Avoid these 5 common Car Audio NOOB Mistakes!

[@Ultermategamerz]

As an audio tech by far the most common issue we have with DIY installs coming back to us is either customers not setting gains correctly and blowing gear or from not setting the crossovers appropriately and also blowing gear.

[@olivercook6091]

Which was his first point he made...

[@hunterdowning9409]

Is there like a call support system I can call to help walk me thru setting my system up in my car for free

[@alexisduarte8820]

​@@hunterdowning9409 youtube videos

[@sebaszapien]

​@@hunterdowning9409 you are right on it

[@smoothestofbrains]

​@@hunterdowning9409Crutchfield

[@u9Nails]

"My stereo is so powerful it dims the headlights! Yeah boy!" - said the unlearned highschool student I used to be.

[@Drunken_Hamster]

"My stereo is MORE powerful and DOESN'T dim the headlights. AND sounds FAR superior." Said the elite veteran who you've hopefully now become. :)

[@ryantexada9269]

Sounds like your amp was starving for more power

[@EscapeMCP]

It's BOI, not boy. You've still much to learn :)

[@sysierius]

Someone needs a cap :3

[@tonynlynn2901]

Buy a capasoter can’t spell today lol half faret

[@WhoWantsToKnow81]

I could barely hear you So I turned up the gain to 100%

[@MrNunchakulee]

lol

[@TurboLS4dr]

WhoWantsToKnow81 😂😂😂

[@E.K.Hernandez1987]

Like those wranglers that have all there doors off and the top but all you hear is bass. Like, do you even have any mids or highs? 🤣🤣🤣

[@jonathanlang9711]

@@E.K.Hernandez1987 I go like this. I take about 1/2 the power of the sub system on top for the mids and highs. So if I got a 1000W Sub Chain, I want about 500W for the Mids and Highs. It's stupid and often not that easy to say that, but that's kind of my guideline.

[@bryanrubin5869]

@@TurboLS4dr v. Oii. Oil ioiikikggjgkggg

[@westhavenor9513]

Mistake #6: Thinking everyone around me wants to hear my music at every stoplight

[@BrandonSalas-us8mm]

You can tell they like it by them inching forward like there’s gonna take the red

[@CabinOnTheWater]

Mistake #7 Believing that you will never become a victim of road rage because of Mistake #6

[@philipfuller9114]

You do

[@philipfuller9114]

​@NonPlayableCitizen , I'm Armed too

[@Wayne3nterprises]

You love it

[@glennmassengill3532]

😂 This video is 110% true! 20 years ago my headlights were dimming, amp gain on max, mix match subs, with about 4 tubes of bathroom caulk on my homemade box. can’t forget those red Sony explode 6x9’s on a 50x4 pioneer super tuner from Walmart. Awww the good old days‼️

[@03drugill]

Bro, yes!! The super tuner III was my fav back in the day. Had it pushing a 10" kicker solo baric (square sub) and a 300w soundstream amp. Good times

[@ericbeard7007]

Why not add capacitor and good battery

[@munzirrafik7753]

bro , red sony explode !! you just remember my old speaker dang !!

[@GVanArsdale]

Memories on those xplodes wow. You took me back 😄

[@jeremywhittington7605]

I literally just put a”brand new”unused pair of Sony Explodes that I had lying around for years into my OBS Sierra lol!

[@marlongaines9319]

I subscribed just because he’s so nice. Imagine getting fired by him. You would leave the office feeling like “Wow... maybe this is a step towards the next chapter in my life.”

[@aaronking1887]

I busted out laughing reading this. I hit that subscribe too.

[@wailingalen]

Ikr?! I felt like I knew him or seen him before when I found his vid

[@GVanArsdale]

Yep. He seems like a straight shooter. ​@@wailingalen

[@jesicadisinclined9987]

Ya you could actually leave thinking about what you could learn and take from the experience rather than wanting to choke him. I get that from him too. He'd be a damned good teacher for like a high school or something.

[@mitchellmooso7658]

"don't let your friend touch the dial" *Slaps own wrist*

[@406Steven]

So I guess he's telling us that even your "special friend" can't touch it, either ;)

[@HeyManJaffery]

lmaoo

[@primebuildbryce]

My dad left me in the truck alone one day while he was getting groceries, and i touched that dial. ended up setting off the car alarm because it was so loud

[@jmbutler100]

Mitchell Mooso A

[@soundterrorist256]

All around me are familiar faces, worn out places..

[@kirkabrahamson1148]

Getting back to basics. Needs to be done every so often. Great content as usual Mark. Great Channel for anyone involved in custom car audio.

[@CarAudioFabrication]

+Kirk Abrahamson Thanks! I try to change it up from time to time

[@PheazibbleKneads69]

Run the RCA cables on the opposite side of the power wire from the battery Less distortion at high volume Buzzzzzzzz

[@xpert_kid_one730]

Hey I had a stereo installed and I hear a buzz at low volume know why?

[@PheazibbleKneads69]

@@xpert_kid_one730 wrong spark plugs. Does the buzz increase with rpm. Sorry for late response

[@realfrankandrade]

@@xpert_kid_one730 you have the rcas and power wires, running to the amp, on the same side. Whichever side your battery is at, leave that side for your power wire and the opposite for rcas. Problem fixed.

[@jewermank8536]

Learned that the hard way. Seemed to get louder as the rpm of the car went up. Power down one side, rca and remote down the other, good to go

[@arleyrivas9963]

@@xpert_kid_one730 or get RCAs with a ground attached

[@bigchungus-oj8zz]

Mark is a true professional. His dialogue is calculated, precise and informative and is appealing to a broad spectrum of car audio enthusiasts. Because Mark is so professional that I find the video clips that he inserts to emphasize/illustrate certain points to be very funny, even hilarious at times! Keep the videos coming bro!

[@dillestvillian]

buy it nice or buy it twice

[@CarAudioFabrication]

+Illest Villain totally true

[@Conqueef-tadoor]

I learned this lesson when I was 16 years old. I bought some cheap subs from a traveling "super sale". One of those "mega sales" where they charge 3-4 bucks admission. I bought a box with two 12's that didn't last 10 minutes after hooking them up.

