No remote adjustment?

[Doxquzme Premium Member]

Your low pass is set way too high.

But that's not the real problem.
The real problem is that you are saying you connected the RCA cables to the amp "output" side of the amp. The verbiage used on equipment regards signal flow.
Keep It Super Simple: If you want the signal to flow IN to the amp from your source, then you connect the RCA cable to the jacks labeled INput.

The OUTput RCA jacks can then be used to send that same signal on to another amp if you are stacking amps.

"I plugged a short RCA cable into the radio and into the input side of the knob and plugged in the RCA cables that lead to the amp into the output side" - as in the output side of the BASS knob, not the amp.

He's referring to the BASS control knob so I think he's good on that end. He's using the RCAs that feed a working JL amp to use a bonified source, when plugged into the Hifonics amps they don't produce any sound, they are on but have no output. Filters are set to make sure something the subs play, gets through. The OP has already confirmed subs work when tested with the JL amp.

 

[lliamiskool]

Your low pass is set way too high.

But that's not the real problem.
The real problem is that you are saying you connected the RCA cables to the amp "output" side of the amp. The verbiage used on equipment regards signal flow.
Keep It Super Simple: If you want the signal to flow IN to the amp from your source, then you connect the RCA cable to the jacks labeled INput.

The OUTput RCA jacks can then be used to send that same signal on to another amp if you are stacking amps.

I apologize, I think I was unclear. I connected RCA cables from the radio into the "input" side of the adjustment knob. I connected RCA cables from the "output" side of the adjustment knob into the "input" side of the amp. Later today, I can try changing the low pass and seeing if that helps anything. Thanks!

 

[RobGMN 5,000+ posts]

I apologize, I think I was unclear. I connected RCA cables from the radio into the "input" side of the adjustment knob. I connected RCA cables from the "output" side of the adjustment knob into the "input" side of the amp. Later today, I can try changing the low pass and seeing if that helps anything. Thanks!

Gotcha'. Well, the low-pass being set too high will give you TOO much bass, not none at all.

I think it was stated you confirmed your source is good and your subs are good.
Do you have another source you can plug directly into the amp? Like a phone and a 1/8" to RCA cable?

If you do that and still can't get sound, you'll def. know where the problem is.

 

[ikpthegame 10+ year member]

The problem is he has the gain set all the way down. He said he has it set to 4v, that's all the way down. Now op the gain is not a volume knob, but I bet if you turned it clockwise you will start to hear more sound. Try that, just to see if I read it right, just don't move it to far and start clipping

 

[lliamiskool]

I don’t mean to come off rude, but what would hooking the amp up to my phone prove? Because I know the amp and sub are functional. Also, ikpthegame was right, turning the bass boost knob did give me more volume. Thanks for your help, I guess I’ll just turn that up until it sounds worse!

 

[RobGMN 5,000+ posts]

I don’t mean to come off rude, but what would hooking the amp up to my phone prove? Because I know the amp and sub are functional. Also, ikpthegame was right, turning the bass boost knob did give me more volume. Thanks for your help, I guess I’ll just turn that up until it sounds worse!

It was to verify the amp was good since you said the source was good.
That was a great catch by ik. I had read the instructions that said to turn it to 0.4, and never caught that you had turned to 4.

Now that you are rolling, check the instrux on that bass boost knob. It may not be a frequency-flat volume boost or control, but a tone control that only boosts certain frequencies. Rockford did or does the same on their remote control for some amps.
Not a fan. Prefer EQ at the source.

 

[Doxquzme Premium Member]

It was to verify the amp was good since you said the source was good.
That was a great catch by ik. I had read the instructions that said to turn it to 0.4, and never caught that you had turned to 4.

Now that you are rolling, check the instrux on that bass boost knob. It may not be a frequency-flat volume boost or control, but a tone control that only boosts certain frequencies. Rockford did or does the same on their remote control for some amps.
Not a fan. Prefer EQ at the source.

The inline RCA types are usually just volume as they are just attenuating the low-level input, kind of like a manual gain adjustment from the dash. The knobs that are specific to a band of or specific frequency, are the ones that require the 4 or 6-pin RJ11 cables to operate correctly.

 

[RobGMN 5,000+ posts]

The inline RCA types are usually just volume as they are just attenuating the low-level input, kind of like a manual gain adjustment from the dash. The knobs that are specific to a band of or specific frequency, are the ones that require the 4 or 6-pin RJ11 cables to operate correctly.

Yeah. I thought he was talking about an amp-specific remote knob and not just an inline attenuator.
These threads should require a system schematic as part of the o/p, lol

 

[YourNameHere 10+ year member]

 

[lliamiskool]

Ok so I turned the level up quite a bit and it sounds much better. (I know its not a volume knob, but it's working for the time being until everything is fixed). I retried installing my regular cheap amazon in line adjustment knob and it worked great! I switched the RCA cable between the radio and knob for a longer one so I could place it where I wanted it, and there's a hum when I turn on the radio for a few seconds then it goes away. I assume I need a better RCA cable?

 

[Qbenjamin 10+ year member]

Ok so I turned the level up quite a bit and it sounds much better. (I know its not a volume knob, but it's working for the time being until everything is fixed). I retried installing my regular cheap amazon in line adjustment knob and it worked great! I switched the RCA cable between the radio and knob for a longer one so I could place it where I wanted it, and there's a hum when I turn on the radio for a few seconds then it goes away. I assume I need a better RCA cable?

If you have a multimeter laying around, I'd recommend setting the gain properly on the amp to prevent clipping the signal being sent to your sub. There are plenty of tutorials on Youtube and it literally only takes a few mins.

 

[lliamiskool]

If you have a multimeter laying around, I'd recommend setting the gain properly on the amp to prevent clipping the signal being sent to your sub. There are plenty of tutorials on Youtube and it literally only takes a few mins.

Ok I’ll do that this weekend!

 

[Doxquzme Premium Member]

Ok I’ll do that this weekend!

 

[lliamiskool]

If you have a multimeter laying around, I'd recommend setting the gain properly on the amp to prevent clipping the signal being sent to your sub. There are plenty of tutorials on Youtube and it literally only takes a few mins

Finally had the time to set the gain. I was shooting for 33.17 V and had to turn the gain to the max to get around 33.1. Guess that’s as close as I can get! Thanks

 

[ikpthegame 10+ year member]

Finally had the time to set the gain. I was shooting for 33.17 V and had to turn the gain to the max to get around 33.1. Guess that’s as close as I can get! Thanks

What's the source, ie radio? Factory or aftermarket? Make and model number, you shouldn't have to max the gain like that