+ Dbs?

[TheJuggla1 10+ year member]

My Mono 1000 Watt Alpine has a +Db Feature from 0 to 12.

It runs 2 L5 15" Kickers, so far I put it up to +12Dbs and haven't heard any distortion, I have had it pretty loud too. Should I be fine keeping it at +12Dbs as long as I don't turn it so loud it distorts? Or can pumping the extra Dbs into the subs hurt them regardless?

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[Stalin-ohaulic]

My Mono 1000 Watt Alpine has a +Db Feature from 0 to 12.
It runs 2 L5 15" Kickers, so far I put it up to +12Dbs and haven't heard any distortion, I have had it pretty loud too. Should I be fine keeping it at +12Dbs as long as I don't turn it so loud it distorts? Or can pumping the extra Dbs into the subs hurt them regardless?

It sounds like a bass boost to me. If you set your gain correctly, you really should not have any use for the bass boost. Turn it off and set your gain correctly. Distortion coming from your subs is not always as obvious as it is in your full range speakers.

 

[Davecubs14 10+ year member]

^Sounds like bass boost. I wouldn't mess with it.....

 

[TheJuggla1 10+ year member]

^Sounds like bass boost. I wouldn't mess with it.....

So Bass Boost = Bad? Only increase the gain?

 

[Stalin-ohaulic]

So Bass Boost = Bad? Only increase the gain?

Bass boost has a good premise, but it's when people don't know what it does or its purpose that it causes problems. It is a single band eq on the input side of the amplifier. When the signal comes in, it modifies it centered at a specific frequency and usually at a 12db/octave slope. What this does is gives this one particular frequency (usually 45hz) a boost. This trails off to the other frequencies on either side of it. Why is this usually bad? Most people set their gain so they are putting out their amplifier's maximum power at full tilt.

To get a +3db gain you have to double your power. The bass boost doubles the power centered at 45hz 4 times. This means when your system plays a 45 hz tone and you have the bass boost turned all the way up and your system is clipping all to hell right there. It would have to put out rms^4 to recreate the source wave. This causes sub and amplifier damage in a big way.