Can an amp blow a head unit?

[4OZGLOVES 10+ year member]

To all my 13 years of car audio experience I would say no, Story starts I did a trade for My ed 9.2x and some wire for a sub amp from an un-named member, Well he received the amp today as I also received the sub amp from him today. Well he told me he hooked it up and it blew his head unit, I know 100 percent the amp was in perfect condition when it was shipped out(packed well also). The amp was only used for a month with way more than sufficient electrical gain set right no clipping running a set of 8's,It was tested 1 hour before it was shipped and performed flawlessly, As anyone who I have done business with me in the past knows I am no scammer and price and make trades very fairly, Could this even happen or is it just a coincidence that the hu blew upon the install of the amp.

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[Haunz 10+ year member]

I would go out on a limb and say it's probably a coincidence...

 

[4OZGLOVES 10+ year member]

I would go out on a limb and say it's probably a coincidence...

That was my thought's also, I just dont see how an amp could possibly blow a head unit.

 

[Louisiana_CRX 5,000+ posts]

yes

 

[4OZGLOVES 10+ year member]

yes

could you explain how it could happen for me, I'm just wondering especially since the amp was perfect when sent.

 

[truckramrod 10+ year member]

I've seen it once, a kid had a directed2400d and a really bad ground and it ended up burning up his headunit as the amp was trying to ground 100+ amps of current through the rcas.

no fire or anything just destroyed the preouts, they were completely inop.

your situation is very unlikely but none of us could say for sure unless we had inspected his setup and watched the install for possible mistakes.

 

[gunz4me2 10+ year member]

Yes a bad amplifier can roast your head unit. It is usually ground related.. Let's say your amp has a piss poor ground or the ground becomes disconnected.. The next place to ground through is your RCA cables. If your amplifier is huge enough, bye bye head unit.

Also, if something inside of the amplifier lets loose, it can send current through the RCAs, which will again roast your head unit. It is usually the cheaper amplifiers that kill head units, but, it can happen with just about anything you have connected to the RCAs.

Edit: In after truckramrod explained it.

 

[Haunz 10+ year member]

I've seen it once, a kid had a directed2400d and a really bad ground and it ended up burning up his headunit as the amp was trying to ground 100+ amps of current through the rcas. no fire or anything just destroyed the preouts, they were completely inop.

your situation is very unlikely but none of us could say for sure unless we had inspected his setup and watched the install for possible mistakes.

This.

An amp with a ground fault could try and ground out through the RCAs ground.

 

[Louisiana_CRX 5,000+ posts]

could you explain how it could happen for me, I'm just wondering especially since the amp was perfect when sent.

I had a perfect working deck...and had a friend want me to test some crap amp....so I hooked it all up on a power supply...anyway as soon as I hooked up the amp it back fed something I assume through the RCA's...and shut my deck down...now as soon as I hook up the deck it shorts the power supply...like a dead short in it now....

 

[mossberg385t 10+ year member]

//content.invisioncic.com/y282845/emoticons/popcorn.gif.32dd9e22fd77e77bc3c907062768fcd2.gif interesting

 

[4OZGLOVES 10+ year member]

OK thanks I just wanted to make sure how that worked, Because I really don't want someone calling me out for their possible mistake especially with the amount I buy and sell on here, I like keeping my reputation 100 percent and do as much as I can to keep it that way.

 

[4OZGLOVES 10+ year member]

I had a perfect working deck...and had a friend want me to test some crap amp....so I hooked it all up on a power supply...anyway as soon as I hooked up the amp it back fed something I assume through the RCA's...and shut my deck down...now as soon as I hook up the deck it shorts the power supply...like a dead short in it now....

I understand, Thank you, but It in no way was a bad amp and was tested right before I shipped And surely worked perfect and never blew my alpine 9855 with a month of daily use under it's belt.

 

[Bumpin' Goalie 10+ year member]

User error: Inappropriate ground

Sounds possible, since you stand by your amp.

 

[Johnny Law.Lulz 5,000+ posts]

I didnt read all of this but i made a noob mistake that couldve cost my my 9886. Back when i had my SAE-1200, i was wiring at a competition and didnt know the truck was on, i put the positive speaker lead into the amp and the negative speaker lead touched the heatsink and blew the amp. Sent it to Chris at Db-r who immediatly asked me if my head unit was still working, i said yes. He then told me that 99% of the time, when this is done, itll blow the headunit. So yes, it can.

 

[4OZGLOVES 10+ year member]

User error: Inappropriate ground
Sounds possible' date=' since you stand by your amp.[/quote']

I stand behind everything I sell on here, It's the only way to do it, I spend a lot of money on this site and make some back at times, I'd like to keep it that way.