Need help with 2 12' Subwoofers/problem

[paintballer 10+ year member]

First of all, my setup to the best of my ability is this :

-One Alpine MRP-M650 Mono channel Amplifier powering the subs. its 400w x1 at 4ohms, and 600 watts RMS x1 at 2ohms.

- MTX Dual 12" 1350W Subwoofers/Enclosure. It said the the box handled 450 watts RMS. Audio express told me that the whole box handled 450 Watts RMS for that there was only one connection terminal spot for the wiring. (TCE4512X2D)

-and the rest doesn really pertain to the problem/question. but

 

-Alpine CDA-9856 , 4 guage 1000 Watts wiring amplifier kit, a distributor block, 2 TMA coaxile speakers, and 2 TMA 1 way speakers with seperate tweeters, and a 4 channel TMA amp that is like 60 Watts RMS x4 or something like that, and 1 huge 300 dollar plus capacitor block.

THe two problems are these.

1.) The other day i was messing around with the sub volume and cranking it up loud just to hear loud bass. I cranked up the ub volume, and it was working fine and hitting good. all of a sudden, the subs got really quiet, you almost couldnt even hear them, so i was liek shit, i probably damaged them some how. and the speakers worked fine still. I turned off my cd player, and turned it back on and it was fine. the subs sounded good again. Later whne i got out of the car, i pushed gently on the core of the subs, and they seemed to not be crammed in or jacked up at all. I fi damaged my subs or amp somehow, would it be noticable. What could have happened. The place who installed it told me that the amp was just enough power for the subs and that it wouldnt be overpower the subs., Is this true according to above products i listed.

2.) WHen ever i turned the volume past the 22 mark, the subs seem to stop increasing in voulme, but yet the speakers to get louder. actually it sounds liek the subs drop in voulme a little bit after this voulme mark. Coudl this be because of the input sensativity thing on the mono amp, or could it be the subs or the deck. Maybe this would mean the amp cant put out any more power. But if i turn it to 22, and then increase the actual Subwoofer or base voulme from there, the subs gets louder. but they wont get louder by just increasing the voulme from 22 on. And thats actually how the first problem happened. I was set at 22db or whatever the term is, and i increased the sub volume from there. Is this bad, because maybe im giving the subs too much power than they or the amp can handle.

Thanks everybody for the help. I spenta lot of money on this sound system and i just want nothing to be wrong. im a little paranoid about things, so bare with me.

THAnks again

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[Hintzyboy 5,000+ posts]

Sounds like your amp just went into protect mode. as for the subs not getting any louder after a certain volume level, they most likely have reached full excursion already, so they won't get louder. Just a bit of advice, don't use the base boost. You'll end up sending an uber-distorted signal through the subs and you'll blow them. Keep the boost down, make sure your amp gains are set right, and don't turn the volume up past the point just before audible distortion.

 

[paintballer 10+ year member]

i checked the controls on both the amps. The filters are set correctly, and the frequencies seemed to be set a good ranges. The input sensativity on the sub amp is like .5 or something, almosy turned up all the way. what bass boost are you referring too. i havent touched the bass boost contrll on the actual amp yet. i think the installers barely turned it up, thats what it looks like. should i turn it all the way down. I was just messing with the subwoofer and bass volume on the actual deck, not the actual bass boast dial on the amp. Actually that 22 mark is very weird. When you turn it up pass that the subs get quieter, and the speaekrs seem to change a little in voulme also. but i know my speakers cann handle a lot more because i had a diffferent system in my old car that got louder with no 4 channel amp for the speakers at all. These speaekrs in this car are nicer and theres an amp powering them too. I dont know what the hell the problem is. im starting to hate this Alpine deck a lot. It seems liek a piece of crap too me. i cant even change the frequencies ont he deck either. I tried to change the bass and treble frequencies trhough the deck, but it always sets back to default. Theres no preset frequency sets eithr like for rock,, jazz, ect. i dont undestand why the hell my volume for everything would just start to get altered after 22, which isnt very loud. Its loud for some cd's, but for others its mild, and its pissing me off, considering i spend more money on this sound system, yet it lacks the volume. im pointing my finger at this POS deck, but i need help with suggesstions and more answers.

and one more thing. I dont understand how the subs get calmer after the voume 22, but if you have it at 22, and then use the subwoofer voulme or the bass voulme in the cd player controls, you can get it louder as if it were actually increasing after 22 the way it should, but only by not changing the master volume, but by actually increasing the bass and subwoofer controls in the deck. i havent touched the amps at all since they installed it. Do you think im hurting the speakers and subs by turning the voulme past 22. The speakers get a lot louder after a voulme of 22, just on 23 everything changes. its hard to explain.

Thanks guys for the help

 

[Hintzyboy 5,000+ posts]

what kind of deck do you have (model #)?

I don't think it's a deck problem. I doubt the subs are getting quieter. It might just sound that way because the speakers continue to get louder. Without seeing it and listening to it first hand, I really don't know. Have your installer look at it, or look and see if there are any forum members in your area who can listen to it and help you out.

 

[paintballer 10+ year member]

Alpine CDA-9856. and it definitely changes in sub voulme from 22 to 23. You weere referring to the basss boast on the amp though right.

 

[Hintzyboy 5,000+ posts]

I was referring to both the amp's bass boost and the subwoofer level on the deck. On my first deck (Pioneer) If I turned up the sub too much, it sent a really distorted signal to my amp and i ended up blowing a sub because of it. I wouldn't turn up the sub volume more than 1/3 of its max.

 

[Triple J audio 10+ year member]

hi i would instal a bass nob so you can ****orle your bass and still have you volume up here ever you want it. Bass tubs are ok but i like subs in a sloted box and you may want to turn you amp volume half way and live it.

 

[jeremiah 10+ year member]

subwoofer remote level control //content.invisioncic.com/y282845/emoticons/wink.gif.608e3ea05f1a9f98611af0861652f8fb.gif

 

[adam007 10+ year member]

What happening when your subs get quieter is that your amp has a clipped signal. When you get the loudest is when your sub is reaching its limit and when they get quieter is when it is starting to clip. If you want to hear your componets better you have to adjust from the headunit. Keep ur bass down and adjust when you get to your listening level and to much clipping will cause the subs to blow so be careful.

 

[paintballer 10+ year member]

thanks for the help guys. yeah i looked at the gain level on the amp, and it looks like they turned it up to .5 something which looks almost all the way up. My sub level volume on the deck right now is like 5 out of 17. Say when i turn the volume up to 22 but no more. and then increase the sub volume as i did. Would that induce clipping at the subs since i havent gone over the 22 mark with the main volume control, but from there i have increased the sub voulme a little more. Would increasing the bass and sub volumems opn the deck override into the clipping zone just as the master volume switch does. But when i turn up the sub and bass volume, it never does that weird change in volume tone, only with the master volume. After listening to it more at the 22 -23 mark, the speakers seem to go down a hair, then shoot back up when i go to 24,25,26,27. I want to be as safe as possible, and im worried that i might have screwed the subs up already. Would they be hurt from the clipping they have gotten so far. I got the sound system installed like a month ago. Is there a way withouth buying anything else( like the sub remote control) to make it so that i am not able to even reach this clipping volume. I mean like making it so that that 22 mark on the master volume would be the loudest i could turn the subs up. I dont want to be able to even reach that point of clipping. would this all be done with the setting the gain in a certain way.

Thanks for the help guys.