[@mrbrowz1000101]

How I shop for women.

[@EscapeMCP]

Buy once, cry once

[@willsfishtanks6122]

Not true I bought crap off eBay as a joke for a friend spent less then 200 shit rattles his whole car and has lasted 4 years

[@speediegenie397]

i’ve tried hooking up a capacitor without discharging it first. that was exciting

[@ShabaaUkelele]

Lol that must have been fun 😂😂😂

[@chim7741]

😂😂😂😂😂😂

[@joshua199628]

Big oof

[@idleidol5184]

*shocking

[@ronaldo19832]

Now they call you the flash

[@Yohann67]

I had a 90 Pontiac Grand Am with a nice system that I installed and tuned. I had MB 5.25's in the front doors, with ADS 4" and 1" in the dash with a really nice ADS 2 x 10 sealed enclosure in the trunk. When I sold the car, the kid who bought it immediately ripped out the 2x10 box and was flat out beside himself when he couldn't make his 3 x 12 ported box sound as good. He ended up putting the 2 x 10 box back in. I think he learned that his friends were more impressed by the actual sound than the number and size of drivers. I actually put some thought into the interior and trunk volume and the result was a really good match with great extension and even performance through the range.

[@bigbluezuk]

Use a tone generator to create a 60 Hz wav/mp3 file. Save to CD or media file and play it while using a basic voltmeter in AC mode to determine when clipping occurs. These voltmeters are typically most accurate at 50 or 60 Hz due to standard electrical frequencies.

[@SebastianWilger]

i want to try this method. please tell me what happens when clipping occurs, how do i determine it? is it just a change of the voltage? Thx for sharing the tip and help, have a great christmas^^

[@downtoearthconstruction]

Working on putting a setup together been watching your videos since alot had changed in 15yrs since ive played with stereos. Thank you for your time providing us with professional information. I know these videos take time and its very appreciated hearing it step by step and the theory behind each tip.

[@kuruptsoul]

right? I can only imagine the potential my setup had, when I had everything all wonky, including my gain all the way up thinking i was getting full power..

[@ginogelormino1213]

Great video. I work in the electrical field and I figured I knew it all when it came to car stereo installation. So starting off I probably made all of these mistakes in the past and paid the price for each. I wish I had watched this video years ago. But I think I learn better by trial and error. Though it would have saved me a ton of money doing it right the first time. Side note: Who in the hell would dislike this video? He's literally helping you save time, money and effort. And for free at that. Just goes to show the mindset of some people.

[@creator4413]

A lot of times it happens by mistake I think

[@chandlerlaruex]

I hotglued my licence plate to my car to try to stop it from rattling when i was 16 lolo0l

[@DaPrecursor]

Not sure if I would disagree with the amp portion of the video, but for me when I choose an amp, I look solely at the Total Harmonic Distortion (THD). That % tells you how "pure", if you will, those Watts really are. The lower the better... and that will also be reflected in the price of the amp.

[@WarriorsPhoto]

Max Watts & Sub sizing were my mistakes. 😅😮😢 I wondered why some of my early builds didn’t sound like I wanted. Then as time went on I realized these errors and built some amazing systems for very little investment. Heck this is still my process and I hope others do build some great systems as well.

[@plageran]

Lol! The good old "Headlight dimming" Days XD

[@2000notw]

I know numerous "professional INstallers" that don't know how to set gain properly. This is why I DIY!

[@fukkinkana]

Ross Melton i never go to pro installers. Over priced and i can do everything they do, even better some times.

[@chrisseng9219]

I’m a diy’er and went ahead and invested in a SM DD1 even though I’ll rarely use it again after I set my new amp up .

[@fukkinkana]

Chris Seng i went through a journey searching for the right amp. I tune it by ear, and I've never clipped an amp. Basically what you do is use test tones with the gain turned all the way down. Turn it up until the tone changes either higher or lower, back it down to the right tone, and you'll be good. You can double chrck it, but it works accurately 90% of the time.

[@fukkinkana]

Chris Seng I've spent 400$ total for my setup, and i have better spl and sq than most people who spend 1000-2000 at professional shops. But i like to shop at stores for my equipment just to support local businesses.

[@alanray2446]

Ross Melton yaI called some shops in Dallas ,an ft worth. to ask about setting my gains with a dd-1, lol they all said whats that . so I wont be taking it to any of those shops.

[@trob9880]

I figured someone in the comments would address sound dampening. So here it goes... if you dump a couple grand into a system and all you hear is the trunk and license plate rattling you’ve wasted your money. Budget for good sound dampening and it will sound loads better.

[@BRENDAJASON1]

TR Custom Tech yep I agree,

[@iamasmurf1122]

Who said you have to put subs in the trunk ? You don’t have to

[@mikevanderziel5108]

This is where having a vert kinda sucks. Dead silence from the plates, trunk, doors etc. The other crap sitting loose for the drop top on the other hand...

[@biigblunts6970]

TR Custom Tech double sided duct tape for the plate

[@blake102989]

Cant hear all that if you turn it up loud enough

[@CarAudioInc]

Not knowing ohm's law or wire gauge amperage limits. You're gonna have a baaad time. lol

[@CarAudioInc]

Kyle Vanwinkle nothing is really necessary, ever.

[@thekillerpotatojosh]

You can always be like my buddy who's a self proclaimed "professional". Who broke every single one of these rules. He's also using a 1500 watt amp with ONE 12'' kicker in a ported box that has extra ports because he cut the box in half, then uses a 10g wire to power it all, and gets pissed that there isn't enough sound or power so he adds an extra battery to his other battery via series. Ignoring alternator and everything else. Lol

[@CarAudioInc]

kronik kaotik His system must buuump! lol

[@nonalegorical]

Except ohms law is broken when you go over 128db.

[@darylatkins5317]

Ty Brown I am an associate level certified electronic technician. I've never heard of this. Please explain this because it could really help me out. Always looking to learn something new.

