Hey everyone i just wanted to know if a Kicker KX300.2 amp can work properly if its bridged at 2 ohms??? Because i think the amp can be bridged and it will output 300 watts at 4 ohms, but i think the way i have it now is pushing 600 watts bridged and at 2 ohms? is this bad?
Replies (18)
swez on 07/19/2006 19:42:04
The amp will overheat and go into protection mode at higher power demand levels. Not good for the amp this way.
Swez
cecilio87 on 07/19/2006 23:40:19
Would a good head unit, and a subsonic filter make any difference what so ever??? Right now my head unit is out putting 2.5 V and the one im getting this friday will output 4 V, i think its going to be a Pioneer 6700. would the head unit make any difference or not really when it comes to the amp being bridged at 2 ohms and pushing 600 instead of 300?
ttocs on 07/20/2006 09:47:37
the HU is the start of the signal and is probably the most important piece of the system because of this. If you start with a bad signal and then amplify it, you now have a bad signal that is really loud... There are alot of good decks out there and you may or may not notice a difference with the new radio.
The radio will not have any effect however with the amp still being over-driven.
swez on 07/20/2006 12:38:38
Ditto... What he said!
Can you see yourself swinging a decent Class D Sub amp that is well matched to your 10L7 sub? It does not have to be new either. Just in good working condition and gives optimal output to that sub? Then, use the 300.2 to power mid/high speakers as needed.
If you can swing that plan over time and build off what you already have now, I can see far better days ahead.
Swez
PS If the new HU has a few features (a good EQ, usable HP/LP filters and such) that your present one lacks, it makes sense to upgrade to a better one. The 4.0 volt issue is not needed to get the amps up to full power. Most amp gains can accomodate 1/4 - over 4.0 volt RCA outputs. However, that is not a big issue worth buying a new HU.
Also, as ttocs mentioned, the HU is more or less the beginning stage of any good audio system. However, the speakers used, adequate power and a solid install, will get most guys from Ho-Hum results to "Ahhhh, this is more like it !!!
PSS May I invite you to tap into the knowledge base here at CK and get good advice BEFORE buying new gear. Otherwise, you'll be hit or miss and spending money on things that might not give you the desired results. That's why we are here.
cecilio87 on 07/20/2006 13:14:29
How do i tap into the Knowlege base? I mean because yeah i've recently gotten into car audio, and i've been buying things like crazy, but in just the last day i've learned sooo much about how subs and amps work. I have a friend who can get me a Kenwood Amplifier brand new, for about 250 bucks. It is 1800 watts max, and it is stable at 1 ohm. i think at 2 ohms its 1600 watts max. So would it be good to just use this amplifier for my subwoofer and use my kx300.2 for my mids and highs? thanks again
swez on 07/20/2006 13:29:13
You are tapping into CK's knowledge base by asking questions, letting other folks guide you to above average performance products and how to pull everything together.
Got a link to that Kenwood amp you mentioned? Will have a look at specs and give you some suggestions on how to do this well the first time out.
FYI: There is so much good info available in our DIY and FAQ sections of this forum. Just look for topics that help you design the best system possible for the money you have to invest.
Please, avoid buying things in the "shotgun" mode. This only makes things harder and more expensive as they may not work as well as you desire.
Yes, that 300.2 would be very suitable for power Mid/Highs.
Swez
cecilio87 on 07/20/2006 14:48:45
ok thanks for all the help you all have given me. I'll try some of that out, but im the kind of guy who will mess around and mess around till i figure out the best settings. Now i know this isn't the best thing to do, but its much better than one voice coil per channel. Because last night i decided to just use one voice coil per channel, but i believe i was only getting about 75 watts at 4 ohms per channel. so it was loud, but it did not have the KICK it did before. today i was reading the manual for the KX300.2 Amp, and it says you could bridge at 4 ohms mono and you will get 300 watts RMS to that one. Then you can at the same time hook something else up with the stereo.
