Why did my sub blow?

[eclipse3130 10+ year member]

Your amp is not the only device in your signal chain. Any processing device has the possibility to cause distortion, or clipping. In this case, you turning the bass settings all the way up more than likely fed a distorted signal to your amp. Your amp amplifies what it is fed. Your amp itself may not have been adding any distortion, but how do you know the signal coming out of your amp wasn't distorted? Did you test it in any way?
And how exactly did it blow? What did it do?

Thanks for the info, I don't know if the sig coming out of the amp was distorted or not. It blew when I was listening to it loudly turned it down for about 10 seconds and went to turn it back up and it sounded like a Ruler was being slapped against my rear window hard and quick. At volumes above 29/35 it will make this noise, anything below 29 it won't make the noise and still is decent to listen to. I pushed the sub with my fingers on the outside edges you can hear a grinding noise like most blown subs make.

 

[eclipse3130 10+ year member]

Your deck is probably sending a "dirty signal" to your sub, or a clipped signal. It won't matter what your gains are at if the signal is getting clipped your subs are getting wrecked.

So what does this tell me, that my deck is causing my subs to blow? Is there any other possibilities besides getting a new hu? Why would my HU send a dirty signal? It's a kenwood double-din btw.

 

[West]

So what does this tell me, that my deck is causing my subs to blow? Is there any other possibilities besides getting a new hu? Why would my HU send a dirty signal? It's a kenwood double-din btw.

Yes your deck is destroying your speakers in your attempt to drive up the bass.

Your deck cannot produce the signal you are telling it to.

Instead of a smooth wave the top flat lines. You have some choices...

1) Reset your gains so that the 27 volume level is the max you will use.

2) Get a new (better) deck

3) Stop trying to increase the bass from the deck

 

[eclipse3130 10+ year member]

Yes your deck is destroying your speakers in your attempt to drive up the bass.
Your deck cannot produce the signal you are telling it to.

Instead of a smooth wave the top flat lines. You have some choices...

1) Reset your gains so that the 27 volume level is the max you will use.

2) Get a new (better) deck

3) Stop trying to increase the bass from the deck

Thank you.

 

[West]

Thank you.

Anytime man. //content.invisioncic.com/y282845/emoticons/smile.gif.1ebc41e1811405b213edfc4622c41e27.gif

Didn't mean to get upset with the big bold text.

 

[Villeza1 10+ year member]

What I usually do is turn my H/U EQ bass up 3/4, its not max output voltage nor is it the least, it's just right. Which leaves me head room for the volume on songs that are recorded higher and lower. Then I find the max unclipped volume on the H/U I will not go past. You set your amplifier's gain to match the output voltage of the H/U at the specific volume. This is the basics, there is a more detailed method to setup the H/U, Amp, etc up correctly.

 

[eclipse3130 10+ year member]

What I usually do is turn my H/U EQ bass up 3/4, its not max output voltage nor is it the least, it's just right. Which leaves me head room for the volume on songs that are recorded higher and lower. Then I find the max unclipped volume on the H/U I will not go past. You set your amplifier's gain to match the output voltage of the H/U at the specific volume. This is the basics, there is a more detailed method to setup the H/U, Amp, etc up correctly.

Yeah, that's exactly what we did but with everything max on the HU. I guess that was the problem lol. Sent too much of a dirty signal.

 

[clickclickw00t 10+ year member]

NEVER, EVER, EVER, EVER, EVER...

ever...

ever.....

run your headunit at max anything, unless its like a P99-RS or something super-high end. The signal you were sending your amp was not just probably, but DEFINITELY clipping with your head unit at max bass, and volume at 3/4. As a general rule I usually don't boost anything on the headunit by more than 2, and thats when its COMPLETELY necessary. Buy a new sub (those alpines are cheap) and start over.

Also, make sure the music you are listening to is good quality. Youtube rips will blow your sub (i've seen it happen). Pay for or download HIGH quality files. the best way to get good sound is with a CD (not a burned one, but an original one). If you are using Youtube rips, and you have your bass set to max on the headunit, you're literally taking a **** on your woofer (and amp).

 

[West]

NEVER, EVER, EVER, EVER, EVER...
ever...

ever.....

run your headunit at max anything, unless its like a P99-RS or something super-high end. The signal you were sending your amp was not just probably, but DEFINITELY clipping with your head unit at max bass, and volume at 3/4. As a general rule I usually don't boost anything on the headunit by more than 2, and thats when its COMPLETELY necessary. Buy a new sub (those alpines are cheap) and start over.

Also, make sure the music you are listening to is good quality. Youtube rips will blow your sub (i've seen it happen). Pay for or download HIGH quality files. the best way to get good sound is with a CD (not a burned one, but an original one). If you are using Youtube rips, and you have your bass set to max on the headunit, you're literally taking a **** on your woofer (and amp).

The P99RS clipps at around 57/60... It's RCA's also do not do rated voltage.

There are good ripping and burning programs that replicate CD's well (dbpoweramp is one)

The CD source will win out on .wav files on USB's on most decks.

 

[eclipse3130 10+ year member]

NEVER, EVER, EVER, EVER, EVER...
ever...

ever.....

run your headunit at max anything, unless its like a P99-RS or something super-high end. The signal you were sending your amp was not just probably, but DEFINITELY clipping with your head unit at max bass, and volume at 3/4. As a general rule I usually don't boost anything on the headunit by more than 2, and thats when its COMPLETELY necessary. Buy a new sub (those alpines are cheap) and start over.

Also, make sure the music you are listening to is good quality. Youtube rips will blow your sub (i've seen it happen). Pay for or download HIGH quality files. the best way to get good sound is with a CD (not a burned one, but an original one). If you are using Youtube rips, and you have your bass set to max on the headunit, you're literally taking a **** on your woofer (and amp).

Alright, guess I learned with the head unit. Hopefully my next wont blow //content.invisioncic.com/y282845/emoticons/smile.gif.1ebc41e1811405b213edfc4622c41e27.gif and yeah I use an i-Pod all iTunes quality songs.

 

[West]

Alright, guess I learned with the head unit. Hopefully my next wont blow //content.invisioncic.com/y282845/emoticons/smile.gif.1ebc41e1811405b213edfc4622c41e27.gif and yeah I use an i-Pod all iTunes quality songs.

iTunes should be ok... there is a VAST difference in sound quality with good equipment., but shouldn't clip terribly. You can tell the difference in the high frequencies more than the low ones.

youtube is GOD aweful, I guess in part to prevent pirating.

Some songs were just recorded poorly from the get go... Have you ever listened to "Flavor of the Week" from the 90's that song will rip the hell out of speakers... well the whole album will...

 

[Villeza1 10+ year member]

Yeah, that's exactly what we did but with everything max on the HU. I guess that was the problem lol. Sent too much of a dirty signal.

It's not that you sent too much of a dirty signal, its because you past the point where the H/U clips the signal.

 

[West]

It's not that you sent too much of a dirty signal, its because you past the point where the H/U clips the signal.

The signal gets worse the higher you go as well (more clipped).

 

[eclipse3130 10+ year member]

It's not that you sent too much of a dirty signal, its because you past the point where the H/U clips the signal.

That too //content.invisioncic.com/y282845/emoticons/applause.gif.bb805d8088f72dbc2fe808c29e85fb4c.gif

 

[Villeza1 10+ year member]

The signal gets worse the higher you go as well (more clipped).

True but not as worse as you might think.