Gain setting question

[THXdts 10+ year member]

Hi I have a quick question. I am setting my gain at volume 25. I am just having a hard time understanding this. If I set my gain to 24.5v @ volume 25. Then when I turn the volume down, the volts drop. But if I set my gain at 24.5v @ volume 20, and then turn it up to 25, the volts increase dramitcally. So what would be the pro/con of setting my gain at volume 25 insted of 20?

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[Frankensuby 10+ year member]

Overhead, clipping etc.

Here's an example.

I can set my gain all the way up, so that when I hit volume 10 of 62, I am at the amp's full power. Anything above 10 would push the amp into clipping, and therefore fry components. But, as long as I don't push the volume knob past 10, I won't blow anything up.

But, if I set the gain to hit the max voltage at volume 45 of 62, I have much more room to play with. Another reason is to avoid deck limitations. Sometimes decks will distort the signal earlier than others. A rule of thumb for those new to audio, is to set your amp so that it hits maximum desired voltage at 75% of your decks power. This way you avoid clipping, but if there is music recorded at a quieter volume, you can push the knob a tiny bit past 45 to make up for the low volume recording.

Ultimately, you can set the amp to volume gains at wherever you feel, as long as you use a DMM and make sure not to drive your amp into clipping by going over your own pre-set volume limit.

 

[THXdts 10+ year member]

Pre-set volume limit being about 75% of your full volume correct? Or whatever you set it at..10,15,20 etc?

 

[Frankensuby 10+ year member]

If my head unit has a max volume of 40, I would set my max gain to hit at volume 30, because 30/40 = 75%

 

[MBrock4u 10+ year member]

Good stuff! Unfortunantly, some people have to learn the hard way. 3/4 is a good rule of thumb. I really enjoy being able to turn it way up and not have to worrie about distortion or clipping. I can have my Excelon at around 27/35 and not worrie.

 

[THXdts 10+ year member]

So you are also saying by more play as in, if you have your amp set to max out at volume 10, each time you click the volume button ( from say 5 to 6 to 7 to 8..) the volume increses much more each time rather than if you have it set at say 25?

 

[Frankensuby 10+ year member]

Excelon units have extremely high SN, you could do 30 of 35, no problem. Even Pioneer decks have been said to easily do 60 out of 62 before deck distortion.

Anyways, good luck, and remember to use the JL tutorial listed in the gain setting sticky.

 

[Frankensuby 10+ year member]

So you are also saying by more play as in, if you have your amp set to max out at volume 10, each time you click the volume button ( from say 5 to 6 to 7 to 8..) the volume increses much more each time rather than if you have it set at say 25?

Basically, that's the point. Also, if you go past the safe point of 10, you risk running your amp into clipping, which dramatically increases the output of the amp (in a bad way) and overpowers the speakers, which destroys them.