Looking for the stereo gurus in the group

Me personally I am not a fan of putting electronics that have adjustments in a place I cannot readily get to it and make adjustments. I am also concerned of having them back there because of the lack of air circulation and the possibility of overheating which is definitely bad for electronics.

As to whether you move them really goes to the fact that the whole system will have to come apart and the wiring redone to accommodate the move. Do you feel confident to do that kind of work? If you do then I would say go for it. You would then have an intimate knowledge of how your system works and would then be able to troubleshoot any problem you could have in the future. You may even find the elusive "blue USB" .
If not then comes the added expense for hiring a second person to do it and even more money ...which sucks!

Whatever you decide...we will be here to help!!

SSREAPER

This might take a while....

Quote from studiopeg

This might take a while....

I'm trying to avoid banging my head against the keyboard... Contrary to belief, you can get nice subtle thump from two 6.5" subs there are the right ones that is. Now, on to your issue @'studio peg' your installer is killing me! Without knowing the numbers on the sub installed into your enclosure it would be hard to guess if you're coming close to getting the output that you should be. I'm sure that amp without looking up the numbers should be getting around 160-170watts RMS easily. Knowing that, it should have been matched up with a single 6.5" subwoofer that would allow you to comfortably run it at that number with a little headroom without blowing it and accounting for the enclosure space--being in a sealed space vs ported/vented. I honestly think the dual 6.5" version of that box would have been a much better choice for bass. Sometimes a business looking at the sales numbers, added with an installer who doesn't care can lead to a sub-spectacular install. I'm starting to think that you received both and I wish it wasn't so.

NOW--it's hard to see where that LPF frequency is dialed down to and this could also affect your bass response. Being able to see the side of your amp with all of those magic numbers (LPF off or on, Bass Boost,etc.) can really allow us to help you dial in your amp to achieve the bass response you want without blowing your subwoofer.

I'd contact UAS and ask what would be the optimal amplifier to pair up with their sub and enclosure for starters. I'd explain your current amplifier choice and the less than spectacular sound. I know it's like working backwards but I'm sure it might be helpful.

Quote from Zorasmiles

I'm trying to avoid banging my head against the keyboard... Contrary to belief, you can get nice subtle thump from two 6.5" subs there are the right ones that is. Now, on to your issue @'studio peg' your installer is killing me! Without knowing the numbers on the sub installed into your enclosure it would be hard to guess if you're coming close to getting the output that you should be. I'm sure that amp without looking up the numbers should be getting around 160-170watts RMS easily. Knowing that, it should have been matched up with a single 6.5" subwoofer that would allow you to comfortably run it at that number with a little headroom without blowing it and accounting for the enclosure space--being in a sealed space vs ported/vented. I honestly think the dual 6.5" version of that box would have been a much better choice for bass. Sometimes a business looking at the sales numbers, added with an installer who doesn't care can lead to a sub-spectacular install. I'm starting to think that you received both and I wish it wasn't so.
NOW--it's hard to see where that LPF frequency is dialed down to and this could also affect your bass response. Being able to see the side of your amp with all of those magic numbers (LPF off or on, Bass Boost,etc.) can really allow us to help you dial in your amp to achieve the bass response you want without blowing your subwoofer.

I'd contact UAS and ask what would be the optimal amplifier to pair up with their sub and enclosure for starters. I'd explain your current amplifier choice and the less than spectacular sound. I know it's like working backwards but I'm sure it might be helpful.

Thanks much. All I wanted was a little bass. I tried to keep it simple as I'm not an audiophile. DOn't know why nothing seems to work for me the first time around.

I've contacted Underground Autostyling about this issue but have not heard back from them.

I've had the JL MX 300/1 amp, and it is a very good amplifier. As Zorsmiles states though, it is HIGHLY dependent on the settings of the low pass filter, polarity (hope they have right), and gain (input sensitivity). It also has bass boost settings as well as an input voltage (which hopefully they have correct). The bad news. all settings are on the bottom behind a panel.