[@str8nineball]

A mistake I've seen that blows subs is the bass boost vs the frequency the amp is set too. Bass boost might be 45 hz but the frequency is set to 110 hz. If you have a sub rated to go as low as 50 hz, your gonna blow the sub. Depending on quality it might take longer but never the less. With bass boost at a different level, the amp will be trying to play 2 levels of bass at the same time. Subs are more temperamental. Understand the level you want before buying. I find that between 70 hz and 90 hz gives the best bass. Keep it switched to filter out high frequencies. Vice versa for your 6 ½ speakers. Keep it to filter out the lows. If you have subs you don't need it. Life expectancy goes up. Just make sure numbers line up. Next, if you have a stereo that has a frequency control, it could be 7, 11, 13, 17-band control. Learn what the frequencies mean and how they control the music. Louder isn't always better. Adjusting those frequencies help make your sound better. Presets aren't always the best way to go. It'll sound cleaner, and more crisp. You don't need a 500W amp for your highs. It takes more power to push "lows" then it does your "mids" and "highs".

[@dearboy05]

Baffle em with b.s....

[@kennethsimbapuppyeyes6857]

Long ago I had 4 2 channel amps each bridged to a single door speaker. It was loud and good times but never could get the bass to match lol

[@Somegoy]

Got a little rockford 10 inch from my brother in law who worked in audio when I was 16. Its only 350 watts. Amp is only 250 watts, had it for 15 years and it still works like the day I got it. Its perfect 🥰

[@chulow9024]

I want this setup in my truck. Salesman telling me $700 for a good system. I got depressed

[@stlchucko]

@@chulow9024 I have a RFosgate P300-10 in a single cab Silverado that works really well. 300 watt RMS powered 10” sub… it’s enough to give decent low end with the Kicker/Polk mids/highs in the doors and B pillars (no amp on them). I think that RF 10” goes for $250-300 and it fit behind the seat.

[@rabbit929]

I twist tied everything under the carpet and all. No fuse. Ran the power wire across the air cleaner and through the door jamb because I was 15. It was hilarious when it burned down.

[@steve5912]

Lmao

[@mikejeezy06]

Lmao

[@fortunefed8719]

Lmao

[@codystephens5939]

Lmao

[@daniel-ek9to]

Lmao

[@yubeme120]

Didn't look through all, but I've seen more people disregard, hook up, remote wire to aftermarket amp. incorrectly. Just a thought. Good stuff guys! Been a long time, but I was really good at installs a time ago, so rewatching and learning new ideas as well. Never be too smart to learn something new!! Again, Thanks, C.

[@joshuamullen9147]

My first install was in an older car I had bought for a few hundred bucks just to get home after being stranded 2 states away. It worked great for a few days, then blew the in-line fuse. I had done a lot of research, so I was confident everything was right. I went to an audio shop to get a replacement fuse, and they talked me out of the one I requested. Taking the notion that they are the professionals, I installed the much larger fuse that they recommended. Upon connection, it immediately melted wires under the hood and fried the amplifier. Lessons learned. Had I gotten the fuse I requested, it simply would have blown again and I could have located the issue without all of that damage. It was a bad negative ground for the battery. Also, the upgraded alternator for my current vehicle is still about $700....more than the entire amp, speakers, subwoofers, wiring, and new headunit (2100 watt RMS system).

[@Cdogg2233]

I added a cap just as a procaution. I have big 3 and optima yellowtop battery but I added a cap too just to keep the voltage balanced on super hard bass hits. Relying solely on a cap is still gonna put tension in the electrical system but I'd always use a cap before buying a $600 high output alternator. You gotta be pushing over 3000 RMS before a new alternator is necessary. Music is dynamic a deap cell battery with a cap is enough for pretty much any non competition system.

[@brendenperry3770]

Over working your alternator will cause it to go out prematurely, so when you have a bunch of stuff running off your car battery a high output alternator is a good idea

[@Vesp3r1987]

i watched 1 video about "how to chose speakers" and youtube flooded me with your videos... No regrets though. You doing awesome job for people like me

[@loudelvis610]

I've been in car audio for 33 years with most of those years doing custom enclosures ...this youtube channel ...is very very good..the only problem I see is glue and clamps on boxes ...the glue holds it in the end but the waiting til its dry would kill me lol...simple nail gun..at correct pressure dosent sqeeze glue out and you can build faster. But thats ticky tack crap...you have more time than me..over all 👍👍👍👍👍...watch and learn ...absorb info..

[@jasonmorehouse3756]

screws over nails any day. if glue was to ever fail, a screw will hold much longer than a nail under all that pressure and vibration

[@theejoeylee]

Loud Elvis I use screws and glue

[@EscapeMCP]

Velcro FTW. It's waaay easier to change out my blown speakers.

[@theejoeylee]

James Zawacki this is true. I just don't have an air nailer,or enough clamps, and don't want to hammer on MDF.

[@fatboy19831]

James Zawacki, Most car audio subwoofer boxes are made of MDF or particle board. True wood expands and contracts in an automotive environment. Even well aged wood. Screws and glue are best in true wooden boxes.

[@joesmith389]

After dabbling in car audio for 25 years (on and off), I’ve found the best bang for your buck is Alpine Type R for speaks (components and subs). They’re extremely affordable, they can take lots of power, and they sound magnificent. Just my opinion. I even installed a Type R 12 into my home theater because it sounds that good.

[@tomhalf3018]

Renamed to the R series, they have not changed their speakers design for a few years so if your new tk buying alpine look for old stock in the type R ranges not series R

[@702tlx5]

My pops has had two type R 12s subs for 19 years and I’m the one using them now

[@texasboii5539]

Best bet is JL audio, top notch and trustworthy

[@jaimetrevino9244]

@@texasboii5539 100%

[@thethoughtfield]

Amazingly well put. I'm always strugling to explain all this to my customers; many of them need to unlearn many myths. many times when explaining these things they internally are comparing what I say with what "they know".

[@WOLFDOGSCOOKN]

I need that ghetto bass for the 2 Live, Too Short, NWA and That Heavy Metal and 80's Style!

