Experts: Please explain this phenomenon

[rc10mike 10+ year member]

Ive been doing a lot experimenting/tweaking lately with my amps and subs.

For a while Ive been powering my 2 IDMaxs D4 12's with my SAZ-3000D. I always ran with the subs @ 1ohm. A little much for the ID's but Im far from an extreme bass head! I highly doubt I ever used the full power of the 3000D.

Just for the heck of it I decided to change up the wiring to 4ohms, thus the amp would push ~800w RMS.

My guess was that I would end up pushing the amp into clipping trying to get the power to the subs.

I re-adjusted the gain and threw on a couple tracks that Ive been listening to a lot lately.

To my amazement, I immediately noticed a very obvious improvement in the bass response. It was very noticeable. It sounded more detailed, more defined. The different notes were more clear, the "thumps" hit harder, and transient response improved dramatically. Along with that, it still got loud enough to make me happy. NO changes were made besides the wiring and gain adjustment.

Can anyone offer a reasonable explanation for this?

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[germandark 10+ year member]

less distortion @ a more stable ohm load. those amps are designed for mostly 4 or 2 ohm loads, but of course they take a beating.

 

[germandark 10+ year member]

less distortion @ a more stable ohm load. those amps are designed for mostly 4 or 2 ohm loads, but of course they take a beating.

edit: efficiency goes up as well. and damping.

 

[helotaxi 5,000+ posts]

Those amps are designed for a 1 ohm load.

You quadrupled the damping. The distortion change should have been negligible. Efficiency shouldn't change much and efficiency isn't audible.

The reality of it is that you don't need as much power as you think.

 

[Louisiana_CRX 5,000+ posts]

more proof on what I stated on class AB and class D sound...less distortion more cleaner detailed sound...people try to claim you can't hear the difference...i say you can...even though yours is still a class D amp...by improving the distortion level cleans up your sound where it is much noticeable...

 

[rc10mike 10+ year member]

Those amps are designed for a 1 ohm load.
You quadrupled the damping. The distortion change should have been negligible. Efficiency shouldn't change much and efficiency isn't audible.

The reality of it is that you don't need as much power as you think.

If you are correct, then I should've been able to achieve the same sound @ 1 ohm.

Heres my issue:

If 800w @ 4 ohms sounds like this,

Then shouldn't 800w @ 1ohm sound the same?

 

[rc10mike 10+ year member]

Yes, you have your head up your *** FTL...

Umm, my title says experts, not dumb ***** who cant hear.

 

[atsaubrey 10+ year member]

Remember you have 4 time the dampening factor (control over the speaker) by going to 4 ohms. You now have a TON of "control" of the speaker. 800wrms is enough for you and luckily running the IDMax you have awesome output as well. 400wrms on a IDMax is plaenty for the decerning listener. //content.invisioncic.com/y282845/emoticons/wink.gif.608e3ea05f1a9f98611af0861652f8fb.gif

 

[Brian_smith06 10+ year member]

your set up sounds very promising especially after checking out your sig. any pics. //content.invisioncic.com/y282845/emoticons/smile.gif.1ebc41e1811405b213edfc4622c41e27.gif

 

[Haunz 10+ year member]

Remember you have 4 time the dampening factor (control over the speaker) by going to 4 ohms. You now have a TON of "control" of the speaker. 800wrms is enough for you and luckily running the IDMax you have awesome output as well. 400wrms on a IDMax is plaenty for the decerning listener. //content.invisioncic.com/y282845/emoticons/wink.gif.608e3ea05f1a9f98611af0861652f8fb.gif

effects due to amplifier damping are not at all audible untill you are into the single digits...

the difference of 25 vs 200 is not audible.. the damping factor of 6 from your tube amplifier may be..

 

[rc10mike 10+ year member]

little kids like you should STFU and pay attention... you might lean something..

Go and practice your listening skills and then come back and post something useful.

Your grammar skills too.

your set up sounds very promising especially after checking out your sig. any pics. //content.invisioncic.com/y282845/emoticons/smile.gif.1ebc41e1811405b213edfc4622c41e27.gif

My sigs a little off right now. The AX-2000 is on the backburner for now. I does sound better, but my electrical isnt up to par yet...

 

[oldschool4me 10+ year member]

more proof on what I stated on class AB and class D sound...less distortion more cleaner detailed sound...people try to claim you can't hear the difference...i say you can...even though yours is still a class D amp...by improving the distortion level cleans up your sound where it is much noticeable...

i agree.

 

[Brian_smith06 10+ year member]

My sigs a little off right now. The AX-2000 is on the backburner for now. I does sound better, but my electrical isnt up to par yet...

yeah those us amps are pretty current hungry. i dont have any experience with the ax 2000 however my best friend use to run the older us 2000 in his blazer along with a pair of the us 600's and it was very current hungry

 

[squeak9798 5,000+ posts]

effects due to amplifier damping are not at all audible untill you are into the single digits...
the difference of 25 vs 200 is not audible.. the damping factor of 6 from your tube amplifier may be..

Agreed.

Unless you were under a DF of 20 w/ the amp wired to 1ohm, the change in damping wouldn't be audible.

My initial estimation would be that you're now supplying the drivers with less power. Less power will result in 1) less distortion from the drivers and 2) better/more linear subbass integration with the rest of the system due to the decreased output.

Easily explains all of your subjective expressions about the change without needing to invoke any mysterious amplifier SQ voodoo.

 

[squeak9798 5,000+ posts]

more proof on what I stated on class AB and class D sound...less distortion more cleaner detailed sound...people try to claim you can't hear the difference...i say you can...even though yours is still a class D amp...by improving the distortion level cleans up your sound where it is much noticeable...

I can't tell if you're pretending to be an idiot just to stir up controversy, or if you're really just an idiot.