Help me figure out why my amp may have blew?

[airmcnair06 10+ year member]

Hey, I'm fairly new, obviously, so I don't know much so bare with me.

I'm getting more knowledgeable day to day though......

Anyway, I had a Soundstorm amp kickin out 300 rms watts to two audiobahns (400 watts rms each)

I know the subs ****. But they have to do for my budget right now....

So when the guy installed them, I asked him to put the bass remote up front (HE CHARGED ME $20 BUCKS!!!) and he did. So whenever I would turn my bass knob completely down, I would get no bass, meaning my subs went off basically. And then when I turned it all the way up, it started to smell kinda funny (like a lot of wires, new sub smell, and a fire all mixed in one, lol)

So anyway, 3 days later the amp blew(at least I guess, it's on protect mode, whatever that means //content.invisioncic.com/y282845/emoticons/crazy.gif.c13912c32de98515d3142759a824dae7.gif )

SO, do I attribute to that being that it was a soundstorm amp? Or did I crank it too hard or something?

I just got thru reading something about setting your gains. The problem with that is, I'd like to be able to adjust my bass whenever I want, like in my neighborhood, I would always turn it **** near off (to keep from getting robbed).

Someone please clear all this up for me.

Thanx in advance

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[migueldeluna 10+ year member]

Umm... I'm fairly mostly kinda new to all of this too..

but my guess is... your amp was too weak for the subs... and the subs are kinda weak too... so .... it has to be shooting out more rms for both subs than that.

 

[airmcnair06 10+ year member]

what?

that doesnt make sense.

people underpower their subs all the time. That doesn't cause an amp to blow, at least I dont think it would And I know enough to know that what you said has no truth to it. Because in fact MOST people underpower their subs cause they cant afford a amp that gets the exact rms of their subs.

That much I do know.

But thanx 4 trying to help.

 

[Grinder1989 5,000+ posts]

So when the guy installed them, I asked him to put the bass remote up front (HE CHARGED ME $20 BUCKS!!!) and he did. So whenever I would turn my bass knob completely down, I would get no bass, meaning my subs went off basically. And then when I turned it all the way up, it started to smell kinda funny (like a lot of wires, new sub smell, and a fire all mixed in one, lol)

The "remote bass knob" is actually a gain control. If you cranked your gain up all the time, you probably ruined the amp. Not all is lost, buy a better amp and get more educated from this forum. you should have any more problems.

 

[airmcnair06 10+ year member]

The "remote bass knob" is actually a gain control. If you cranked your gain up all the time, you probably ruined the amp. Not all is lost, buy a better amp and get more educated from this forum. you should have any more problems.

So, sinc eits a gain control, I cant turn it all the way up.

Im looking to get a power acoustik amp, from the plasma series, it kicks out 720w at 4 ohms bridged.

You think even if I turn the bass knob all the way up it will still blow? Is that normal for it to blow or what?

Thanx

 

[saturnspl1991 10+ year member]

dont buy those plasma amps ... thats alomst a downgrade lol , im sure someone is selling a ma audio amp for fairly cheap, they will be you r best bet for a cheap amp that has good quality

 

[airmcnair06 10+ year member]

how is it a downgrade from soundstorm? Soundstorm sucks.

And I've heard good thing about power acoustiks.

And I need a gain knob, do any ma audio amps have it?

 

[Krown 10+ year member]

Have you checked the fuse(s) on the amp?

 

[airmcnair06 10+ year member]

How do I do that?

 

[airmcnair06 10+ year member]

bump

 

[mtlhead 10+ year member]

ok, by turning up your bass knob, you were essentially turning your amp's gain all the way up, making it clip. it probably got overheated and either A: blew the fuses or B: destroyed the amp

checking the fuses on the amp is easy...just look at the fuse, and if the metal inside the plastic casing is broken, its blown.

 

[diminishedpower 10+ year member]

unless i missed something everyone is assuming when he turned the gain knob up he was clipping.. Most those when the gain controller is at max, it is were the gain was set on the amp. So if the installed set the gain right even if he had knob at max 24/7 it shouldnt have blown, just my 2 cents worth

 

[Famous_78]

what kind of ohm load where the subs wired too?

 

[luvinthebass 5,000+ posts]

if those audiobahns were dual voice coil to low of an ohm load could have fried it, if you turn it on does it automatically go into protect?

 

[airmcnair06 10+ year member]

yea, it stays on protect mode now. Forever.

They were 4 ohms bridged