[@kasai9870]

juárez got some dope subs, thio showed me his when i was younger and they were bad ass, 10 yrs later and now i want the ones he had

[@ExquisiteTouch.M.M.P]

I thought I had a weird choice of music cause I listen to death metal but love n.w.a and 2 live crew. 😂

[@danielshardlow9392]

Great video. I used to install audio for Colin Trickett at Uni-Car in Leeds UK in the noughties. Some of the 'professional' bodges we'd see were unreal. The amount of installation guys I'd see who couldn't use a set of crimpers properly after being in the trade for years. I'd goto many repair jobs and simply tug the supposed crimped wire out by hand. Another was the "turn everything upto 11" crowd. Cringe. Once spoke to a guy who said he can do a trick to get, in his words, 4D sound from an install. He was wiring fronts and rears out of phase. I shit you not. He had got away with it for so long as there was usually a sub which compensated for the cancelled bass from the doors. One last thing is you can quickly check if a manufacturer is honest with thier wattage specs with this quick trick. Say they claim 1000 Watts output (and you can't find or don't trust thier RMS claims), look at the fuses on the amp. If there are only say, 20amp or 40amp fuses, you can say the manufacturer claims are BS. Ohms law, there are lots of easy online calculator tools. 1000w / 14.4v = 69.4 amps this amp will require to output its claimed power. So in reality you should see 80amps of fusing on your amp, or thereabouts. Hope this helps someone.

[@colinmaharaj]

Colin Trickett sounds cool .. LOL

[@robertjohnson4784]

Such a very true statement I started in car audio in 1985 and over the years I've had many customers come in with blown subwoofers that they decided to adjust their gain controls after they left the shop. used to be an eclipse dealer and they had some of the best head units 5 and 8 volt pre outs of course today some of the better amplifiers do have clip lights on then to let you know the amplifier is clipping but again some customers just don't get it some of them just want bass bass bass and some tweeters LOL it takes a good installer to tune a system front stage rear fill and don't let the bass overwhelm the car keep the work going brother love to channel

[@matthiasweber6341]

I don't know why but "bass bass bass....and some tweeters" got me 😂😂😂

[@basstrigga44dualsubwoofer46]

When I was new to car audio I was about 17 and I had spent all my money on the subwoofer and had to get a really cheap amplifier and wiring I luckily just blew my amp and a fuse but I still got the sub

[@THEDONMONSTER]

When dawg said "buying speakers to out do your buddy" 😆

[@dixienormous49]

I buy speakers to our do my nemesis

[@jackanderson2773]

Yep 😁

[@robpriv3014]

Yeah I made the too big speaker mistake when I was a kid. Had two Rockford 18’s crammed into my ‘84 Firebird where the backseat was supposed to be. Performance was sub-par to say the least.

[@euriburgos6632]

I dont pay attention to my college classes but i do pay attention to this

[@strandvaskeren]

Worst noob mistake, in my opinion, is not starting with your speakers. Look at how your current speakers are installed, more often than not they are installed into a thin bit of sheet metal or a piece of plastic trim and often with air gaps around the sides of the speaker. No speaker will perform great under those conditions. A door speaker might be glued to a flimsy door side, try bolting a piece of wood to the metal frame and fitting the speaker to that instead, maybe add a bit of dampening material to the inside of the outer skin of the door to stop that from flexing and you've already got much better sound. Upgrade the speakers while you're at it helps a ton. Replace the thin hat shelf with a proper piece of wood and instantly you'll get a lot more from your speakers in the rear window. In general beef up anywhere a speaker is mounted, it's cheap and it works.

[@bagginn]

Any KZbin videos on this please? I can’t find any

[@Atomwaffen-y3s]

Yes. A factory paper speaker with a whiz cone in a door that has been sound deadened will sound better than any Polk Audio Best Buy special in a tin can.

[@flinch622]

Gain is a fantastic topic all by itself. There's two key landmarks: how far speakers can get pushed before distortion, and how far an amp can be pushed for a given input before it clips or distorts. One of these will be the weak link, and gain must not go past that. The important diffeentiation of gain vs volume boils down to this: volume is what percentage of signal is used, and gain is a multiplier [input vs output]. One place to see blazing ignorace of this difference is... at a drive through.

[@tantojutsuninpo]

On my first system when I was clueless, my friend said you can shove your amp power wire into a constant 12V fuse at the fuse box instead of running it through the firewall to the battery. It worked briefly until it melted the plastic around the connection

[@edgargeonunez751]

Thanks for the reminder. It’s probably been. Over ten years since an amp sub install. Again I’m starting fresh dampening already bad factory sub installed on a accord coupe and just want a basic 200-400w rms dual channel for subs. For now a simp 8 in the trunk in a lil box. And improve the sound on the factory 8 sub on the back seat.

[@danielmiller6983]

Thanks for the vid.. I’ve made all those mistakes.. took my car to a professional.. went a little smaller on the subs, and it hits way harder than when I had two 15’s in two small of an area

[@official_commanderhale965]

Well that makes me happy I managed to put a sub in a bone stock 41 year old car and not have any problems😅

[@A6Legit]

They dont make em like they used to.

[@Conqueef-tadoor]

Worst noob mistake of ALL is to not fuse your power wire at the battery. Either it's because of laziness, or being cheap, or because thinking that the fuse on the amp is sufficient protection. The fuse at the battery isn't to protect the amp, it's to protect the vehicle from burning to the ground!! I have personally seen two cars burn COMPLETELY to the ground for this exact reason.

[@kdubsav11]

Scott Haydin or some ppl don't want to use a fuse cuz u "loose some or it power out put thru the fuse"! It's so min it's sooo not worht the risk! I too have see a few ppl car burning to the cast

[@blade92582]

so true

[@hawiianpwr]

Exactly, the fuse should be there for the protection of power cable to your amp and should be sized properly to the amp rating of the cable.

[@patcallahan1050]

Personally, I run the lowest amperage fuse that allows the equipment to run without blowing the fuse. 1x4ch & 1x2ch, both good brands, and being fed from a 20 amp fuse at the battery with 4-8 gauge wire (can't remember what I'm using), the gains are set ~50%, and the RMS matches the speakers. No problems, here.

[@zososldier]

I like circuit breakers. costs $0 to reset.

