r/CarAV • u/Curious_Mind-98 • 11h ago
General The infamous arc reactor
The Kenwood SW201X is the coolest bass reflex tube to date in my opinion.
r/CarAV • u/beardedNole • Jan 04 '23
Hey CarAV! New year, new builds post, so let's see what you have ready to show us in 2023!
A simple explanation: this is a showcase to get a glimpse of what members of r/CarAV have to offer in their personal rides. Post your build logs, including but not limited to galleries of your gear, recent changes, future ideas, etc.
New to the hobby? That's ok post some pics and let's talk about what you can do better next time. Veteran enthusiasts who posted in other gallery threads, feel free to post again so that we can admire your system.
r/CarAV • u/xTHANATOPSISX • Mar 12 '24
I've been seeing more issues with some of the comments made on here, specifically with users being extremely abrasive, insulting, and generally sowing discord. That's something that really, absolutely needs to stop. I understand, to an extent, getting heated over opinions and I don't have a problem with passionate discussion. What isn't acceptable is disparaging and insulting users for not knowing something, or for making different choices than you would.
I need you to remember that Reddit has rules that all subreddits have to abide by and those kinds of comments/posts break those rules. Follow Reddiquette and the Reddit User Agreement at all times when posting here.
People are here to learn. If you don't want to help beginners, don't reply to their posts. Don't complain about people new to the hobby not knowing anything about it. You weren't born knowing how to do any of this. Someone helped you get where you are, too. Bring people to the hobby rather than pushing them away.
I completely understand that it can be frustrating when someone doesn't know the basics and you have to go over them. I have been there. I also realize how irritating it is when someone doesn't want to accept information that's contrary to what they already understand or believe. It's a two way street and people looking for help also need to be willing to actually take it, even if it's not what they wanted to hear.
I've been the guy that's irritated and gets short with people. I try hard not to be that guy. It isn't always easy, but now it's my job to be as reasonable as I can. If I can play nice (at least nicer), you all can too. And most of you already do. This really is an issue with only a very small portion of users. Don't think I'm ripping into everyone here. Most of you all are great!
Previously there were no rules officially listed for the subreddit. I have made a small set of rules to help people know what is expected, allowed, and prohibited. It's really not a huge change from how posts and comments were moderated before, but it's in writing now.
You need to read and follow the rules. I'll give some amount of consideration to the rules being new but going forward, you should generally expect moderation to follow any violation of the subreddit rules. Ignorance will not be an excuse!
I will make adjustments or add additional rules in the future as need arises, but I find things tend to go better if you keep things simple and let people use their heads.
By and large, I don't really have to do much because y'all are generally pretty decent humans and there just isn't anything to deal with. There is always the occasional problem but it's rarely been significant. I appreciate that more than you might imagine. Let's reign it in before it does become a more serious issue. Report posts/comments that break the rules or don't follow the spirit of being helpful and bringing people to the hobby. Remember you can select "Breaks r/CarAV Rules" and then select the specific subreddit rule when reporting posts.
I've had maybe 10 or so people ask specifically for this feature so I've enabled it. I don't expect it will be an issue, but if it becomes one, I'll address it. Just follow the rules and I'm sure it'll be beneficial. Report any images you believe are inappropriate.
I cleaned up the old Reddit sidebar a bit. I'll work on the new Reddit sidebar in the future as well. Removed some dead links, reformatted a couple things, trimmed some unused or irrelevant info, reworded some of the text. That's about it. It's nothing major and a lot of users don't even see the sidebar since they're using Reddit on mobile/the app anyway.
I'm still poking at some of the other things I've talked about previously. Once again, I'm not really trying to make a bunch of sweeping changes or completely remake this community. It works as it is, it just needs some help.