The best setting is very install dependent, but typically the low pass would be set higher for a 6 inch than a 12......my gut, may be set too low and a 6 inch just can't produce in quantity (e.g 40 Hz). The settings really need to be checked. If you have it pulled, I strongly suggest you get the JL remote installed. It is about $45, but allows you to control the bass boost with a simple rotary knob. Available allot of locations, but here is what I am mentioning item_93402_JL-Audio-M-RBC-1-Water-Resistant-Bass-Knob.html.

I can't see how the amp is mounted, but that is step 1.....pull it and look at the settings on bottom (behind panel held by screws to make waterproof).

Question:

The installer had to put 3 filters in to filter out the engine noise coming through the speakers. Could this be affecting the bass in any way?

@studiopeg
The amp shown in the pic is a fantastic amp. JL AUDIO is considered to be one of the best in AMPS. That is more than enough to drive not just one but 2 of the subs you have. The wiring goes in thru the end and the adjustment are under a cover on the bottom ans shown in the pic below.

If the Amp is actually wired correctly is has to be setup for the input before adjusting the gain. I have linked to you the manual for that amp. It is pretty straight forward. I would look at how they have it setup and then compare to the manual.

MX300_1_MAN.pdf?1467235450

That is an incredible gaggle of wires in there and somewhere back there is another amp . It would be a huge undertaking to move all of that to a new location. Very easy when first installing but not so easy to move. If you can slide that amp out and make sure the preamp wires are connected correctly polarity wise. And also check to make sure the trigger wire is connected other wise its not turning on (could also be why there is no sound). After that check to make sure you have good connection at the speaker. If that is good then go in for the adjustments.

If you send me a pic of the rear of the amp so I can see the current settings I can see if I see a problem.

Quote from studiopeg

Question:

The installer had to put 3 filters in to filter out the engine noise coming through the speakers. Could this be affecting the bass in any way?

YIKES!! Your installer should have known at this point that installing the amplifier in that location was no bueno! Basic installers know that you will get feedback when you have your power/ground cables installed and running too close to your speaker wires. This is why you would normally run them on opposite of the vehicle when doing an install. If the installer had to do more than one filter...he should have backed off and figured out what was going on and not proceeded to throw money after money with the filters in my personal opinion. That rats nest looks like what happened in my F250 when I tore it apart for the first time. I found all kinds of garbage behind the dash that gave me chest pains.

As McClendons previously stated all of the settings are under the plate on the underside of the amplifier. The W3 series 6.5"s can be run like a 10" or 12" to a degree and they will take a beating for a smaller subwoofer once properly broken in with the right amount of air space.

FWIW, yes those filters and your installer are more than likely the culprit with your lack of bass issue *sigh*

Here is a good explanation of noise in a system...how it occurs and what is needed to fix.

Car Audio Noise Suppression Guide

SSREAPER

I want to thank everyone for all their input and time they have spent trying to help me on this.

I'm putting the radio back in and am going to have it entirely re-done by a different place that specializes in motorcycle installs.

I give up.

I only liked it because I know how stressful this ordeal has become for you. Now you can give some guidelines to the new installer on how you'd like it done correctly. Please keep us informed of any issues as we are willing to be available for you to continue to bounce ideas off of. Praying for better outcomes with installer #2.

Quote from studiopeg

Question:

The installer had to put 3 filters in to filter out the engine noise coming through the speakers. Could this be affecting the bass in any way?

I've installed 3 J&M amps, my current 5 channel, a MX 300, and a 4 channel. Did not need a filter in any case to keep noise out......so something sounds fishy. The quality of the JL amp is one reason I love them, less noise than any others I've tried. Noise can come from a couple of places, primarily a "Ground loop" because of poor power/ground wiring and a Bad RCA cables (which tends to cause a hum). I know this is hard to swallow, but it does sound like a reinstall of you high end equipment might be best. At a minimum, checking the settings, wiring, and RCA should be done, but you will nearly need to rip the stuff out anyway. Good luck.

I've got an appointment for the new installers (they did my air ride and are very familiar with Slingshots and they also are Boston's premier custom audio installers) for them to look at everything. Hopefully they'll know what to do to improve the install - whether that means moving the amps somewhere else than behind the radio or not, we'll see.

Thanks everyone for all the help.

I would move it under the drivers seat, close to battery and far enough you wont need those filters. That is a hotbox behind the stereo and no air circulation.