HERE IS THE MANUAL FOR THE KICKER AMP look at page 5
http://www.kicker.com/06/tech-support/manuals/manuals/02KX300_400_500_800_2AmpManual.pdf
So right now i guess the best i can do with the amp to output the most power, and still be in stable recommended settings, i have one voice coil bridged at 4 ohms mono giving me 300 watts RMS, and i have the other voice coil in one channel as stereo. i mean i know this seems wrong, but it doesn't sound too bad. any help on how i can get a better set up would be appreciated. thanks
oh and here is the kenwood amp
http://www.kenwoodusa.com/products/ListProduct.aspx?k1=2&k2=42&k3=155&pr=2012
swez on 07/20/2006 17:50:57
One thing you can do, is have your coils wired in parallel and only us 1 channel of your Kenwood amp for now. This is save for the amp as it can run 2 ohms per channel and more power to the sub.
This amp, KAC-9152D is a dual channel Class D amp. Is that what you have right now?
If yes, let me review a few things and get back to you on some ideas that might be very useful to you. It will be tomorrow.
Swez
cecilio87 on 07/20/2006 17:55:52
OH NO right now i ONLY HAVE 1 amplifier and thats the Kicker KX300.2. I have a friend who is a dealer with kenwood, and he can get me that amplifier for about 250 or 300 dollars max. I mean i do have another amplifier, but everyone has told me it sucks. I got it for free, so why not. Its a Pyramid Pro Plus 600 Watt 4 channel amp, but i think 2 channels are for highs, and 2 are for lows. Would it be recommended to use this amp at all for now? thanks
swez on 07/21/2006 12:04:56
Frankly, the Kicker amp is plenty for your Mid/highs. You can use this amp to power both front and rear channels if you wish as this will give you a stable 2 ohms per channel. If you take this route, most likely you'll need to attenuate, (add series resistors) to the rear speakers so you can balance them out with your front speakers. This is safe and relatively easy to do.
As for a good sub amp, yes indeed, Kenwood makes some very solid amps. A Class D MONO amp with about 600 watts RMS @ 2 ohms, should be adequate for your Kicker S10L7, 10" sub. (assuming you know it's the 4+4 DVC)
Have you confirmed that this sub is indeed the 4+4 DVC version? (It also comes in a 2+2 DVC coil configuration) If you have the 2+2 version, we have to look at another amp to power it. The best way to confirm this, is to have an ohm meter handy and measure each coils' ohmic value.
1. If you have the 4+4 DVC, your readings will be about 3.4 ohms per coil
2. If you have the 2+2 DVC, your readings will be about 1.6 ohms per coil
FYI: Knowing the actual coil resistance, (Zn) is very important for making the correct amp choice to power your sub. An inexpensive multi-meter should be part of every serious DIY'er's tool kit. For about $20.00, you can buy a good digital multi-meter from Radio Shack, Wal-Mart or even most good autoparts stores. Once you have one of these, you'll find many good uses for electrical testing and circuit diagnostics for home and car use.
This one or a similar meter will do the job just fine:
http://www.radioshack.com/product/index.jsp?productId=2103174&cp=2032058.2032235.2032305&parentPage=family
Once we know what sub model you have, (4+4 or 2+2 DVC) we can look for suitable amps that will allow this sub to make some serious noise.
Comments?
Swez
cecilio87 on 07/21/2006 20:27:54
Hey yeah for sure its a Dual 4 Ohm Voice Coil. I took the sub out of the box the other day. So then you think that Kenwood amp would be good for it then, and i should just buy a component system and use my kicker amp for those? thanks for all the help
swez on 07/22/2006 00:07:45
OK, that Kenwood amp (KAC-9152) is pretty strong for this sub. The sub can handle 600 watts RMS and this amp delivers 900 watts RMS @ 2 ohms when bridging. Same power at 1 ohm loads.
