I have dual 12" subs with a 1800W Amp and a 1F cap system. When I crank up the volume on my system, I notice that the headlights and all other lights in my car start to dim a little with the bass. Is this because of the alternator not generating enough amps to handle the stereo system, or is it the battery?

 

its the cap, the cap isn't enough. I'd recommend getting a 2nd cap or a bigger cap. If your battery isn't already an Optima Yellow top, get one of those, should fix it.

 

Its most likely your alternator... a cap is a bandaid, its not going to fix anything, just cover it up. If you want to do it right, upgrade your alternator and don't worry about it again. Otherwise, you will take the risk of killing your alternator driving down the road, which isn't a great idea.

 

I second that. I didn't get a cap until after I got a high-output alternator and a Yellowtop. Also, upgrade your "3 magic wires". Here's a tutorial on how to do it...

 

Another battery may work as well, but caps are bandaids

 

Once again people misunderstand what a stiffening capacitor actually does. The main ponit of a capacitor is to regulate the smaller voltage dips in the power system. It is not to be used as another power supply to correct the huge dips in bass notes. Granted, if you do connect a 2 farad capacitor to a 1800W system, you MAY notice a SLIGHT decrease in the amount of dimming in your headlights. But that is about it. The best way to resolve the problem is to get an alternator that has a higher output than the stock alternator, which was designed to power a stock audio system.