Terrum 10+ year member
CarAudio.com Recruit
As per a previous thread I was looking to upgrade my single Sundown SA-12 Classic (750W) to dual Sundown SA-12 V.2s (2x1000W). I took the plunge to spend out a little more than intended for an amp that would work best with my lacking alternator (90A) but my aftermarket battery (Stinger 1850W) so got myself the Sundown SALT-2 merely because it is supposed to perform great even at low voltages.
I got a little excited and installed it early with the risk in mind that it would blow my SA-12 Classic if I cranked it. I started out with the sub disconnected from the amp and tuning the gains to a 0db 40Hz tone with the bass knob halfway (for headroom with quieter songs and on-demand control with the clipping light) and the headunit maxed (but unclipped).
I was disappointed to say the least when I connected the sub back to the amp and barely noticed a difference in volume even when I took the risk to put full load on the sub and it only seemed slightly louder at max volume (without clipping on either the headunit or amp) compared to my Rockford R750-1D.
The voltage on the bass knob stays within 13-14v even when clipping. No smells and no mechanical noise - I know the SA-12 Classic's power is underrated but I didn't think it could handle 2000W I also noticed that the SALT seems to be louder on the 'punchier' notes (kicks) but quieter on the basslines, compared to my Rockford R750-1D (750W) where both the kicks and basslines were pretty equal.
Another thing I will mention is that my headunit only has a single (mono) RCA output for amplifiers. Rockford confirmed that the left channel works as mono when only one RCA is plugged in, Sundown have yet to respond to me but for now I have kept the RCA cable in the left channel of the SALT amp. When playing a stereo bass tone (that wipes from left to right channels) the SALT amp still plays both channels. I know that a Y splitter will increase the signal but I don't know if that means an increase in volume without clipping or if I have just made up for that lesser signal by upping the gains with one RCA connected.
I've tuned both amps very similarly with subsonic filters turned as low as possible, and low pass filters turned to around 100Hz, I'm just a little confused as to why I'm getting very little difference in volume considering the huge jump in RMS wattage and wondering if anyone has any tips or advice.
Just to be clear everything I have described above is accurate regardless of whether the car is on (@14.4v) or off (@12.6v).
Many thanks for reading and I look forward to any discussions
I got a little excited and installed it early with the risk in mind that it would blow my SA-12 Classic if I cranked it. I started out with the sub disconnected from the amp and tuning the gains to a 0db 40Hz tone with the bass knob halfway (for headroom with quieter songs and on-demand control with the clipping light) and the headunit maxed (but unclipped).
I was disappointed to say the least when I connected the sub back to the amp and barely noticed a difference in volume even when I took the risk to put full load on the sub and it only seemed slightly louder at max volume (without clipping on either the headunit or amp) compared to my Rockford R750-1D.
The voltage on the bass knob stays within 13-14v even when clipping. No smells and no mechanical noise - I know the SA-12 Classic's power is underrated but I didn't think it could handle 2000W I also noticed that the SALT seems to be louder on the 'punchier' notes (kicks) but quieter on the basslines, compared to my Rockford R750-1D (750W) where both the kicks and basslines were pretty equal.
Another thing I will mention is that my headunit only has a single (mono) RCA output for amplifiers. Rockford confirmed that the left channel works as mono when only one RCA is plugged in, Sundown have yet to respond to me but for now I have kept the RCA cable in the left channel of the SALT amp. When playing a stereo bass tone (that wipes from left to right channels) the SALT amp still plays both channels. I know that a Y splitter will increase the signal but I don't know if that means an increase in volume without clipping or if I have just made up for that lesser signal by upping the gains with one RCA connected.
I've tuned both amps very similarly with subsonic filters turned as low as possible, and low pass filters turned to around 100Hz, I'm just a little confused as to why I'm getting very little difference in volume considering the huge jump in RMS wattage and wondering if anyone has any tips or advice.
Just to be clear everything I have described above is accurate regardless of whether the car is on (@14.4v) or off (@12.6v).
Many thanks for reading and I look forward to any discussions