Sub question..

[04OUTBACK]

I put a 10" Visonik sub in late last fall.. It has a built in amp... cheap, but temporary..
yesterday, while playing around with the system planning out adding my clarion eq/crossover and an additional amp, I accidentally pulled out one of the RCA plugs from the sub.. when i did, the sub sounded MUCH better.
So i played with it in / out and it was constant.. sounded much stronger with only one rca input coming in.
This is using RCA from stock kenwood stereo into built in amp on sub box.

Any reason why this is the case? I did not get any instructions on the sub, but assumed since it had l/r RCA inputs I should connect both.. I know that subs are unidirectional and aren't an issue of L or R.. Makes me wonder if I should leave it this way or not...
any help/feedback?

[ian ashton]

If the subwoofer is a dual voice-coil then one of the voice-coils of the sub is out of phase, just reverse one set of wires to the sub and you'll get perfect results.

If it is not a dual voice-coil sub then it is still a phase issue, possibly something is goofy inside the amp or head unit. In this case I would reccomend getting an RCA Y-adapter and splitting one of the RCA outputs to fill both inputs on the amp. That should get you by until you get a new system.

[JesseC]

Excellent post Ian, that is exactly what I was going to post!

04outback:
Good luck and let us know what happens!

[newty]

Could be an amp or deck issue. Try the Y splitter after the deck if it still does it after that then it is the amp. If not it could be the way you have the sub wired provided you have a DVC (dual voice coil).
Al the above is great feedback. Just some problem solving advice.

[JoeTechie]

Actually Ian you have the description of the solution backwards. He will want to combine the signals and run them both into one side of the amp assuming the problem is as you described - reverse polarity at the sub or amp. If the reverse is at the head unit, then your solutiuon is correct - split one channel into two.

2-F RCA to 1-M RCA adapter.

-Joe

[04OUTBACK]

Well,
Thanks for all the help.. all good suggestions..
The culprit was my connection from the ipod to stereo had a short in it.. was only getting left side audio in stereo with Ipod on.. I did not realize that initially as the tower speakers were wired backwards so I had right tower and left cockpit music.. fixed now..
installed Clarion EQ/crossover for more control..more to come.
BW