Amp clips but lights don't dim

[aarunt1 10+ year member]

This is not a new problem I just never asked about it. Anyways I set my gain correctly using a multimeter and a tutorial at SSA. My sub if currently sealed. Even when I crank it, it's just not as loud as I'd like it. I will likely go ported soon to get more output but my real problem is that sometimes when I have it cranked, I will get a clip so I immediately lower the volume. But it doesn't even seem like the sub is at its full potential so I don't even know if its really getting the full 1200 wrms or not. I'm just confused exactly what is going on because my headlights (or any other lights for that matter) don't dim at all when it's cranked so I wouldn't think that my amp is drawing too much current to clip. So is my amp clipping or my headunit? My h/u has 2.2V preouts so I suppose 4V preouts could be better but is this really a problem? Your thoughts on this please!

H/U: Pioneer DEH-P7700MP

Amp: JBL BP1200.1

Sub: Stereo Integrity Magnum D2 V1 reconed by Fi

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[DarkScorpion 10+ year member]

The 2.2v pre-outs on your head-unit are not to blame, that has more to do with noise rejection and setting your gains. First off, are you sure it's actually clipping? Are you using a clipping indicator of some sort? Or are you just assuming that some random sounds you hear is the amp clipping? Dimming headlights doesn't really have anything to do with clipping either - if your electrical system is providing the amp with the current it needs, your amp can still clip.

Have you tried setting your gains be ear instead of the DMM method? Using a DMM really isn't the way to go for normal listening, since music is dynamic and will have peaks and dips everywhere. I don't know about you, but I don't listen to songs with sustained 30 second 50hz tones in them...

 

[aarunt1 10+ year member]

Thanks for the reply! I don't have any kind of clipping indicator. I just assumed a bad popping sound coming from my sub was clipping. Just based on how it sounds I would call it clipping so I'm pretty sure that's what it is. I used to set my gains by ear but then I found out how to do it by DMM and thought that was probably the best way to go about it. I don't have a oscilloscope as I have heard those are the best as you can see the signal being clipped. I know my electrical system is fine so that's not the problem. I just feel like my system is not setup right even though I know a lot about it and I have gone through different subs and boxes. My friend setup the first system I had in my car in a sealed box and it pounded and vibrated the hairs on my arms and head and it was a cheap Hollywood Excursion sub and a Performance Teknique amp. That system got stolen but after that I always had the bp1200.1 with numerous other subs like such as a RE XXX 15 and 2 SI Mag D2's in sealed and ported boxes and they have never given me the same gratification as that cheap *** Hollywood sub and Performance Teknique amp. I have the SI Mag 12 reconed by Fi right now in my car in a 1.25 ft sealed box with 1200 wrms and it doesn't vibrate the hairs on my arms or head or flex the hell out of my roof. I mean it does give off a significant amount of bass and it sounds great but I feel like it's being held back and when I try to turn it up....it will randomly make a popping noise which I assume is clipping. I don't know what's wrong but I see all these other videos of people with single subs pounding with 1200 wrms and I don't feel like mine is the same. I've had this same H/U and amp in 2 different cars so it's not my car. It's either the H/U or the amp because I just got the sub reconed. Perhaps I should have went with an SPL sub but I don't think that's the problem. Any thoughts?

Also, it always seems like I have to readjust my settings on my H/U when I change music to a different genre. I don't listen to just hip hop with loud bass. In fact I don't listen to that kind of hip hop at all really. But I do listen to hip hop and a large variety of other genres and I find myself always going to my H/U because the bass on this artist is good but then on this artist its low or not existent. While at home with my simple computer subwoofer I don't have to change anything and bass is always nice and consistent listening to the same exact artists. What gives?

 

[supermaxx123 10+ year member]

you can clip the amp at a higher impedance easier, in other words it wont put out much power and clip faster, popping is really bad and i've never personally experienced that with any amp/sub i've had, hen not expected, i have heard it when i overexcureted a sub before. what is your subs impedance?

