Avoid these 5 common Car Audio NOOB Mistakes!

Рет қаралды 4,811,949

Күн бұрын

In any hobby there are common mistakes that all newcomers make, what are five common mistakes in car audio? How can we better install our subwoofers, amplifier, radio, speakers and wiring? Avoid these five mistakes!
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Пікірлер: 2 700

@westhavenor9513 Жыл бұрын

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

@BrandonSalas-us8mm Ай бұрын

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

@CabinOnTheWater Ай бұрын

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

@philipfuller9114 Ай бұрын

You do

@philipfuller9114 Ай бұрын

@NonPlayableCitizen , I'm Armed too

@thorasguardselectrician2013 20 күн бұрын

You love it

@u9Nails 6 жыл бұрын

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

@Drunken_Hamster 6 жыл бұрын

"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 6 жыл бұрын

Sounds like your amp was starving for more power

@EscapeMCP 6 жыл бұрын

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

@sysierius 6 жыл бұрын

Someone needs a cap :3

@tonynlynn2901 6 жыл бұрын

Buy a capasoter can’t spell today lol half faret

@WhoWantsToKnow81 5 жыл бұрын

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

@MrNunchakulee 5 жыл бұрын

lol

@LS3.4DR 4 жыл бұрын

WhoWantsToKnow81 😂😂😂

@E.K.Hernandez1987 3 жыл бұрын

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 3 жыл бұрын

@@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 3 жыл бұрын

@@LS3.4DR v. Oii. Oil ioiikikggjgkggg

@Ultermategamerz 2 жыл бұрын

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 Жыл бұрын

Which was his first point he made...

@hunterdowning9409 Жыл бұрын

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 Жыл бұрын

@@hunterdowning9409 youtube videos

@sebaszapien Жыл бұрын

@@hunterdowning9409 you are right on it

@smoothestofbrains 2 ай бұрын

@@hunterdowning9409Crutchfield

@mitchellmooso7658 5 жыл бұрын

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

@406Steven 5 жыл бұрын

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

@HeyManJaffery 5 жыл бұрын

lmaoo

@primebuildbryce 5 жыл бұрын

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 5 жыл бұрын

Mitchell Mooso A

@soundterrorist256 5 жыл бұрын

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

@dillestvillian 6 жыл бұрын

buy it nice or buy it twice

@CarAudioFabrication 6 жыл бұрын

+Illest Villain totally true

@Conqueef-tadoor 6 жыл бұрын

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 6 жыл бұрын

How I shop for women.

@EscapeMCP 6 жыл бұрын

Buy once, cry once

@willsfishtanks6122 6 жыл бұрын

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

@marlongaines9319 4 жыл бұрын

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 2 жыл бұрын

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

@wailingalen 4 ай бұрын

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

@GVanArsdale 3 ай бұрын

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

@PheazibbleKneads69 5 жыл бұрын

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

@xpert_kid_one730 5 жыл бұрын

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

@PheazibbleKneads69 5 жыл бұрын

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

@realfrankandrade 4 жыл бұрын

@@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 4 жыл бұрын

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 4 жыл бұрын

@@xpert_kid_one730 or get RCAs with a ground attached

@kirkabrahamson1148 6 жыл бұрын

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 6 жыл бұрын

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

@glennmassengill3532 4 жыл бұрын

😂 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 2 жыл бұрын

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 Жыл бұрын

Why not add capacitor and good battery

@munzirrafik7753 Жыл бұрын

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

@GVanArsdale 3 ай бұрын

Memories on those xplodes wow. You took me back 😄

@jeremywhittington7605 2 ай бұрын

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

@bigchungus-oj8zz Жыл бұрын

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!

@speediegenie397 5 жыл бұрын

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

@ShabaaUkelele 5 жыл бұрын

Lol that must have been fun 😂😂😂

@chim7741 4 жыл бұрын

😂😂😂😂😂😂

@joshua199628 4 жыл бұрын

Big oof

@idleidol5184 3 жыл бұрын

*shocking

@ronaldo19832 3 жыл бұрын

Now they call you the flash

@CarAudioFabrication 6 жыл бұрын

New here? Check out this custom ported subwoofer build video I just released! kzfaq.info/get/bejne/m7qBmLiX25fIdIk.html Here on this channel I have car audio reviews, tutorials and build log videos and I love to help you master car audio. I also love burritos.