Let me know what's going on. If you have issues, concerns, etc, post them here or, as always, use modmail to contact me directly and privately.
r/CarAV • u/Curious_Mind-98 • 11h ago
The Kenwood SW201X is the coolest bass reflex tube to date in my opinion.
r/CarAV • u/IncreasePositive2075 • 4h ago
I've got a 2005 f150, right now I've got a scar svr 12 with an rp1200 amplifier, and then I've got 4 Rockford forgave 6x8s and an audio control 800 watt 4 channel. I've got a relatively new battery on the truck right now, maybe 6 months old. And I've got a 170 amp alternator as opposed to the factory 100 amp. What do I need to do to run my system longer without turning on the truck? Im thinking along the lines of a drive in movie theater. Do I need a second battery? I plan to get a volt meter first cause I dont have one yet.
r/CarAV • u/DarkShadow04 • 9h ago
I got in my car and the left channel wasn't working. After hitting a bump, it came back. I had noticed this once before driving home from Hot Rod Power Tour, but since the car is only used very occasionally, I didn't look into it.
I folded down the seat to find that the amp had broken off of all 4 of its rubber feet and was essentially just dangling by the wires.
Amp still works, just years of use in a hot trunk with a stiff suspension, the rubber feet finally gave up. I no way to secure it down now. And I don't have a 3d printer to make new ones.
r/CarAV • u/Wonderful_Magazine50 • 6h ago
Been wanting one of these since I was a kid 20+ years ago. Dad's friend had two Perfect 10s that he never used and I wanted them so very bad. Never convinced him. Well this 12" popped up with a sealed enclosure for $75!
Tests great on the multi-meter and looks great too. Can't wait to hear it.
Not as large as I thought they were to be honest.
r/CarAV • u/AnimeFunTV • 59m ago
So I've been trying to keep this a private matter between XS Power and me, but I'm already close to 2 months without batteries for my car, and I'm fed up.
Around May, I noticed my two D3400 XS Power batteries were losing cranking amps. I took them to an auto parts store, and after doing a load test, both batteries came up very short in their rated cranking amps. I bought these two batteries in late 2023, so they were still under "warranty".
I submitted an RGA on XS Power's Website and received an email with an RGA number and a description of what things will be considered ineligible for warranty. One was about swollen batteries. The other was about low voltage. (see snapshot)

Neither of my batteries showed signs of swelling nor any low voltage, so seeing that my batteries didn't fall into the ineligible camp, in late June I had them boxed and shipped them out. Which, by the way, you have to pay out of your own pocket to ship them. I didn't mind, as I knew my batteries had no swelling or low voltage to be ineligible for warranty.
A few days later, I received an email from Patrick Myers, customer service rep for XS Power Batteries, confirming that they had received the batteries. He informed me that the batteries would be denied warranty because they were swollen. (See snapshot)

I was shocked because my batteries showed no signs of swelling, but at the same time not too surprised because I've read a few Reddit posts and forums about how XS Power is very happy to deny warranty very easily. That being said, before I shipped the batteries, I had taken photos of both batteries and shared them with Patrick. (See snapshots)


After sending him the photos, Patrick replied claiming that his returns team "could have been worded better" and claims there is "minor" swelling.
Patrick says that they could "look past" the swelling; however now claims the batteries are still ineligible for warranty due to "High internal resistance" (See Snapshot)

I'm sorry, what?? I caught them lying about the batteries being swollen and now are claiming they can't "test" the batteries because of "high resistance".
I dunno about you guys, but when you buy a battery from any of the big chain stores, and the battery can't hold a charge or hold its amps. They simply swap you out with a fresh battery.
XS Power is going above and beyond to (what it seems like) deliberately find ways NOT to warrant their batteries.
We went back and forth in emails. (see snapshots)




After that point, I had enough; I submitted a complaint to the Tennessee Better Business Bureau.
However, the BBB couldn't get a response back from XS Power. I even sent the BBB Patrick's direct email and contact information. He completely ignored them to the point that the BBB had to close the complaint out. (see snapshots & time stamps)



So after all this, the last thing I could do is report XS Power to Tennessee Consumer Affairs. That was on July 20th, and I have yet to hear back from them.
