Lower the gain the better?

[efm80 10+ year member]

so would it be smart to get a way more powerful amp than you need and just have the gains set super low? for example you have a sub that can handle 1000 watts rms. Instead of getting an amp that puts out 1000 watts rms would it be better to get an amp that puts out 1500 or 2000 watts rms, but just turn the gain very low. That way you are sending extremely clean power that would definitely be unclipped, but would be perfect for the rms rating that the sub desires. am I on the right page here??? or could you still clip your amp?

eddie

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[Linkz 10+ year member]

I would advise getting the 1500wrms and setting the gain to 2/3 give or take. It would ensure minimal clipping as well as greatly reduced distortion as most amps (if not all) produce quite a bit of distortion the closer they get to their rms rating It would also lessen the strain on the amp, and perhaps lengthen its usable life span.

 

[pjhabit 10+ year member]

I would advise setting the gain to 2/3 give or take

Too many variables to advise a gain setting, especially w/ unknown equipment.

But I can agree w/ the rest of that statement. Headroom is good ta have

 

[DidUHearThat? 10+ year member]

That is the prefered method of SQ, but yes... you can still clip the amp. You can clip a 5000 watt amp. And with the increased power comes the increased chance you will blow the driver. I like to over power my drivers, but I know not to jam the volume knob up and I listen for distortion and back it down.

The knuckleheads who turn everything up to max and don't notice the distortion are the ones who blow drivers, then sell all their blow/burnt/ruined gear on ebay and classified section.

 

[Fiercetimbo17 10+ year member]

amps dont just clip because they feel like it, basically its the input signal clipping causing the amp to do the same by reproducing a clipped signal

 

[efm80 10+ year member]

amps dont just clip because they feel like it, basically its the input signal clipping causing the amp to do the same by reproducing a clipped signal

so are you saying the head unit is clipping??

 

[Fiercetimbo17 10+ year member]

a head units preout can clip, if thats what your asking.

 

[efm80 10+ year member]

a head units preout can clip, if thats what your asking.

I am more asking why you said its the input signal clipping and the amp just reproducing that? please explain? thanks

 

[Immacomputer 10+ year member]

amps dont just clip because they feel like it, basically its the input signal clipping causing the amp to do the same by reproducing a clipped signal

Amps will clip when you try to get more power out of them than they can reproduce. You can clip an amp with a clean input signal by having the gain set too high.

To the OP: Your original post has the correct idea about headroom. Having more power than needed can be an excellent thing but it can also be dangerous. High power means high control on your part.

 

[ghart999 10+ year member]

If you really want the amp gains set to minimal get a line driver.

All 3 of my amps are set to minimum gain with the use of line drivers.

 

[Immacomputer 10+ year member]

If you really want the amp gains set to minimal get a line driver.
All 3 of my amps are set to minimum gain with the use of line drivers.

His end goal isn't to have gains set low but to set them to a power level that is good for his speakers but is relatively low compared to what the amp can cleanly put out. Line drivers would be a BAD thing if he has amps that can do far more power than he needs. A line driver will step up the input voltage and limit what control he has over low input signals. He would then have to reduce the gain on the line driver which is what he was going to do at the amp in the first place. A line driver is not something that he would need in a situation where you're using an amp much more powerful than what your speakers can handle.

 

[DidUHearThat? 10+ year member]

If you really want the amp gains set to minimal get a line driver.
All 3 of my amps are set to minimum gain with the use of line drivers.

Why? I would not recommend that.

 

[99grandprixGT 5,000+ posts]

To the OP: Your original post has the correct idea about headroom. Having more power than needed can be an excellent thing but it can also be dangerous. High power means high control on your part.

ya man i just did that with my set up. i bought the hifonics 2008D rather than the 1608D, so i do not have to push the amp to its full potential i guess i would say, but i did set the gains correctly with a DMM to make sure that i am not over the RMS that i want.

 

[dipitydoo 10+ year member]

one thing things you should remember about subs. clipping and distortion are more difficult to hear at lower frequencies, especially if it is masked by a trunk. while it certainly can't hurt to have more unclipped power available, it is doubtful any improvements will be audible. what you are saying is you have a sub that handles 1000w, so you will feed it 1000w. a 1000w amp will put out 1000w of unclipped power. a 2000w amp will put out 2000w of unclipped power, but you will limit it to only 1000w. of course you can allow the 2000w amp to put out a bit more power than the sub's rating. but that being said, again, the difference isn't likely audible. you can get a larger amp if you have money and space to burn, but imo, its not needed. btw, you don't need a line driver.