@mikelowery6125 6 жыл бұрын

CarAudioFabrication

@bigtravis1968 6 жыл бұрын

CarAudioFabrication a friend of mine who made real good money doing installs at boomer mcloud told me that for the best sounds use the AC DELCO deck It’s 2Watts with nearly zero distortion Amplify that sound and it is smooooooth

@thekdweshowify 6 жыл бұрын

CarAudioFabrication i see friends make mistakes when adding speakers and wiring them wrong. Not understand ohms direct effect on amps and speakers. ie: 100 watts @ 4ohms is rating of amp. Several speakers wired together making amp see speakers ohms @ 32. I find using water pressure and a hose as examples. Water pressure =watts and hose diameter =ohms. And make point on how much furthur water shoots out with more power from a half inch hose compared to a one inch diameter hose. Water dont go as far and power behind it is much more sluggish. That = sound!

@dusterdriven 5 жыл бұрын

I would say Add a #6 Mark, never I mean never install an Android stereo(I had one... It never sounded right and always clipped past 5... Also half the touch screen stopped working)

@dwildstar23 5 жыл бұрын

We have a 2016 Dodge Ram. We purchased an Audio Control amp, ic6. And new upgraded 6 x 9 speakers for our truck. We kept the stock deck. We had a local audio store try to install everything. 10 hours later they still had no sound. Something about the stock deck not reading the amp. We dont want to purchase a newer deck. What answers do you have. Thx, frustrated

@chandlerlaruex 6 жыл бұрын

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

@downtoearthconstruction7768 2 жыл бұрын

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 2 жыл бұрын

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..

@plageran 4 жыл бұрын

Lol! The good old "Headlight dimming" Days XD

@ginogelormino1213 5 жыл бұрын

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 Жыл бұрын

A lot of times it happens by mistake I think

@THEDONMONSTER 4 жыл бұрын

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

@dixienormous49 4 жыл бұрын

I buy speakers to our do my nemesis

@jackanderson2773 2 жыл бұрын

Yep 😁

@thethoughtfield 4 жыл бұрын

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".

@spencerphilippinedream3706 5 жыл бұрын

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.

@2000notw 6 жыл бұрын

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

@fukkinkana 6 жыл бұрын

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

@chrisseng9219 6 жыл бұрын

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 6 жыл бұрын

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 6 жыл бұрын

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 6 жыл бұрын

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.

@Yohann67 5 жыл бұрын

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 5 жыл бұрын

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 Жыл бұрын

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^^

@WOLFDOGSCOOKN 3 жыл бұрын

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

@kasai9870 3 жыл бұрын

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 2 жыл бұрын

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

@yubeme120 4 жыл бұрын

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.

@_jadori_175 6 жыл бұрын

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.

@WarriorsPhoto 9 ай бұрын

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.

@euriburgos6632 3 жыл бұрын

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

@trob9880 6 жыл бұрын

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 5 жыл бұрын

TR Custom Tech yep I agree,

@iamasmurf1122 5 жыл бұрын

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

@mikevanderziel5108 5 жыл бұрын

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 5 жыл бұрын

TR Custom Tech double sided duct tape for the plate

@blake102989 4 жыл бұрын

Cant hear all that if you turn it up loud enough

@CarAudioInc 6 жыл бұрын

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

@CarAudioInc 6 жыл бұрын

Kyle Vanwinkle nothing is really necessary, ever.

@thekillerpotatojosh 6 жыл бұрын

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 6 жыл бұрын

kronik kaotik His system must buuump! lol

@nonalegorical 6 жыл бұрын

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

@darylatkins5317 6 жыл бұрын

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.

@Vesp3r1987 5 жыл бұрын

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

@str8nineball 3 жыл бұрын

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 Жыл бұрын

Baffle em with b.s....

@kennethsimbapuppyeyes6857 10 ай бұрын

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

@StudioTrev813 5 жыл бұрын

WTF Zuck is on the bass tip now?

@woodswerks 4 жыл бұрын

D' Zuck from Bassbook.

@uguuuguunen9544 4 жыл бұрын

Yeah his name is also Mark soooo

@DarthCorvus 3 жыл бұрын

😂😂😂💀

@electrofool420 2 жыл бұрын

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.

@danielmiller6983 3 жыл бұрын

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

@bryandudenhefer3517 7 ай бұрын

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.