A better option would be the KAC-8152D for this sub. It delivers 550 watts RMS @ 2 ohms and only draws a max of just under 40A's at full power. Here's a link to the install and operations manual. Read it through carefully as this is your BIBLE for step-by-step installing and use of various features regarding this amp.
ftp://inform.kenwoodusa.com/MANUALS/KAC9152d.pdf
This amp does have IFS support for ported sub enclosures. It is switchable at: OFF/15/25 Hz. It also has plenty of useful features, filters and plenty of power to drive your sub @ 2 ohms.
Shop around the net and see what kind of prices are available too.
http://www.pricegrabber.com/search_getprod.php?masterid=8383282&search=kac+8152d
Swez
cecilio87 on 07/22/2006 13:25:03
Hey Swez quick question, what is IFS support? Is it like a Sub Sonic Filter? Because i read your turtorial on a Sub Sonic Filter, and well now im pretty familiar with them, but i dont know where you can find them. Like are they in good head units, or are they in amps? I tried getting the manual, but its about 4.5 MB and i have one of the slowest Dial Up Connections. I live on the outskirts of a REALLY REALLY SMALL TOWN. so thats pretty much all i can get. but i'll view it later when i go to a friends house.
swez on 07/22/2006 14:19:45
IFS Support = Infrasonic Filter = ISF = SSF.
Many of the better grade sub amps have some kind of SSF/IFF filtering. Some of the high end Pioneer, Eclipse, Alpine HU's may have that on a dedicated sub channel RCA outputs too. Have not looked much at such of late, but am sure there are a few with every bell and whistle you can imagine.
However, any amp can have an RCA module type filter when using Harrison Labs High Pass filters:
http://www.partsexpress.com/pe/showdetl.cfm?&DID=7&Partnumber=266-248
I wish they had a larger selection of filtering ranges and maybe a higher slope as well. Harrison uses a -12dB/oct., slope. What that means in laymen terms is:
Assume a 50 Hz., filter, -12dB/oc. slope, 100 watts power applied:
At 50 Hz., no attenuation
At 44 Hz., -3dB attenuation (Only 50 watts to sub)
At 38 Hz., -6dB attenuation (Only 25 watts to sub)
At 32 Hz., -9dB attenuation (Only 12.5 watts to sub)
At 25 Hz., -12dB attenuation (Only 6.75 watts to sub)
As you can see, a -12dB/oct., filter does cut a lot of power to the sub as we drop in frequency. We started with 100 watts at 50 Hz., and the slope drops power rapidly as we go down in frequency.
50 Hz. .............................................................................100 W.
44 Hz. ........................................................50 W.
38 Hz. ....................................25 W.
32 Hz. .......................12.5 W.
25 Hz. ..... 6.75 W.
FYI: This is a logrithmic slope plot. Not a linear one!
Swez
cecilio87 on 07/23/2006 01:30:20
ok well then i'll see what i can do for now. Right now I'm running kind of low in cash, so what i did for now, was just leave my kx300.2 bridged at 2 ohms. Its not over heating as much this time. What i did different, was that before i had the equalizer on rock, and for some reason this preset has a lot of bass. So when i first started i was like well it sounds good and bassy, so i figured thats cool. But i figured, that was probably sending a distorted signal to the amplifier, causing the amp to overheat faster. It probably adds noice from .02 to .2 in THD. Now i have the preset at flat, with the treble at +6, the Bass at -12, and the sub at 0. This is giving me good bass, plus its not over heating too fast. With the rock equalizer, the volume had to be very low because if i higered it too much the amp would go out. like i think my HU can go up to 50 in volume, but with the rock eq i could only higher it to 22 or 23 MAX. Now i can higher it to about 30 and it now sounds loud and good bass with out it shutting off so maybe ill leave this for now. What im really planning on doing is, spending about 2,000 on a system. I have another friend who can get me (2) MTX 9500's and they are 12's in a factory box. It looks brushed aluminum, and each sub is about 2,000 watts peak, and 1,000 watts RMS. He can get me the (2) 12's in a box for 700 dollars flat. I think it's dual ported, and the amp im planning on getting is a Memphis Audio 4000 Watts peak, and 2,000 watts RMS. For this set up, he is going to remove my back seat, because i have an extended cab, so he is going to remove the back seat, close the gaps from under the seats, set the subs on there, and on the back wall, he is going to have the amp drilled on the back wall, and (2) 15 ferret blocks drilled on the back wall as well. under the gaps, he might put some neon lights, and well he is also going to add a car battery, an isolator, remove the 4 gauge wire, and put some 0 gauge wire. I don't know if he was going to get someone to upgrade the alternator, but yeah. i think he was going to do something else, but those are the main things he would probably do for about 2,000. OH yeah he was going to Dynamat my truck too.