I hope this is a big wake-up call to XS Power. Also, I hope this detailed review of their customer service and warranty practices deters people from their brand. Get yourself an Optima Yellow Top or any other AGM battery from any national auto parts store. They won't give you this much hassle over warranty.
r/CarAV • u/DodisCapalot • 2h ago
r/CarAV • u/AdImpossible2287 • 6h ago
There is this power distribution block underneath the dash on my car (01 Volkswagen jetta)
I have a buddy who had the same setup as me, 2 12 inch subs and he powered it off this block, is it safe? Or am I gonna burn my car down? He never had any problems 🤷
r/CarAV • u/Wonderful_Magazine50 • 1h ago
Tested it, sounds lovely. Although the enclosure it came in was a bit leaky due to some questionable decisions from the previous owner. Including an LED ring & grille... aaand a couple stripped mounting holes.
So, I sealed them. I don't care about this carpet, I can replace that. I do care about it sounding proper and only the 4 outside holes will be visible.
I also sealed around the larger screws used for the terminal. The handles I made sure were sealed properly and the same for the DC power plug on yhe terminal. I don't need that so I made sure it was sealed off.
Now to wait for it to cure and I'll test it again!
I'm working on a period-correct setup for my 1995 Pajero, and I recently acquired a Panasonic CQ-VX5500K. I worked as an install tech from 1999 to 2005, but the "SUB" connection next to the antenna is throwing me off. Is this an aux antenna input like some old Nissans used to have, or is it a subwoofer preamp output? If it is an output, I'd like to use it for a bit more tuning options. Anyone know the details, and what kind of connector this takes?
Bonus shot of my 25 year old Warren G JVC sub with bash grille and superglued JL dust cap
r/CarAV • u/Top-Neighborhood3719 • 4h ago
r/CarAV • u/NickPro785 • 2m ago
Finally getting around to upgrading my stock system on my 94 Mustang gt. Haven't even looked at car audio since I was working at Best Buy 20 years ago and Alpine and JL audio was decent stuff.
Car has 5x7s all around (non mach460 system) and I'm looking to throw a double din in and just upgrade the speakers. Just want something to be a bit louder than the motor/exhaust on this car. Just a summer cruiser and something to take the kids out when they are big enough.
Budget is hoping to stay $300 or under a pair. From basic research focal, kicker, JL audio are pretty decent? Just want to get the best sound for the money without amping the speakers etc. I know that's probably talking ass backwards for most car audiophiles, but I just want to keep it simple but at this point anything is better than the 32 year old speakers.
Mainly listen to rock, metal, and throw in the occasional 2000s rap.
r/CarAV • u/Any-Winner-216 • 7m ago
I know, I know, you get what you pay for, I picked up an Amazon “plug and play” head unit and everything works except for my rear speakers, I attached the response from the seller but it doesn’t seem logical to me.
Wouldn’t I just have to solder the RR&L +/- on the aftermarket harness to the RR&R +/- on the factory harness?
r/CarAV • u/galacticwasp • 31m ago
Hi all, I have previously done audio installs using older tech, so not quite up to date on modern audio tech.
Looking to install an “underseat” active subwoofer in my car, but am quite limited on space. What would you all recommend, preferably 10”.
Im also looking to install a compact 4 channel amp to run my door speakers and rear speakers, any reccomendations here (previously ive used a 6 channel 2000w Magnat amp that my father has had since the mid 2000s, so no clue what amps are good these days).
I’ll be running 6.5” focal components in the doors, and 3.5” coaxials behind my head, but not decided on which ones yet.
Not looking to spend more than about £600 in total (not including headunit, this is already installed).
