2V vs. 5V Head unit?

[T3mpest 10+ year member]

Exactly, it's like any other type of electrical signal, just because it's rated at a certain amount doesn't mean it's putting it out all the time. IIRC it's logrithmic or something, so that for most of your volume knob your input voltage is minimal, only on the last few turns of the knob does it really scale up. (assuming you set your gains normally) So for normal volume listening, your probably not using more than the first couple volts anyway.

 

[trunks9_us 10+ year member]

Exactly, it's like any other type of electrical signal, just because it's rated at a certain amount doesn't mean it's putting it out all the time. IIRC it's logrithmic or something, so that for most of your volume knob your input voltage is minimal, only on the last few turns of the knob does it really scale up. (assuming you set your gains normally) So for normal volume listening, your probably not using more than the first couple volts anyway.

you are correct!

here is a ex. It probably is 2 volt rms and 5 volt max. You have to remember even with headunits just because it says 5 volts or 8 volts it is not telling you where that unit is putting out that 5 volts. Just like when you listen to your amp. You may have a 9.0 that is fully capable of running 2200 watts rms, but where you listen to it it may only be putting out 1000. So does that mean that your 2200 watts is being wasted.....no not at all because its easier for that 9.0 to produce 1000 watts than it would be for a 6.0 to produce it. So everything is working more efficent and the power is clean and sounds good. Same idea wiht your headunit. If its capable of producing 2 volt rms and 5 volt peak it will perfrom better than a headunit that produces 2 volt peak and .5 volt rms.

 

[BassAddictJ 5,000+ posts]

testicles

 

[Prowler573 5,000+ posts]

you do know that gain doesn't effect how much power the amp produces right? //content.invisioncic.com/y282845/emoticons/eyebrow.gif.fe2c18d8720fe8c7eaed347b21ea05a5.gif

wtf are you smoking?

but gain totally affects how much power an amp puts out, why do think it gets louder/softer when you change the gains? and no one has said anything about making an amp work harder.

springy??? wtf are you smoking? Gain settings have no effect on the power any given amp will produce. What is affected is at what volume setting the amp will create whatever power it is going to create. An amp designed to make X amount of unclipped wattage will make X amount of unclipped wattage regardless of the source's preamp output voltage. A higher preout voltage will simply allow that amp to create that X amount of unclipped wattage at a lower volume setting than would a source with a lower preout voltage. //content.invisioncic.com/y282845/emoticons/fyi.gif.9f1f679348da7204ce960cfc74bca8e0.gif

 

[SilverSquared 10+ year member]

I've had an Eclipse 8v, Premier 6.5v, and Panasonic 5v. Eclipse and Panasonic rated theirs at nominal, and the Premier was Max. The Orion 250 HCCA I was using LOVED the Eclipse 8v signal. GOD it was clean. The Premier signal was CONSTANTLY causing my amp to clip. I had to run a crossover to 'normalize' the signal. The panasonic, so far, treats me the best. Its a strong signal, and very clear. Nothing compared to the Eclipse, but its **** good.

So, do look into making sure your voltage is constant and not just 'max'.

 

[SilverSquared 10+ year member]

springy??? wtf are you smoking? Gain setting have no effect on the power any given amp will produce. What is affected is at what volume setting the amp will create whatever power it is going to create. An amp designed to make X amount of unclipped wattage will make X amount of unclipped wattage regardless of the source's preamp output voltage. A higher preout voltage will simply allow that amp to create that X amount of unclipped wattage at a lower volume setting than would a source with a lower preout voltage. //content.invisioncic.com/y282845/emoticons/fyi.gif.9f1f679348da7204ce960cfc74bca8e0.gif

This is why back in the OLD days, it used to be called....."INPUT GAIN CONTROL"

Now, if someone can remember the amps that had that written on them, they will post a pic of this amp to clarify things.

 

[iceteebone 5,000+ posts]

and everybody wonders why i don't post outside of the lounge anymore //content.invisioncic.com/y282845/emoticons/crap.gif.7f4dd41e3e9b23fbd170a1ee6f65cecc.gif

 

[Prowler573 5,000+ posts]

This is why back in the OLD days, it used to be called....."INPUT GAIN CONTROL"
Now, if someone can remember the amps that had that written on them, they will post a pic of this amp to clarify things.

I cannot recall ever seeing one labeled as "input gain control" but I've seen many labeled as "input sensitivity adjustment," which is pretty much saying the same thing with different words. Well, no, that's not right ~ it is saying the same thing as we all (most of us, anyway) know because that potentiometer serves the same function on every amp no matter how it's specifically labeled...

 

[.::DuD3::. 10+ year member]

wtf are you smoking?

springy??? wtf are you smoking? Gain settings have no effect on the power any given amp will produce. What is affected is at what volume setting the amp will create whatever power it is going to create. An amp designed to make X amount of unclipped wattage will make X amount of unclipped wattage regardless of the source's preamp output voltage. A higher preout voltage will simply allow that amp to create that X amount of unclipped wattage at a lower volume setting than would a source with a lower preout voltage. //content.invisioncic.com/y282845/emoticons/fyi.gif.9f1f679348da7204ce960cfc74bca8e0.gif

//content.invisioncic.com/y282845/emoticons/tongue.gif.6130eb82179565f6db8d26d6001dcd24.gif

 