would ALL this be a really good system? I mean about how many DBs could i be able to hit inside the truck? will i blow my old one out of the water bad? thanks, oh does Dynamat make a huge difference? and any suggestions would be appreciated. thanks again swez for all the help, you really know your **** hah thanks
swez on 07/24/2006 09:32:52
That is one huge plan Stan. But if you are looking for a lot of solid bass and maybe do some DB Drags, this proposed system should get you there. This won't be a cheap job either. Some major electrical upgrades will be needed to feed a sub amp of that magnitude. (+150 amps of current)
Yes, matting is good as it will seal in the sound and dampen panel resonances too. The doors and rear wall will definitely be on the list and maybe other places as well.
As for your present setup, avoid running this amp too hard at 2 ohms bridged. This is very hard on the Mosfet transistors and excess heat is their enemy. Heat leads to premature electronic component failures.
The mentioned HU EQ settings can have a huge impact on how hard your amp works. Some setting give a very large boost in bass frequencies. (+6 to +9dB boost) That's very hard on a small amp that is being pushed beyond its limits. Try this setting on the HU EQ and see how it works out for now:
1. Highs +3 to +6 boost
2. Bass -3 to -6 cut
3. Sub -3 to +3 cut/boost
FYI: Subs often run as high as +10% distortion. We cannot really hear anything notable below about 3% THD. Even then, it's most noticable in the mids and highs. When we get high distortion values from an amp, we usually note muddy and poorly defined bass. In the mid/highs, we note shrill highs and muddled mids that sound very un-natural.
Yeah, Old Man Audio has been at this a while and knows the difference between schnitz and shinola. We do our best at CK to educate, facilitate and give useful tips on how to get the most form any given system. We appreciate avid learners who do their homework, ask good questions and give accurate details about thier gear.
Thanks for the kuddos! It's always good to get feedback from our readers. Good, bad or "other" feedback report cards help us to help others better in the future.
Good luck and keep in touch,
Swez
PS This is a user supported forum. We are here to help others and ask very little in return. I personally invite you to make a donation to CK, so we can help others, as we have helped you. The Golds donate time and money to keep this board going. All we ask, is that users do thier part to keep the site financially viable. Server time, site upgrades and the like, do cost money. Can we count on you to help this site remain strong for others? SMILE
PSS CK is a PG rated site. We appreciate it when our readers avoid colorful language. That's one of many reasons that CK is different form many other sites. Thanks and good luck on your new project! CLAP
cecilio87 on 07/24/2006 17:46:42
Swez seriously thank you very much for all the information you've given me. I've learned alot more in this web site than by screwing around and blowing things up. Yeah i will donate some money to keep this web site running, and once again thank you. If i have any questions about car audio i know where to look
swez on 07/24/2006 19:17:37
That's being a good soldier! Once you get the hang of things, come back and join the Gold team members. We're always looking for fresh talent at CK.
You're seriously welcome Cecilio!!! Was hoping you'd change your mind on the earlier "hit or miss strategy" mentioned earlier. For some, it does work out eventually. However, the cost of that type of learning curve and experiementation are high and long.
Think "PASS" as you go through life and learning new things:
P...lan our work
A...sk for help as needed
S...tay focused
S...killfully work the plan
Thanks for the promised donation. We appreciate every reader that makes a contribution at CK. Hopefully, we'll be here another 10 years if technology and demand premits.
