i am getting 2 15"ssd's soon and i need to know if it is ok to hook up a power acoustik amp(i know, i know power acoustik sucks) to them until i get my other more powerful amp? would that hurt the subs if the gain and everything was set right?
i see A LOT of people saying things like (make sure your gains aren't set too high) or (turn your gains down) etc... when referring to people asking if thier sub can handle a specific amp, etc...
the gain setting on your amp is NOT i repeat NOT a volume setting.
the gain setting is used to MATCH the output voltage from your headunit, to the input voltage on your amp.
some amps prefer a high input voltage. some amps prefer a lower input voltage.
you use the gain setting to reduce clipping (or in short, to provide a clean signal to the output side of the amp)
some headunits put out high voltage, some headunits put out low voltage.
if you have a headunit that puts out low voltage, and your amp prefers high voltage, you may find yoruself setting the gain very high.
if your amp prefers low voltage, and your headunit puts out high voltage, you may find yourself setting the gain very low.
gains should be set using a voltmeter
volume should be set using the headunit.
if you find that your subs are clipping, there are two things that should be checked. are the gains set too high for the volume you are playing, and is the headunit being turned up too high for an appropriate voltage to the amp.
ie:
my panasonic head unit goes up to volume 40.
its cleanest signal is produced at volume 26. after that, it has an exponential rise in output voltage and distortion.
i burp at volume 26. i daily drive at volume 20 (which has a CONSIDERABLY lower output voltage.)
my amp gains are set at about 6/8ths because of the input voltage i am feeding to the amp by using a lower volume setting with a cleaner voltage signal.
gains should be set according to what volume setting you would normally use for daily driving or for burps. because if thats the volume you will most normally use, you want your amp to be reciving a clean signal at that volume, AND to be putting out a clean, non clipped signal at that particular volume.
for instance. lets, for sake of argument, say that your headunit puts out a nice clean signal at volume 20 out of 40
and you set your gains accordingly, with the headunit at volume 20.
now, you try showing off to your buddies, and you crank the headunit to volume 30.
you run a higher rsk of blowing your subs.
not because they may not be able to handle the power. but because that extra 10 clicks on the headunit, has raised the output voltage exponentially. and now the amp is putting out a clipped signal, because the gains were set to match the headunit at volume 20.
now you are sending that clipped signal to the speakers.
clipping generates heat.
heat blows voice coils.
if your amp is too powerful for your subwoofers. ie: you have a 100w peak sub, and a 3000w peak amp.. you DONT protect your sub, by simply turning down the gains on the amp.
you set your gains on the amp, to match the headunit, regardless of what the subwoofers are.
to protect the sub, you use your brain and you dont turn the headunit up farther that what your subs can handle.
if your sub makes nosies it shouldnt make, or generates smells it shouldnt generate, that's your clue to turn down your headunit, not your gains on your amp.
no chad copy paste 30 of 40 should be decent output but panasonics arent tht good HUs so the preout voltage is gunna be super low just set ur volume 3/4 then turn up ur gain till u hear it distort and turn it back sum until the distortion fades and tht is were u will set ur gain also wen setting ur bass boost dont set it high Bass Boost is the enemy of the sub i beleive
pill. Still a good explanation.