 

[aarunt1 10+ year member]

Thanks for the reply. It is currently 1200 wrms @ 1 ohm and yea it's not a significantly loud pop but it is a pop sound and it is ugly and sounds like it is hurting the sub. I just got the sub reconed and I don't want to mess it up so I want to get this straightened out asap.

 

[supermaxx123 10+ year member]

i would say go ported, it your best bet if you want loud. maybe the suspension needs to soften up, but i dont think that would cause it to pop. i would say try a different amp.

 

[supermaxx123 10+ year member]

does it happen while driving? if the system is on and volumed up but not playing, try wiggling the rca's on the amp, maybe they are loose and can cause a pop.

 

[Terranova 10+ year member]

I doubt your clipping your probably bottoming out. Is clipping even audible? I noticed when I had my Fi Q in a sealed 1.2cuft box it was great but when I reached a certain volume it would pop and start making weird noises like a scratching. But once I put the same sub in a ported box it NEVER happened again. Was at least 4x louder and actually still sounded extremely good for a ported enclosure.

does it happen while driving? if the system is on and turned up but not playing, try wiggling the rca's on the amp, maybe they are loose and can cause a pop.

That's a good idea as well.

 

[joep1231026 10+ year member]

i had the same problem with my solo X.... try building a ported box, it worked for me. the sub used to be hella weak, now it makes my ears bleed... //content.invisioncic.com/y282845/emoticons/wow.gif.23d729408e9177caa2a0ed6a2ba6588e.gif

 

[aarunt1 10+ year member]

It has only happened while driving so far but I don't think the RCAs are the problem and I don't think it was really bottoming out because I don't really listen to crazy bass intensive music like lil jon. It's like the gain is too high but there is not alot of output higher volumes. If I put the volume relatively low and crank the bass on my H/U there is a lot of bass but the music is low. I just want to be able to have my music at normal listening level and have a lot of bass to back it up and honestly I don't listen to my music that loud. You won't hear me coming down the street with my bass pounding and my door speaker blasting because I can't. I'm too scared to turn up the volume because of that popping and I feel that with 1200 wrms my sub should be pounding. I had Fi beef it up to handle 1200 wrms and the suspension was the stiffest suspension I had ever felt so I really doubt it is bottoming out.

 

[supermaxx123 10+ year member]

what do you listen to? how high is the LP filter set at? your in chino, thats close to ontario, i wanna hear this pop noise... ha

 

[aarunt1 10+ year member]

The LP filter on the amp is all the way up because my H/U has a built in LP filter for either 50, 80 or 120hz. I had it on 50hz and there was a ton of cone movement but not so much bass. 80Hz is a better but is more likely to clip and 120Hz seems like it has the best overall range for different types of music but would pop the easiest. And yea I'm not far from Ontario maybe I could show you but I'm gonna be busy till next week. I don't really want to show off the pop because it's bad and I don't want to mess up the sub but If you knew how to fix it that would be pretty awesome.

Also, I really want to go ported but this amp for some dumb reason doesn't have a subsonic filter so I was gonna buy a pair of fmods because I'm scared it will get messed up if it goes too low. Probably why it got messed up and needed to be reconed in the first place. That or I didn't hear all the popping when it used to be in my trunk.

 

[supermaxx123 10+ year member]

no rush, the amp has to have a built in subsonic, maybe 20hz. you say you dont listen to it loud, having it ported at low levels even under tuning wont kill it anytime soon, subs die from heat and overexcursion.

 

[aarunt1 10+ year member]

naw man no subsonic filter on this one. I don't know why they wouldn't put one on it because it's a class D monoblock but I can always but the fmod inline filters. And I pretty much don't listen to it loud because I can't. I'd definitely listen to it a bit louder if I could. Just not ridiculous loud like some people.

 

[Terranova 10+ year member]

Well if it only does it at high volumes then you are probably bottoming out.