Swez
Replies (18)
swez on 07/19/2006 19:42:04
The amp will overheat and go into protection mode at higher power demand levels. Not good for the amp this way.
Swez
cecilio87 on 07/19/2006 23:40:19
Would a good head unit, and a subsonic filter make any difference what so ever??? Right now my head unit is out putting 2.5 V and the one im getting this friday will output 4 V, i think its going to be a Pioneer 6700. would the head unit make any difference or not really when it comes to the amp being bridged at 2 ohms and pushing 600 instead of 300?
ttocs on 07/20/2006 09:47:37
the HU is the start of the signal and is probably the most important piece of the system because of this. If you start with a bad signal and then amplify it, you now have a bad signal that is really loud... There are alot of good decks out there and you may or may not notice a difference with the new radio.
The radio will not have any effect however with the amp still being over-driven.
swez on 07/20/2006 12:38:38
Ditto... What he said!
Can you see yourself swinging a decent Class D Sub amp that is well matched to your 10L7 sub? It does not have to be new either. Just in good working condition and gives optimal output to that sub? Then, use the 300.2 to power mid/high speakers as needed.
If you can swing that plan over time and build off what you already have now, I can see far better days ahead.
Swez
PS If the new HU has a few features (a good EQ, usable HP/LP filters and such) that your present one lacks, it makes sense to upgrade to a better one. The 4.0 volt issue is not needed to get the amps up to full power. Most amp gains can accomodate 1/4 - over 4.0 volt RCA outputs. However, that is not a big issue worth buying a new HU.
Also, as ttocs mentioned, the HU is more or less the beginning stage of any good audio system. However, the speakers used, adequate power and a solid install, will get most guys from Ho-Hum results to "Ahhhh, this is more like it !!!
PSS May I invite you to tap into the knowledge base here at CK and get good advice BEFORE buying new gear. Otherwise, you'll be hit or miss and spending money on things that might not give you the desired results. That's why we are here.
cecilio87 on 07/20/2006 13:14:29
How do i tap into the Knowlege base? I mean because yeah i've recently gotten into car audio, and i've been buying things like crazy, but in just the last day i've learned sooo much about how subs and amps work. I have a friend who can get me a Kenwood Amplifier brand new, for about 250 bucks. It is 1800 watts max, and it is stable at 1 ohm. i think at 2 ohms its 1600 watts max. So would it be good to just use this amplifier for my subwoofer and use my kx300.2 for my mids and highs? thanks again
swez on 07/20/2006 13:29:13
You are tapping into CK's knowledge base by asking questions, letting other folks guide you to above average performance products and how to pull everything together.
Got a link to that Kenwood amp you mentioned? Will have a look at specs and give you some suggestions on how to do this well the first time out.
FYI: There is so much good info available in our DIY and FAQ sections of this forum. Just look for topics that help you design the best system possible for the money you have to invest.
Please, avoid buying things in the "shotgun" mode. This only makes things harder and more expensive as they may not work as well as you desire.
Yes, that 300.2 would be very suitable for power Mid/Highs.
Swez
cecilio87 on 07/20/2006 14:48:45
ok thanks for all the help you all have given me. I'll try some of that out, but im the kind of guy who will mess around and mess around till i figure out the best settings. Now i know this isn't the best thing to do, but its much better than one voice coil per channel. Because last night i decided to just use one voice coil per channel, but i believe i was only getting about 75 watts at 4 ohms per channel. so it was loud, but it did not have the KICK it did before. today i was reading the manual for the KX300.2 Amp, and it says you could bridge at 4 ohms mono and you will get 300 watts RMS to that one. Then you can at the same time hook something else up with the stereo.
