DEH-P880PRS preamp issue

[probmxstyle 10+ year member]

So the problem is I have to turn the HU into the 50's to get it to get loud. Once I get that high I can hear it starting to distort. I measured the preouts with my DMM and the left read 2.7 and the right read 4.9. Now that should not be the case since pioneer lists it as 5 volt preouts. I have a kicker SX series amp and it has a 1v,2v,4v,8v and 16v preout settings. I had it set at 4v and the volume level was too low. I set it at 2 and it got better, then i set it at 1v which it is at now. Does anyone think a preamp on the rca's would help with this issue? And any recommendations on one?

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[Trey803 5,000+ posts]

You could have blown the pre-amps if you were pluging and unpluging while the cd player was turned on.

 

[probmxstyle 10+ year member]

You could have blown the pre-amps if you were pluging and unpluging while the cd player was turned on.

Nahh I wasent plugging and unplugging them. Its been this way since the start.

 

[WhoSayWho? 5,000+ posts]

So the problem is I have to turn the HU into the 50's to get it to get loud. Once I get that high I can hear it starting to distort. I measured the preouts with my DMM and the left read 2.7 and the right read 4.9. Now that should not be the case since pioneer lists it as 5 volt preouts. I have a kicker SX series amp and it has a 1v,2v,4v,8v and 16v preout settings. I had it set at 4v and the volume level was too low. I set it at 2 and it got better, then i set it at 1v which it is at now. Does anyone think a preamp on the rca's would help with this issue? And any recommendations on one?

So are you working under the belief that the HU should be generally putting out 5 volts?

 

[probmxstyle 10+ year member]

So are you working under the belief that the HU should be generally putting out 5 volts?

I am working under the belief that the they should atleast be equal levels of voltage.

 

[Prowler573 5,000+ posts]

No HU (with the notable exception of a few different models from Eclipse) that I am aware of makes full rated voltage at the preouts excepting with the volume cranked wide open playing a test tone.

Same theory as you're not going to get full rated output from your amps while playing normal music....ever.

Now why the measurements would be so drastically different from one to the other would be a cause of concern - that certainly is very strange unless whatever source you were playing at the time isn't equally leveled from one channel to the other...

 

[probmxstyle 10+ year member]

No HU (with the notable exception of a few different models from Eclipse) that I am aware of makes full rated voltage at the preouts excepting with the volume cranked wide open playing a test tone.
Same theory as you're not going to get full rated output from your amps while playing normal music....ever.

Now why the measurements would be so drastically different from one to the other would be a cause of concern - that certainly is very strange unless whatever source you were playing at the time isn't equally leveled from one channel to the other...

Good point, I will have to put in a test tone cd and remeasure everything.

 

[probmxstyle 10+ year member]

well I put in a test cd and started to tune. But forgot to pull one positive speaker wire off. I turned things up and the left speaker made a pop noise. Now I had a bad *** alt whine. I am guessing its time to send back the H.U for warrenty.

 

[hardhitta47 10+ year member]

That sucks. You sure you didn't blow a speaker?

I have an 880, and the thing with these h/u's (and most, if not all Pioneers from what I've heard) is that they don't start putting out good voltage levels until you get around 55 on the volume. They also don't clip until something like 58 volume. Personally, I set my gains for my sub at a volume of 55 using tones, then I usually set my gains for my speakers by ear. If you set it to be loud at a volume of say 30, then you're probably clipping real bad with the volume in the 50's.

Not sure about your voltage differences from your h/u though...

If everything's still okay, I'd reset your gains and also turn off the internal amp on your 880. That could clean up some distortion issues.

 

[probmxstyle 10+ year member]

That sucks. You sure you didn't blow a speaker?
I have an 880, and the thing with these h/u's (and most, if not all Pioneers from what I've heard) is that they don't start putting out good voltage levels until you get around 55 on the volume. They also don't clip until something like 58 volume. Personally, I set my gains for my sub at a volume of 55 using tones, then I usually set my gains for my speakers by ear. If you set it to be loud at a volume of say 30, then you're probably clipping real bad with the volume in the 50's.

Not sure about your voltage differences from your h/u though...

If everything's still okay, I'd reset your gains and also turn off the internal amp on your 880. That could clean up some distortion issues.

yeah isnt a speaker. I bought a cheap radio from work to use untill I get mine back from service, then I'll just return the cheap one. I put the cheap one in and no more noise //content.invisioncic.com/y282845/emoticons/smile.gif.1ebc41e1811405b213edfc4622c41e27.gif Anyone have experience with there stuff getting fixed by pioneer?