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Message: <blockquote data-quote="audioholic" data-source="post: 6955575" data-attributes="member: 549629">Amplifier gains are sensitivity adjustments for the input stage on the amplifier. But before I get to that, let me back up a moment and explain a basic aspect of an amplifier. Imagine the output of the amplifier (watts) as a pushing force. An amplifier.... always pushes with the same force.* Doesn't make sense, right? The amp clearly has more power output at higher volume settings on the h/u. The difference to create that output difference? Signal strength (volts). The amp always pushes with the same force, but the signal voltage of the h/u dictates how much 'material' there is to start with. The amplifier increases voltage, so if the signal to start with is already at a higher level, even though the amp is pushing with the same constant force, output will be higher. This is how your volume knob works, the higher you turn it, the higher your signal voltage in your RCA's becomes (maxing at manufacturer published specs).Knowing this, the signal voltage your h/u is capable of producing becomes very important. If the amp maker builds the amp to accept only up to 4 volts of signal input before it starts clipping, and your h/u is capable of producing 8 volts, the amp will clip at 50% volume. Conversely, if the amp was built to accept up to 8 volts, and your h/u was 4v, you'd never get the full potential out of the amp. In short, the amp maker has no idea what h/u (and its signal voltage) will be hooked to their amps, so they have to have an adjustable input sensitivity, a 'gain' knob. This gain adjuster allows you to tune the amp's input sensitivity into the potential signal strength of whatever h/u you are running.So, under most circumstances, you will never need to have a max gain setting to achieve full (unclipped) output from your amp. If you have to turn your gain to max, you must have a really crappy h/u with a very weak signal strength (like a Legacy deck from 1993).Most manufacturers give you at least a few marks on the knob to indicate voltages. This should get you in the ballpark (because you've looked up your h/u's signal voltage), and you can fine tune it by ear from there by following the sticky (at the top of this forum iirc). It wont get you the optimal gain setting, but it will generally get you close. You can also use the DMM method if you want. Its not a perfect way to set gains either, but some people feel more comfortable trusting math and gadgets than they do their ears. To each their own on that one.Yes I know, long post. I was in a typing mood.*ignoring system voltage variance with a loosely regulated power supply</blockquote>

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