HERE IS THE MANUAL FOR THE KICKER AMP look at page 5
http://www.kicker.com/06/tech-support/manuals/manuals/02KX300_400_500_800_2AmpManual.pdf
So right now i guess the best i can do with the amp to output the most power, and still be in stable recommended settings, i have one voice coil bridged at 4 ohms mono giving me 300 watts RMS, and i have the other voice coil in one channel as stereo. i mean i know this seems wrong, but it doesn't sound too bad. any help on how i can get a better set up would be appreciated. thanks
oh and here is the kenwood amp
http://www.kenwoodusa.com/products/ListProduct.aspx?k1=2&k2=42&k3=155&pr=2012
swez on 07/20/2006 17:50:57
One thing you can do, is have your coils wired in parallel and only us 1 channel of your Kenwood amp for now. This is save for the amp as it can run 2 ohms per channel and more power to the sub.
This amp, KAC-9152D is a dual channel Class D amp. Is that what you have right now?
If yes, let me review a few things and get back to you on some ideas that might be very useful to you. It will be tomorrow.
Swez
cecilio87 on 07/20/2006 17:55:52
OH NO right now i ONLY HAVE 1 amplifier and thats the Kicker KX300.2. I have a friend who is a dealer with kenwood, and he can get me that amplifier for about 250 or 300 dollars max. I mean i do have another amplifier, but everyone has told me it sucks. I got it for free, so why not. Its a Pyramid Pro Plus 600 Watt 4 channel amp, but i think 2 channels are for highs, and 2 are for lows. Would it be recommended to use this amp at all for now? thanks
swez on 07/21/2006 12:04:56
Frankly, the Kicker amp is plenty for your Mid/highs. You can use this amp to power both front and rear channels if you wish as this will give you a stable 2 ohms per channel. If you take this route, most likely you'll need to attenuate, (add series resistors) to the rear speakers so you can balance them out with your front speakers. This is safe and relatively easy to do.
As for a good sub amp, yes indeed, Kenwood makes some very solid amps. A Class D MONO amp with about 600 watts RMS @ 2 ohms, should be adequate for your Kicker S10L7, 10" sub. (assuming you know it's the 4+4 DVC)
Have you confirmed that this sub is indeed the 4+4 DVC version? (It also comes in a 2+2 DVC coil configuration) If you have the 2+2 version, we have to look at another amp to power it. The best way to confirm this, is to have an ohm meter handy and measure each coils' ohmic value.
1. If you have the 4+4 DVC, your readings will be about 3.4 ohms per coil
2. If you have the 2+2 DVC, your readings will be about 1.6 ohms per coil
FYI: Knowing the actual coil resistance, (Zn) is very important for making the correct amp choice to power your sub. An inexpensive multi-meter should be part of every serious DIY'er's tool kit. For about $20.00, you can buy a good digital multi-meter from Radio Shack, Wal-Mart or even most good autoparts stores. Once you have one of these, you'll find many good uses for electrical testing and circuit diagnostics for home and car use.
This one or a similar meter will do the job just fine:
http://www.radioshack.com/product/index.jsp?productId=2103174&cp=2032058.2032235.2032305&parentPage=family
Once we know what sub model you have, (4+4 or 2+2 DVC) we can look for suitable amps that will allow this sub to make some serious noise.
Comments?
Swez
cecilio87 on 07/21/2006 20:27:54
Hey yeah for sure its a Dual 4 Ohm Voice Coil. I took the sub out of the box the other day. So then you think that Kenwood amp would be good for it then, and i should just buy a component system and use my kicker amp for those? thanks for all the help
swez on 07/22/2006 00:07:45
OK, that Kenwood amp (KAC-9152) is pretty strong for this sub. The sub can handle 600 watts RMS and this amp delivers 900 watts RMS @ 2 ohms when bridging. Same power at 1 ohm loads.
A better option would be the KAC-8152D for this sub. It delivers 550 watts RMS @ 2 ohms and only draws a max of just under 40A's at full power. Here's a link to the install and operations manual. Read it through carefully as this is your BIBLE for step-by-step installing and use of various features regarding this amp.
ftp://inform.kenwoodusa.com/MANUALS/KAC9152d.pdf
This amp does have IFS support for ported sub enclosures. It is switchable at: OFF/15/25 Hz. It also has plenty of useful features, filters and plenty of power to drive your sub @ 2 ohms.
