Line Drivers? worth it?

[Jep772 10+ year member]

mine helps the highs keep up w/ the bass at lower volumes, but seems like with or without the line driver when i turn it up high its the same in the end, and i cant really hear shit over the sub lol

 

[spoonraker 10+ year member]

A line driver doesn't magically make your amp play louder.

An amp can only physically generate a certain amount of power. It takes a low voltage signal and amplifies the signal, that's it. Just because the input voltage is greater doesn't mean somehow the amp can step the voltage up to a level past where it was before. If you add a line driver and your system plays louder without distortion that just means that you didn't have your gain turned up enough without the line driver.

The only time a line driver will do anything useful is when your source voltage is so low that your amp can not amplify it enough to reach it's maximum output without clipping.

 

[Jep772 10+ year member]

wanna buy one? 50 bucks shipped

 

[M3@Apex 10+ year member]

When you say everything in the book, what exactly do you mean?
There are TONS of things you can do, and I highly doubt you've really tried them all

I've grounded the HU to the same place as my component amps. Doesn't help.

I've tried moving the HU ground in my trunk and dremeling the metal so that it's a good contact point. Doesn't help.

I've tried moving the ground of my amps around, still doesn't work.

I've tried hooking an Mp3 player up to it, to see if there's a ground loop. There is, which means that it's probably coming from the amp.

I've tried hooking no RCA's to it, there's no noise, but my amp probably just knows there's no signal.

If I turn my gains down, the noise gets quieter.

If you have any other ideas, please let me know!! It would be greatly appreciated.

 

[Tbrik44]

I have a brand new Audiocontrol Overdrive in box. $85.00 and you pay shipping.

 

[grampi 10+ year member]

I have a brand new Audiocontrol Overdrive in box. $85.00 and you pay shipping.

I might be interested.

 

[Pl8er 5,000+ posts]

I've said it in many posts, but get a rockford fosgate symmetry. Find one on ebay or on here. You can control the EQ, kill off any ground loop problems and shut off the amps gains totally.

I LOVE mine.

 

[XanderMoser 10+ year member]

A line driver doesn't magically make your amp play louder.
An amp can only physically generate a certain amount of power. It takes a low voltage signal and amplifies the signal, that's it. Just because the input voltage is greater doesn't mean somehow the amp can step the voltage up to a level past where it was before. If you add a line driver and your system plays louder without distortion that just means that you didn't have your gain turned up enough without the line driver.

The only time a line driver will do anything useful is when your source voltage is so low that your amp can not amplify it enough to reach it's maximum output without clipping.

Exactly. There is too much other stuff in the thread for me to comment on, I could go on forever but there is a sub sitting in front of me and I have to eat it before class.

To the OP: how is your amp mounted? Screwed in? Could the casing of the amp be touching metal on your car somewhere? This would create a bad ground loop/noise issue on many amps whose cases are grounded, which is quite common.

Also, did you say you have your HU grounded in your trunk with your amps? What vehicle is this? How long is the ground run and what gauge? What about the power wire?