how loud is the subwoofer?

8988 Views 13 Replies 5 Participants Last post by usgpru27, Mar 29, 2017

949

Discussion Starter · Mar 2, 2016

hey guys I have the subwoofer in the tire well question. how loud is it supposed to be when its cranked up? right now I don't hear anything and I'm not sure if its broken from day one or its supposed to only come on during certain frequency. either way I cant get it to work with any music I have tried playing. the more I turn up the volume, the more I hear the other speakers in the car. its to a point where even if it is playing a little I can no longer hear it to be sure its working.

settings, the bass is cranked up all the way. I even turned the fader to the rear so I can hear it, but I get no bass at all. I'm just checking so I can let the techs at the service dept take a look and fix it without looking like an idiot.

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rnlabas

· #2 · Mar 2, 2016

You MAY have it disconnected if you can't FEEL it - but for the most part you WON'T hear it - that's why it's called a SUB-woofer - it plays sound often at or below your level of hearing - but you should certainly FEEL it. It will be more a vibrational sensation than a vibrational shock though, because it's moving air not banging on metal surroundings. Most cross-overs to a sub-woofer are at about or below 100 Hz. MOST folks won't hear these sounds - but many youngsters can. Below 20 Hz it's VERY difficult for humans to 'hear' these but they can be sensed or felt - and not merely by the shaking and rattling of other stuff in and or around the car...

You dealer can scope the outputs to/from the sub and see if it's working correctly -

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ron4094

· #3 · Mar 2, 2016

100Hz is very easy to hear even for the hearing impaired. Sounds below 20Hz are a different story requiring a very good subwoofer and a clean amplifier. I am 67 and can easily hear down to the low 20's in my home system using a very good subwoofer properly placed in my living room. However, there is not much music that I listen to that has bass this low in frequency. My 2016 Audi Q3's subwoofer does work properly. When I lower the subwoofer level in the MMI, I can easily hear the lower bass level drop. I haven't yet used an audio oscillator to check how deep this subwoofer goes, but based on music that I have played, I would guess that it is good down to slightly below 40Hz. Though this doesn't seem very low, it is quite good for most music though probably not for rap music containing very strong deep bass levels.

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john

· #4 · Mar 2, 2016

rnlabas said:
You MAY have it disconnected if you can't FEEL it - but for the most part you WON'T hear it - that's why it's called a SUB-woofer - it plays sound often at or below your level of hearing - but you should certainly FEEL it. It will be more a vibrational sensation than a vibrational shock though, because it's moving air not banging on metal surroundings. Most cross-overs to a sub-woofer are at about or below 100 Hz. MOST folks won't hear these sounds - but many youngsters can. Below 20 Hz it's VERY difficult for humans to 'hear' these but they can be sensed or felt - and not merely by the shaking and rattling of other stuff in and or around the car...

You dealer can scope the outputs to/from the sub and see if it's working correctly -

You are the greatest Roger. I love learning new things from you like this!!

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949

Discussion Starter · #5 · Mar 3, 2016 (Edited)

roger, so your saying its a bass shaker and not a subwoofer. I didn't know that was what we have in the car. if it is a shaker it sure is weak. I know that shaker's job isnt really so much sound but more for feel and so for the sound we really wont be able to hear it, so that would explain a lot. the strange thing about this unit is that its driver is very small but located pretty far back in the cabin. not completely abnormal but very poor design as these things should be closer to the passengers like under the front seats.

but ill still have the dealership look at it just to be sure its still working properly.

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john

· #6 · Mar 3, 2016

I find mine to be quite good, but I am not an audiophile.

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rnlabas

· #7 · Mar 3, 2016

There's no difference between a shaker and a subwoofer - just the tune and power. As for location, low frequencies are NOT directional so it doesn't matter where the driver is located, as long as its moved air accesses the compartment where the "sound" is meant to be heard/felt. So its location is not a "very poor design" at all - in fact, many "shakers" are located in the trunk area of the car as this is the best place for them to fit. You say the driver is small - but size matters less than volume thrown and that is a function of a few others things as well as size (which is the largest easy contributor) ...

While on the subject, first I welcome ron4094 to the forum and hope he continues to contribute even if he and I are not so aligned on the 100Hz sounds being so very easily heard by even hearing impaired folks. Truth is, hearing impaired folks OFTEN 'hear' - but really feel or sense - low frequency sounds, even if they cannot hear at all anything say above 1-2KHz. And really, this is my point about low frequencies and subwoofers anyway - they impart feeling/sensing more than mere hearing.

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john

· #8 · Mar 3, 2016

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949

Discussion Starter · #9 · Mar 5, 2016 (Edited)

the problem is that I hear nor feel anything and I'm standing next to it. I have been installing car audio since the 80's in friends and families cars. I even custom made sub boxes. but with this I am surprised to hear or feel nothing. that's why I didn't think it was a shaker, all I thought was it was a regular sub but just not working.

here is my civic wagon with my custom amp racks made from cnc machined aluminum.

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949

Discussion Starter · #10 · Mar 5, 2016

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949

Discussion Starter · #11 · Mar 5, 2016

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rnlabas

· #12 · Mar 5, 2016

VERY nice work -

As for your sub, if you can't hear (or feel) ANYTHING right next to it - then I DO think it's disconnected or dead - let the dealer check it -

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949

Discussion Starter · #13 · Mar 6, 2016 (Edited)

for sure thanks bro. I wasn't sure if I was going deaf lol. or something else is going on.

just verifying with you all before I tell them along with my next service job in april.

currently I'm planning out something for the S3 I have. I'm not too happy with the stock sub woofer sounds. its not hitting the lower frequencies I love. so the music just doesn't sound and feel as lively as my civic. the goal on the S3 is not make it look stock or close and sound amazing with full range. I'm not looking to knock out the car next to me at the lights but just a little more range of hertz. this is going to take a good 2 years to plan out. I don't want to rush things but also I'm going to need to figure out what parts I can use.

I have looked at the audison bit one and the audison DMI but the problem is that the DMI cant decode the S3. it does pretty much all the other higher audi cars. I prefer to use the digital interface for MOST systems. it would have been a pnp system if it did. I wouldn't have mind the cost either. so by waiting and researching they may come out with a software update as the S3 2015 is still pretty new. this planning will also include restructuring the stock subwoofer area with out permanent damage. where I can revert back to stock if needed. this would mean I need to use stock bolts and holes while still creating a strong baffle.

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usgpru27

· #14 · Mar 29, 2017

My Sub was not connected when I took delivery for some reason. White plastic connector under the rear storage area. Connected it and it lit up. Bose system.

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