in my system, i have turned up the bass boost higher than usual (in between 15-18db). i said higher than usual cause ive read that bass boost must be set 3-6db only. but as i have set it higher, i then set the gain to minimum, only 1/4 of the dial. is it ok? or will it do damage to the amp or sub eventually? i like loud bass and dont care much about clarity thats why i set the bass boost high...
Replies (10)
sentradzl on 07/11/2006 23:40:17
i would like to clarify that the bass boost is set high not to the point the the bass sound coming from the sub is distorted....
MrBrownstone on 07/12/2006 13:34:01
A Bass boost is not a replacement for a proper system design. Tell us the equipment you are using, the enclosure for the woofers, etc. From there, we'll have a little better handle on what the situation is.
cplkittle on 07/12/2006 16:31:03
it is better to set the gain at 3/4 and back off on the boost. Boost gives off dirty sound or square waves (clipping). While you might not mind a little lack of clarity or distortion, your speakers do.
Boost kills.
sentradzl on 07/13/2006 15:49:23
cplkittle...so its the sub/speaker not the amp who will suffer ?
my amp has very little power to handle the subs (amp- 50watts. sub-350watts) so i thought of setting the bass boost high and the gain to minimum for the amp not to get too hot.....
and so i should set the bass boost around 6db only?
MrBrownstone on 07/13/2006 17:19:07
In a nutshell, the purpose of your gain control is to match the level of signal (sound) coming from your CD player. If the CD is puting out 2 volts maximum, then you need to adjust your amplifier gain control to match that.
i.e.
If your head unit puts out 2 volts, but you set the gain control to 0.5V...the amplifier is expecting a signal 6dB quieter than it is getting. Also, you pick up noise when the gain is set too sensitive.
Concerning the bass boost, it should be set to 0dB. A boost should only be used after you have eliminated all other issues with the output of your system. The box, installation,etc. Since you haven't told us anything about the installation or the equipment, blindly it's difficult to typify the problem.
Blindly, however, I can say that you should be setting your boost to 0dB and your gain control to one of the quieter settings on the gain control. After you detail your system, we can refine our recommendations.
swez on 07/13/2006 19:35:26
Agreed! More detail on your gear would be most helpful. (Make and model #'s) With that, we can give you a better set of recommendations on how to set things up for optimal use.
Swez
sentradzl on 07/14/2006 09:58:59
ok... i got your point..... but the thing here is that i want to produce bass loud enough but do not rattle my trunk (or at least, minimize the rattlings). i did the right/optimal settings before but that caused too much rattling. you see, here in my place/country, sound deadening materials cost so much. so i did what i had first mentioned in my post, high boost, low gain, and have observed that my sub produced low bass that is not tight and punchy. well thats ok for me caused it minimized the rattlings( clearly, im not concerned about clarity). amp's low frquency is set to its lowest which is 35hz.
there......so now back to my question. will these settings hurt eithr my sub, or amp, or both?
also id like to thank you guys for giving your time to reply to this post....
swez on 07/14/2006 10:05:27
I'd go back to the original settings you started with at setup and then adjust the amp gain to soften the rattles a tad.
As for bass boost use, a +3 to +6dB boost is plenty. That should keep the amp from clipping hard and damaging your subs.
Swez
sentradzl on 07/15/2006 10:00:40
tnx very much swez! i really appreciate this.....more power to all of you guys who are helping ppl like me....
swez on 07/15/2006 12:31:36
Feel free to help us do what we do as well.
This site runs on donations from our readership. Our Golds offer help to all and many of us also contribute to CK too. However, the Golds do not take compensation for our work here. It's our way of spreading the good news to others.
If you have a few extra bucks on hand, feel free to contribute as you see fit.
Good luck on your tweaking and come back as you need more assistance too. Tell your friends about CK too! SMILE
Swez
Replies (10)
sentradzl on 07/11/2006 23:40:17
i would like to clarify that the bass boost is set high not to the point the the bass sound coming from the sub is distorted....
MrBrownstone on 07/12/2006 13:34:01
A Bass boost is not a replacement for a proper system design. Tell us the equipment you are using, the enclosure for the woofers, etc. From there, we'll have a little better handle on what the situation is.
cplkittle on 07/12/2006 16:31:03
it is better to set the gain at 3/4 and back off on the boost. Boost gives off dirty sound or square waves (clipping). While you might not mind a little lack of clarity or distortion, your speakers do.
Boost kills.
sentradzl on 07/13/2006 15:49:23
cplkittle...so its the sub/speaker not the amp who will suffer ?
my amp has very little power to handle the subs (amp- 50watts. sub-350watts) so i thought of setting the bass boost high and the gain to minimum for the amp not to get too hot.....
and so i should set the bass boost around 6db only?
MrBrownstone on 07/13/2006 17:19:07
In a nutshell, the purpose of your gain control is to match the level of signal (sound) coming from your CD player. If the CD is puting out 2 volts maximum, then you need to adjust your amplifier gain control to match that.
i.e.
If your head unit puts out 2 volts, but you set the gain control to 0.5V...the amplifier is expecting a signal 6dB quieter than it is getting. Also, you pick up noise when the gain is set too sensitive.
Concerning the bass boost, it should be set to 0dB. A boost should only be used after you have eliminated all other issues with the output of your system. The box, installation,etc. Since you haven't told us anything about the installation or the equipment, blindly it's difficult to typify the problem.
Blindly, however, I can say that you should be setting your boost to 0dB and your gain control to one of the quieter settings on the gain control. After you detail your system, we can refine our recommendations.
swez on 07/13/2006 19:35:26
Agreed! More detail on your gear would be most helpful. (Make and model #'s) With that, we can give you a better set of recommendations on how to set things up for optimal use.
Swez
sentradzl on 07/14/2006 09:58:59
ok... i got your point..... but the thing here is that i want to produce bass loud enough but do not rattle my trunk (or at least, minimize the rattlings). i did the right/optimal settings before but that caused too much rattling. you see, here in my place/country, sound deadening materials cost so much. so i did what i had first mentioned in my post, high boost, low gain, and have observed that my sub produced low bass that is not tight and punchy. well thats ok for me caused it minimized the rattlings( clearly, im not concerned about clarity). amp's low frquency is set to its lowest which is 35hz.
there......so now back to my question. will these settings hurt eithr my sub, or amp, or both?
also id like to thank you guys for giving your time to reply to this post....
swez on 07/14/2006 10:05:27
I'd go back to the original settings you started with at setup and then adjust the amp gain to soften the rattles a tad.
As for bass boost use, a +3 to +6dB boost is plenty. That should keep the amp from clipping hard and damaging your subs.
Swez
sentradzl on 07/15/2006 10:00:40
tnx very much swez! i really appreciate this.....more power to all of you guys who are helping ppl like me....
swez on 07/15/2006 12:31:36
Feel free to help us do what we do as well.
This site runs on donations from our readership. Our Golds offer help to all and many of us also contribute to CK too. However, the Golds do not take compensation for our work here. It's our way of spreading the good news to others.
If you have a few extra bucks on hand, feel free to contribute as you see fit.
Good luck on your tweaking and come back as you need more assistance too. Tell your friends about CK too! SMILE
Swez
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