[@Xo-1.0]

I’m pretty new to car audio and didn’t know that about the gain. Thanks!

[@CarAudioFabrication]

+Xo-1 definitely something to set carefully or leave alone if set properly!

[@baklap141]

Its no rocket science. You just turn the gain completely down , then turn up the music to the level you think you never will get over (also listen to your speakers if they're not clipping and give a clear sound). Then just turn the gain up to the level where it sounds good and not too loud and you're good. Then when you listen to your music at normal level you never go too loud and prevent clipping. But the clipping usually happens by using amplifiers that have not enough power. For example you got a subwoofer that needs 300 watts rms and you hook it up to an amp that only gives 200 rms will clip quite easy because its lack of power. So its better to have an amp that actually give more power then you need so it wont have a problem to drive your subwoofer. After that you just use the gain to adjust the output, that way you wont give it too much power that also can kill your subwoofer. Its just using common sense and your ears. But if you want to get the maximum out of your system you just let someone do it that uses proper equipment to measure all the power output and clipping / distortion. But Ive never did that , I just used my ears and never had any problems.

[@EscapeMCP]

Oh, and pick frequencies that are in the middle of the range... no point doing it right at the crossover frequency where both of the frequencies will be 3dB down (6db on an L/R filter). e.g for subs go for 50Hz (if you are 20-100Hz on subs), mids, say 1kHz (earplugs needed!), highs, well, you shouldn't clip on highs, just ease it back when your ears start bleeding :O

[@donaldnewman3639]

EscapeMCP 8

[@PivotLoL77]

@@baklap141 more gain, less sound quality, and more damage. Less gain is the key

[@VR46Monster]

ALTERNATOR... ive installed 1000W amp and it drained my battery over last month no headlight dimming until it was really drained... but 135A alternator wasnt really enough ... now iam praying for not damaged alternator or baterry...

[@swurtz060506]

I have a kicker cxa800.1 pushing 2 kicker l7t 10 inch subwoofers in a sealed box. Need help tuning the cover frequency and the gain. Also, should I stay with sealed box or go ported?

[@jedi69outcast]

I've spend thousands Back in the day to customize my system to play The Return of the Jedi " The Last Duel" and even with all the high end goodies I could never get it right. Now I'm stuck with Bose

[@kyle23011]

When I installed my first system, (two 12's and a 750 watt ampp from a yardsale) I didn't even consider upgrading the electrical system. Alternator went first. Then the battery. Oops.

[@grumpysteelman]

Ditto. Your alternator and battery were already shot.

[@Joshua-nn6dz]

Eric Simpson precisely!

[@septixskeptix1107]

@@juliusboy001 Your van's alternator is probably going to have a higher amperage than some 4 banger. It all depends on the car.

[@TheTardis157]

A common mistake I see made is RCA cables being run near power wires. If you have to do this get heavily shielded cables (normally these are high quality) or make your own. It will ensure that you get the cleanest signal from the source to the amp or processor.

[@hakont.4960]

Yup, one of the oldest rules of thumb in the car stereo society is to always run the signal cables on the opposite side of the car as the power cables.

[@EscapeMCP]

Even I know that and I don't even have a car! Some day... some day...

[@hakont.4960]

You're well prepared for the day you get a car then. ;)

[@TechnoElectroFreak]

That was my amateur mistake back in the day haha.

[@Whitefox-pc7lp]

How much do you think is effecting when they meet near each other at the amp?

[@Bl4ck7411]

Can i use amp low inputs RCA directly to the aftermarket stereo? car wire connection to the speakers. And amp low inputs RCA channel 1&2 to the stereo

[@bryandudenhefer3517]

Thank you, brother. Im upgrading my sound in my 2017 ilx. I saw your video and knew that you knew what you were talking about. I ordered the exact kits and just got them in the mail. Thanks to you, I know exactly what I'm getting into. Appreciate ya bud.

[@spencerphilippinedream3706]

biggest noob mistake for me was underestimating the ability of good door/rear deck speakers. after i dumped about $1600 into my system, my buddy wanted to show off his new pair of 6x9s in his rear deck. i was disappointed in myself when his $200 speakers (with no amp) sounded almost as good as the two 12s in my trunk.......oh, and he still had trunk space.

[@jimno13]

@@spencerphilippinedream3706 first thing i do now is door speaker uprgrade, even straight from headunit some of the value budget 16 and 13cm do quite well, or oush some high end ones and then decide on running through a second amp or if using a decent 4 channel that can handel both sub a doors .. with a few splitters here and there ;) All good fun! Good vids thanks for upload

[@nickparkin8527]

The capacitor is something I would always recommend. It shield your battery from sharp current draws which are very stressful on the battery. Instead the capacitor draws a consistent amount of electricity from the battery overtime and just slowly charges itself up and it dumps its charge as it is needed by the amps. Also the capacitor is also wired up to your battery so you can use it to jumpstart your car just like super capacitor jumpstarts.

[@Atomwaffen-y3s]

Wow. 15 likes over one of the most dumbest, dangerous posts ever written on the internet.

[@tiporari]

Silly. You want better sound? Examine what you have. Paper cones, 15w speakers and a factory head unit? Literally anything you do can improve it. Factory stuff is built down to a cost. Cheapest shit that has minimum acceptable performance. #1 wire properly. Quality butt connectors (better than solder/heatshrink) #2 Correct phasing. +/- on speakers matter. Out of phase means destructive interference and loss or cancellation of acoustic energy. #3 Balanced. A 1500 watt 12" sub and $40/pair Sony full range speakers will be imbalanced. Upgrade your main speakers to true RMS power listed high quality drivers and pair with a clean and quality head unit. Add a small sub to enhance bass response below 50hz. Tune crossover to limit to 50 and below. Adjust volume or gain of sub amp to match volume of main drivers. Distortion isn't good. Banging bass and rattling windows sound like ass. Balanced music. Balanced sound. Save your hearing.

[@SverigeSegrar]

well, I put a 100l ported box with 4 10" on a 180 watt amp and 2 cheap 6x9 coaxials powered by an 8 year old 20$ headunit (suprisingly with a 15 amp fuse) into a 1964 fintain mercedes, all i can say is 1 layer of sheet metal without original sound deadening and old worn down rubber seals for the trunk lid makes one hell of a ratteling mess, on 180 watts it flexes the rear quarterpanels around 1 cm.

