GAIN problems

 

New member
Username: Bandit16

Post Number: 1
Registered: Feb-06
hey i got 2 12''jvc warren g addition subs, with a mtx 801classd amp. my gain was set, but i think it was up to high when i blew all my voice coils. does anyone have any idea on where it should be set, im new to this and i dont wannt blow my coils again.. please write back asap.. thannx
 

Gold Member
Username: Chaunb3400

Huntsville, Alabama U.S.

Post Number: 5019
Registered: Jul-05
how many volts is ur hu
 

New member
Username: Bandit16

Post Number: 3
Registered: Feb-06
like i said im new to this, how do i check that
 

Gold Member
Username: Chaunb3400

Huntsville, Alabama U.S.

Post Number: 5024
Registered: Jul-05
should be on the box or in the manual with ur hu(cd player)
 

New member
Username: Bandit16

Post Number: 4
Registered: Feb-06
i have a jenson dvd player, 160 watts peak
 

Gold Member
Username: James1115

Ct

Post Number: 4877
Registered: Dec-04
2 volts
 

New member
Username: Bandit16

Post Number: 5
Registered: Feb-06
how do i check the gain then, volt meter to ground and battery wire???????????
 

Gold Member
Username: James1115

Ct

Post Number: 4881
Registered: Dec-04
look on your amp and check the voltage input scale just above the gain knob. It should say something like 200mv at one side and 4-8volts on the other. If there are hash marks in the middle with voltage markings match it uo to 2 volts. "A power amplifier takes an input signal, usually a preamp level signal, which has both low current and low voltage characteristics, and produces an output which will have higher current and voltage levels. The power supply available to the audio output IC in a head unit is limited to the battery voltage of the vehicle. This means that the head unit can produce an audio signal with a limited (by the battery voltage) voltage swing, and therefore a limited power output to the speaker. Most amplifiers have a special circuit (switching power supply) to boost the available battery/charging system voltage to a higher voltage. The higher voltage developed in the amplifier's internal switching power supply will allow the audio output voltage swing to be greater. This allows the amplifier to produce more power into the speakers connected to the amplifier's output terminals.

Gain Controls:
Most amplifiers will have some sort of level or "gain" control. This control is used to match the output of the head unit to an amplifier. The maximum audio output voltage from different head units will vary. If there were no gain controls, some head units would not be able to drive the amplifier to its maximum power level. Other head units may drive the amplifier to full power at a fraction of its volume control's range. More gain info can be found on this page.

Note (rant):
There have been many people who have said that the gain controls were not volume controls and they are right, to a point. Some amplifiers' gain controls are used precisely like a volume control (one end of the potentiometer connected to ground, the other end connected to the pre-amp signal and the wiper connected to the amplifier's front end). This configuration will allow you to reduce the output to nothing at the minimum gain position. These are not very common but they HAVE been used on some amplifiers. I know because I took the cover off of a few amps to see why they had absolutely no output (Doh!). Others are connected similarly but there is a small amount of resistance between ground and the formerly grounded terminal of the potentiometer. This small resistance prevents the gain control from reducing the output to zero output. These are very common on amplifiers made in Korea and China. There are other amps that use the potentiometer to pull the signal toward ground. The pot is the lower half of a voltage divider and may use only 2 legs of the potentiometer. This type of gain control was used on at least one brand of Japanese manufactured amplifier. You can also put the potentiometer in the feedback loop to control the overall gain of the amplifier. The point to all of this is... There are many ways to use a potentiometer to control the output of the amplifier. Some are used precisely as volume controls and others are not. You can not make a blanket statement such as 'gain controls are not volume controls'."

for more on this topic reffer to www.bcae1.com go to amplifier and read away:-)
 

New member
Username: Bandit16

Post Number: 6
Registered: Feb-06
thanks a lot james
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