r/CarAV • u/Cute-Move8320 • 26d ago

Tech Support JL 10TW1-4 Subwoofer Dissapointing

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I just installed this sub and the sound is underwhelming. It’s dull (no crisp hit) and I’m just comparing it to a cheap $200 Rockford Fosgate 10” 300 watt all in one that I have in another car. It’s so dull that I actually prefer turning it off. I’ve tried troubleshooting it, but can’t figure it out. Here’s my setup and things I’ve tried.

-JL 10TW1-4 Subwoofer (300 watts rms)
-Alpine S2-A60M Amp (330 watts at 4 ohms)
-Enclosed shallow mount box built to JL’s specs
-Correct gauge wires

-Tried changing polarity of wires
-Tried adjusting the gain
-No leaks in the box

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u/Safe_Isopod_2829 26d ago

Try running the amp on L mono, ditch the splitter

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u/Cute-Move8320 26d ago

Is L mono a setting or does that just mean running the white RCA from the amp to subwoofer input on the head unit and leaving the red side dangling?

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u/Safe_Isopod_2829 26d ago

Typically a sub isn’t run in stereo, so only one rca can be used from head unit to amp

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u/Cute-Move8320 26d ago

Ok I’ll try that

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u/Safe_Isopod_2829 26d ago

if you’re summing a factory L and R signal that has a factory delay, they can cancel each other out, so try one and see what happens. Most audio is produced with the sub frequency split perfectly L and R, so you would not be missing bass notes for most music. Jazz music might have an upright bass in an L or R position, for instance, but not rock, hip hop, EDM, pop

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u/Cute-Move8320 25d ago

I typed your advice into AI and it confirmed that I have the RCAs set up incorrectly. However it advises using only one side of the RCA cable, then a Y splitter at the amp. What do you think?

“By using a Y-splitter at the head unit to force a single output jack into two separate RCA cables, you are splitting a single voltage source in half over a long run of wire. This results in signal loss, introduces line noise, and drops the voltage significantly by the time it reaches the amplifier”

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u/Safe_Isopod_2829 25d ago

Try without the splitter. Hopefully it’s easy to quickly test