[@mmastert2]

I agree with you on every point except #1... Properly soldered connections are better than crimped butt connections. That being said, solder connections are unnecessary, as properly installed butt connectors are more than adequate for any system.

[@primebuildbryce]

@@mmastert2 the old twist and tape method works for me every time

[@2v_media]

If my trunk isn’t trying to jump off my car I don’t want it.

[@716ShaunW]

Bryce Peterson me too been using electric tape for 20+ years not one issue! ✌️

[@death32815]

For anyone who is worried about streaming music, there is less data there, but it is almost unnoticeable on high end headphones through high end dacs and amps, so stream your music you wont be able to notice anything missing if its close to cd quality (most modern streaming services are) and it isnt really worthi it to have anything above cd quality unless you have a proper wudiophile setup be it headphones or a full speaker setup.

[@realfrankandrade]

To calculate fuse size, use the maximum power of the amp divide that number by 14.4 and that equals your fuse size. So for a 600 watt amp you would need a 40 amo fuse.

[@Catchmeifyoucan209Stockton]

You should always divide by 12 to be on the safe side. But so much more just on fuses

[@realfrankandrade]

@@Catchmeifyoucan209Stockton if you divide 600 by 12 that equals to 50 amp fuse. 40 amp fuse would be the safe side. If it pops often you can upgrade to 50 amp but I'd stop there and not go to 60. You divide by 14.4 because that's what the alternator produces when its running.

[@Catchmeifyoucan209Stockton]

@@realfrankandrade I didn't mean to put safe side you divide by 12 otherwise your just going to end up changing out . Also 14.4 is the highest they put out that's with high rpm so unless your driving on highway or drag racing it's more like 13.8 the range is 13.5-14.4

[@Catchmeifyoucan209Stockton]

@@realfrankandrade safe side meant so you don't have to worry about it I worded wrong

[@LowetheTechGuy]

You should multiply ( fuse rating × 13.8 = A × the amp efficiency) I believe 80% efficiency is about right in the real world on class d and about 65% on class A/B. So say I have a 1000wrms @ 1 ohm class d amp with a 100amp fuse rating. Formula would be (13.8 × 100 = 1380w × 80% = 1,104 watts.

[@LRSS2455]

You need to make a video about setting gains. A lot of people have different ideals about how to set them. The biggest confusion comes in when the speakers they are pushing is well below the RMS of the amp. I use the volts to set mine, but it seems you think there is another way. Correct me if I'm wrong.

[@ADR69]

i want to say kenwood, but it could've been another vendor, used to put actual voltage marks across the gain sweep area. so, if you have 4V preouts, the lowest setting of the gain actually said 4V. this went on to max gain which showed something like .5V. what radio only has .5V preouts?? but you get my point. not as accurate as measuring, but it was helpful in those "big box" install bays.

[@LRSS2455]

I was told recently that the Nominal setting is for 4 volt output. I really would like someone to clear up things. It's been a long time since I installed a system. I just want to make sure I've set the gains correctly. I took a 3 way system active and each speaker requires a different amount of watts. I currently have it running through a DSP that is regulating the output based on auto tuning (Alpine H800).

[@MarkeyseMundy]

Best way is to use those Electrical tools. Not a DMM really, but an O-Scope, or a specialty tool like SMD.

[@timhenry8475]

Smd did-1 is another great way to set gains the tool runs for $150 online and it’s extremely easy to use. O-scopes are very pricy especially if setting gains is all you’re using it for

[@EscapeMCP]

Banggood portable oscilloscope - £20. :D Rather than measuring or setting gains based on volts in, use the actual volts coming out of the speaker terminals to set your gains. It's the volts that move the speaker, NOT the watts. The watts are just a byproduct due to the volts passing through a resistor (voicecoil) V²/R=P

[@shaneinfinity4597]

every single one of my friends use the gain as a volume knob even when i have the SMD DD-1 to set the gains. They'll learn haha

[@joshua199628]

You can never correct fools that doesnt care to learn. :)

[@ryanwilson5936]

Man, audio file/recording quality is key. That’s the same issue everyone is having with 4k video sources now. Just like music, it doesn’t matter how great your display/drivers are, if the source sucks the output will too.

[@TheSurfRyder]

Biggest mistake ever is plastering stickers from the product you just spent your hard earned money on. Letting thieves know what’s in the box.

[@erreidwas]

Cool! I've never made any of the mistakes when making purchases for a car audio build, but... back in the early 2000's I did think that higher watts= better amp. Luckily before any purchases I consulted a friend. Motherboard, capacitors, wiring, power supply, heat sink, its a ton of things that definitely a amplifiers quality. Rms is what most people should look for when thinking about overall wattage output.... and don't forget that even Rms varies depending on Ohms. Great video! Very informative.

[@StudioTrev813]

WTF Zuck is on the bass tip now?

[@woodswerks]

D' Zuck from Bassbook.

[@uguuuguunen9544]

Yeah his name is also Mark soooo

[@DarthCorvus]

😂😂😂💀

[@johnathonmullis4234]

Great video man. The biggest mistakes I’ve made were with the box, subs and their amp. Making the bass blend with the rest so it’s a reproduction of the music not just a bunch of bass isn’t easy. A box with the proper air space for the sub is paramount for good bass.

[@greg6162]

Yes! This… I just bought a 2020 Honda CRV EX-L and I’m beyond disappointed in the audio. No bass response and the rear speakers don’t sound like they’re working. I want balanced sound profile not a huge kicker box like it’s 1996. It was fun back in the day, but I need all the room in my CRV. I downgraded from 2017 Jeep Grand Cherokee Altitude. The stock sound system was fantastic on that, unfortunately 15/mpg and Jeep’s electrical issues weren’t worth it. Any ideas to get it to sound like a 2017 Jeep Grand Cherokee Altitude edition?