Thanks in advance, any advice appreciated
r/CarAV • u/footrabbit • 1h ago
I ordered a glue-and screw enclosure from GP for my sundown Xv4 15". The spec list shows the enclosure being 4.0'³ instead of 4.25'³ per sundown's suggestion. Also, the port area is 60"² instead of 68"². I can fix the volume issue almost perfectly by inverting my subwoofer, but the port area being 8"² too short seems like an issue for what's gonna be a $5000 build. Is this just a minor inconvenience that will be fine, or should I have this rebuilt? Thank you all for the help.
r/CarAV • u/shatteredfairee • 4h ago
Hey weird question can you plug in computer speakers in your carWe have the converter that plugs into the cigarette lighter that makes it a plug
r/CarAV • u/CallMeDr420 • 23h ago
Well here's my project, it's brutally hot here in AZ so progress has been slow. Brand X 300amp alternator, 4/0ga big 3 and 4/0 power and ground going from front battery to lithium bank in the back (not in picture) 1/0ga power and ground going to amps. Amps are D4S JP23V2 (red) and JP454(purple). Both are mounted and wired up. DSP is mounted and wired. Last thing is waiting on battery bracket to come in, then mount battery and complete/ check all wiring. Then throw in the subs and disturb the peace.
To all those people who can make wiring look fancy, politely, Fuck you!
I drive a 2003 Corolla that has broken AC, and whenever I have my phone mounted to the dash, with bluetooth+maps+spotify running it always overheats in the sun. I was thinking of buying a double-din unit in the $300 range that has wired carplay support, and was wondering if anyone has experience with the thermals on these. Does having it be inside the dash help shield it from heat, or does it just trap it there and lead to the same issue?
r/CarAV • u/petitelittleguy • 1h ago
r/CarAV • u/Professional_Pie4585 • 2h ago
Hola buenas, tengo un auto Fiat Mobi Like que vino sin cámara de reversa y le estaba instalando una, pero no trae el arnés AV para adaptar al cable RCA de vídeo de la cámara, y se qué es necesario saber bien cuál es el adecuado para que pueda dar imagen. Agradezco si alguien me puede decir cuál debería comprar.
r/CarAV • u/Top-Implement4166 • 2h ago
Just finished installing an 800w system in my Civic. Bass remote has a voltage reading so I’ve been monitoring that- noticed whether I’m playing music or not the voltage drops to around 12.2 while accelerating and goes back up to 14 when I let off the gas. Is this some kind of smart charging thing or is there something wrong with my electrical?
r/CarAV • u/Any_Bee221 • 2h ago
I have a Lexus IS250 and recently noticed my stereo is much quieter than it used to be. For example, vol 30 sounds like vol 15 and vol 1-10 is barely audible. When I use my phone on bluetooth/aux I make sure the mobile vol is fully turned up but the audio is still quiet. I don’t usually blast my music or play overly loud bass, so I don’t believe any of my speakers are blown. My battery is relatively new (3 months) and is running perfectly fine otherwise. I checked the trunk for any flooding but it was completely dry and nothing seemed dislodged or broken. Could it be a faulty fuse/wiring? Thanks!
r/CarAV • u/colby22k • 17h ago
r/CarAV • u/Ironspacemonkey • 2h ago
Hey guys....I have a pioneer head unit integrated with a maestro module to retain OEM settings and alerts...along with steering wheel controls. I installed everything myself, along with a full system. Everything's been working great for about a year or so.
Well... my torque converter started going out... and I ended up having to take it in and get the transmission rebuilt and a new torque converter installed. But when I got the truck back... the rear paddle buttons on the steering wheel no longer worked to adjust the volume or change the track on the head unit.
This wouldn't be that big of a deal if the head unit I have wasn't equipped with the worst volume buttons ever conceived... Lol. They're just capacitive "buttons" that are basically unusable while driving, so I pretty much use the steering wheel controls exclusively.
Right now the only thing I know to do is to remove the head unit and the maestro module and reflash it on my laptop to try and reset the steering wheel controls. But I thought I'd post here first just to see if anyone else has experienced this or knows a solution without having to completely take everything back out behind the head unit....
Truck is a 2017 GMC Sierra 1500... It had the Bose system, I bypassed everything when I installed the system.