Somebody should know the answer to this amp question!

[jpsaudio 10+ year member]

got a friend who has to hifonics hfx12d4's and an audiopipe ap10001...i wired the subs to a 1ohm load and it drums but you cant turn the gain past 15-20% and the headunit past 22(60 is max) with out the bass cutting in or out...i bumped up the fusing under the hood from 80amp to 120amp cause i thought it wasnt getting enough current...eventually i just wired it down to a 4ohm load and turn the gain to 40% and it sounds crisp but not deep enough...car audio shops say this amp cant perform at a 1ohm load even though the amp says its 1ohm stable...any suggestions... dump the amp maybe?

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[Fiendstolemyamp 10+ year member]

What's his voltage dropping down to?

 

[Digital Designs 10+ year member]

Where is the amp grounded?

 

[mylows10 5,000+ posts]

what kind of car .battery size and alt size,sounds like the voltage drop is too much,may need to upgrade the battery or alt ,also check all grounds and maybe do the big 3 .sounds like the electrical cant keep up

 

[jpsaudio 10+ year member]

my dmm died so i could get his voltage....

and the amp is grounded to an open spot in the trunk on the floor of the trunk...its a 2009 chevy impala

 

[Louisiana_CRX 5,000+ posts]

lulz

 

[jpsaudio 10+ year member]

u know its funny u say that because one shop i asked said the same thing and whats weird is that the amp never cut off or went into portect mode...jus bass would cut in out in out..but if you keep the volume under 22(60 is max) it plays good at 1ohm with gain set to 15%

what kind of car .battery size and alt size,sounds like the voltage drop is too much,may need to upgrade the battery or alt ,also check all grounds and maybe do the big 3 .sounds like the electrical cant keep up

 

[winkychevelle 10+ year member]

amp is seeing low voltage. that model car has a regualted alt which in this case it only turns on at certain times and it often doesnt charge past 13.8. its prolly not even charging when u are setting the amp. get a good voltage read while setting the amp and dont use the dash it isnt accurate. make sure all you grounds are good even under the hood. i had to redo my bat ground in my 2011 cruze for this problem after the new ground i would stay above 13.5 all day with a 1500watt amp.

 

[jpsaudio 10+ year member]

ok ill re-do grounds wire the subs back at 1ohm to see the voltage drop..... he has a 1 farad cap that i havent installed will this be a major difference

amp is seeing low voltage. that model car has a regualted alt which in this case it only turns on at certain times and it often doesnt charge past 13.8. its prolly not even charging when u are setting the amp. get a good voltage read while setting the amp and dont use the dash it isnt accurate. make sure all you grounds are good even under the hood. i had to redo my bat ground in my 2011 cruze for this problem after the new ground i would stay above 13.5 all day with a 1500watt amp.

 

[winkychevelle 10+ year member]

sell the cap to some idiot who thinks theyre wroth something. the cap is going to hurt that electrical more than help it trust me ive tried these new chevys just arent sound friendly vehicles

 

[jpsaudio 10+ year member]

i know thats right..lol...i was told a long time ago that caps are like lil band-aids that arent really worth a ****.....i knew it wasnt the amp but my trouble shooting experience isnt that high..thanx for the help..ill let you know how it goes

sell the cap to some idiot who thinks theyre wroth something. the cap is going to hurt that electrical more than help it trust me ive tried these new chevys just arent sound friendly vehicles

 

[BnGRacing 10+ year member]

sell the cap to some idiot who thinks theyre wroth something. the cap is going to hurt that electrical more than help it trust me ive tried these new chevys just arent sound friendly vehicles

Caps do not 'hurt' an electrical system unless you get the polarity wrong (big mess). The fact of the matter is they do work for their intended purpose, which is to filter noise and help maintain a constant voltage feeding the amp. They work so well 100% of amplifiers on the market have caps inside them. Things get kinda wonky when people expect the moon & stars when they install a cap...they don't do that and are of no use in SPL applications. But if you're having some lights dim a little bit or would like your amp to have a little more headroom (unregulated), the good ones work.

Since you're a Chevy-man (my apologies) I'm sure you're aware of how poor some of the vehicle grounds are on their trucks & SUVs. A cap will not fix that issue and were never meant to solve penny-pinching by the OEMs.

 

[BnGRacing 10+ year member]

sell the cap to some idiot who thinks theyre wroth something. the cap is going to hurt that electrical more than help it trust me ive tried these new chevys just arent sound friendly vehicles

Caps do not 'hurt' an electrical system unless you get the polarity wrong (big mess). The fact of the matter is they do work for their intended purpose, which is to filter noise and help maintain a constant voltage feeding the amp. They work so well 100% of amplifiers on the market have caps inside them. Things get kinda wonky when people expect the moon & stars when they install a cap...they don't do that and are of no use in SPL applications. But if you're having some lights dim a little bit or would like your amp to have a little more headroom (unregulated), the good ones work.

Since you're a Chevy-man (my apologies) I'm sure you're aware of how poor some of the vehicle grounds are on their trucks & SUVs. A cap will not fix that issue and were never meant to solve penny-pinching by the OEMs.

 

[BnGRacing 10+ year member]

sell the cap to some idiot who thinks theyre wroth something. the cap is going to hurt that electrical more than help it trust me ive tried these new chevys just arent sound friendly vehicles

Caps do not 'hurt' an electrical system unless you get the polarity wrong (big mess). The fact of the matter is they do work for their intended purpose, which is to filter noise and help maintain a constant voltage feeding the amp. They work so well 100% of amplifiers on the market have caps inside them. Things get kinda wonky when people expect the moon & stars when they install a cap...they don't do that and are of no use in SPL applications. But if you're having some lights dim a little bit or would like your amp to have a little more headroom (unregulated), the good ones work.

Since you're a Chevy-man (my apologies) I'm sure you're aware of how poor some of the vehicle grounds are on their trucks & SUVs. A cap will not fix that issue and were never meant to solve penny-pinching by the OEMs.

 

[jpsaudio 10+ year member]

ok soooo basically no cap?