[@jasoncaine2600]

​@@greg6162 trade it in for a Jeep 🤷‍♂️

[@jackmemphis777]

@@greg6162 I traded my 2017 civic coupe ex-Turbo in for a 2024 Hyundai Kona. My civic had the premium audio system, but the sub was hit or miss. The speakers themselves though were way better and I'm trying to figure out how to upgrade my speakers again since now I just have the basic speakers

[@Chrislav7]

Not sure why this was reccomended to me, but it reminded me of when I was in high school I had a 08 Mustang GT that I splurged on and bought Alpine Type R speakers and sub and got a really nice receiver that had a mic you could use to have it calibrate time delay on each speaker. I understand that's not Focal, but it sounded sooo good to me as a teenager. The intro to Hot for Teacher, or the fast part of Metallicas "One" just made me giggle like a child. I remember runninging calculations for the Big 3, tweaking gain using a test disk and a multimeter, and just making connections on the voice coils either in series or parallel for different impedence and thinking electricity and sound are so cool. I joined the IBEW after high-school and am now a master electrican who specializes in motor control. It was nice to revisit this which was so impactful in my life. Maybe I'll rig something up in the F150 now..

[@thedalillama]

The Focal 10's sold by Crutchfield don't seem to care what size sealed box they are enclosed in. Does anyone have experience with them?

[@kdm_kid]

Not gunna lie, I just turned my gain all the way up on all of my installs lol, it always seemed to work pretty well

[@charlesmckenziejr1887]

😕

[@grahamprescott9426]

Hey Mark, I've been in to car audio for 20 odd years and have always used "Loudness" on my kenwood headunit. What's your thoughts on using it? Recently turned it off and so far happy with the sound. But would be keen to understand what it's actually do9ng to the sound? Is it only working at low volume? When would you use it? My newest unit has a low and high loudness setting

[@sirvaant]

Crickets 🦗 🦗 🦗 🦗

[@rxonmymind8362]

What I've learned after putting $3500 into my SUV. I appreciate sq and sound tuning but realized that I didn't particularly like sound coming from right in front of me "like a concert". It's SUPPOSED to be that way I get it, with the bass above the dash where one can hear it but not know where it's coming from. All tuned by a sound competition judge. Having another go at it in my Ford F-250 I might not go that route again. I like "surround sound" I think better than above the dash sound. I know that not how one hears it at a concert but it's what I like.

[@Smashology64]

I used to think the same until I really got into time alignment. Sound staging is everything and makes a world of difference.

[@IsaiahAmos017]

As far as power issues go if you're driving an old truck Or suburban I'm talking like sixties Or older put a dc generator on it They're significantly more expensive than alternators but the power is smoother because it's straight DC no capacitor required you might be able to get a antique tractor generator to work or convert an old Chevy 6 V to 12 V

[@tophatvideosinc.5858]

Is mtx a good entry brand? Ive been looking at a subwoofer that has a box and built in amp with a wiring kit included for a total of 200 bucks. Specifically the RT8PT model.

[@Exterminatingtraper]

Lol mistake 4, we were in walmart and we walked by a kicker sub and it said 1300 watts max (it was like 250rms) and my dad is like ya 1300watts for a milisecond then the the cone flips backwards and doesnt go back in again lol

[@godzilla7391]

Exterminatingtraper yeah. I never shop for subs by max. I go by rms. That and brand power. Using 2 Sundown SA-12s on a Sundown scv-2000d, in a custom box. Love it. All i need

[@thebacon2ursoap939]

@@godzilla7391 Hard to go wrong with Sundowns 😍😍

[@greenmarine5]

He's so right anytime you draw more power you have to provide it with the least resistance possible. Which means more output and heavier gauge wires for less resistance. Rule of thumb when wiring, you can usually go larger wire, but never ever go smaller wire....and if you're smart you'll use an inline breaker that will take any power surges....alternators don't produce the cleanest power.

[@jred23pyro]

320kbps every time I rip a song. Thank you for setting a standard in car audio all around.

[@jackmemphis777]

Only reason I go with 192kbps sometimes is to save space since I already have 40gb of music on my phones and they are all 128gb. A lot of my downloaded music is 256 or 320 tho

[@MrAM4D3U5]

Never heard anyone actually spell out “F - L - A - C” before yet this video still has some good information in it. I’m thinking about buying an Astell & Kern portable music player that can output DSD512 multi-channel audio as well as flac and other lossless formats, but the thing that it making me hesitant is the fact that car audio by its very nature is never going to sound very good. Due to this proximity , positioning, design, and spatial layout between the speakers and inside of the car and listener - not to mention the fact that usually said speakers will be use while you’re driving and there are the motion , speed, window, etc concerns, so other ‘audiophiles’ have made me question how much it’s really worth it to invest in car audio vs my home stereo

[@_jadori_175]

Absolutely love this channel! Very informative and just relaxing(sounds weird). I learn something new every time! Thank you for your time and effort in putting these videos together.

[@tribal21475]

I have two 12 inch subwoofers with a 2000 watt amp I noticed my lights dimming every time a bass would hit Do you recommend I get a bigger battery or a second battery?

[@Kensai21]

Get a battery capacitor

[@nathanflippo2787]

Alternator or extra batt.... Cap did not do trrivl for me added extra batt help alot just put 250 amp alt on few min ago and I have no issue now

[@MrZombie57]

Noob here, thank God I saw you. Vid before I started my new project

[@iant419]

I never just jump into projects or impulse buy anything anymore. Doing your research on everything you purchase and spending a bit more or special ordering a hard to find but better product always pays off. The internet is a great tool to make your dollar go further and quality go up.

