Power and Ground cables?

Question

i have a single 12" Alpine type R dual 2 ohm sub in parallel for a 4 ohm load to an Alpine MRD m1005 that is supposed to put out 500 watts RMS....my power wire is 4 guage and at least 10 feet long....my ground is also 4 guage and less than a foot long....my deck is an Alpine also and my components are still factory because so far they sound better than any aftermarkets ive tried(not sure why) and my car is a 2006 Eclipse hatchback

with factory electrical system and a 75 amp alternator.....my system is plenty loud..vibrates the whole car the entire hatch above the trunk and will vibrate any carport im under but i feel like im not getting the most out of my setup bass wise......my headlights dont dim so much but the interior lights and cd player illumination does..would i benefit from moving up to guage wires and if so would it be worth it? i cant afford to do it all but im just wondering if im missing something and is it possible that this amp simply sucks for bass?what is my next step?

Answer 1

Well, if you have a single 12" dual 2 ohm sub and you have it wired in parallel, then you're running a 1 ohm load, not 4.  To get 4 ohms you'd have to be running series.

The most likely reason after market speakers aren't sounding very good is because the impedance of the aftermarket speakers is not marrying up too well with the factory amplifier you're connecting them to.

If you have no complaints about your system, why are you worried about trying to get more out of it?  Either you're satisfied with it, or you're not.  If you're not, you should probably address the actual issues you have with it.  

I'm not sure how to answer your question because you basically answered it yourself earlier on in your post.  You like your system as it is.  If you still want to improve the bass in your car,

#1 Don't get a cap

#2 consider a high output alternator

#3 Look into a better enclosure, probably ported

#4 Get a bigger amplifier

#5 Get more subs

#6 upgrade your wiring to support any upgraded equipment you decide to get.

Answer 2

A capacitor to hopefully reduce the dimming effects.

As far as why you like the components, the new Eclipse's stock system is GREAT. Probably the best out there in a stock vehicle. I was surprised when I saw that they give you a subwoofer stock. Most of the time cars I see have 4 speakers and maybe a few tweeters.