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Planet Audio AC12d Subs -- Any experience with these? / New setup proposal

FultonD33

Full Member
Joined
Oct 22, 2019
Messages
39
A few months ago I purchased my first audio setup and as it was my first I made several mistakes. It doesnt hit as hard as I would like it to. Ive got two kicker comp vr 12s (400 rms a piece) in a custom fitted sealed box. Powered by a planet audio pl 3000.1 amplifier running at 1 ohm. I realize I am seriously overpowering these and that is one mistake I made. My wiring is 4 gauge cca. I also have a capacitor in my system not that it matters.

Which brings me to my next question. Should i replace the amp or wiring with a different one? Or should I just get new subs and/or wiring.

I am really looking to bump on a budget and I came across these Planet Audio AC12d subs which feature 900 rms a piece. The reviews seem great and the look clean too. I saw the price and automatically assumed they are junk as they only cost about $33. Am I right for thinking this? Does anyone have these or any experience with them?

https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B007T2PDN6/ref=ox_sc_act_title_1?smid=ABO907060G8YG&psc=1

Does anyone have a different hard hitting sub option / possible amp suggestion?

Any information is greatly appreciated
 
might be your boxis not designed right.
 
This is the setup

https://www.rockvilleaudio.com/2-43cvr124rec52k2/

https://www.planetaudio.com/product/car-audio-sound-system-auto-monoblock-amplifier-planet-audio-pl3000-1d/
 
Junk Amp...

Get a real amp and you should be much better off... I always try to suggest running subs with 1 channel per amp. You should gain clarity and separation that way. Unless you run your subs REALLY low, like under 70mhz, you will get some higher frequencies into them and those will make them sound a little muddier.

Those subs are OK... Planet audio is Like Pyle, Boss and some others... They advertise much more than they are capable of in reality.

Look through CraigsList or Facebook Market for decent used amps and make sure you have a way to test them with your speakers before buying. You should be able to buy a decent, real amp, for a reasonable price that way from someone that has decided to dump components to upgrade or other reasons.

I prefer name brands that have a good history behind them. To a point price can be a good indicator of the quality of the component.

Rodney
 
Is this a good amplifier choice?

https://www.sonicelectronix.com/item_169005_Pioneer-GM-D8701.html?utm_medium=cpc&utm_source=google&utm_campaignid=934702773&utm_keyword=pioneer+gm-d8701&utm_matchtype=e&utm_device=m&utm_content=378863903172&gclid=EAIaIQobChMIssrym9PA5gIVC7bICh151Q-VEAAYASAAEgIpKPD_BwE

What?s gonna hit harder my kickers or that planet audios? Any other options that might be better? Will eventually upgrade to skar dual 15s when I get a new vehicle so not trying to spend a ton of money now.
 
FultonD33 said:
Is this a good amplifier choice?

https://www.sonicelectronix.com/item_169005_Pioneer-GM-D8701.html?utm_medium=cpc&utm_source=google&utm_campaignid=934702773&utm_keyword=pioneer+gm-d8701&utm_matchtype=e&utm_device=m&utm_content=378863903172&gclid=EAIaIQobChMIssrym9PA5gIVC7bICh151Q-VEAAYASAAEgIpKPD_BwE

What?s gonna hit harder my kickers or that planet audios? Any other options that might be better? Will eventually upgrade to skar dual 15s when I get a new vehicle so not trying to spend a ton of money now.

If you decide to go with that amplifier I would suggest getting two of them and running them each at 2 ohm. It is PROBABLY an OK amplifier but you really will be much happier with 2 of them each running 2 ohm.  Especially if you are getting different speakers down the road I wouldn't touch those speakers. A lot of people run them and are very happy with them.

Planet Audio is a "junk" brand. Don't bother with anything from them. Your kickers are light years better.  Unless you are willing to spend $300+ per speaker stay with those kickers. I have 3 Alpine BASE LINE 4ohm single voice coil 12" speakers in mine if you check out my "knight rider" stereo thread.  I also am running old school Audio Art amplifiers to provide near 400 watts apiece to each sub. With the correct audio playing and the stereo cranked up you can't keep change on the hood or roof.. It will jump all over the place. I have them normally turned down...  I am considering getting better speakers down the road but for now this setup rocks...



 
 
FultonD33 said:
What?s gonna hit harder my kickers or that planet audios? Any other options that might be better? Will eventually upgrade to skar dual 15s when I get a new vehicle so not trying to spend a ton of money now.

Just looking at a sub or amp alone it's nearly impossible to say what will hit harder, the whole setup needs to be considered.
Seeing as how you already have a pair of CVR 12s, using them as reference I would say that f you're looking to stay on a reasonable budget for new amps (in that $120ish pricepoint like the one you posted) look at the Fosgate R500X1D.
Get a pair and push the CVRs you have a 2ohm, you'll have more than enough power being supplied if your amps are getting adequate supply. Also, getting some OFC power/ground cable will be money well spent, CCA doesn't hold a candle to OFC of the same gauge/strand count. If you want to go OFC on a budget, look for welding cable as opposed to a cable produced by a dedicated automotive audio manufacturer. It's slightly less flexible and usually has a softer casing, but you'll find it way cheaper, just make sure you have a decent grommet to protect it where you enter the cab and looming whatever section is in the engine bay is a good idea as well to protect against any vibratory rub through.

 
Thank you all for your replies I will definitely look into getting the multiple amp setup. As long as I?ve had the subs they?ve always seem to make this odd noise it?s like they?re moving very fast but softly so it?s like paper rustling, I can only hear it when I have the seats down and it sounds terrible not sure what the issue is but I?m assuming it?s the amplifier. What would be the better of the two either the pioneer or the fosgate? Any other suggestions?
 
