Please try and explain this about Amp power

[Biker 10+ year member]

Here is something I need to try and understand.

Lets assume we have a 4 ohm speaker rated at 400 Watts RMS. We use the gain setting tutorial to determine how much voltage AC to send to the speaker. We use the gain control to accoplish this.

So what is the difference if we set an amp rated at 100 watts rms at 4 ohms or set the same gain on an amp rated at 400 watts rms at 4 ohms?

I keep hearing that the Gain is not a volume control yet to me it seems like it is.

What is it am missing?

Thanks

Biker

Click to read more...

 

[stishdr 10+ year member]

read the gain setting tutorial...

 

[squeak9798 5,000+ posts]

Here is something I need to try and understand.
Lets assume we have a 4 ohm speaker rated at 400 Watts RMS. We use the gain setting tutorial to determine how much voltage AC to send to the speaker. We use the gain control to accoplish this.

So what is the difference if we set an amp rated at 100 watts rms at 4 ohms or set the same gain on an amp rated at 400 watts rms at 4 ohms?

I keep hearing that the Gain is not a volume control yet to me it seems like it is.

What is it am missing?

Thanks

Biker

You can use the gain to, in essence, "limit" the power output of the amplifier.

The old saying "the gain is not a volume control" is more or less just an adage to attempt to help noobies understand that the gain should not be used to increase the volume or set it based on the volume produced. There is a proper way to use the gain, and it's not based solely on the volume level produced like a volume control is.

 

[jmanpc 5,000+ posts]

Are you asking what the difference if in setting an amp rated for 100w @ 4 ohms to 400w and setting an amp rated for 400 @ 4 to 400w is?

To put it simply, the smaller amp will be clipping like mad.

But please, clarify further //content.invisioncic.com/y282845/emoticons/biggrin.gif.d71a5d36fcbab170f2364c9f2e3946cb.gif

 

[squeak9798 5,000+ posts]

But please, clarify further //content.invisioncic.com/y282845/emoticons/biggrin.gif.d71a5d36fcbab170f2364c9f2e3946cb.gif

//content.invisioncic.com/y282845/emoticons/word.gif.64b12e39f936af3b4fff38a1c0bd0244.gif

Now I'm not sure if I understood the question properly //content.invisioncic.com/y282845/emoticons/crap.gif.7f4dd41e3e9b23fbd170a1ee6f65cecc.gif

 

[Biker 10+ year member]

OK Dumb question but I have to ask it. To make sure I understand.

I understand how you may want to limit power to your speaker but is it safe to say in general that if your amp is rated at much less power than your speaker you could safely turn the gain up all the way.

Im not asking because I would do it I am asking as a basis to understand car audio.

Thanks Biker

 

[Biker 10+ year member]

So are you saying you could set the gains on an underated amp and destroy your speakers with clipping?

 

[jmanpc 5,000+ posts]

Ahh, okay.

Ok, lets say you have a 1000w RMS sub, and a 100w RMS amp. To achieve some good output, you crank the gains. Sure, the sub will probably be able to handle all the power. But, the first thing you'll notice is that your subw ill sound like poo, because it is recieving a pure square wave. Second of all, you're putting your amp in danger because it will more than likely get very hot, and you run a very good chance of blowing it because it is being pushed past its limits.

 

[jmanpc 5,000+ posts]

Clipping itself won't kill a speaker, but the extra power that comes as a result of clipping will.

 

[squeak9798 5,000+ posts]

I understand how you may want to limit power to your speaker but is it safe to say in general that if your amp is rated at much less power than your speaker you could safely turn the gain up all the way.

I wouldn't consider it always to be "safe". It depends on what products we are specifically talking about.

But the ONLY way to damage a driver, regardless of signal, is to exceed it's mechanical or thermal power handling. If the amplifier with the gain cranked all the way up, presumably clipping heavily, is not producing a level of power capable of exceeding the driver's thermal or mechanical power handling limits then the driver will not be damaged.