Speaker static with amplifier noise increases with volume

[Aj2086]

Hello all! I recently upgraded to a 4 channel amp. I had made a posting asking about what amps would well suit my needs, after alot of research I settled on the nvx jad 800.4.

Amp came in I installed it with a 4 guage kicker wiring kit and a pair of 4 channel nvx rca cables. Got it all hooked up and I heard this static/ hissing that increases with volume increase on the head unit. Exactly like anyone would I begin checking my cables and making sure everything has good connections and is tight. Made sure absolutely everything was right and spent countless hours doing so including using multiple different ground points (one of which being to the battery ground itself) I decided the amp was bad from the factory

Decided to return the amp and get a different one which leads me up to today. I got a skar rp150.4 wired everything up turned on the radio and bam exact same thing. After this happening once again I checked every single cable again moved my ground again and once again nothing was wrong.

*note* my battery is in the trunk therefore rca cables arent next to power wires. Also I have a sup and amp installed in this car, and I have installed amplifiers in other cars before

Also few questions I have are one does it matter if the remote wire from the head unit runs with the rca cables? Also could I possibly need a larger guage remote wire? And lastly with adding an amp this large to my car for the speakers require my head unit to need a larger ground? I've never had this issue myself but heard a few people mention that they couldn't use the factory ground?

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[Timbo74]

Sounds to me like your chassis ground is not sufficient. You should make sure that your battery is grounded to the unibody, itself, since your battery is in the trunk. Sometimes finding a good, solid chassis ground, in the trunk...isn’t as easy, as one would think.

 

[Aj2086]

Sounds to me like your chassis ground is not sufficient. You should make sure that your battery is grounded to the unibody, itself, since your battery is in the trunk. Sometimes finding a good, solid chassis ground, in the trunk...isn’t as easy, as one would think.

Thank you for the reply! The negative lead off the battery goes to a piece that appears to be mounted to the unibody frame. In your thinking is it the battery ground itself that might not be sufficient or just the amplifier ground?

 

[Timbo74]

I was thinking the battery ground.
I could be wrong though. Your problem could be a ground, a faulty rca cable, or a few more things. The remote wire does carry voltage, but not much, I doubt it would interfere.
If not, I would look to run your main chassis ground, to an area that you know for sure, is a solid part of the chassis. If you still have noise, then we have at least eliminated the highest probability.
And if your rca cables are to close, or touching your positive cables, reroute them, of course.

 

[Timbo74]

Was your battery installed in the trunk using a kit, or did you or someone else piece it together?

 

[Aj2086]

I was thinking the battery ground.
I could be wrong though. Your problem could be a ground, a faulty rca cable, or a few more things. The remote wire does carry voltage, but not much, I doubt it would interfere.
If not, I would look to run your main chassis ground, to an area that you know for sure, is a solid part of the chassis. If you still have noise, then we have at least eliminated the highest probability.
And if your rca cables are to close, or touching your positive cables, reroute them, of course.

My rca cables actually do run right along my front passenger door speaker wires due to lack of anywhere else to run them but other than that it's the only wires running there.

 

[Aj2086]

Was your battery installed in the trunk using a kit, or did you or someone else piece it together?

I'm glad you asked, but with this car that is the stock battery the location for it is in the trunk by the spare tire, for some odd reason GM decided to put the batteries in the cobalts in the trunk. To be honest I wont complain too much though the battery is still original to the car and it's a 2008 LOL

 

[Timbo74]

Are you using the factory head unit, with a loc?

 

[Timbo74]

If so, I would, while the music is playing.. gently wiggle, and twist the RCA cables, at the amp, and the loc, and also wiggle the wire connections on the loc....to determine there is no short there. Your loc could have a bad ground at the rca jack, or your rca cable could be damaged...either way if the problems there, a gentle wiggle should tell you.
If you have an aftermarket head unit, the short could be there...If so perform the same steps there.
If you find the short in the rca....swap it out, and see if it’s fixed...if not, a jack could be damaged.

 

[Aj2086]

If so, I would, while the music is playing.. gently wiggle, and twist the RCA cables, at the amp, and the loc, and also wiggle the wire connections on the loc....to determine there is no short there. Your loc could have a bad ground at the rca jack, or your rca cable could be damaged...either way if the problems there, a gentle wiggle should tell you.
If you have an aftermarket head unit, the short could be there...If so perform the same steps there.
If you find the short in the rca....swap it out, and see if it’s fixed...if not, a jack could be damaged.

I have an aftermarket pioneer avh series double din touch screen radio and I will have to try this later today and I will keep updated. Although! I do also have another set of 4 channel rca cables and I believe I tried using them with the original amp and the same issue still occured

 

[Ripkon]

I have an aftermarket pioneer avh series double din touch screen radio and I will have to try this later today and I will keep updated. Although! I do also have another set of 4 channel rca cables and I believe I tried using them with the original amp and the same issue still occured

I had a similar problem with my 4 channel when i first installed it. Static in speakers and got louder with volume. I grounded the RCA's on the back of the HU. I believe the real probelm was have the HPF/LPF set on the amp. Set it to full and set filters on the HU. Could be your gain is also to high

 

[Aj2086]

I had a similar problem with my 4 channel when i first installed it. Static in speakers and got louder with volume. I grounded the RCA's on the back of the HU. I believe the real probelm was have the HPF/LPF set on the amp. Set it to full and set filters on the HU. Could be your gain is also to high

Interesting you say this! How would one go about grounding the rca cables to the HU? Maybe dumb question but I dont know how personally. Also I will try what you said with the filters! The headunit has easy enough to use crossovers i believe

 

[Ripkon]

 

[Timbo74]

View attachment 18236

That’s a good quick fix, I would probably re-solder the inputs to the board, but that’s still a good easy fix.