questions about my amp/sub/hu settings

[dub6pimp 10+ year member]

i just recently installed a 12" alpine type r dual 2 ohm sub, a alpine mrp-m850 amp and a pioneer deh-p840mp HU. i set the gains with a DMM to 44.7 acv with my HU at volume 45/60 and my eq flat and my HU bass at + 4/6. i now listen to my system at that settings. so my amp doesnt have any headroom because its 500w powering a 500w sub. and the gain is set to the 500w at 4 ohm worth of acv. should the gain be lower so the amp wont send any clipped signals to the sub? or am i fine listening to it like i have? another question i have is im using 16 ga speaker wire from the amp to the sub. should i go with a bigger gauge?

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[nismos14 5,000+ posts]

Tune it with the volume lower instead. Then you have headroom and you can lower the gains.

 

[dub6pimp 10+ year member]

if i tuned it at a lower volume, the gain would be higher due to the loss of some signal. i would have more HU headroom but my amps headroom would be the same wouldnt it? so whatchu mean? i dont follow. clarify

 

[kidwolf909 10+ year member]

if i tuned it at a lower volume, the gain would be higher due to the loss of some signal. i would have more HU headroom but my amps headroom would be the same wouldnt it? so whatchu mean? i dont follow. clarify

Why do you have the bass boosted from the HU when tuning the sub gains? Bass boost is unnecessary when you have a 12" sub on 500wrms //content.invisioncic.com/y282845/emoticons/wink.gif.608e3ea05f1a9f98611af0861652f8fb.gif

EDIT: But to answer your other Q, 16awg should be fine. I run 12 gauge to my sub, but I go overkill on everything, 16 is okay lol

 

[nismos14 5,000+ posts]

Ya turn the gain up //content.invisioncic.com/y282845/emoticons/smile.gif.1ebc41e1811405b213edfc4622c41e27.gif

 

[spark plugs. 10+ year member]

was your test tone attenuated at all? if not, then you still have a little bit of headroom b/c most recordings don't play that loud.

 

[dub6pimp 10+ year member]

Why do you have the bass boosted from the HU when tuning the sub gains? Bass boost is unnecessary when you have a 12" sub on 500wrms //content.invisioncic.com/y282845/emoticons/wink.gif.608e3ea05f1a9f98611af0861652f8fb.gif

i set it like that so that if sombody mess with the hu settings they wont blow my sub (too badly).

Ya turn the gain up //content.invisioncic.com/y282845/emoticons/smile.gif.1ebc41e1811405b213edfc4622c41e27.gif

if the gain went any higher with my current HU settings, my amp would be sending clipped signals to the sub, like tricking my amp to do more than it is able would be bad. so did you mean turn the gain up and lower vol and sub settings? your really not making sence with your short answers. (or im really not comprehending)

was your test tone attenuated at all? if not, then you still have a little bit of headroom b/c most recordings don't play that loud.

im not sure. it was a 50hz 0db sine wave 192 kbps. but i see what you mean because when i pluged all the wires back in it was still playing and it was loud as ****. i dont think the bass in my songs get that loud so i should be fine huh?

thx everybody. maby i should just trade the dual 2 ohm for a dual 4. but before i do that, any more suggestions? or clarification (nismo14)?

 

[spark plugs. 10+ year member]

if the gain went any higher with my current HU settings, my amp would be sending clipped signals to the sub, like tricking my amp to do more than it is able would be bad. so did you mean turn the gain up and lower vol and sub settings? your really not making sence with your short answers. (or im really not comprehending)

im not sure. it was a 50hz 0db sine wave 192 kbps. but i see what you mean because when i pluged all the wires back in it was still playing and it was loud as ****. i dont think the bass in my songs get that loud so i should be fine huh?

thx everybody. maby i should just trade the dual 2 ohm for a dual 4. but before i do that, any more suggestions? or clarification (nismo14)?

you'd only be clipping if your gains are set so high that your amp just can't put out the power you're asking of it. if you're using an unattenuated test tone to tune, then your music isn't playing anywhere close to what you set the gain voltage at. so you still have room to turn up your gain slightly more.

if you plan on keeping that amp, a dual 4 woudn't be bad b/c you'd be able to get 850w @ 2 ohms.

 

[nismos14 5,000+ posts]

Yes turn the vol down and the sub down and raise teh gains.