yeah rms, never max power. Dimming of the head lights is not the only reason, a cap allows the subs to hit harder, and does not strain your battery an alt as much, if its not too big.
No, caps do not make the sub hit harder. That's a well circulated internet myth. Capacitors can possibly effect dimming, that's their only use, period. Can you guarantee they will do anything? Nope, absoloutely not. If someone tells you that they'll make your bass better, kick them square in teh jimmy and tell them to shut up. If they tell you they can gurantee an effect, kick them in the nuts again, because they can't tell you how they'll effect your charging system. Caps store power, and supply it to the amp at voltage spikes (when the amp/draw is asking for more than teh battery/alternator can supply). This causes dimming. The caps provide the surge of power, even if for a breif second to supply your electrical with that surge, or at least attempts to. Still, there is never a consistent effect. Some people have great results with them, some have no results with them. My advice, big 3 wires, then battery, then alternator. If that doesn't fix it, I'd try adding a second battery, colser to the amp, and isolated from the one supplying teh motor. Then, after all this, I'd possibly try a cap. I'd never advocate using one, as they never increase voltage, again that's a circulated myth, and they don't increase bass response. Anyone that tells you they do is doing one of several things: 1. Trying to sell you something you don't need. 2. Believing marketing ploys of manufacturers. 3. Circulating and buying into the lies and hype circulated on internet forums. I could go on...
If the cap supplies power when the battery cannot, then with out the cap, the subs are not gettin as much power, even if its only brief, it still will get more power to your subs, thus making them louder. Caps definitely take a little strain off the electrical system. An upgraded battery will prob do more than a cap, but they are both useful.
I'll be willing to bet you $100, on a mic that if you add a cap you will not see an increase in SPL. You're not very educated about capacitors are you? Search for capacitors, there's a therad here I posted a long time ago that'll teach you a thing or 12 about them. By the way, the bet above would be easy money, so I'm not going to rip you off like that. Caps are never guranteed to be useful, and that's teh problem. They have adverse effects as many times as they have positive effects. Fact of the matter is caps only help dimming. Nothing more, nothing less. They don't increase voltage and they don't keep voltage steady at 14.4 v and they don't increase SPL numbers. That's a myth.
If the cap supplies power when the battery cannot, then with out the cap, the subs are not gettin as much power, even if its only brief, it still will get more power to your subs, thus making them louder. Caps definitely take a little strain off the electrical system. An upgraded battery will prob do more than a cap, but they are both useful.
Caps are an added strain, its one more thing that has to be charged. The time it takes a cap to discharge is counted in fractions of a second, so it is literally impossible for it to have an affect on the voltage/volume of the system. All they do is have a slight potential to reduce dimming.
u know what, unless you have a HARD CORE class D amp, for your SUB or subs, you don't need a new alternator or a cap. if you have a decent sub amplifier, than i'd suggest a cap, a cap does put out better bass,
like me, i have a JL 12w7 with the 1000/1. mines on the lowest setting, and it's still draining power like a bitch. even with a cap. a cap is just temporary power. a new optima battery will provide a longer steady power. but a alternator will just make it so you just need the alternator. unless you don't put 1000+ dollars in to ur sub//amp i'd highly doubt you need an alternator. a cap, i'd suggest.
u know what, unless you have a HARD CORE class D amp, for your SUB or subs, you don't need a new alternator or a cap. if you have a decent sub amplifier, than i'd suggest a cap, a cap does put out better bass,
like me, i have a JL 12w7 with the 1000/1. mines on the lowest setting, and it's still draining power like a bitch. even with a cap. a cap is just temporary power. a new optima battery will provide a longer steady power. but a alternator will just make it so you just need the alternator. unless you don't put 1000+ dollars in to ur sub//amp i'd highly doubt you need an alternator. a cap, i'd suggest.
Okay i have done some research and this is one of the most highly debated topics whne it comes to car audio if not the most.
"The only reason a capacitor prevents lights from dimming is by smoothing out the voltage rails. those rails will still be sagging though if the alternator can't keep up. this just emans you'll have non dimming lights getting about 10 to 11 volts instead of the 12 to 15 they should."
