Gain setting/tuning question

[Nevalite 10+ year member]

Because most of the tutorials I've seen say to set your gains with everything at 0 (eq) and volume at max non-clipping for your HU, usually around 75%, but like I said it never makes it there cuz of the coaxs so I'm better off setting them with a volume I'll actually use or else the sub will never see 850W.

 

[liftedcj7on44s 10+ year member]

set your mids highs and everything like you want it. then make sure and use no bass boost and set your sub out all the way up. then set the gain.

 

[dman4486 5,000+ posts]

i set mine with eq flat, boost at 0, and sw level at 0(which is middle) so that when I am at lower volumes, I can add or subtract sub frequencies as I please

 

[nauc 10+ year member]

i set my gains like this....

set my eq to flat, turn sub vol all the way up, loud off and use a 50hz and 1khz 0db tone.

turn my deck all the way up (it doesnt clip(i have a scope)), set the amps to target voltage making sure theres no clipping

then, if i want full output from my sub, i turn up my deck all the way up and if the fronts are too loud i fade some to the rear or if my sub is too loud, i turn down the sub vol

and since i use 0db tones, i can boost some frequencies with my eq.. carefully tho so i dont push my drivers beyond their mechanical limits.

 

[neonblack 10+ year member]

Set your HU to 75% when setting gain because that's where most HU's start to distort.

 

[dman4486 5,000+ posts]

Set your HU to 75% when setting gain because that's where most HU's start to distort.

general rule of wrist for newbs

 

[rapmaster0 10+ year member]

Does the same apply to Acuras 2006 Navi?

 

[snouk dogg 10+ year member]

turn my deck all the way up (it doesnt clip(i have a scope)), set the amps to target voltage making sure theres no clipping

Do you use an Eclipse HU? I don't have a scope but when I set my gains by ear:

gains on the amp all the way down and I turn the volume up slowly, I can hear clipping only going from 79 to 80 (80 being max).

 

[eharri3 10+ year member]

Depending on the quality and output of the headunit, some distort at 75% of max, some at closer to 80-90%, and some may never distort. The test tone didn't change on my Alpine CDA 9883 until 29 out of 35, roughly 82% of max volume. If you set at 75% you may be adjusting gains at slightly above or below max undistorted volume. The only way to know for exactly sure where your HU starts to clip is using a scope or test tones. The 75% rule I think is mainly for people who haven't done it too many times who are setting by ear using music. If you're using tones or instruments it's not hard to find out almost exactly where your HU is giving you its best. All 4 of my speakers can take a little more than what my amp dishes out so my gains are equal front and rear and set using pretty much the same procedure on the sub but if I were in your situation rather than complicating things unnecessarily I'd just lower them slightly on the channels going to the coaxials.

Sounds like maybe your amp is evenly matched to the fronts but overpowers the rears at max output. If you have the ability to set them separately on front and rear channels (most amps Ive seen let you do that) just turn them down on the coaxes until you're fine at the max volume you have now.