Bass Boost?

[peder25 10+ year member]

I am running 1 kicker l7 15in sub with a alpine mrd m1005 amp. When the head units settings are normal with no increase in bass it is not loud, but when i turn the bass settings all the way up it sound awsome, it sounds like a totally different sub. I know this subs can take alot more power then what i am giving it so why do i read that it is bad to use bass boost?

Click to read more...

 

[NewToTheGrounds 10+ year member]

use a search button for that theres alot of yes and no to that unless sum one feels like posting about it

 

[peder25 10+ year member]

i have searched, i guess my question is if you know you can give your sub more power, is there any reason to not use the bass boost?

 

[Rich B 5,000+ posts]

i have searched, i guess my question is if you know you can give your sub more power, is there any reason to not use the bass boost?

If you didnt set your gains with the bass boost on you run the risk of clipping the amp, and possibly damaging your sub.

 

[peder25 10+ year member]

what exactly is clipping? and how do i know if i am clipping the amp? and btw it is the settings on the head unit i do not have a bass nob, if that makes any difference?

 

[XanderMoser 10+ year member]

what exactly is clipping? and how do i know if i am clipping the amp? and btw it is the settings on the head unit i do not have a bass nob, if that makes any difference?

The bass setting on the head unit is a 1 band equalizer, same thing as a bass boost knob. Unless it is your subwoofer level output, that is different because it would control the level of the outputs from the sub RCAs, at all frequencies coming out.

If your gains are set with everything flat (like they should be), then adding a bass boost increases the input signal at a certain range of frequencies. So the amp will be trying to make more power than it can in that range of frequencies at higher volumes (because it should be set to make pretty much max rms power if you set the gains right) and the signal will "clip." This causes distortion, extra heat, and wears down the sub and the amp.

It may sound like a whole nother sub because you are causing the amp to clip (where it is actually very efficient when clipping) making it louder at certain frequencies (especially if the bass boost freq is around the bass notes of the song) and can make it louder on certain songs.

 

[Rich B 5,000+ posts]

The bass setting on the head unit is a 1 band equalizer, same thing as a bass boost knob. Unless it is your subwoofer level output, that is different because it would control the level of the outputs from the sub RCAs, at all frequencies coming out.
If your gains are set with everything flat (like they should be), then adding a bass boost increases the input signal at a certain range of frequencies. So the amp will be trying to make more power than it can in that range of frequencies at higher volumes (because it should be set to make pretty much max rms power if you set the gains right) and the signal will "clip." This causes distortion, extra heat, and wears down the sub and the amp.

It may sound like a whole number sub because you are causing the amp to clip (where it is actually very efficient when clipping) making it louder at certain frequencies (especially if the bass boost freq is around the bass notes of the song) and can make it louder on certain songs.

Yeah, what he said!

//content.invisioncic.com/y282845/emoticons/biggrin.gif.d71a5d36fcbab170f2364c9f2e3946cb.gif

(Very nicely put!)

 

[RAM_Designs 5,000+ posts]

Every time someone clips their amps with bass boost, god kills a kitten...

 

[luvinthebass 5,000+ posts]

very nicely put Xander

 

[NewToTheGrounds 10+ year member]

ya good job, if ur looking for an increase maybe u should look at a larger amp, that way ur wont be running into clipping and can get it louder

 

[XanderMoser 10+ year member]

ya good job, if ur looking for an increase maybe u should look at a larger amp, that way ur wont be running into clipping and can get it louder

Bingo

 

[peder25 10+ year member]

is there a way to tell if you are clipping your amp, or does it always happen when you turn the sub up on you head unit?

 

[dB-SPL 10+ year member]

Set gains with a DMM. //content.invisioncic.com/y282845/emoticons/smile.gif.1ebc41e1811405b213edfc4622c41e27.gif

-Bill-

 

[Skip01 5,000+ posts]

Find that vid with someone has an oscilloscope and shows the effects of bass boost and how it squares the wave...which is bad...doesnt let you sub cool proper...it may sound louder but its causing damage if not watched

 

[blazed54 10+ year member]

If you didnt set your gains with the bass boost on you run the risk of clipping the amp, and possibly damaging your sub.

will it be alright if you set your gains with bass boost on? would this prevent clipping and damage to the sub and still sound good? I ask because i have a bass control knob for my jl 500/1 and unfortunately it works by increasing/decreasing bass boost. thx.