Don't Underestimate Walmart

**Skyler** · 07-24-2010, 05:16 PM

Here is my story, and it is true.
The first sound system I ever decided to build was for my 1999 Crown Vic P71 (ex cop car). I didn't have alot of money, so I went to Walmart for the audio stuff. Walmart had subs for as little as 20 bucks, or as much as 70 bucks. Brands like VR, Dual, Lightning Audio, Pioneer, Sony, etc.
Well, I really couldn't afford to get the Pioneer stuff, so I went for Lightning Audio, since Rockford bought them out, and they had classic Rockford styling.
I spend 40 bucks a piece on two 12" 750 watt subs. I then spent 90 bucks on the Lighting Audio 750 watt amp. I got some wiring stuff, and finished the purchase with a Pioneer CD player for 120 bucks.
Total spent: $290.00

I went home and had my buddy (who used to build sound systems and compete) build me a custom box. It was actually a real nice box (guy is good). We stuffed it with a moderate amount of synthetic cotton to make it bump harder, and sealed it up.

It sounded awesome. I would blare this thing from sun up to sun down for hours and hours on end. NEVER had a problem.

Over time I always got Walmart stuff, and never had problems.

Well, In May, I decided it was time to put a system in my truck (F250 Extended Cab, lifted 4x4 Diesel). I wanted to do a real good job, so I decided to go to Best Buy for my audio equipment. I bought alot of stuff on sale, so I saved alot of money. But my expenses were as follows.
Kenwood 1200 watt 12" sub- 120 bucks
Bass WorX Ported Box- 100 bucks
Rockford Punch Series P500-2 Amp (500watt)- 350 bucks
Rockford Installation Wiring Kit- 120 bucks
Kenwood CD Player- 120 bucks
Total Spent: $810.00

I feel good about the purchase, I feel it was money well spent. I should really enjoy the superior sound quality since i am used to "Walmart Crap"

I hook it up. Sounds ok, but to be honest, it doesn't sound as good as the walmart stuff. I excuse it that its because I only have one sub and not two like before, even though it is higher quality and 450 more watts.
It beat alright the whole first day, then the second day, the sub blows. It must be a fluke. I go back, get another Kenwood sub, put it in etc. Later that same day, it blows out. I am a little pissed. I go back, this time I get a Kicker Comp. It does good the first day, then the second day it blows. I get another Kicker, and the following day it blows out too.
God Damn....
I get a third Kicker, and before I get to try it out, I sell the truck, but I keep the system. I just put the system in my car last week. Guess what? The sub blows out the next day.
Fvck it...
I go to Walmart, I spend 30 bucks on a Dual 500 watt amp, and guess what? This thing beats WAY louder than the Kenwood or the Kicker, and it has been in my car for a week now, and I have had zero problems.

Moral of the story, just because it is from Walmart, doesn't mean it sucks, and just because it is from Best Buy and cost more, doesn't mean its good.

**Nicotine** · 07-24-2010, 05:24 PM

i have a JL W7 12 and the JL 1000/1 V2 amp...... it's incredible (youtube search JL W7 12)

i havnt fully tweaked the amp for setup and the deck - as im doing breakin period - but it's awesome..it beat my last setup of 2 12s, and my biggest setup back in the day of 4 12" memphis subs.

it all comes down to box also - and wiring.

if you wire the sub impedence wrong for that amp - you're gonna cook voice coils..also, you should have a few GOOD HOURS of MODERATE/LOW volume to break in voice coils, esp on high wattage setups....

as for kenwood - their stuff has been garbage for years. a freind of mine swore by them...he has killed 3 indash dvd players, 2 amps, and like 6 subs in a span of about 2 years..... it's trash.

ALSO

the stuff best buy gets is often the "cheap" version of the stuff found at places that are dedicated car audio...they get the "bulk manufactured" crap that's put together fast for high turnover rate.

**Igifuno** · 07-24-2010, 05:31 PM

True.. I had an awful Best Buy experience a few years ago with some headrest TVs for my truck.. they sucked and kept breaking and they broke over and over until the warranty almost ran out then I wanted them to take them back and they gave me the hardest time over it.. ended up giving me a store credit only for like $1,500.. rediculous..

**Skyler** · 07-24-2010, 05:33 PM

Yeah, as I was blowing out subs, I can't tell you how many times I checked, rechecked, and triple checked wiring, made sure i had good power, good ground, made sure the Ohm loads were correct, etc.
I even got to the point where i was turning down all the power. My amp had a factory set 500hz, Gain set to 7, and Punch half way up. I ended up turning it down to 100hz, Gain set to 3, and Punch just barely on, to the point where the sub just sounded like absolute crap and was hardly beating. Didn't make a difference. It would blow. I couldn't figure it out. One guy said the 1200watt Kenwood was over powered for my amp, and thats why it was blowing (ok?), so the kicker I got was only 300watt. I didn't want to put a 300watt sub on a 500watt amp, but they assured me that the amp had a safety feature where it would only feed the opropriate amount to the sub, so if it is a 300watt sub, it will only send 300watts. Blew those too. So I ranged from 300watts to 1200watts, 100hz to 500hz, Gain set to 3 and gain set to 7. All had the same outcome.

But oddly enough, this cheap walmart sub beats crazy loud and doesn't have an issue.

**Nicotine** · 07-24-2010, 05:36 PM

watch this beast flex....dont mind the quality of the audio..there's no way his camera can pick up the tones.......