@basstrigga44dualsubwoofer46 5 жыл бұрын

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

@rabbit929 5 жыл бұрын

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 5 жыл бұрын

Lmao

@mikejeezy06 4 жыл бұрын

Lmao

@fortunefed8719 4 жыл бұрын

Lmao

@codystephens5939 4 жыл бұрын

Lmao

@daniel-ek9to 4 жыл бұрын

Lmao

@Somegoy 3 жыл бұрын

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 2 жыл бұрын

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

@stlchucko Жыл бұрын

@@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.

@sabbathAndy 4 жыл бұрын

Great video thank you, very informative, will be fitting focal speakers next week and im so psyched!

@kyle23011 6 жыл бұрын

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 4 жыл бұрын

Ditto. Your alternator and battery were already shot.

@Joshua-nn6dz 4 жыл бұрын

Eric Simpson precisely!

@septixskeptix1107 4 жыл бұрын

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

@Xo-1.0 6 жыл бұрын

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

@CarAudioFabrication 6 жыл бұрын

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

@baklap141 6 жыл бұрын

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 6 жыл бұрын

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 5 жыл бұрын

EscapeMCP 8

@PivotLoL77 4 жыл бұрын

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

@394pjo 5 жыл бұрын

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.

@official_commanderhale965 4 жыл бұрын

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 3 жыл бұрын

They dont make em like they used to.

@robertjohnson4784 5 жыл бұрын

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 5 жыл бұрын

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

@shaneinfinity4597 6 жыл бұрын

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 4 жыл бұрын

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

@dntlss 3 жыл бұрын

Man i really enjoy your videos,they are funny and educational,i am just now getting back into the swing of things after a long car audio hiatus,i was really big into it in the 90s,a lot of things have changed but some other things are just the same,thank you for the great info.

@joshuamullen9147 4 жыл бұрын

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).

@mrforrest 6 жыл бұрын

Dude, I really appreciate you doing this video

@chris-edwardlouis9800 5 жыл бұрын

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.

@6806goats1 2 жыл бұрын

Awesome intro video to figure out which options to select to in building a new system. I've already installed a new tablet style Pioneer head unit in my 2013 Toyota Avalon (yeah old guy here) and it has made my tunes much better. But what to do next? Watch and learn from many of your videos and then design the system. Not after max bass but a nice crystal clear sound. Goal is to get closer to the sounds coming from the 19 speaker/500W 7.1 surround sound Mark Levinson system found in my Lexus LS460. Doubt I'll get to that point but it's a goal none the less. Avalon for local driving, Lexus for longer drives.

@Cdogg2233 5 жыл бұрын

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 10 ай бұрын

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

@jedi69outcast 6 жыл бұрын

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

@ourcarproject3059 6 жыл бұрын

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

@robpriv3014 3 ай бұрын

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.

@kevinsimbeck3455 4 жыл бұрын

Mark, Really enjoy your educational content. I always hit like for your videos (because they are the best i have found). I am working a restomod project on my 1968 Chevelle. It is straight forward muscle car project designed for long distance touring capabilities. I have done extensive sound dampening to to floors, doors and roof with butyl/foil product (100% coverage on roof and floor). I may add a closed cell foam and low density vynal to the floor in addition. Quiet cruising in the car is important (well as close to quiet as I can get in a muscle car). My specicfic area of question is in the trunk area. The trunk will hold a small sub and I plan to have 6x9 is the factory position on rear deck. What is the best strategy for sound dampening between the trunk area and the cab since the sub is in trunk? Should I leave a space in the enveloped cab interior so that the sub can better reach the cab? Or should I completely encapsulate the cab interior with additional deadener on the rear sun deck around the factory 6x9 positions? Any thoughts or direction so I can continue my research would be appreciated.

@DirectCurrent4u 5 ай бұрын

@kevinsimbeck3455 I have a 68 Chevelle SS that I have owned sense 1976. I completely restored the car in the early 90s. When I built my sub cabinet I incorporated it into the rear deck. The rear deck is now the top of my subwoofer cabinet which also has my tweeters mounted in it and then reupholstered to match factory interior. To make adequate room for the subwoofer cabinet I had to cut all the sheet metal out behind the rear seat and rear deck area. Using half-inch square stainless steel and half inch angle. I fabricated a whole new rear structure to accommodate the new subwoofer cabinet, rear deck and back seat. My two ten inch subwoofer speakers are 2 inches behind the back of the rear seat. The back of the rear seat was completely gutted and reupholstered to simulate the original rear seat. It's basically just looks like a piece of cloth but is pleaded to match the original rear seat. Utilizing that space gave me the ability to not compromise the space of my rear trunk. The trunk is completely sealed and airtight from the rest of the car. When I had the body off at the car I had it's sprayed with an elaborate sound deadening coating. Have no issues with vibration or outside noise. Hope this helps and wish you all the best with your classic build. DC.