[@imgannadie991]

Like alot of people I did this too :( turned the gains all the way up, bass boost to max dB, biggest sub in a ported box with under powered amp with incorrect wiring for subs for ohms, maxed the bass and bass boost on the deck.. and then complain that all I could hear was just bass lol... now I know a whole lot more watching these videos. Thank you

[@joseescalera6040]

I wana get a JL Audio Stealthbox for my tacoma but I have no idea what else I need what would u recommend me to get with the JL Audio Stealthbox to get it to sound to its best?? And where can I have it professionally installed

[@tjhessmon4327]

Mistakes of basic understanding related to the installation of vehicle audio start to occur far before the issues identified in this video 1) I would say the first mistake in car audio is not understanding Ohm ratings with speakers and therefore mixing ohm ratings ------- 2) The second mistake people make with car audio installation is getting the positive and negative speaker wires crossed up ------- 3) The third mistake people make with car audio is not calculating demand (amperage) of the current system VS any determination for change..... Learn to Use Ohms law, to properly adjust the vehicle electrical system, for audio equipment revisions. Example a 1000 watt amplifier will place an additional 74 amps maximum on an automotive system. Most stock charging systems cannot maintain such additional load without an increase in both battery and alternator capacity as well as the wiring and circuit protection between the two. This becomes more difficult when the vehicle includes software that manipulates electrical load........ ------- 4) When adding components, proper wiring must be added to allow for calculated amperage flows. Refer to a load to wire size table which can be easily acquired on line. -------- 5) Finally there is frequency response as a whole for the entire system and how crossover works to eliminate cross talk over frequency ranges of speakers.

[@ZEPR0FESS0RR]

tj hessmon you hit it on the head good sir!! The only thing I’d add is that a lot of people don’t look at the signals volts as it come out of the HU, if you have anything less than 2 volt then it is more subject to distortion, but any higher than 3-4 and you’ll need to look and see if your amp can take the signal thru a RCA. And checking to see the # of pre-amp plugs a HU has, nobody thinks to read all the little tidbits of information in the manual about your HU, but it really matters!!!

[@hellowalkman4506]

I'm eagerly waiting for your T-Line Subwoofer sound test.

[@shelton8091]

All knobs to the right! And speaker wiring impedance!

[@lucasdinake4262]

I used to drive Toyota tazz every time when playing music my Amp was always hot and cut off to 2 or 3 hours before I can use it again I don't know maybe the wiring was not correctly installed

[@mmsizzlak]

Good rule of thumb.... Your amplifier is the heart and soul of ANY set up and is thusly the component that deserves the most priority...I prize my amps over my speakers, subs, and even head unit...a good, quality amp is a must have for me before any other quality piece like a sub... And as you mentioned, max power or wattage is NOT the number a buyer wants to look at but rather the RMS wattage... Max watts just means "what level of power this amp COULD HOPEFULLY do" while RMS watts means "what level of power this amp NORMALLY does." Each setup is different bcuz each car has different variables that affect it but these are just my own general rule of thumb when it comes to car audio... The last time my car was stolen, I LITERALLY would've been ok had the thieves taken the car and EVERYTHING in it except for my Audison and Orion amps... If they'd left them on the street but taken everything else I would've prolly not been so heartbroken... TRUE story!

[@pulkit9159]

Nice

[@anthonymasters07]

I made every mistake and more when I first started. Easy to do harder to correct. Great videos newbies so pay attention to this man's advise.

[@chris-edwardlouis9800]

Definitely guilty of falling for the Max power rating with my first system. And I still haven't done a big 3 upgrade in any of the vehicles I've owned since then.

[@TheIgnatzmax]

So i had a setup installed by a "professional"... 1500W amp 1000W sub and the gain set to max. Result = Toasted voice coils and the guy saying he didn't do anything wrong and not replacing the sub... I told him he shouldn't have the gain at max and that's what killed the sub. Am i correct in assuming he has NO idea what he was doing?

[@chrisbroesky2932]

I hate that. When I take things to a professional, I expect a professional. Not some kid who has experience installing gear for his buddies in his parents garage. There's alot more than just hooking everything up.

[@13426511]

A nearly completely noob here, with extensive electrical/electronics background, to ask for the logic behind installing a cap AFTER the big 3 instead of before them. Obviously, there is a tipping point where no cap can save a system from over-drawing, however, doesn't the cap actually compensate for weakness in the big 3... or at least the alt and batt? Nothing compensates for weak wires. Thanks for the response. Great vids btw. a new favorite of mine!

[@Bl4ck7411]

I got amp run 206RMS ohms to each speaker. It’s around 2200watts. And i got 4 speakers around 50RMS. (With 300watts peak) can i use the amp safely with low down the gain?

[@394pjo]

I have a custom Ground Zero/ JL Audio install in my E39 touring and your advice is priceless, I shall use it to improve my set-up even further. Thank you.

[@ourcarproject3059]

i dont know how an amp works i just hooked it up and it works great idk i have lots of great bass on my 2.two twelves

[@davidperry4013]

When I am setting sub amp gains, I am going to use my ears. If it the bass starts to sound bad, the gain is too high.

[@lyleebaldwin]

IKR... Me Also

[@hughcrunk378]

Do you have any experience with the new 22 Ford Broncos? I have some upgrade questions. 😬

[@danielcholewinski1110]

What amplifier is recommended to run a single p3 12 inch rockford fosgate to it's full capabilities.

[@Roblox-yr5hb]

I think my biggest mistake early on was mounting depth. I had a 84 Ford Ranger with 2 Rockford 15”s. It beat like no other but I think it hurt my knees lol.

[@wyattsmith9791]

Same here bought a brand new s10 in 2006 and had 4 15s in the extended cab and 2 in the custom enclosed bed. Blew my rear windows out and sounded cool for being 19 years old but not I got for top deal door speakers and head unit with no woofers or just a couple 10s and I also run a mids highs amp. Much better sound then fluttery bass

[@Kakaasipyro808]

quarter on the gain always worked perfectly fine with me

[@rmblwgn]

Yeah with most head units this will keep from clipping. Some 4-6 volt rca output radios may need a little less but a quarter gain is usually always clean up to 3/4 volume. the biggest noob mistake though is buying a weak piece of shit 200 Watt boss amp and want more bass so they max out the gain and bass boost. already seen two friends blow subwoofers like this . And of course they overpaid at Best Buy for their basic kicker comp c systems.. Lmao $600 for wiring, a 10" sub, box and 500 watt kenwood amp. What a joke

[@diesfastest6667]

You can do the math for the ohms your running the on the sub with the rms to find the voltage you need to run and use an amp meter touching the speaker terminals and turn the gain until your right at the correct voltage where you have the most you can get out of it without clipping