Popping noise from sub?Could it be the amp?

[basshead442]

I have a 3hp PSI 18" in a 6 cubic ft box and I am running off of a rockford 200a4 and I am running it off of 2 channels bridged at 4 ohms. The popping just started happening today and thats why I am wondering what it could be I mean it cannot be over-excursion because its only on 100 watts rms at most and the sub is rated for 1.5k. And when I push on the sub with everything off I hear no rub at all and I feel no coil rub. I don't have another amp ATM to try it out but I'm gonna try it on my home theater amp tomorrow. One thing I will say is that my rockford amp is from 98 and its an A/B amplifier and it runs extremely hot so hot I could scramble eggs on the heatsink case I thought maybe it heating up and it being 94 degrees today that could have done it and messed up an internal component on the amplifier. Also the popping only happens on some notes and only at higher volumes so I don't know what it could be.

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[keep_hope_alive Premium Member]

that is called clipping. the amp is too small to push the sub to your liking. you have to turn the gain down a bit and if you want more output, buy a larger amp.

 

[basshead442]

that is called clipping. the amp is too small to push the sub to your liking. you have to turn the gain down a bit and if you want more output, buy a larger amp.

But my question was why was it not doing it before? I left the gains at 3/4 and it was fine before but all of a sudden when I was bumping it started making that noise out of no where. Also I have a Powerbass ASA1500.1dx on the way and it does 2k at 1ohm so I'll have more than enough to push it.

 

[basshead442]

So I'm guessing the amp is messed up correct?

 

[The_Grimy_One 10+ year member]

Yes, sounds like clipping. Turn the gains back some and see how it reacts. Old skoo amps get hot, but will kill themselves if there is no thermal protection. So it may be possible you hurt the amp, but if you turn the gain back some and it hits ok, then clipping is the culprit.

 

[basshead442]

Yes, sounds like clipping. Turn the gains back some and see how it reacts. Old skoo amps get hot, but will kill themselves if there is no thermal protection. So it may be possible you hurt the amp, but if you turn the gain back some and it hits ok, then clipping is the culprit.

Yeah I turned it back and it stopped but it was bumping way harder without clipping for the past few days and now it clips when you barely turn it up. No big deal though I got a buddy that has the equipment to let me diagnose the amp and I'm glad its the amp rather than the sub because replacing some output transistors or mosfets is alot cheaper than reconing a sub.