@hellowalkman4506 6 жыл бұрын

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

@MrZombie57 5 жыл бұрын

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

@iant419 3 жыл бұрын

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.

@danielshardlow9392 4 жыл бұрын

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 2 жыл бұрын

Colin Trickett sounds cool .. LOL

@erreidwas 3 жыл бұрын

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.

@magelan3 3 жыл бұрын

Very good video!!! You got the right verbal tempo and flow which makes it very informative and dynamic! Thanks

@jred23pyro 4 жыл бұрын

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

@jackmemphis777 3 ай бұрын

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

@athlonrulez 5 жыл бұрын

Very informative. Thank you!!

@ryanwilson5936 4 жыл бұрын

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.

@strandvaskeren 6 жыл бұрын

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 4 жыл бұрын

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

@AdamWaffen 6 ай бұрын

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.

@tantojutsuninpo 5 жыл бұрын

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

@GotaSir911 3 жыл бұрын

Watts doesn't mean loudness, its efficiency

@alexregis511 3 жыл бұрын

I agree with the second one, i got a truck and got a couple inches behind my bench seat. I got a 10" kicker with a slim ported box and it sounds great

@LRSS2455 6 жыл бұрын

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 6 жыл бұрын

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 6 жыл бұрын

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 6 жыл бұрын

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

@timhenry8475 6 жыл бұрын

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 6 жыл бұрын

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

@grahamprescott9426 Жыл бұрын

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 5 ай бұрын

Crickets 🦗 🦗 🦗 🦗

@KDMFrost 5 жыл бұрын

I have a audio system in my car that i bought for $150 sounds great to me. The equipment might be garbage idk but it makes smile just listening to some bass while cruising

@marisback8790 4 жыл бұрын

I've been searching for on information you mentioned in one of your videos you said "as a rule of thumb you need 10 X for every 100 or 1000 Y" well I forgot what was the X and Y

@joesmith389 4 жыл бұрын

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 2 жыл бұрын

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 2 жыл бұрын

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

@texasboii5539 Жыл бұрын

Best bet is JL audio, top notch and trustworthy

@jaimetrevino9244 6 ай бұрын

@@texasboii5539 100%

@loudelvis610 6 жыл бұрын

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 6 жыл бұрын

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 6 жыл бұрын

Loud Elvis I use screws and glue

@EscapeMCP 6 жыл бұрын

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

@theejoeylee 6 жыл бұрын

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 6 жыл бұрын

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.

@pulselx6655 5 жыл бұрын

Great video, I’m just now looking into getting subs for my Volkswagen Golf, but wanted to know if anyone else has done this as well and knew any good spots to place them without taking up the whole trunk because i use my trunk pretty frequently

@ronaldo19832 3 жыл бұрын

I had back in the day new alternator, two optima yellow batteries and 2 1m farad capacitors. Made a huge difference.

@johnathonmullis4234 2 жыл бұрын

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 10 ай бұрын

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 7 ай бұрын

@@greg6162 trade it in for a Jeep 🤷‍♂️

@jackmemphis777 3 ай бұрын

@@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

@flinch622 Жыл бұрын

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.

@blackout394 4 жыл бұрын

Now im more of a general mechanic with the engines themselves. I am not the best with wiring or any of that at all. Im glad i just found this channel because im looking to install an audio system but i wanted to understand how everything works in the first place like the point of having an amplifier and why you cant just play it out of the normal stereo in the dash

@michaelvandeneede4074 4 жыл бұрын

Thanks for the info. Just watched two of your vids on noob mistakes. Glad I don’t do them, tho, I’m not necessarily a noob, just not a pro. Just did three iDatalink Maestro Rr w/ pioneer head unit installs. But for some reason, phone controls on SW don’t work on any of them, even with OEM BT harness unplugged and SW1 wire hooked up. Any ideas?

