powerful subs, it can make a peak worse and then if your midbass is weak it really shows. I have weak midbass right now too running 4 doors to help it for the moment until I have time to mod install more. I also have a parametric boosting low mid.

You could also be trying to force a frequency your subs are not making. If they are way down on db there it just isn't going to work well.