amplifier popping

[Supergumby5000 5,000+ posts]

Okay im not sure if i should worry about this or not, but its kind of confusing. When i turn my system up pretty high, i sometimes get an occasional popping sound from the amplifier. Whats got me is, i can set my subwoofer out on my headunit at +1, and it will make the popping, but i can also set it at like +6 and at the same volume, it wont pop/pop just the same as at lower bass volume.

Today it did it once, and i was lucky enough to see it. it kind of sparked it look like on the LED logo on top of the amplifier. this was fixed under warranty. When i first go tthe amplifier the LED logo did not light up at all.

Anyone got an idea on whats going on?

edit: another note is that when this "popping" happens, the subs dont stop playing at all. Nothing really happens except the popping sound, cept i dont know exactly whats popping //content.invisioncic.com/y282845/emoticons/crap.gif.7f4dd41e3e9b23fbd170a1ee6f65cecc.gif

Click to read more...

 

[Supergumby5000 5,000+ posts]

ttt

 

[blackbonnie 5,000+ posts]

does it happen when a big bass note hits or when it draws alot of current?

 

[Supergumby5000 5,000+ posts]

well, im guessing so. I mean its ussually on bass heavy songs. Today it did it playing hoods run down by lil wyte. What gets me is that if i have the volume at 45 and bass at +1 on headunit, it may pop, but when its at 45 volume and +4 on headunit, it may not pop. this time when it popped too it was visible in the LED logo. like a spark or something.

 

[azbass 5,000+ posts]

sounds like its not fixed right if your seeing sparks

 

[blackbonnie 5,000+ posts]

x2, i dont think it is fixed right, sounds to me like something maybe touching inside your amp and thats whats setting the spark. play it for a day with you bass on 0 and keep your volume 25 or below, and tell us if it pops again. if it doesnt then i bet that the reason it pops is that the bass is moving something inside the amp and making it otuch something else and thats what the spark is.

 

[blackbonnie 5,000+ posts]

forgot to ask, is the spark inside your amp or where did you see it at?

 

[Supergumby5000 5,000+ posts]

yeah ive never had an issue at lowvolume. The first tim ei wired it up it popped pretty bad, but it was some settings on my deck. not sure of the name of the setting, but i changed it from -18db (highest) to -6db (lowest setting), and it stopped popping. Its been fine since sunday. Today i ran it pretty hard for about 15-20 minutes, then thats when i got the "pop", it came from the LED logo on top, and smell'd a wee bit if you got right up to the vents on the side of the amp.

 

[blackbonnie 5,000+ posts]

yeah i dont think it has been fixed right, but if its a spark, it would just be a positive and negative touching, and its probobly the positive and negative on your LED.

 

[Supergumby5000 5,000+ posts]

ssssooo, what to do then? should i just use it and see what happens with it, or should i send it back now for another (hopefully good) warranty fix? or even just use it til something happens, THEn send it in? lol what do you all think? i dont know much about how the internals of an amp work/react

 

[luvinthebass 5,000+ posts]

wheres your gain at?

 

[blackbonnie 5,000+ posts]

well whatever you do make sure you send it back before your warranty expires. i personally would send it back right now, just because it is sparking and i wouldnt want anyhting else to catch on fire. but you can do whatever, but i say send it back right now, tell them whats wrong, and get it fixed. there warranty doesnt cover your subs or your whole vehicle, so if your car caught on fire there not gonna replace it. so send it back now.

 

[dB-r 10+ year member]

Your power supply transformer windings have probably vibrated alot, and rubbed some of the enamel off the wires, and now you are getting sparks when it arcs over from 1 winding to the next or someother component or circuit board trace. It will eventually destroy the amplfiiers power supply mosfets. It's like they are driving a dead short when those windings short.

Could be something else, but sounds like the transformer, send it in for warranty tell them EXACTLY what is happening so they will replace the transformer or repair it. Otherwise they may hook it up, find no problem, and send it back to you.... That would ****.