@nickparkin8527 3 жыл бұрын

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.

@AdamWaffen 6 ай бұрын

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

@acreppinstp 5 жыл бұрын

I used to hookup 3 or 4 speakers in parallel and put them into the same channel on the amp lol

@73twinturbo 3 жыл бұрын

Perfect advice...capacitor comes last after alt, big 3, and secondary batt

@Chrislav7 4 жыл бұрын

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..

@anthonymasters07 2 жыл бұрын

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.

@CarAudioFabrication 6 жыл бұрын

HEY GUYS! Question of the episode: What other mistakes do you see new guys make?

@troybandy2349 6 жыл бұрын

CarAudioFabrication great info in your videos. I would like to know your thoughts on tactile transducer aka bass shakers in cars. Have you ever used them and what are your thoughts on them. Thank you

@CarAudioFabrication 6 жыл бұрын

+Phrawzt Car Audio lots of good input!

@andersolofsson9180 6 жыл бұрын

Bad installations! 🙈

@timhenry8475 6 жыл бұрын

Biggest mistake Ive seen is shortcuts, example Running power wire thru a door jam, Twisting wires together and electrical tape Not screwing equipment down Running subwoofers or high power speakers directly off head unit with no amp

@NorZkllR1 6 жыл бұрын

Cheap Cable's, CCA :( or Expensive OFC :)

@MrGrassymaps 2 жыл бұрын

I enjoy your videos. I have learned so many things from you. I appreciate you. Thanks for your great work!

@themadlad_ 2 жыл бұрын

Can't wait to get my audio set-up in my Firebird for summer!!! Imma have the T-tops off and blast Van Halen for all to hear

@kdm_kid 5 жыл бұрын

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 3 жыл бұрын

😕

@Conqueef-tadoor 6 жыл бұрын

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 6 жыл бұрын

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 6 жыл бұрын

so true

@hawiianpwr 6 жыл бұрын

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 6 жыл бұрын

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 6 жыл бұрын

I like circuit breakers. costs $0 to reset.

@charliecaballero6394 5 жыл бұрын

Mark thanks for the info I got Camry 2015 I need your advice to upgrade my audio where do I start thanks

@pushkarmd 3 жыл бұрын

Nice info. As you mentioned I made a big mistake is I installed a local amplifier and I am not at all getting expected output. Thanks for the nice video. (Y)

@cityjenkins7500 6 жыл бұрын

BigDwiz on KZfaq is a good resource for amp info👌

@fiolds350 6 жыл бұрын

City Jenkins yes he is

@rmblwgn 4 жыл бұрын

dont forget budget gem or bust! Ryan blankenship has great budget/mid range amp dyno videos

@wal 6 жыл бұрын

Awesome vid!! Some bald guy named BigDWiz is a good resource for mistake #4 😁

@CarAudioFabrication 6 жыл бұрын

+BigDWiz true that!

@Savage-ih5il 6 жыл бұрын

Boss and Pyle are the best I've heard

@markwentz8332 6 жыл бұрын

YEAH BOY!

@elsey1976 6 жыл бұрын

BigDWiz Shame on you, Big Dwiz!

@mrbrowz1000101 6 жыл бұрын

23 Savage 😭

@rooster9704 5 жыл бұрын

I know this video is old, but you mentioned the air space for subwoofer enclosures. I'm looking at a dual 12" box with air volume: 3.7 CF. Any recommendations on 2 12" subs that would pair up best with this box?

@KevinP32270 4 жыл бұрын

thanks for your honesty.

@shelton8091 5 жыл бұрын

All knobs to the right! And speaker wiring impedance!

@LightGesture 4 жыл бұрын

Was thinking this would be on install mishaps, rather than all this other stuff.,

@ElectronicPleasure 5 жыл бұрын

06:15 My entire collection was 96-320kbps VBR with an ABR of 160kbps. So it never really dropped bellow the 160kbps but peaked at 320 when needed. Downloading I ONLY download 320kbps MP3's. But YT has got better these days with audio clarity.

@nicoledavis6705 5 жыл бұрын

I have the 2017 300s with the stock beats system, 1st Off I cant stand the way 10s have that quick bass, Instead of the deep long bass, I also think the car needs tweeters and a better amp. Have you ever boosted up the factory beats with a 12" sub instead of a 10 Along with any suggestions with the type of sound I like ?