2v preout??

[Mike465 10+ year member]

Wouldn't that also be dependent on the quality of the amp/amps?

Not all the way. You can take a $4k amp and send a dirty signal into it and it wont be as clean sounding as a mid priced amp with a higher pre amp voltage coming into it. Yes, the high dollar amp will filter some of the noice out but not all of it will be filtered. With going with a higher pre out voltage you gain a better s/n ratio which means you can keep gain levels as low as possible for a better quality of sound.

 

[IDSkoT 5,000+ posts]

Unless you have a noise issue, there's nothing wrong.


The amp will "work" the same, no matter where the input gain is set.

x2.

It will just be more sensitive to voltage.

But that shouldn't matter anyway.

Like other people say, the only bearing it will have on an amp is the necessity of a higher gain setting. That's about all.

SQ and efficiency will remain the same.

 

[HCCA 10+ year member]

Like other people say, the only bearing it will have on an amp is the necessity of a higher gain setting. That's about all.SQ and efficiency will remain the same.

Um...wrong!!! The SQ will NOT remain the same. There is radiated noise throughout the car audio envronment. Ignition tic, alternator whine, hum, buzz, pop, etc...Some of it is picked up through the RCA's. No, it might not be 80 db of noise at min volume, but there WILL BE noise. A higher voltage from the output of your HU will allow you to keep you amp gains low. Thus minimizing the radiated noise picked up in your RCA's from being amplified in the preamp section of your amp. Now, how much of that noise bothers you IS ANOTHER STORY. BUT, it will be there.

More important, to me at least, is that the output from a "2V" HU is not 2V. It's more like 1.7V, with .3V of clipped signal at full volume. 2V outputs are derived from the 12V charging system. 4V, and up use switching power supplies to provide an unclipped signal all the way to full volume. BTW, can't clipped signals cause damage to your speakers?? Ohhh, that's right THEY DO!

 

[IDSkoT 5,000+ posts]

Um...wrong!!! The SQ will NOT remain the same. There is radiated noise throughout the car audio envronment. Ignition tic, alternator whine, hum, buzz, pop, etc...Some of it is picked up through the RCA's. What noise is picked up will be amplified by your amp's pre-amp section. The more you have to turn up the gain on the amp, the more the noise will be amplified....along with the clean signal. No, it might not be 80 db of noise at min volume, but there WILL BE noise. A higher voltage from the output of your HU will allow you to keep you amp gains low. Thus minimizing the radiated noise picked up in your RCA's. Now, how much of that noise bothers you IS ANOTHER STORY. BUT, it will be there.
More important, to me at least, is that the output from a "2V" HU is not 2V. It's more like 1.7V, with .3V of clipped signal at full volume. 2V outputs are derived from the 12V charging system. 4V, and up use switching power supplies to provide an unclipped signal all the way to full volume. BTW, can't clipped signals cause damage to your speakers?? Ohhh, that's right THEY DO!

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All the things you mentioned won't be all that audible. Sure, if oyu're competing, more power to ya'.

But, for regular use, you don't need anything more than 2volts.

And clipped signals don't automatically damage your voice coil. It just exposes the coil to more power in a given course than a non-clipped signal.

When I say "SQ won't suffer" I mean audibly to the regular ear.

But I suppose you're one of those fanbois who claim that a sub run off a class AB amp will sound better than a sub run off a class D amp, even though in every blind test they've done, the listeners couldn't tell the difference.

EDIT:: Now that I think about it... the only way for the RCA to pick up those signals/distortion is if it's run by a power wire. (which is why everyone says to run it on the opposite side.)

So, again.. you're wrong.

And most amps will become sensitive up to a .2 volt signal. So, 1.7 volts will be fine. If you set the gains with a DMM, you'll be fine.