Do I need more amp or a higher preout voltage?

[tcguy85 10+ year member]

I still think he set his gains using a low volume setting.

thats a good possibility as well.

 

[grampi 10+ year member]

I still think he set his gains using a low volume setting.

It doesn't matter where the gains are set if you don't have enough volume control on the HU. What am I going to gain by setting the amp gain where it should be set? I already know I barely get enough output with the amp gain turned all the way up. If I turn it down it's only going to decrease my sub output.

 

[DBfan187 5,000+ posts]

You're supposed to set your gains @ your headunits maximum unclipped volume level, which is near full volume.

I guarantee you didn't do that.

 

[grampi 10+ year member]

by the way u cant hear clippin. ur gonna either fry ur amp or blow ur sub. If u want more output port it, or get a better amp, or get a new sub.

You sure as hell can hear clipping. What do think causes distortion? And I will never use a ported box as I don't like the sound of them. There's nothing wrong with my amp and I may consider a new sub. If I do get a new sub it'll more than likely be a JL 12W6 and I'll use the entire Kicker amp to power it.

 

[grampi 10+ year member]

If he's getting enough signal from the front channel preouts he should be getting more than enough from the sub out. If the HU signal was the problem, turning the gain ot max should still get full power from the amp. Most need only around 250mV to make full power.
There are three possibilities, either something is actually broken, you are expecting too much from the sub or you have it set up wrong. I'm voting one or both of the latter two. In any case a line driver isn't the answer.

I don't know what could be broken as if something were, more than likely I'd be experiencing NO instead of LOW output. I may be expecting too much from the sub, but I definitely don't have anything setup wrong. Maybe I'm expecting too much from a single 12 with 300 watts. What about a 12W6 with 600 watts?

 

[luvinthebass 5,000+ posts]

It doesn't matter where the gains are set if you don't have enough volume control on the HU. What am I going to gain by setting the amp gain where it should be set? I already know I barely get enough output with the amp gain turned all the way up. If I turn it down it's only going to decrease my sub output.

i think you're IQ is decreasing as you age if you have to make a thread about this.

 

[grampi 10+ year member]

i think you're IQ is decreasing as you age if you have to make a thread about this.

It's a ligitimate question. Apparently some people can't respond without being snide about it.

 

[audioholic 5,000+ posts]

There is no way you have your gains and your bass boost all the way up and you aren't experiencing distortion.

I still think he set his gains using a low volume setting.

Setting your gains with the h/u set artificially low means the speaker would play louder, and the amp drive into clipping sooner, not the other way around. Think about it, he sets the gains with the h/u volume at 1/4. After that, he turns it up the h/u to 1/2, the amp is now clipping. That wouldn't create less output, it would create more.

 

[luvinthebass 5,000+ posts]

It would be distorted output too.

 

[SilverSquared 10+ year member]

DVC sub?

 

[squeak9798 5,000+ posts]

If he's getting enough signal from the front channel preouts he should be getting more than enough from the sub out. If the HU signal was the problem, turning the gain ot max should still get full power from the amp. Most need only around 250mV to make full power.
There are three possibilities, either something is actually broken, you are expecting too much from the sub or you have it set up wrong. I'm voting one or both of the latter two. In any case a line driver isn't the answer.

Agreed.

I don't see anything here that a line driver will fix......line drivers are hardly ever the proper fix for anything.

As pointed out, majority of amps on the market are capable of delivering full power output with as little as .2V. I see no reason here for the amplifier to not be able to output full power.

Definitely sounds to me as the three issues Helotaxi points out are the prime candidates for the problems you are having.

And as to clipping; It is entirely possible for the amplifier to be clipping and you being relatively unable to detect it. Keep in mind distortion is harder to identify in the lower frequency registers.

 

[audioholic 5,000+ posts]

Full gains and full bass boost, and unable to detect the distortion? My advice would be run Kraco equipment, might as well save some money if you are deaf anyway. //content.invisioncic.com/y282845/emoticons/tongue.gif.6130eb82179565f6db8d26d6001dcd24.gif

 

[MorningWood]

Full gains and full bass boost, and unable to detect the distortion? My advice would be run Kraco equipment, might as well save some money if you are deaf anyway. //content.invisioncic.com/y282845/emoticons/tongue.gif.6130eb82179565f6db8d26d6001dcd24.gif

Now, now. 300 rms to a single sub in a sealed box. I think it could very well be, like others have mentioned, he is expecting too much. I am not familiar with that sub though. Could it be that Ben stole a bad design?

 

[grampi 10+ year member]

Full gains and full bass boost, and unable to detect the distortion? My advice would be run Kraco equipment, might as well save some money if you are deaf anyway. //content.invisioncic.com/y282845/emoticons/tongue.gif.6130eb82179565f6db8d26d6001dcd24.gif

I'm not unable to detect distortion, there isn't any to detect. I can hear distortion when it's present. You could at least try to respond without the smartassness. I'm surprised you had time to reply to this thread, being a full time ED basher and all.

 

[audioholic 5,000+ posts]

Now, now. 300 rms to a single sub in a sealed box. I think it could very well be, like others have mentioned, he is expecting too much. I am not familiar with that sub though. Could it be that Ben stole a bad design?

Im one of the people that's mentioned he's possibly expecting too much. Having it buried in a stubborn trunk could result in both situations imo (low output and hard to hear distortion), but he didn't have this issue with other sub systems in this trunk, aparently.
And I was just joking, calm down. //content.invisioncic.com/y282845/emoticons/wink.gif.608e3ea05f1a9f98611af0861652f8fb.gif