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SnXFuesr2tg

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9ATQP8u9zTQ

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ygs3dQfNguc

but i do agree - some people think shit like best buy/futureshop has quality stuff.....

their only concern is sales and money.... they sell the cheapest crap but at the highest markup.

**Skyler** · 07-24-2010, 05:44 PM

That flex was fvckin crazy!
I am now downloading Bass I love You so I can go try it out, lol

**cherrydrpepper** · 07-24-2010, 06:22 PM

I know this sounds cheesy but I plan on having my mustang likely for the rest of my life and have debated many times putting a system in for SQ. If I was going to do it I want slim fit component 8"'s in the doors cut out and custom molded, and 4" components in kick panels or maybe on the dash I dunno. God you are making me fantasize about this stuff again.. If you are into this type of stuff there are some great sites out there. Sounddomain used to be one of them but i haven't hung out there in years so I dunno. F you got me looking at car audio f that I am not getting back into that scene. I dunno how you justify buying the stuff unless you are really comfortable financially. You could run gh for a good while for what a good system costs you.

**Shol'va** · 07-24-2010, 06:58 PM

Attention Walmart Shoppers..........Cleanup On Aisle Seven.

**Hoggage_54** · 07-24-2010, 07:01 PM

**** walmart, **** best buy, I support the little guy

**Shol'va** · 07-24-2010, 07:14 PM

Originally Posted by Hoggage_54

**** walmart, **** best buy, I support the little guy

And we thank you for your support.

**Nicotine** · 07-24-2010, 07:23 PM

Originally Posted by Hoggage_54

**** walmart, **** best buy, I support the little guy

exactly

i get my stuff from a smaller store, not a chain.

and they always keep prices competitive, or even cut me some OK deals.

i feel greasy and slimy walking into walmart.......maybe that's just the grease/smell from the other poor white trash in there at the time?

**Skyler** · 07-24-2010, 08:04 PM

Well, I haven't even been in a walmart in almost two years, until recently when i went to get that sub. You all know how much I hate fat people, so walmart really drives me crazy.

I am all about supporting the little guy, but where I am at, I don't know of a single independantly owned audio shop.

**Nicotine** · 07-24-2010, 08:06 PM

a lot of independant/mom and pop stores are dead, because of places like walmart.....

**Shol'va** · 07-24-2010, 08:14 PM

Originally Posted by Nicotine

a lot of independant/mom and pop stores are dead, because of places like walmart.....

Your right, we used to have a place here called Brandsmart, a higher end store locally owned I believe which I always did business with. Never had any problems with their stuff, but BestBuy pretty much knocked them out with their lower priced lower end stuff.

Not that some low end stuff isnt good but those places have pretty much killed the independent sellers.

**cherrydrpepper** · 07-24-2010, 09:04 PM

Originally Posted by Nicotine

a lot of independant/mom and pop stores are dead, because of places like walmart.....

Its only going to get worse. I sometimes wish the government would step in against Walmart.

**Skyler** · 07-25-2010, 12:06 PM

I think I discovered the problem.
I finally blew that walmart sub, and I went back and decided to look at all the paperwork for everything.
I found the problem.
My amp is 500watts max, and 250watts rms.
Well, thats what it says all over the place, so thats what I have been thinking.
It turns out it is only 250watt rms @ 2ohms.
Well, I looked at the fine print, and it actually bumps up to 500watts rms when @ 4 ohms.
So since all the subs I have gotten have all been 4 ohms. So, if I would have run 2 subs at 4ohms each, then i would have been good for 250watts rms.
But since I ran a single 4ohm sub, i was sending a constant 500 watts to a sub that was only supposed to handle 400 watts max (kenwood), 150watts rms (kicker) and 200 watts rms (dual).
So its no wonder they kept blowing out.

**Shol'va** · 07-25-2010, 12:30 PM

Originally Posted by Skyler

I think I discovered the problem.
I finally blew that walmart sub, and I went back and decided to look at all the paperwork for everything.
I found the problem.
My amp is 500watts max, and 250watts rms.
Well, thats what it says all over the place, so thats what I have been thinking.
It turns out it is only 250watt rms @ 2ohms.
Well, I looked at the fine print, and it actually bumps up to 500watts rms when @ 4 ohms.
So since all the subs I have gotten have all been 4 ohms. So, if I would have run 2 subs at 4ohms each, then i would have been good for 250watts rms.
But since I ran a single 4ohm sub, i was sending a constant 500 watts to a sub that was only supposed to handle 400 watts max (kenwood), 150watts rms (kicker) and 200 watts rms (dual).
So its no wonder they kept blowing out.

What? Can you explain that again very slowly. It sounded like you were saying that the Rotundular protrusion was no longer symmetrical causing incongruity throught the entirety of the spectrum.

**cherrydrpepper** · 07-25-2010, 12:33 PM

Use audio forums they will save you a lot of headaches.. Just like some people believe they can make it as trainers and nutritionists there are people who dedicate their lives to car audio thinking some day they will hit it big. A few of them do but for every one of them theres a dozen dudes living in their mom's basement that know how to make his own speaker or sub from scratch but not how to make a buck with that knowledge.

**Skyler** · 07-25-2010, 05:41 PM

I just replaced my entire system. I got a 1000 watt amp powering two 12" MTX Terminators, in a Terminator sealed box.

If you guys aren't familure with the subs, check this video out!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RWmPuTkhTnE&NR=1