Is this a junk amplifier as well?

https://www.sonicelectronix.com/item_107789_JVC-KS-DR3001D.html
 
I would totally agree with what Calicak89 said. I am running 1/0 wire to my fuse panel then come off that for my amplifiers.

JVC and Pioneer are both OK brands, but I would agree with going with the Fosgate as being better than either JVC or Pioneer.  Fosgate is focused more on car audio than the more "consumer" brands JVC and Pioneer.

The noise you were hearing is likely due to that being a junk amplifier. That and possibly bad installation.

Biggest thing is to budget for 2 amplifiers at 2ohm... Don't even consider the 1ohm. Unless you are going to pay some big bucks for a really nice amplifier you are likely getting something that won't sound very good at 1ohm and really pushing its limits.

The fact it "hits hard" should come in second to how quickly it can respond and how well it reproduces the sound. Unless all you want is a noise maker....
 
I purchased the JVC amps. I will hope for the best. Do you think 4 gauge ofc can handle enough or should I buy 0 gauge cca because 0 gauge ofc just isn?t in the budget. I already have 4 gauge cca so I know the 4 gauge will fit but I?m not sure about 0 gauge because I already have a 4 channel amplifier so I?m not sure if there?s any room under my trim panels on the floor.
 
I have dual 1/0 gauge wiring under my carpet. It will fit but it makes things interesting.

I believe the thing said the amp needs 4gauge going to it. If you are running 4 gauge to the amplifier you need to run it from the battery to each amplifier. Or run a 2 gauge wire to a fuse block from which you run 4gauge to each amplifier.

Rodney
 
How did you get the wire through the carpet did you just shove it through or pull it somehow?
 
FultonD33 said:
How did you get the wire through the carpet did you just shove it through or pull it somehow?
What year Av do you have? (you should probably add it to your signature)
 
FultonD33 said:
How did you get the wire through the carpet did you just shove it through or pull it somehow?
It's been a long time since I had my 05, but If i remember correctly, there is a grommet in the firewall on the drivers side that you can utilize. once in the cab you can run behind the kick panel and under the door trim, B pillar trim and rear door trim, exiting between the C pillar trim and lower midgate trim. Follow the same to get your RCA downthe passenger side.
 
I need to post more pictures but here is my thread if you are interested:

https://www.chevyavalanchefanclub.com/cafcna/index.php/topic,151754.0.html
 
Update.

Installed one one the amps still running the 4 gauge cca with the sub wired to 2 ohms. Not seeing a ton of difference. Should I go ahead and install the other one and run the 0 gauge wire and see if it comes out different? Or just return the amps and go back to my old setup.

Another issue is my stereo settings. It has a lot of internal eq features such as bass boost, loudness, subwoofer level, amp gain, sound effect, etc. all within the stereo itself. It?s a JVC KWR BTS or something like that. Should I be turning these up or not (they are currently).
 
Did you only run one sub off one amp?

If you are seeing similar output with one sub and your new amp then you likely will see (hear) double with the second sub with the second amp.

As I previously said, your subs should hit pretty hard assuming they are not wired wrong. You can also try swapping the phase of your speaker by swapping the wires and see if that makes a difference. Some times the phase of the sub will not be correct and will drop power. If your subs are on opposite phases when run together then they will cancel out as well.

One way to tell if your wire is big enough is to check it with a volt meter. Check it at the positive and negative terminals at your battery and then again at your amp with the amp powered off then run the amp. If the voltage drops AT ALL at the amp then your wiring is not big enough and is limiting your power output. It should be pretty close to the voltage at the battery. You will have some resistance through the wire but it should be minimal if using good quality wire. Checking the voltage at the battery and at the amp with the amps off will let you know if your wire is good quality wire with minimal drop. Then checking it while running your amp will give a good indication if there is too much resistance in your wire to let the power to your amp. 

I would start with your EQ settings being flat. They should be used to tweak or get more umph out of the speakers. The Gains however are different. You need to have the gains adjusted to match your stereo. To minimize the noise in your system your radio should be outputting the strongest signal as long as the amplifier can handle it. The gain on the amplifier should be as high as you can set it well before the speaker distorts at high volume.

So to properly set the gains if you are able to set them both at the amplifier and at the stereo is to first reduce the gains at the amplifier until you can still hear the speaker but it is not real loud. Boost the gain from the stereo as high as you can until you hear the speaker distort then turn it back a bit. Once you have the stereo set then set the gain on the amplifier until the speaker starts to distort then lower it a little lower  so you don't get distortion. Distortion will damage speakers long before over powering them will. Distortion happens because your normal sound is a sine wave. When you get distortion the top and bottom of that sine wave get squared off causing a DC signal to get sent to your speakers which overheats the voice coil and will eventually kill it. The more distortion, the longer the DC portion of the sine wave... And quicker you torch the voice coil.

 
What do you mean by swapping the wires? Just swapping the positive and negative at the amplifier? These new amps don?t have a phase switch  ???
 
Update #2.

Installed both new amps and re wired each sub to 2 ohms. Am running 0 gauge wire to my capacitor and from there to my distribution block which turns into dual 4 gauge outputs which run a wire to each amp. Tuned right and thumping hard. Thanks for all of your responses it helped a lot!
 
Glad to hear you got it figured out. Just goes to show you that sometimes those cheap amps aren't worth it... ;)

Rodney
 
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