Anything bad with 2V preouts?

[Imtjnotu 5,000+ posts]

isnt that a misprint? i thought they had 6v...

no sir...my cd7100 has 8 volts....it just the power of the signal the amp gets....just set ur gains to how u like the sound with out over doing I and killing u speakers or sub

 

[Imtjnotu 5,000+ posts]

Not bad for a starting deck

 

[Pataforce8 10+ year member]

Running an amp at 300 watts with a 4v signal will require just as much out of the amp as running the amp at 300 watts with a 2v signal. The amp works just as hard either way. However, a 4v signal will have a lower noise floor than a 2v signal. Running a line driver is only useful if you have your gain on your amp all the way up and you're still not getting your maximum RMS wattage. Running a line driver will not help your amp, nor will it clean up your signal (the line driver also boosts the noise in the 2v signal), it will only allow you to use all of your amps output IF you cannot do so already.

2 volts is usually fine. If it's not, than get a line driver. Chances are that either way, you're not going to hear the noise while music is playing. Especially not while the car is moving.

 

[elancohen92 10+ year member]

im not a noob! i just dont know about hu's!

 

[retrojordans 10+ year member]

"This is essentially how a system should be set up:

The head unit should be able to use most of its range before the amplifier is driven into clipping. Again, if the gains are set too low, the head unit won't be able to drive the amplifier to its maximum output level. If the gains are set too high, the amp will be driven into clipping at a very low volume level (on the head unit)."

Courtesy of: http://www.bcae1.com/

 

[whitedragon551 5,000+ posts]

Running an amp at 300 watts with a 4v signal will require just as much out of the amp as running the amp at 300 watts with a 2v signal. The amp works just as hard either way. However, a 4v signal will have a lower noise floor than a 2v signal. Running a line driver is only useful if you have your gain on your amp all the way up and you're still not getting your maximum RMS wattage. Running a line driver will not help your amp, nor will it clean up your signal (the line driver also boosts the noise in the 2v signal), it will only allow you to use all of your amps output IF you cannot do so already.
2 volts is usually fine. If it's not, than get a line driver. Chances are that either way, you're not going to hear the noise while music is playing. Especially not while the car is moving.

Wrong. A line driver is ONLY useful if you dont send a clipped signal in the first place. If your settings gains properly and your still not getting the required voltage there is an issue somewhere else in the system. If you use a line driver on a clipped signal all your doing is amplifying it and sending it down the line.

This is essentially how a system should be set up:
The head unit should be able to use most of its range before the amplifier is driven into clipping. Again, if the gains are set too low, the head unit won't be able to drive the amplifier to its maximum output level. If the gains are set too high, the amp will be driven into clipping at a very low volume level (on the head unit).

Not true either. The amp wont be driven into clipping if you set your gains properly and its a quality piece of gear. Some headunits are limited internally to never produce a clipped signal through the RCA outputs. My 9887 is an example. At full tilt with the sub level at 15/15 the 9887 will NEVER send a clipped signal through the RCA's according to an O Scope.

 

[CHEMMINS 10+ year member]

This is essentially how a system should be set up:
The head unit should be able to use most of its range before the amplifier is driven into clipping. Again, if the gains are set too low, the head unit won't be able to drive the amplifier to its maximum output level. If the gains are set too high, the amp will be driven into clipping at a very low volume level (on the head unit).

Dude...it may sound right in you head, but it is coming out wrong. Please stop typing.

 

[retrojordans 10+ year member]

Dude...it may sound right in you head, but it is coming out wrong. Please stop typing.

Basic Car Audio Electronics

Directly quoted from this site, please get the **** off my nuts ***...k?

You act like I'm just making stuff up and you are so ******* sweet and knowledgeable. Whatever veteran electrical engineer writing for BCAE is just wrong...He's just a flat out moron I know dude...

 

[Pataforce8 10+ year member]

Wrong. A line driver is ONLY useful if you dont send a clipped signal in the first place. If your settings gains properly and your still not getting the required voltage there is an issue somewhere else in the system. If you use a line driver on a clipped signal all your doing is amplifying it and sending it down the line.

Yeah, that's what I meant lol maybe it came out wrong.

A clipped signal is bad, and it can come from your HU. Line drivers will help keep the HU from clipping, but they will also boost the amount of noise in your signal. They essentially boost your signal and noise AND clipping if it is happening.

TBH, I'm not really sure why so many people feel that they need line drivers...

 

[CHEMMINS 10+ year member]

Basic Car Audio Electronics
Directly quoted from this site, please get the **** off my nuts ***...k?

You act like I'm just making stuff up and you are so ******* sweet and knowledgeable. Whatever veteran electrical engineer writing for BCAE is just wrong...He's just a flat out moron I know dude...

Ok, now read the whole facking page ya dumb shat, learn something.....And come up with some logical thinking of your own, instead of copyright infringement.

 

[Wingman0121 10+ year member]

I only see the point of higher voltages when you need to use a splitter to run multiple amps from one set of output, but it doesn't hurt to have 4v or more for preamp... I wouldn't go through the trouble of installing a line driver tho.

I had an Eclipse line driver that went bad and it started sending straight DC to my amp's inputs, actually I think that's how my Cadence amp's input went bad.

FYI some home theater receivers' preamp subwoofer output can go over 10v unclipped, why I donno.

 

[retrojordans 10+ year member]

Ok, now read the whole facking page ya dumb shat, learn something.....And come up with some logical thinking of your own, instead of copyright infringement.

Lol dude you are a moron. Off my nuts shoo, be gone.

 

[CHEMMINS 10+ year member]

AAnd if super high pre amp voltage was a good thing......why doesn't every deck coming out have 12v pre outs?

Hmm......maybe they are not needed....there is a thought.

 

[whitedragon551 5,000+ posts]

LOL Completely correct.
A higher input voltage allows you to lower the amp's gain. The higher than amp's gain has to be set (compensating for a low voltage input singnal) the higher the noise floor (DIRTY).

What's wrong about it?

Basic Car Audio Electronics
Directly quoted from this site, please get the **** off my nuts ***...k?

You act like I'm just making stuff up and you are so ******* sweet and knowledgeable. Whatever veteran electrical engineer writing for BCAE is just wrong...He's just a flat out moron I know dude...

NOTE:A piece of equipment that has a higher maximum output voltage is not necessarily going to sound better than one which is only capable of 2 volts output. The higher output will allow you to reduce the gains on your amp (or any down line signal processor) which will lower the noise floor of your system. If you are not having trouble with noise (alternator, hiss...), you may not benefit from the extra output voltage.

 

[retrojordans 10+ year member]

NOTE:A piece of equipment that has a higher maximum output voltage is not necessarily going to sound better than one which is only capable of 2 volts output. The higher output will allow you to reduce the gains on your amp (or any down line signal processor) which will lower the noise floor of your system. If you are not having trouble with noise (alternator, hiss...), you may not benefit from the extra output voltage.

All gain adjustment does is; let the head unit's volume, affect the amp's output level more sensitively. So you don't reach your amp's full power on the head unit's 3rd volume notch. BASICALLY. Couldn't explain gain any more simply.

If your head unit's output voltage is just not enough to fully power the amp without a clipped signal ( from the head unit ) get a line driver. Or ,if like you said, your system has a high inherent noise level.