Amp issues

[tex512 10+ year member]

Ok so I got a new sub a few days ago but today as i was driving, i was playing it at a relatively low volume for about 15 minutes and I reach back behind my seat to feel my amp and its really hot. With my last sub (which was smaller) my amp never got too warm but my new SD2 can handle more power and I wasn't sure if that could be why. My gains are at around 3/4, should I lower them?

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[azimuth 5,000+ posts]

where did you install your amp? is it in a fairly well ventilated spot?

 

[tex512 10+ year member]

against the wall

 

[morgans432 10+ year member]

maybe not the best spot try to put it on the floor just to see how that goes.

 

[tex512 10+ year member]

It gets plenty ventelation and during those 15 i had my window down about half way. Should have been getting plenty of air. Does a bigger sub draw more power from an amp? I thought this amp might be a little small for the sub

 

[azimuth 5,000+ posts]

i had a problem with a viper d1200.1 in the same location. i spaced it off the back wall a couple of inches and it was much better.

 

[tex512 10+ year member]

i had a problem with a viper d1200.1 in the same location. i spaced it off the back wall a couple of inches and it was much better.

Alright I can try that. But why would it be doing this now with my new sub?

 

[azimuth 5,000+ posts]

It gets plenty ventelation and during those 15 i had my window down about half way. Should have been getting plenty of air. Does a bigger sub draw more power from an amp? I thought this amp might be a little small for the sub

you may have to lower the gains a little. amps will get hot though. my xtant gets pretty hot and has for the few years i've had it.

 

[azimuth 5,000+ posts]

Alright I can try that. But why would it be doing this now with my new sub?

did you set the gains correctly or just ping it at 3/4?

 

[tex512 10+ year member]

Yeah I know amps do get hot but it was such a little amount of time and it had never happened so i thought I might ask. I'll take it off the wall and put my gain to 1/2

 

[tex512 10+ year member]

did you set the gains correctly or just ping it at 3/4?

Honestly I don't know how to set the gains correctly //content.invisioncic.com/y282845/emoticons/frown.gif.a3531fa0534503350665a1e957861287.gif I just fiddled with them and played it by ear. I try to not turn them up too much.

 

[azimuth 5,000+ posts]

Yeah I know amps do get hot but it was such a little amount of time and it had never happened so i thought I might ask. I'll take it off the wall and put my gain to 1/2

you don't have your sub wired to an ohm load too low for the amp, right?

 

[tex512 10+ year member]

no its at 4 ohms where its supposed to be

 

[azimuth 5,000+ posts]

Honestly I don't know how to set the gains correctly //content.invisioncic.com/y282845/emoticons/frown.gif.a3531fa0534503350665a1e957861287.gif I just fiddled with them and played it by ear. I try to not turn them up too much.

assuming you don't have a dmm. turn the gain all the way down and set the head unit at the maximum you would ever turn it up to(usually i do 3/4 of the max volume). slowly turn up the gains until you here any kind of distortion, then turn it down a little.

 

[tex512 10+ year member]

ok well i have 3 knobs i can turn on my amp. Sensitivity, frequency and bass. If i'm not mistaken sensetivity seems to effect it the most. Is that the one i should turn up untill distortion like you said?