Gain

 

Silver Member
Username: Mendonmafia

USA

Post Number: 109
Registered: Aug-06
is it better to buy a more powerful amp and turn the gain down or just buy what you need and turn up the gain? dosnt gain produce clippiing? how many watts extra would i have to get in order to put out the correct wattage without clipping?if i have alot of extra power with the gain way down or if i have just a little extra power withthe gain turned down just a little, whats going to sound better?
 

Silver Member
Username: Kklagge

Post Number: 265
Registered: Dec-04
Best bet is to get something where the gains can be set to match the output of the HU...but it would be better to have too much power and the gains turned down as opposed to too little power and the gains turned up.
 

Gold Member
Username: Theelfkeeper

Stockbridge, GA USA

Post Number: 2627
Registered: Feb-05
Sqrt(Watts X ohms)=AC voltage at amp output.

thats a good start to make sure you aren't clipping. an O-Scope is best, but rather expencive.
 

Gold Member
Username: Rovin

Trinidad & T...

Post Number: 8886
Registered: Jul-05
"""is it better to buy a more powerful amp and turn the gain down or just buy what you need and turn up the gain"

well IMO dont worry about gain that much - if ur buying a monoblock amp 4 ur bass then u can buy 1 thats a little just over what u need like if ur subs r rated @1000wrms then a 1200wrms amp will do . Reason is that the amp doesnt need 2 work @ max 2 put out & will run cooler

amp 4 speakers/components - i suggest u match them cause unlike subs these cannot handle much overpowering which can damage them especially on bass heavy songs ....
 

Gold Member
Username: Juliob

Santo DomingoDominican Re...

Post Number: 2019
Registered: Dec-05
yeah... rovin's right
 

Platinum Member
Username: Glasswolf

Wisteria, Lane USA

Post Number: 11581
Registered: Dec-03
input sensitivity isn't a volume or power control dial.
it's simply there to match the input voltage from the had unit to the input stage of the amplifier to get a clean signal.
Buy a bigger amp if you like, just be cautious with the volume knob.

set the gain properly.
 

Silver Member
Username: Justblaze

St.Louis, MO USA

Post Number: 110
Registered: Jun-06
glasswolf, it wouldnt hurt to have the gain set too low though would it? you just dont want to turn the gain up over where it should be according to the HU, right?
 

Gold Member
Username: James1115

Ct

Post Number: 6353
Registered: Dec-04
if it is set to your HU then it wont be set to high. Like Glass said if you buy a amp that is overpowering your subs just remember and have control with the volume.
 

Silver Member
Username: Caraudio

Toronto, Ontario Canada

Post Number: 686
Registered: Sep-05
What if you have a 4Volt Pre out what should your gains be set at?
 

Gold Member
Username: James1115

Ct

Post Number: 6364
Registered: Dec-04
at 4 volts
 

Gold Member
Username: James1115

Ct

Post Number: 6367
Registered: Dec-04
bump
 

Gold Member
Username: James1115

Ct

Post Number: 6368
Registered: Dec-04
bump damn thing doesnt bump tonight
 

Silver Member
Username: Mendonmafia

USA

Post Number: 131
Registered: Aug-06
ok so how do i figure out what voltage my head unit puts out? and how do i know when the gain is set at that level? Should i set the gain so that when the volume is max the HU voltage is equal to the gain? im using my stock Chrysler 300M 4 disc changer if anyone knows any of this from experience.
 

Platinum Member
Username: Glasswolf

Wisteria, Lane USA

Post Number: 11596
Registered: Dec-03
you won't hurt anything with the gain too low, but what ya do get is a worse SNR, because you're just using more amplifier juice to amplify a weak input signal, with a higher noise floor. see the problem?
any noise at line level is amplified along with the actual signal, so the more noise you can eliminate, the better the resulting output of the amp. thus ya set the gain properly and be judicious with the volume knob for the best SQ results.
if you hear the speakers bottom out, turn it down a little. that simple.
 

Silver Member
Username: Tiggerboi87

Pensacola, FL United States

Post Number: 227
Registered: Jun-06
Ok well i have two amps for one sub and they have been configured to put the exact amount of power to each VC. The gain is obviously the same right. But i just got a new HU with a High voltage. So on the amps do i just put the Voltage on the amps up to the same number as the HU? Would they still be putting out the exact same power to each VC or would i have to configure something else as well.
 

Silver Member
Username: Tiggerboi87

Pensacola, FL United States

Post Number: 228
Registered: Jun-06
By they way the gain on the amps right now or set low about about 1v beacuase i had a crappy HU. My new HU has 4v preout.
 

Silver Member
Username: Tiggerboi87

Pensacola, FL United States

Post Number: 229
Registered: Jun-06
Bump
 

Silver Member
Username: Justblaze

St.Louis, MO USA

Post Number: 112
Registered: Jun-06
james, what i was saying is lets say if the gain is set to the head unit for a set of subs, qand your interior speakers are not amped, it would over power the speakers. hence the need to turn your gain down.
 

Gold Member
Username: James1115

Ct

Post Number: 6400
Registered: Dec-04
they yes move the gasin to 4 volts
 

Gold Member
Username: James1115

Ct

Post Number: 6401
Registered: Dec-04
why would you overpower your speakers justblaze? I am not following you.
 

Gold Member
Username: James1115

Ct

Post Number: 6402
Registered: Dec-04
why would you overpower your speakers justblaze? I am not following you.
 

Silver Member
Username: Mendonmafia

USA

Post Number: 144
Registered: Aug-06
i think he means the sup will be much louder than the interior speakers. so there is no way i can set my gains so that when i turn up my system up all the way i dont blow my subs?
 

Gold Member
Username: James1115

Ct

Post Number: 6414
Registered: Dec-04
as long as you set your amp to match your HU you wont blow your sub's
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