[wilzyx 5,000+ posts]

springy??? wtf are you smoking? Gain settings have no effect on the power any given amp will produce. What is affected is at what volume setting the amp will create whatever power it is going to create. An amp designed to make X amount of unclipped wattage will make X amount of unclipped wattage regardless of the source's preamp output voltage. A higher preout voltage will simply allow that amp to create that X amount of unclipped wattage at a lower volume setting than would a source with a lower preout voltage. //content.invisioncic.com/y282845/emoticons/fyi.gif.9f1f679348da7204ce960cfc74bca8e0.gif

thats kind of what i was getting at, if the amp puts out 800w rms its not putting out 800w at all times, only if you set your gains to put out 800 watts at a certain volume. you could set the gain for it to put out 400 or 500 or any other amount of wattage. so then it does control how many watts the amp produces.

you do know that gain doesn't effect how much power the amp produces right? //content.invisioncic.com/y282845/emoticons/eyebrow.gif.fe2c18d8720fe8c7eaed347b21ea05a5.gif

and if this is true then how can i hook up a 100w rms sub to a 1000w rms amp and not blow it? by setting the gain lower and only having it put out 100 watts at the volume where i set my gain.

 

[.::DuD3::. 10+ year member]

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[neonrt 10+ year member]

Completely incorrect.
But, since a higher preout voltage sounds better, I presume you have your volume maxed out every time you listen to your stereo.....because, you know, it would sound best then.

You compared completely different decks. Which means you were comparing much more than simply the preout voltage.

not completly different. both sony, both the same amp 50x4, just an upgraded model with more features. same year hd's and all. volume maxed? that is funny.

anyways, i was just stateing my opinion, from my experiance. i have heard other same amp/brand stereos, that when upgraded to a higher preamp output, sounded much better. i dont set my gains by the dvm, i set them to what the amp says. if the hd puts out 1v, i set the amp to 1v, if the stereo says 2.2 i set it to 2.2, the way it used to be done. never blew a sub due to clipping, or amp for that matter. just my 2cents.

 

[squeak9798 5,000+ posts]

not completly different. both sony, both the same amp 50x4, just an upgraded model with more features. same year hd's and all. volume maxed? that is funny.anyways, i was just stateing my opinion, from my experiance. i have heard other same amp/brand stereos, that when upgraded to a higher preamp output, sounded much better. i dont set my gains by the dvm, i set them to what the amp says. if the hd puts out 1v, i set the amp to 1v, if the stereo says 2.2 i set it to 2.2, the way it used to be done. never blew a sub due to clipping, or amp for that matter. just my 2cents.

I'm not saying you didn't hear what you claim to have heard.

What I am saying, is that you are attempting to attribute it to a specific variable when you did absolutely nothing to isolate that variable.

Your comparisons are in absolutely no way valid to try to even begin to claim that the preout voltage was the reason for the differences you heard. In your own posts you have stated several obvious problems with the comparisons. So I'm not just "presuming".....I'm basing it off of the statements you have made.

Did you hear differences? I'm sure you did!

Was it due to the preout voltage? You can never state "yes" to this question from basing the answer on your past experiences. The preout voltage was one of tens of variables that changed. To attempt to finger it as the source, or even a contributing source, for the change in sound that you heard is impossible.

But to save you the trouble....there are no sonic differences between preout voltages.

 

[supa_c 5,000+ posts]

What about...

Low impedance vs high impedance

Or balanced vs unbalanced, my personal favourite.

If preout voltage had nothing to do with then you wouldnt see all these top of the line h/u's kicking out 4V+

 

[T3mpest 10+ year member]

I've had an Eclipse 8v, Premier 6.5v, and Panasonic 5v. Eclipse and Panasonic rated theirs at nominal, and the Premier was Max. The Orion 250 HCCA I was using LOVED the Eclipse 8v signal. GOD it was clean. The Premier signal was CONSTANTLY causing my amp to clip. I had to run a crossover to 'normalize' the signal. The panasonic, so far, treats me the best. Its a strong signal, and very clear. Nothing compared to the Eclipse, but its **** good.
So, do look into making sure your voltage is constant and not just 'max'.

you do know what nominal means right? IN NAME ONLY! Putting out a load nominally means it will put out a wide range of values depending on certain factors. A low preout signal won't cause your amp to clip. The amp's gain setting will allow you match it up the preout of your hu, if it clipped, it wasn't your hu's fault, user error is more like it. The mentality that bigger is better in this case has NO bearing. If your hu is at least putting out a big enough signal to be supported by your amp, your fine. With music hu's arent' putting out alot of voltage. Remember, for a pioneer to put out it's full voltage you need your volume all the way up, while playing a 1k test tone, any input smaller than that and you wont' see that much. Using musical content, your probably never seeing more than 2 volts out of it. It's not like an amps power rating, where it's what is physically being sent to the speakers. In this case, the signal is simply a catalyst for the amps, the size of the signal is meaningless for the most as long as you can pull full power from your amp with no noise, it's fine.

Basically if you switch out hu's to get a higher preout, your ONLY advantage is your ability to turn the gains down lower and get the same volume. This will improve your S/N ratio, but unless you were getting noise before, it doesn't matter. Most of the "it sounds better now" is just an increase in overall volume. If you don't reset your gains, your getting more sound/volume notch. However, simply turning up the gains on the lower voltage hu would have caused the same effect. People often confuse louder with sounding better, that's why level matching is more important. A lower gain setting isnt' always better, unless your inducing noise, or are clipping your signal by not compensating for it, it makes not difference.

PS. It's not like high end manufacturers EVER publish specs that make no actual difference, high end amps anyone?