Could These Settings On An Amplifier Cause A Subwoofer To Blow

[chartman18 10+ year member]

Could settings like frequency hz and subsonic and such on an amplifier blow a sub on random to 'close-enough' settings? Im not including gain bc I already know about that, but I just cant seem to understand why my sub blew after 3 months of playing, and comparing them to other videos, they dont seem to be wanging/excurt as deep as theirs and I have around the same or more power. Hmm.

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[squeak9798 5,000+ posts]

If you were using a ported enclosure with too low of a SSF setting and played tones under the tuning frequency then yes, it could be potentially damaging to a subwoofer.

Lowpass frequency setting wouldn't have any affect, however.

Did your subwoofer fail thermally or mechanically ?

 

[Mitch86 5,000+ posts]

My guess would be clipping killed your sub.

 

[60ndown 10+ year member]

if you use something a lot it breaks eventually.especially if your playin hard.1000+ wrms on a 12 is HARD.

 

[chartman18 10+ year member]

On a Type-R 12", 1000 wrms daily isnt going to hurt it. My guess is that I had the settings on the amplifier wrong, I tried to get it to the best I could hear, bc the DMM was way too confusing for me. When it smoked up (after 3 months of daily use) from the port, I turned it off, the next day took the sub out, and I asked someone on here what it means for the thing I described, and he said it was fried/burned voice coils, and it was frayed/bent, soo...I dont know. Chances are, I probably had my ssf (subsonic filter?) adjusted wrong, my gains was 1/2, and I had an iPod hooked up, so my head unit volume was at 3/4 and the iPod at max, so Im guessing that was my problem? Any help, ideas?

I was giving the subwoofer about 1,100 watts RMS (reality its like, 800-900 maybe?) 2ohms from my Hifonics BXi 1606D amplifier, in a 2.5cu.ft. 32hz enclosure ported (recommended by you guys) soo what is the most 'realistic' way/reason my subwoofer could have blown?

Also, I think I had the voltage/levels on the amplifer around 1-2 volts (more than likely under 2 volts), and my Head Unit outputs 2 volts, so maybe thats another reason?

 

[helotaxi 5,000+ posts]

Smoke usually equals burned which equals too much power. Clipping supplies more power than you expect and will toast coils. If it was a problem with the SSF you would have bottomed the sub out and it would have been making all kinds of nasty noises and then just quit.

 

[chartman18 10+ year member]

Hmm, well, I guess I caused it to be clipping, but I didnt notice any bad sounding noises from the sub. I need to learn the DMM, but I did tried to study how to, but it wasnt working the way I wanted it to, lol. Better luck on my next sub then, which will be a Fi Q 15" or a Type-R 15", getting around 1600 watts RMS, so hopefully that wouldnt need any upping on my gain and such, bc with the Type-R 12" to sound decently loud, I had to put the gain at half. Hmm.

 

[60ndown 10+ year member]

http://www.crutchfield.com/S-A6C5zxfDjdi/cgi-bin/ProdView.asp?search=alpine+type+r&i=500SWR1242

sais 200-500 rms, you gave it close to 1000 = too much power. prolly coulda got away with it if you turned it down just a lil.

 

[60ndown 10+ year member]

400-750, your doing it again //content.invisioncic.com/y282845/emoticons/smile.gif.1ebc41e1811405b213edfc4622c41e27.gif

http://www.crutchfield.com/S-A6C5zxfDjdi/cgi-bin/ProdView.asp?search=alpine+type+r&i=500SWR1542

 

[60ndown 10+ year member]

Hmm, well, I guess I caused it to be clipping, but I didnt notice any bad sounding noises from the sub. I need to learn the DMM, but I did tried to study how to, but it wasnt working the way I wanted it to, lol. Better luck on my next sub then, which will be a Fi Q 15" or a Type-R 15", getting around 1600 watts RMS, so hopefully that wouldnt need any upping on my gain and such, bc with the Type-R 12" to sound decently loud, I had to put the gain at half. Hmm.[/quote
400-750= 1000 max not 1500rms

 

[chartman18 10+ year member]

Yeah I know the RMS of the 12" is 500 and the 15" is 750, but everyone on here tells me and others that it can handle easily 1000+ watts. And the 12" handles 1500 max, and the 15" 2000 max. Um, Im sure its supposed to be ok. I just had the gains set improperly, I guess the Type-R 12" around 1,100 watts with gain halfway was decent, but if I cant have the gain half, then Im let down by it.

 

[60ndown 10+ year member]

Yeah I know the RMS of the 12" is 500 and the 15" is 750, but everyone on here tells me and others that it can handle easily 1000+ watts.

do you believe waht your told or your personal experience normally?

 

[60ndown 10+ year member]

Yeah I know the RMS of the 12" is 500 and the 15" is 750, but everyone on here tells me and others that it can handle easily 1000+ watts. And the 12" handles 1500 max, and the 15" 2000 max. Um, Im sure its supposed to be ok. I just had the gains set improperly, I guess the Type-R 12" around 1,100 watts with gain halfway was decent, but if I cant have the gain half, then Im let down by it.

short bursts maybe, 1 or 2 songs, then turn it down for a while give it a chance to cool down.full volume for an hour is gona make it get real hot and fry and fried things smoke....like your last one.you obviously like loud bass, get 2 subs or an uber sub.

 

[chartman18 10+ year member]

Hmm, I suppose your right. Im hearing impaired, lol (ironic I know) so I strive for more bass. Then again, I only had 1 Type-R 12" at the time (till I blew it) so maybe a 15" should satisfy me more around 1,100 watts RMS at 2 ohms, or should I try it with the gains down and at 1,600 watts RMS at 1 ohm? Its just most of the people on here say it handles alot of power. Wont the Fi Q 15" D2 handle it easily, it has a max power handling of 2000 watts. Opinions?

PS: I got the Hifonics BXi 1606D mono amplifier for reasons to get that 'boomy/bass' sound where you can feel it on your neck and legs and hits in your chest hard in the backseat. The Type-R 12" sorta achieved that at 2 ohms (gains half), but I had to put one of the back seats down, since it was firing into the cabin. I just see these videos of subwoofers, and they are bouncing all over the place shaking/flexing their cars. Mine barely-to-none achieved that unless my gain was at half. I cant fit 2 15" or barely 2 12" subwoofers in my trunk (kinda small) so any opinions on a 15" subwoofer (Fi Q or Type-R)?

So the only major amplifier settings that can cause clipping and a sub to blow is the SSF and Gain if set improperly?

 

[60ndown 10+ year member]

if you are hearing impaired you dont need an sq sub, you want to feel the bass. get a 15" spl sub that takes 700-1000+ wrms (not max) in a ported box and i think youll be happy. not sure which sub tho? but an spl is gonna be felt more than an sq sub.

there is a lot of ways to kill a sub.