Sundown Audio SA-12 w/ Taramps HD3000.1 on 2013 Cruze LS

5048 Views 10 Replies 3 Participants Last post by anthonysmith93, Oct 4, 2017

thespr

Discussion Starter · Oct 3, 2017

Just got all of this put together in my 2013 Cruze and it hits so, so much harder than my old 500W RF amp/prefab box that fell apart.

Friend did the install on the amp and properly set/tuned the gain way down so as to not harm the single sub (got this amp on a great deal and because I'll be moving to a double 12" setup in the future).

Getting no more than 1000W RMS at my lowest rise, lots of trunk rattle but expected it being a trunk setup in a smaller-ish car. Looking into deadening/decoupling solutions soon enough.

Custom box has a volume of 2.38ft3 after displacement with a port area of ~30in2 tuned to 34Hz~. Hit 139.3dB on an SPL meter right after install/tuning.

Video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kjg0y5eWPzk

Pictures of the Cruze after my cosmetic changes:

Land vehicle Vehicle Car Chevrolet cruze Chevrolet

Land vehicle Vehicle Car Chevrolet cruze Mid-size car

Managed to get the license plate BUMP, thought it was kinda cool hahah

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eddiefromcali

· #2 · Oct 3, 2017

couple of questions....

how do you know youre only getting 1k rms (Voltage out reading with a test tone?) ?
Why note use an LC-1 to control the "volume" of the sub and set the gain properly instead of "turning it down"?
That SA12 can handle 1k no problem, I had an SA12v1 for 2yrs with 2k daily. Crank it up!

Any power upgrades?

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thespr

Discussion Starter · #3 · Oct 3, 2017

eddiefromcali said:
couple of questions....

how do you know youre only getting 1k rms (Voltage out reading with a test tone?) ?
Why note use an LC-1 to control the "volume" of the sub and set the gain properly instead of "turning it down"?
That SA12 can handle 1k no problem, I had an SA12v1 for 2yrs with 2k daily. Crank it up!

Any power upgrades?

My friend has a lot of expensive audio equipment I don't know what a lot are called, I know one is an SM-1, not sure if that's what he used though. But at my lowest rise I'm getting a little over 1000W RMS, we could go more but it's a Taramps Brazilian amp and they're known to be pretty powerful and "risky" so I'm playing it safe even though I probably could get more power out of it.

He flush mounted a knob to control the bass up front right above my head unit so I do have one of those.

Right now I'm on stock electrical but if I go to two subs I might look at seeing if anyone can make a Cruze high output alt but doubt they will lol

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eddiefromcali

· #4 · Oct 3, 2017

yeah those amps like high voltage...not sure how these cruzen do with large electrical loads but at times they barely put out 12v, not taramps friendly. Is the knob a "gain" knob or line control? they do different things.

DC power in Riverside, CA might make an HO alt...I run a 300A alt of theirs in my truck...zero complaints.

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anthonysmith93

· #5 · Oct 4, 2017

Cruzes typically put out well over 12V, sometimes almost 15V, so your heavy electrical load should be fine. However, the exterior and interior lights do still dim when the bass hits, as do most vehicles. Our alt is 140A so not the smallest but not audio competition grade either. Be careful running a low gain and likely cranking the deck volume, as that introduces clipping and that's more dangerous to the sub than a slightly too high gain in the first place would be.

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thespr

Discussion Starter · #6 · Oct 4, 2017

anthonysmith93 said:
Cruzes typically put out well over 12V, sometimes almost 15V, so your heavy electrical load should be fine. However, the exterior and interior lights do still dim when the bass hits, as do most vehicles. Our alt is 140A so not the smallest but not audio competition grade either. Be careful running a low gain and likely cranking the deck volume, as that introduces clipping and that's more dangerous to the sub than a slightly too high gain in the first place would be.

The only time I really crank the deck/clip (my amp came with a clip light we ran up front so I can always see when I'm clipping) is when I'm doing a quick demo or just doing it for a couple seconds here and there. Would slightly increasing gain introduce less clipping? I thought either way, deck volume increase or gain increase I'll see clipping.

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anthonysmith93

· #7 · Oct 4, 2017

thespr said:
The only time I really crank the deck/clip (my amp came with a clip light we ran up front so I can always see when I'm clipping) is when I'm doing a quick demo or just doing it for a couple seconds here and there. Would slightly increasing gain introduce less clipping? I thought either way, deck volume increase or gain increase I'll see clipping.

Clipping is more easily introduced from the HU volume being up too high, that's why it's better to have a gain that's properly set to avoid having to have the deck at 3/4 the total volume just to have bass. Of course gain thats up way too high is also damaging, but clipping from the deck is easier to cause damage since most people don't realize it's doing it. A too high gain is much easier too hear.

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thespr

Discussion Starter · #8 · Oct 4, 2017

anthonysmith93 said:
thespr said:

The only time I really crank the deck/clip (my amp came with a clip light we ran up front so I can always see when I'm clipping) is when I'm doing a quick demo or just doing it for a couple seconds here and there. Would slightly increasing gain introduce less clipping? I thought either way, deck volume increase or gain increase I'll see clipping.

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Clipping is more easily introduced from the HU volume being up too high, that's why it's better to have a gain that's properly set to avoid having to have the deck at 3/4 the total volume just to have bass. Of course gain thats up way too high is also damaging, but clipping from the deck is easier to cause damage since most people don't realize it's doing it. A too high gain is much easier too hear.

I see, I'll ask my friend who did the install what he thinks. He tuned it with some special equipment he has, I have both a gain knob and the volume on the head unit I mess with and like I said I have a clip light so I can always tell when I'm clipping but not sure if I should increase amp gain/decrease HU volume or if it would even be worth I feel like I would still clip at around the same overall dB output.

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eddiefromcali

· #9 · Oct 4, 2017

Did he tell you at what vol your headunit starts distorting, if any? If he set your gains, hopefully he set it at max vol before distortion.

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thespr

Discussion Starter · #10 · Oct 4, 2017

eddiefromcali said:
Did he tell you at what vol your headunit starts distorting, if any? If he set your gains, hopefully he set it at max vol before distortion.

Yes, around 30/40 it distorts, he left some leeway so songs that aren't 320kbps (Spotify, anything other than my USB) can be adjusted here and there. I rarely ever go full 30/40 and never go over that.

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anthonysmith93

· #11 · Oct 4, 2017

If you have ways to monitor clipping like you say then you’ll probably be okay, that wasn’t known from your previous posts so I didn’t realize it. And if you don’t really go to the 3/4 of volume point on the HU its likely fine.

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