Alpine 60x4 deck is getting clipped...is this a common problem with these decks?

[snb778 5,000+ posts]

Well for the last year and a half I have had a problem with my speakers getting clipped when I turn the volume up loud. We have checked every component in my system...re-ran wires, checked all channels on the amp...returned the amp 2 times......

thennnnn someone tells me that the Alpine 60x4's it is a common problem for them to clip unless you wire it up with the power wire going right to the power wire for the system or directly to the battery.

Can anyone else confirm this, or had this problem?

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[JimJ 5,000+ posts]

That "60x4" is meaningless - you are aware of that, correct?

Run a proper external amplifier and that problem will disappear.

 

[iceteebone 5,000+ posts]

almost anything will clip when turned up too high

 

[alphakenny1 10+ year member]

yea come on now, if you turn up the volume too high it will eventually clip.

 

[snb778 5,000+ posts]

no no no...i have an external amplifier. I have just heard that specifically the 60x4 alpine decks have had that problem...wher eyou have to hook up the power from the radio directly to the battery because they dont get enough power if you do it the normal way...

Here is what happens....

I have 2 components in my front doors and kicks ok....when i turn one channel on the amp to normal gain...and the other channel to normal gain....they cut out with the radio on like 22-25...I turn the channel 2 gain DOWN and leave channel 1 higher...they all stay on. When I reverse the situation...turn channel 1 down and channel 2 UP...they cut out still.....

SO it seems like there is something wrong with the channel 2, but ive had 2 new amps sent to me because i keep blaming the problem on the amp...when it doesnt seem to be the amp.

So right now I have channel 1 normal, and channel 2 down and they are fine for now, but I want to fix the problem...because this is the main reason why my interior isnt as loud as I want it to be.

 

[Red Rocket 10+ year member]

I was trying to find the article where I read this but I remember reading that Crutchfield and Alpine recommended doing the direct connection to the battery to get the best out of the unit. You have an external amp but I don't see why it couldn't hurt.

 

[snb778 5,000+ posts]

yea...once i get my new car thats how im going to hook it up...and hopefully the clipping goes away, and I get the sound out of these that I KNOWWWWW they can deliver. My buddy had 2 of them in his RSX with about a 150db daily system id say...and they still shiiined in his car. I know some of it has to do with the car...but it just sounded A LOT better than my setup right now...and once again, id say some of it has to do with the amp... my 4 channel kicker, or his 4 channel RF bd series.. little more of an SQ amp.

 

[JimJ 5,000+ posts]

Unless you're running the deck up close to the maximum volume setting, you shouldn't have problems with clipping.

The "60x4" doesn't matter because you're not using the internal amplifier.

 

[Ctminime 10+ year member]

even if u are using an external amp for this alpine the "60x4" means nothing because that is the rating on the internal amplifier for the speakers when not using an external amp.... so either way that 60x4 means nothing i would adjust your amp so the volume on the cd player dosent have to go as high for you to get the desired output... its possible the deck is clipping it.... adjust your amps louder so its as lound as u wan it on Say volume 23 or 24... stay away from that alpine maximum 35 if u can..

 

[alpine3612 10+ year member]

yea you would think the only reason they reccomend using that wire to the battery is because of the internal amp. If your not using it, i woudnt think you would need the wire. Another thing i would check, make sure you have the internal amp turned off on the alpine.

 

[SuperJETT 10+ year member]

Are you using the preamp output or speaker outputs to hook up the external amplifier?

 

[snb778 5,000+ posts]

yea you would think the only reason they reccomend using that wire to the battery is because of the internal amp. If your not using it, i woudnt think you would need the wire. Another thing i would check, make sure you have the internal amp turned off on the alpine.

How do you turn off the external amplifier??

"even if u are using an external amp for this alpine the "60x4" means nothing because that is the rating on the internal amplifier for the speakers when not using an external amp.... so either way that 60x4 means nothing i would adjust your amp so the volume on the cd player dosent have to go as high for you to get the desired output... its possible the deck is clipping it.... adjust your amps louder so its as lound as u wan it on Say volume 23 or 24... stay away from that alpine maximum 35 if u can.."

I just said the "60x4" because I was told the Alpine decks that are 60x4 ( i dunno if thats all of them or not) had this problem.

I have adjusted my radio so that my max I want to turn it up to is 25/35...so that part is fine...its once I hit like 24-25 they cut out, unless I turn down the channel 2 gain on the amp......but once I turn channel 2 up and put channel 1 on low gain...they still clip...as if its something wrong with channel 2, or one of the components being powered by channel 2..but its not. we (my installer and I) are at a loss..

 

[60_cent 10+ year member]

that is not rms power, I think rms is around 26 watts..

 

[dimond 10+ year member]

the "60x4" power deck ur reffering to is probably the 9815. it does 26x4.

check ur crossovers, HPF, gains. Pretty sure its either one of those that are not set correctly.

 

[snb778 5,000+ posts]

i dont have the 9815, BUT...someone said there is a way to turn off the internal amplifier on them...anyone know how to do that?