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Amp/Speaker Config help please???
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<blockquote data-quote="Lasherž" data-source="post: 8714545" data-attributes="member: 679555"><p>So since your amp questionably has an overheating problem, here's how you set it based on the rating of the amplifier:</p><p></p><p>You'll need a multimeter (doesn't need to be particularly expensive, just your basic junky hardware store one would work even) and a variety of -0dB test tones to play, you can find these on google, they're just .mp3 files or .wav of various sine waves, make sure they're -0dB.</p><p></p><p>For a subwoofer you'll want to cover the ranges that it plays, but usually it'll be the most power between 40 and 80hz, each system is different. Mine peaks at 50hz.</p><p>For midrange speakers you'll want to play from about 100-1000.</p><p></p><p>Turn the gain on the amp all the way down on every channel, remove all of the speaker wires from it, and if you're using bass boost turn it off (you can always come back and do this test using it, but this is for a baseline and ideally you'd never use bass boost anyways), you can leave the HPF or LPF the same. Then turn your head unit to 3/4 of maximum using one of the -0db test tones that's within the hz range you're looking to play with the channel you're setting up. The reason you don't go max is because the head unit can introduce clipping near its limit.</p><p></p><p>Put the multimeter on AC voltage mode and attach the leads to the speaker terminals of the channel or bridged channels you're adjusting first and turn up the gain until your multimeter senses at least a volt or two. Now go through each tone looking for the voltage that's the largest without adjusting the volume of the unit or the gain of the amp, the goal here is to find the frequency that represents the hardest note for the amplifier to play. Once you find approximately the tone that's higher than all the others play that tone and follow ohm's law for the value you're trying to achieve. Turn up the gain until you get the voltage value for your RMS rating, this serves as the baseline and what your manufacturer advertises it to be able to play. Kicker isn't great at going beyond rating, but their products can at least achieve what they're advertised for.</p><p></p><p>For figuring out the voltage you're after, take the RMS rating or the channel (65W), multiply it by your eventual speaker impedance (4 ohms), square the result (260) to get 16.12v, this is the voltage you're looking for. Once you see that value on the meter leave the gain setting alone and reconnect the speakers. You should now very rarely if ever clip it again under that 3/4 volume level, any additional gain or volume that you give it will be overdriving it according to the manufacturer, which most good amps can handle, but since you've already had issues with your cooling I wouldn't stray very far above that gain position.</p></blockquote><p></p>
[QUOTE="Lasherž, post: 8714545, member: 679555"] So since your amp questionably has an overheating problem, here's how you set it based on the rating of the amplifier: You'll need a multimeter (doesn't need to be particularly expensive, just your basic junky hardware store one would work even) and a variety of -0dB test tones to play, you can find these on google, they're just .mp3 files or .wav of various sine waves, make sure they're -0dB. For a subwoofer you'll want to cover the ranges that it plays, but usually it'll be the most power between 40 and 80hz, each system is different. Mine peaks at 50hz. For midrange speakers you'll want to play from about 100-1000. Turn the gain on the amp all the way down on every channel, remove all of the speaker wires from it, and if you're using bass boost turn it off (you can always come back and do this test using it, but this is for a baseline and ideally you'd never use bass boost anyways), you can leave the HPF or LPF the same. Then turn your head unit to 3/4 of maximum using one of the -0db test tones that's within the hz range you're looking to play with the channel you're setting up. The reason you don't go max is because the head unit can introduce clipping near its limit. Put the multimeter on AC voltage mode and attach the leads to the speaker terminals of the channel or bridged channels you're adjusting first and turn up the gain until your multimeter senses at least a volt or two. Now go through each tone looking for the voltage that's the largest without adjusting the volume of the unit or the gain of the amp, the goal here is to find the frequency that represents the hardest note for the amplifier to play. Once you find approximately the tone that's higher than all the others play that tone and follow ohm's law for the value you're trying to achieve. Turn up the gain until you get the voltage value for your RMS rating, this serves as the baseline and what your manufacturer advertises it to be able to play. Kicker isn't great at going beyond rating, but their products can at least achieve what they're advertised for. For figuring out the voltage you're after, take the RMS rating or the channel (65W), multiply it by your eventual speaker impedance (4 ohms), square the result (260) to get 16.12v, this is the voltage you're looking for. Once you see that value on the meter leave the gain setting alone and reconnect the speakers. You should now very rarely if ever clip it again under that 3/4 volume level, any additional gain or volume that you give it will be overdriving it according to the manufacturer, which most good amps can handle, but since you've already had issues with your cooling I wouldn't stray very far above that gain position. [/QUOTE]
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Amp/Speaker Config help please???
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