Wattage vs Gain/Bass Boost

[nismo 10+ year member]

the problem with bass boost is that when you add boost, you lose dynamic headroom...so if you set the gains just right and then add bass boost, you can cause clipping in the boosted areas...so you either let it clip (and blow stuff up easier) or you have to turn the gains down to compensate--making the volume in the boosted region the same volume, but everything else gets quieter. either way, you dont win with bass boost.

eric

 

[cliff4060 10+ year member]

Just get an Equalizer then you don't need bass boost. And then set your gain with an Osciliscope to find the A/C signal clip and you're done

 

[Sspider 5,000+ posts]

umm, how much are those whachamacallit scopes......

sspider

 

[more_spl 10+ year member]

good ones are more than a beginner audio guy would be willing to spend //content.invisioncic.com/y282845/emoticons/rolleyes.gif.c1fef805e9d1464d377451cd5bc18bfb.gif

 

[Sspider 5,000+ posts]

ok, so no whachamacallit then.....but i think i got the idea as to how to set my gains now........

n e ways, the bass & treble on the HU, how should it be, i would imagine set at 0...yes no, maybe?

 

[cliff4060 10+ year member]

Always set your EQ first. Many manufacturers will tell you to turn them off to set the gain porperly. DO NOT DO THIS because as Nismo said this will alter the clip level of your equipment and cause it to prematurely go into clipping from the boost present in the signal.

EDIT: Try going to an electronics repair shop and ask them to borrow and osciliscope

 

[icgraven 10+ year member]

Originally posted by Phatillusion I know I'm posting this in the wrong part of the forum, but Senior VIP members have there privelages. (lol) just kidding. Ok now down to the question. I got into an arguement with a guy over amps. He says that he can control the amount of power being sent out of his amp using some sort of power/gain or boost control. He's basically saying he can regulate his amp to send out only 50 watts if he wants, or as much as it's rating for using his power buttons. My arguement is I say that an amp always puts out a consistent wattage. So he argues why does his sub get louder when he turns the power/gain/bass boost up on his amp. I explained the reason for this was those buttons have the ability to make the signal stronger or weaker depending on which way you turn the button. He shot my idea down so I agreed we would take it here, and see if someone can give us a technical explanation. Basically I want to shove this in his face as he does mine. But if it turns out we are both wrong or I am wrong, I can live with it, that's how we all learn. But I really want to shut this motha sucka up. Appreicate all responses, take it easy.

Power output is dependent upon input signal. So no your amp does not purt out a continous wattage. It will put out a constant rail voltage though. The gain is used as means of matching the pre amp voltage with amplifier,it's a vairable resistor that adjust the feed back resistor to determine the gain at the preamp stage. Bassboost is an active bhandpass filter, which allows not only to attenuate but boost as well. Volume controls will limit the amount of power the amp will put out since it will limit the pre amp voltage. However no knob will truly "regulate" the amount of power the amp is putting out since power in dependent upon impeadance and impeadance is dependent upon frequency, which in the case of music is dynamic. Sounds to me the guy simply had a VC in line with his RCA's

 

[icgraven 10+ year member]

Originally posted by cliff4060 Just get an Equalizer then you don't need bass boost. And then set your gain with an Osciliscope to find the A/C signal clip and you're done

Techniquely bass bost is a single band equilizer

 

[chris229 10+ year member]

Originally posted by icgraven Sounds to me the guy simply had a VC in line with his RCA's

never heard of that --- and highly doubt it

 

[Wonderbread 5,000+ posts]

tehre is a company out there tha makes all sorts of different add ons and one of them is an RCA remote control sort of thing.

it taps into teh RCA, and via a turn of a knob, apparently limits the current passage throught the RCA to the amp..

correct me if i'm wrong, but would lowering the signal via a variable resistor, not cause a, int eh end, a volume drop?

does taht make sense to anyone else?

 

[Alaxan 5,000+ posts]

All it is doing (if what I am reading and gethering from here is correct) is feeding to a POT or variable resistor. It is not causing it to gain anything more than the amp is already pushing out but is limiting what is put out on a full frequency range. Much the same way a crossover can do the same with set or certain frequencies. It is pretty much useless.....As for an amp putting out continuous power... someone else already said it right... it only puts out more or less as the signal is fed to it. Peaks cause higher output and lows cause lower output (wattage). Without the variables and if you only had a steady wattage pumped out to the speakers you would only hear a monotone noise and never hear th music.

 

[Wonderbread 5,000+ posts]

so, basically... dickhead just buggin ya, i sed it right, lol.

 

[Alaxan 5,000+ posts]

Originally posted by Wonderbread so, basically... dickhead just buggin ya, i sed it right, lol.

Figures you would jump over here and be an ***! Hey you are what you eat right? "how bout I get you a spoon and you can eat my ***!" (anyone know the movie?) LOL

 

[Wonderbread 5,000+ posts]

its from American Pie 2, Stiffler says it...

heh, all ia m saying is, I was right, but more importanttly, iw as right BEFORE you were, lol.

just buggin ya buddy...

soethinga bout taht name of yours, lol.

 

[Alaxan 5,000+ posts]

Originally posted by Wonderbread its from American Pie 2, Stiffler says it...

heh, all ia m saying is, I was right, but more importanttly, iw as right BEFORE you were, lol.

just buggin ya buddy...

soethinga bout taht name of yours, lol.

Why is it anytime you are posting same thread as me we can not stay on topic for long? LOL