Setting gains by ear resulting in disappionting performance...

[Headbanger 10+ year member]

I've been trying to set my gains by ear on my new setup and end up with the gain only turned slightly above minimum. The result is that I have to crank the head unit up way past what I used to running off head unit power (on another system). This makes no sense to me.

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[mattmcss 10+ year member]

get a bigger amplifier.

Set the gains with a DMM.

 

[Headbanger 10+ year member]

It's a 100wrms x2 into 80wrms speakers...

 

[helotaxi 5,000+ posts]

Sounds like you need to work on setting gains by ear. It is also quite possible that it is a good deal louder than the HU powered example but because the amp isn't clipping and the HU probably was it won't sound as harsh on the top end and won't sound as loud.

 

[Biker 10+ year member]

If for example your if your old system had 3 volt preouts and your new system has 5 volt preouts this could happen.

 

[lilmaniac2 5,000+ posts]

so you set your gains by the ear and they dont sound right to the ear, seems like you didnt do it right in the first place

 

[Chevyaudio 5,000+ posts]

If you aren't a retard and know what to listen for...

Setting your gains by ear is by far better than a DMM. A DMM will not tell you when your amplifer is sending a clipped signal. an o-scope would be ideal. But not everyone has one of those.

 

[Headbanger 10+ year member]

If for example your if your old system had 3 volt preouts and your new system has 5 volt preouts this could happen.

I'm running the same model head unit.

 

[Biker 10+ year member]

Sorry, I didnt read your question correctly, So what your saying is you would be better off running your system off of HU power right now. So that brings up some questions and maybe we could give you a better answer.

What Amp and speakers?

 

[Headbanger 10+ year member]

ED nine.2 (rated at 100wrms x 2) into DLS R6A's (rated at 80wrms @ 4 ohms). I have the filter on full since I haven't put my sub in yet. Of course the speakers I am comparing them too were coax but I'm sure they were still 4 ohm. In order to get the same output from the same volume level as my old system I have to put the gain at about the half way level. I should mention that I was running two cheapo tens getting like 37wrms each on the old system which of course affected the overall volume but the volume level I am using now is a little under double what I used to run. The subs weren't very loud and my volume comfort level is usually dictated by the highs anyway so I still think something is amiss here.

 

[Biker 10+ year member]

I am fairly new to this car audio and may be way off base here so hopefully some others will chime in but I do have a couple comments.

I would'nt send all frequencys to those components. I would think you would set the filter to high and send only about 80 and above. But with that said I would'nt think the lows going to the comps would create the problem your having.

Im running about the same power to 4 components front and back and sending about 500 to my 2 subs. My system set at volume 30 of 35 was so loud you would almost have to wear earplugs. Then my Sub Amp went out and all of the sudden the mids and highs at 30 volume wernt loud at all. It was just supprizing to me how much the lows added to overall loudness.

Thats just my 2cents

 

[helotaxi 5,000+ posts]

Those speakers are MUCH less efficient than what you had before. Add the fact that distortion makes it sound even louder and it's really not suprising that the new system doesn't sound as loud.

 

[Headbanger 10+ year member]

Yeah, I'll probably be much happier once the sub goes in. Out of curiousity, why would a good set of comps be much less efficient than a set of much cheaper coaxs? I would think it would be the other way around.

 

[helotaxi 5,000+ posts]

The ability to handle decent power requires a large heavy coil. The ability to accurately produce transients without the cone breaking up requires a rigid and thus relatively heavy cone. Heavy moving parts means inefficient. Cheap coaxes are usually going to be powered off a head unit so power handling and quality are sacrificed for efficiency.

 

[Headbanger 10+ year member]

I see. Thanks for the help.