MB Quart 1ohm no dim. US Amps MD2D 3ohms dim.

[TreyE 10+ year member]

Hey all so I have a question here. I recently just won a US Amps Merlin MD2D on ebay for $125. Anywho it was damaged in shipping and I have a claim open, thats not the matter at hand. I went to my car to test it out to see if it worked. Powered right up put gain at like 1/3 and hooked it to a JL W7 I had in my car at the time (car is in the shop lot immobile at the moment). I have the big 3 done 130amp alt, 80ah battery under the hood and OFC 4ga to back with good ground.

My MB Quart ONX1000.1 I had hooked up at 1 ohm with the gain like a bit over half way up NEVER dimmed my lights with this setup. Tonight I hook up the US Amps MD2D at 3ohms about 1/2 gain and my lights are dimming in my car? I thought these amps were decently efficient amps!? Do you think something could possibly be causing this to happen when amp was damaged in shipping? Board looks fine only cosmetic damage.

Am I over thinking things and this amp is just that much better and more powerful than the MB? Any input?

Think it could be because my car has been sitting for a week without being turned on? Car wasnt warmed up? Im very confused and I ask a lot of questions. Will include USPS shipping damage for entertainment.

Trey

This is where they(USPS) taped it back up after almost ripping this part of the box off:



One of the feet that caught some of packaging (what was left after gape they caused) and bent fin:



More bent fins and feet:



Plexi back:

Click to read more...

 

[Jepalan]

The MBQ Onxy has a single 70amp fuse on input power, the MD2D has 3 x 40 amp fuses. What does that tell you?

I am guessing the MD2D is puling more power and putting more into the load.

Why didn't you wire the MD2D for 1 ohm as well?

 

[phemps 10+ year member]

sounds like you guessed your gain settings?

 

[TreyE 10+ year member]

The MBQ Onxy has a single 70amp fuse on input power, the MD2D has 3 x 40 amp fuses. What does that tell you?I am guessing the MD2D is puling more power and putting more into the load.

Why didn't you wire the MD2D for 1 ohm as well?

Not wired at 1 because I sold my 2 15"s all I had was my single 12W7 back there temp until I get the car out of the shop then I'm putting the Sundown X in there. I'm not that dumb it tells me its a more powerful amp derderderr, it was wired at 3 ohms. Obvious the MD2D is a better amp but I wasn't expecting so much dim from what I would think is less power seeing as gain was half way up and it should be pulling the same or less than MB at 3 ohms. Maybe this amp is more powerful than I predicted.

sounds like you guessed your gain settings?

I've been adjusting amps for a few days now I think I know how to not blow my subs since I never have in 8 years of 'guessing' gains. Anywhere from 3600rms to 600rms. Point taken though.

 

[Jepalan]

Gain setting is irrelevant. 1) You can't compare position of gain control on one brand amp to another, 2) you can have gain all the way down and still put full power into the sub if your input signal level is high enough voltage. Gain matches input signal voltage to the amp input section. Period.

 

[TreyE 10+ year member]

Gain setting is irrelevant. 1) You can't compare position of gain control on one brand amp to another, 2) you can have gain all the way down and still put full power into the sub if your input signal level is high enough voltage. Gain matches input signal voltage to the amp input section. Period.

If gain setting is irrelevant my question still stands. Why a lot more dim on less/same power.

 

[bubbagumper6 5,000+ posts]

If gain setting is irrelevant my question still stands. Why a lot more dim on less/same power.

No, his point was that you have no way of knowing how much power you're actually outputting, you're comparing apples and oranges.

Get a DMM and quit setting your gains arbitrarily.

 

[TreyE 10+ year member]

no, his point was that you have no way of knowing how much power you're actually outputting, you're comparing apples and oranges.
Get a dmm and quit setting your gains arbitrarily.

nevarrrrrrrrrrrr!!!!

 

[TreyE 10+ year member]

So if you give me the benefit of the doubt and say they're puttin out close to the same (agree the MD2D isn't putting out over 1200 @ 3ohm BEFORE rise "if any", y'all are so **** literal) I'm still seeking a legitimate reason.

Ah **** it you all are no help in my vague search of my electrical problem! //content.invisioncic.com/y282845/emoticons/crazy.gif.c13912c32de98515d3142759a824dae7.gif

 

[bubbagumper6 5,000+ posts]

So if you give me the benefit of the doubt and say they're puttin out close to the same (agree the MD2D isn't putting out over 1200 @ 3ohm BEFORE rise "if any", y'all are so **** literal) I'm still seeking a legitimate reason.
Ah **** it you all are no help in my vague search of my electrical problem! //content.invisioncic.com/y282845/emoticons/crazy.gif.c13912c32de98515d3142759a824dae7.gif

Let me try and put this as simple as possible. You cannot say Amplifier B causes more strain on your electrical than Amplifier A without knowing exactly how much power they are producing/consuming. Setting your gains arbitrarily makes this impossible. If you were to say set the gains on both amplifiers with a DMM so they are both outputting 1000w and THEN you get dimming with one and not the other you would have a claim to this question. As it stands now you do not have enough data to come to any conclusions whatsoever.

 

[TreyE 10+ year member]

dbl

 

[TreyE 10+ year member]

Let me try and put this as simple as possible. You cannot say Amplifier B causes more strain on your electrical than Amplifier A without knowing exactly how much power they are producing/consuming. Setting your gains arbitrarily makes this impossible. If you were to say set the gains on both amplifiers with a DMM so they are both outputting 1000w and THEN you get dimming with one and not the other you would have a claim to this question. As it stands now you do not have enough data to come to any conclusions whatsoever.

I come to whatever conclusion I want. My conclusion is that the MD2D is pulling the same or slightly more than MB Quart but causing a LOT more draw. I do what I want.

 

[Jepalan]

The data we have says:

1) The MBQ does NOT cause dimming and,

2) The M2D2 in the same system DOES cause dimming.

Period.

The M2D2 is pulling more current from the system. Next question?

Why is this so hard to understand?

 

[Jepalan]

If gain setting is irrelevant my question still stands. Why a lot more dim on less/same power.

You completely missed my point and the point of every other poster after me that is *TRYING TO HELP YOU!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!*

YOU DO NOT KNOW IF THE M2D2 IS CONFIGURED TO SUPPLY/DRAW MORE OR LESS POWER UNLESS YOU USE A CALIBRATED INSTRUMENT TO MEASURE IT

GAIN KNOB POSITION TELLS YOU NOTHING!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

I am leaving this thread. Bye.

 

[neo_styles 10+ year member]

This thread is making my eyes hurt from reading how much we're trying to generalize here. It's really simple, but you're explaining the wrong side.

The concern here isn't how much POWER the amp is pulling. Power is a product, not a source. Look at Ohm's law. What you're concerned with in this situation is CURRENT. That US Amps probably has a much higher current draw than the Quart, especially if we're talking a pre-buyout US Amps vs a Maxxsonics Quart. So since your US Amps is pulling more current, it taxes your electrical system more and is causing the dimming that you see.

If you haven't done the Big 3 yet, it's probably time to do so. If you have, then I would look at upgrading either your alt or adding more batteries (leaning more towards the alt).