asong31

I'm looking to buy a capacitor and a new amp for my subwoofers. I saw a capacitor by "tsunami" and was wondering if I should go with that or if there were any other recommendations for the cap and amp. Thanks.

MP3Car.com

 

treetop777

Elaborate..

asong31

This is the details of the cap I'm looking at:

Tsunami Lite Wave PP1002TM

» 2-farad capacitor (24-volt surge)
» blue LCD meter
» flashing blue LEDs
» blue LED accent ring
» audible low/high-voltage warning
» 4-gauge positive and negative wiring terminals

and as far as amps for my subwoofers, I'm just seeing if anyone has any recommendations as far as brand, what I should look for when buying amps, etc. whatever anyone can help me with is very much appreciated. Thanks again.

LaxPlaya8513

please, give more information...

what subwoofers do you have? What size cap is it in farads of course, What kind of car is it? What wiring do you have? What is your source unit, What is your budget

Shadow

Caps are useless. Fix the problem at the source and don't put a band-aid on it.

LaxPlaya8513

^^ So many arguments on capacitors... *Sigh* At first i thought they were awesome, then i thought they sucked then i learned they work, then i was told they suck... then now i'm like they're good...

treetop777

I always thought Caps were good, depending on the system. I'm no expert but that's the only thing i know of that would compensate for the inability of the battery or alternator to deliver that extra "umph" (power) during deep bass transients. From what i have read, they are a must for systems running 500 watts or more..

stanford1621

caps have a place in car audio but, that place is not a substitute for a lack of power, if your electrical system can't supply enough power for your amplifier how can it supply enough power to your amplifier AND keep a cap charged?

Why do you think you need a cap?

even adding a second battery is not gonna solve the problem
all a battery does is start the car and it provides power when the car is not running.

First you need to know how big your alternator is and how big your amplifier is

and you need to know how you are gonna use the system
do you play it at full tilt with the key off?

The first upgrade is to do a "big 3" do a google search it is the cheapest electrical upgrade and it can give nice results

Second should be a bigger alternator, third a deepcycle battery and last is a capicator.

the only thing a capicator can do is discharge power faster than a battery that is the only benifit of it basicaly it will stop your lights from dimming.

Here is a secret all amplifiers have caps built into them.

What are the rms (not max) ratings of the subs and what is the voice coil config, example: 2 ohm dual, single 4 ohm, and how many subs do you have?

MP3Car.com

 

vipervin

do the big 3 before wasting your money on a cap. if you don't have any electrical problems when the bass hits, then you really dont need a cap. like someone else above said, caps are just a band-aid for problem at the source

LaxPlaya8513

The purpose of the capacitor is to help smooth out the current flow so there aren't any burps and any dips in the audio. That's why it's called a stiffening cap. If your headlights are dimming badly, the cap won't help, if they're slightly shivering/flickering slightly, the cap is a good investment, of course after upgrading your engine grounds. The method i would go with is reground engine bay, change battery, change alternator, and if that doesn't help then add a cap.

Megalomaniac

no need for cap..nuff said

edit: yep Big III is the way to go, and a HO alty, I got a 200a iraggi

scott_fx

i've always wondered if a stiffening cap (like the >10 farrad type) actually improves sound quality by smoothing out the ripples? i mean....a home amp can benefit from clean power...wouldn't this help a little in a noisy car environment?

__________________
New System in progress:
M10k
Phaze TD1500 ~> Dynaudio MD130
Phaze TD1500 ~> Seas g18rnx/p
Zapco Ref 500.1 ~ 12" tc-9
Behringer DCX2496 ~ Envision Electronics psu
Transflective Xenarc

My Car Pc Install

LaxPlaya8513

^ yes, but i wouldn't shoot for such a high capacity stiffenin cap because if by chance it does somehow drain, that bigass cap is going to be such a leech on the electrical system. If your car is set up well enough under 2farad is what i would recommend

Shadow

False, caps can charge and discharge in under a second.

stanford1621

here is an example If I listen to a song that has a long bass note the cap discharges fast so how does it get recharged? Becuase the alternator can't keep up with amplifier, the cap can't get recharged until the bass note stops.
if the song has quick repetitive bass notes cap will never get recharged.


I am not saying there useless but it is a large amount of money for a small gain.

MP3Car.com