Question about pioneer GM d8601 amp

[#str8clippn]

The manual for this amp says that it's mono. And if both inputs (R&L) are hooked up, then the output signal will be mixed. Does this mean I should use 1 or the other? But not both at the same time? I can't find any definitive info about this and I've tried it both ways and noticed no difference in sound. Am I risking damaging anything by having both L & R inputs hooked up?

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[Louisiana_CRX 5,000+ posts]

You can use both

 

[#str8clippn]

You can use both

won't it be bad for my subs to be receiving signal intended for 2 different channels at the same time? I'm running 2 type R's wired together to 1 ohm before they're hooked up to the amp.

 

[Lasherž]

won't it be bad for my subs to be receiving signal intended for 2 different channels at the same time? I'm running 2 type R's wired together to 1 ohm before they're hooked up to the amp.

No, it should be mixed. Think about what happens when the song sweeps from one side to the other, the subwoofer should be unaffected by these sweeps.

 

[#str8clippn]

No, it should be mixed. Think about what happens when the song sweeps from one side to the other, the subwoofer should be unaffected by these sweeps.

I get what your saying. If I only ran the right channel, and there was a bass sweep side to side, there could be a.. blank spot, for lack of a better term, I'm the bass line. It's a true mono block amp. 1 channel. All the manual says is that if you use both the left and the right channel inputs, it'll output a mixed signal, I'm trying to find out if that mixed signal is bad for my voice coils. I'm running 2 4ohm dvc 12" type R's in a shared sealed enclosure. Wired inside the box to 1 ohm. Man, youu got me thinking here. I'm still fairly new at this. Less than a year in.

 

[Lasherž]

I get what your saying. If I only ran the right channel, and there was a bass sweep side to side, there could be a.. blank spot, for lack of a better term, I'm the bass line. It's a true mono block amp. 1 channel. All the manual says is that if you use both the left and the right channel inputs, it'll output a mixed signal, I'm trying to find out if that mixed signal is bad for my voice coils. I'm running 2 4ohm dvc 12" type R's in a shared sealed enclosure. Wired inside the box to 1 ohm. Man, youu got me thinking here. I'm still fairly new at this. Less than a year in.

Everyone goes through a little self-doubt as they start new hobbies. In this case though I think you're definitely zooming too far into this. The mixer is a basic part of a mono amp, all it does is makes sure that you're not dropping bass so long as there's a signal from either channel and otherwise blends the two together. You're correct that there would be a blank spot if it sweeped away from the channel you chose. So for a left to right sweep if you only have the R RCA plugged in it will start at no bass and by the end of the sweep you'll have full bass. It will be immediately suspect to anyone listening and so would an opposite direction sweep.

The input is made mono internally by the mixer and so you don't need to worry about the fact that it started off as two channels. The mixer isn't something to ignore with output in all cases, but since you have direct RCA pre-outs to the amp your system isn't susceptible to the problems that can arise within the mixer when, for example, an input polarity is swapped. That's an issue caused by bad wiring in high level inputs or LOC (which it doesn't sound like you have) and would result in the opposite problem, where the bass would be effectively muted until a sweep. It's a common way to ruin your gear since you'll tend to turn it up until you can hear the muffled audio and then when a sweep happens it'll go full output and clip itself to death before you can turn it down.

 

[#str8clippn]

Everyone goes through a little self-doubt as they start new hobbies. In this case though I think you're definitely zooming too far into this. The mixer is a basic part of a mono amp, all it does is makes sure that you're not dropping bass so long as there's a signal from either channel and otherwise blends the two together. You're correct that there would be a blank spot if it sweeped away from the channel you chose. So for a left to right sweep if you only have the R RCA plugged in it will start at no bass and by the end of the sweep you'll have full bass. It will be immediately suspect to anyone listening and so would an opposite direction sweep.

The input is made mono internally by the mixer and so you don't need to worry about the fact that it started off as two channels. The mixer isn't something to ignore with output in all cases, but since you have direct RCA pre-outs to the amp your system isn't susceptible to the problems that can arise within the mixer when, for example, an input polarity is swapped. That's an issue caused by bad wiring in high level inputs or LOC (which it doesn't sound like you have) and would result in the opposite problem, where the bass would be effectively muted until a sweep. It's a common way to ruin your gear since you'll tend to turn it up until you can hear the muffled audio and then when a sweep happens it'll go full output and clip itself to death before you can turn it down.

Ok. That all makes sense. Thanks. I appreciate it.