No they are not, and amp remotes (remote gain controls, or remote bass boosts) should NEVER be used. The gain should be set properly and not adjusted after that.
I don't like boosts, but I can never get the gain adjusted properly in my systems. All I have to do is change the CD and the bass is not right...so I always have a sub gain within reach. And, that is for systems used mostly for SQ maybe a little loud at times.
Then you are not setting the gain right. Do it once with a multimeter and thats the end of it. If it's not loud enough, you need better equipment/install. Or set gain with the HUs sub level at 1/2 or 3/4 or whatever you want, and turn it up on songs that don't have much bass. Just be very careful not to clip the subs.
M.S.,keep in mind that some things are recorded at higher levels and other things change from one CD to another.Same goes with burning software,there are many things that can change the over-all output from your head unit.
That's why I said you can use the sub level to compensate for things like that
You just have to be careful not to turn it up when playing something thats recorded at high volume.
With some people, I just tell them to set the gain with their sub level all the way up because that way guarantees the amp will never clip. If you know enough not to overdrive you amplifier, you can do what I said above.
That is the problem; the source be it a CD or radio station. I have an alpine HU but no crossover in it, use an external alpine for that. The other issue is blending the subs into the high side, usually have difficulty there and that is why I like a crossover and its gains in reach. I am working on improving mid bass on my setup...that is next project. Strong subs required to get down to 30Hz easily that I prefer, they can easily thunder right over the typical comp set. Then you get heavy low bass and the mid bass goes away. Also sometimes I like to power up the subs for certain music, and with a sub gain I can do that at will then turn it down for regular listening. I plan on getting a HU with the stuff in it some time, like a pioneer 880 for example.
Big subs seem to amplify this issue however, they really take off with heavy bass tracks. I have a bass CD and it will run the subs about twice as loud as anything else with no changes to anything. I can turn the HU up about half what I normally do for the same volume. I just installed 4 12" subs and they are quite powerful, still tuning them in. In fact I would really like to be able to adjust the slope of my crossover also. Parametric eqs help, but the one I used still affects the whole system and not just the sub. No room for 2 crossovers and then you get into violating KISS rules...like I have not already.
If my subs clip my ears will tell me. They are not in a bandpass box. I have not had it that loud yet, it really pounds in the car and shakes everything.
There is no set it right, I've already set it 100 times...I have to set it for every song or CD sometimes. I don't mess much with the amp gain except to turn it down more as I have control on the crossover, and the boost has never been off zero.
My subs will never clip anyway with 420wrms, they are IB so they will top out long before that. I had them pumping hard enough to shake the car and they were hardly moving...and that was about as loud as the mid/highs could go anyway so I doubt I will ever have to worry about overdriving these subs. That is why I put 4 12s in, I knew it would be too much for what I need but overdriven subs never seem to have as much SQ to them IMO, and when IB. But yeah, it will hammer if I let them loose.
I have never had a system, and I have had lots of them, that I would not have to change the sub output in use. It is never right all the time, and is a pita. You need so much power for good bass that the system does not balance IMO. If you don't need much bass for your liking, then it must be a lot easier.
