Bass Boost on Amps

[Mark_ab 5,000+ posts]

This is a subject I haven't seen much talk about. What are the negatives of using this? Is there a certain procedure so that you don't get distortion? On say, an +18dB bass boost label, how much of an increase of bass does it actually get, or does it vary from amp to amp?

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[stones 10+ year member]

I find that bass boost knobs on the side of amplifiers are pretty much useless because a properly designed subwoofer enclosure doesnt need any boost. line drivers and lots of power is where its at. I'm more of an SQ guy, 140 db clear is all I need to be happy and bass boost ruins the clear aspect of it.IMO

 

[Larrydehp920r]

The bass boost on your amplifier can be either bad or good. It will depend on alot of different factors such as enclosure type, sub type, and the interior acoustic characteristics of your car. It's a trial and error thing mostly. But stones is right in one perspective though, its not the answer to quality bass. Boosting your bass boost all the way up is actually making your amp work a little harder. So if you need more bass go a different route than the "bass boost". It's a band-aid not a cure.

Larry

 

[Phatillusion 5,000+ posts]

I wouldn't exactly say it's useless, it came in pretty handy for my last system. I didn't have much money so I ran my tweets and 4's off the h/u using bass blockers. I had to turn the bass down on the h/u, to get the output I wanted from my hi/mid's, so doing this took quite a bit of bass out of my subs, that's where the bass knob came in pretty handy. That's the first time I have ever needed it.

 

[ss3079 5,000+ posts]

Originally posted by Phatillusion I wouldn't exactly say it's useless, it came in pretty handy for my last system. I didn't have much money so I ran my tweets and 4's off the h/u using bass blockers. I had to turn the bass down on the h/u, to get the output I wanted from my hi/mid's, so doing this took quite a bit of bass out of my subs, that's where the bass knob came in pretty handy. That's the first time I have ever needed it.

Thats what I did with my last system. Well put. First time I ever needed the bass knob on my amp too. Hey, I gotta ask, you know those external bass knobs on certain MTX amps so you can control the bass boost up at the wheel? With my 8100D amps, are they worth getting at all??

 

[Phatillusion 5,000+ posts]

Personally I don't believe you would benefit at all from that "convience". Anybody that knows a thing or two about car audio sets their gains, eq's, etc., so that the volume control is the only thing they need to use. I myself usually try to set it so that my system is at it's peak between 1/2 and 3/4 volume, but never more than 3/4, to ensure there is no noticealbe clipping. Once I have everything set, I don't touch it after that. So, I personally wouldn't buy one, hell I wouldn't even take it if it was given to me. Just a little something companies like to make money off of. They really should rename it, "torchure chamber @ the wheel", because theoretically speaking, once your gains are set, you would basically be torchuring your subs into clipping with more distorted freq's, using the bass knob.

 

[ss3079 5,000+ posts]

Yes, I dont think its worth it. I do set my gains, and I dont think it would be all that healthy for my subs.

 

[Larrydehp920r]

Hang on just one second there people !!! The external bass control is for one thing and one thing only.......boosting a certain frequency. I do alot of express-way driving. And one thing I've noticed is that when you get up to around 80 mph you don't feel the bass as much. I own all Rockford amps with no external bass control.........To be able to boost up the bass so I can feel it a little more going down the express-way would be very nice I think..........So there is some good to those EBC's.

Larry:nono:

 

[Tinka]

Hey, there are two different types of remote controls for amps, one for gain, one for the boost. I've been looking for a new amp recently and some have the gain control remote (what a waste or time) and some do have a remote to their 40Hz to 50Hz boost specific circuitry so you can turn it from 0dB up to 18 dB in some cases without distortion. Just to avoid confusion with the issue. Although I don't know how effective it is at controlling distortion at high volume, using it at low volume could appeal if all h/u and x/o resources were tied up like "Phatillusion" and "ss3079" and you didn't want to hunt around in your trunk at 80mph for the bass boost dial on your amp for that extra kick.

Oh and "Mark_ab" the amp I played with on display at the local stereo shop, I think it was a mtx (I'm not positive "ss3079") or a rockford, I wasn't really that interested, did emphasise the bass at the freq it said without distorting by using the remote, but it did it by making everything else quieter (just think about the bass control on your h/u, it's now the 40Hz boost and treble control is all the other freqs going to your sub. To turn up the bass to it's max, say "bass +6", what really happens is bass stays at "bass 0" and treble goes to "treble -6". Defining the 40Hz by dropping the surrounding freqs by however many dB) so I had to turn the volume up and I'm assuming I'd still have to adjust the gain or fiddle with the h/u balance to get the mids and highs to sound in proportion anyway.

So be careful if you do choose to use bass boost, make sure that it does actually boost the freq (not isolate it), see if you can try it out for yourself at a shop or get some one who's got it to show you what it does //content.invisioncic.com/y282845/emoticons/smile.gif.1ebc41e1811405b213edfc4622c41e27.gif

All I'm really getting at is if you think about the way you build your system there is really no need for the amp bass boost unless of course it is a band-aid while you are saving up for other stuff and want to keep running with what you've got.//content.invisioncic.com/y282845/emoticons/biggrin.gif.d71a5d36fcbab170f2364c9f2e3946cb.gif

 

[ss3079 5,000+ posts]

EBC are OK in some situations, but I agree that systems should be built with the concept in mind that: My system will be loud enough that I will not need a EBC(if you are going for SPL). But anyway, one bad thing is when a cop pulls you over and you have your system blaring with your bass control all the way up, you go to turn your bass down and the system is still loud and then you scramble to get the control on the HU. I dont think a bass boost should be nessesary if you already have a nice setup. All in all, I think that EBC's are alright, just, I dont think you would catch me with one unless I was absolutley crunched on money or something like that. I would rather have something like a PG Bass Cube boosting my bass.