Shop around the net and see what kind of prices are available too.
http://www.pricegrabber.com/search_getprod.php?masterid=8383282&search=kac+8152d
Swez
cecilio87 on 07/22/2006 13:25:03
Hey Swez quick question, what is IFS support? Is it like a Sub Sonic Filter? Because i read your turtorial on a Sub Sonic Filter, and well now im pretty familiar with them, but i dont know where you can find them. Like are they in good head units, or are they in amps? I tried getting the manual, but its about 4.5 MB and i have one of the slowest Dial Up Connections. I live on the outskirts of a REALLY REALLY SMALL TOWN. so thats pretty much all i can get. but i'll view it later when i go to a friends house.
swez on 07/22/2006 14:19:45
IFS Support = Infrasonic Filter = ISF = SSF.
Many of the better grade sub amps have some kind of SSF/IFF filtering. Some of the high end Pioneer, Eclipse, Alpine HU's may have that on a dedicated sub channel RCA outputs too. Have not looked much at such of late, but am sure there are a few with every bell and whistle you can imagine.
However, any amp can have an RCA module type filter when using Harrison Labs High Pass filters:
http://www.partsexpress.com/pe/showdetl.cfm?&DID=7&Partnumber=266-248
I wish they had a larger selection of filtering ranges and maybe a higher slope as well. Harrison uses a -12dB/oct., slope. What that means in laymen terms is:
Assume a 50 Hz., filter, -12dB/oc. slope, 100 watts power applied:
At 50 Hz., no attenuation
At 44 Hz., -3dB attenuation (Only 50 watts to sub)
At 38 Hz., -6dB attenuation (Only 25 watts to sub)
At 32 Hz., -9dB attenuation (Only 12.5 watts to sub)
At 25 Hz., -12dB attenuation (Only 6.75 watts to sub)
As you can see, a -12dB/oct., filter does cut a lot of power to the sub as we drop in frequency. We started with 100 watts at 50 Hz., and the slope drops power rapidly as we go down in frequency.
50 Hz. .............................................................................100 W.
44 Hz. ........................................................50 W.
38 Hz. ....................................25 W.
32 Hz. .......................12.5 W.
25 Hz. ..... 6.75 W.
FYI: This is a logrithmic slope plot. Not a linear one!
Swez
cecilio87 on 07/23/2006 01:30:20
ok well then i'll see what i can do for now. Right now I'm running kind of low in cash, so what i did for now, was just leave my kx300.2 bridged at 2 ohms. Its not over heating as much this time. What i did different, was that before i had the equalizer on rock, and for some reason this preset has a lot of bass. So when i first started i was like well it sounds good and bassy, so i figured thats cool. But i figured, that was probably sending a distorted signal to the amplifier, causing the amp to overheat faster. It probably adds noice from .02 to .2 in THD. Now i have the preset at flat, with the treble at +6, the Bass at -12, and the sub at 0. This is giving me good bass, plus its not over heating too fast. With the rock equalizer, the volume had to be very low because if i higered it too much the amp would go out. like i think my HU can go up to 50 in volume, but with the rock eq i could only higher it to 22 or 23 MAX. Now i can higher it to about 30 and it now sounds loud and good bass with out it shutting off so maybe ill leave this for now. What im really planning on doing is, spending about 2,000 on a system. I have another friend who can get me (2) MTX 9500's and they are 12's in a factory box. It looks brushed aluminum, and each sub is about 2,000 watts peak, and 1,000 watts RMS. He can get me the (2) 12's in a box for 700 dollars flat. I think it's dual ported, and the amp im planning on getting is a Memphis Audio 4000 Watts peak, and 2,000 watts RMS. For this set up, he is going to remove my back seat, because i have an extended cab, so he is going to remove the back seat, close the gaps from under the seats, set the subs on there, and on the back wall, he is going to have the amp drilled on the back wall, and (2) 15 ferret blocks drilled on the back wall as well. under the gaps, he might put some neon lights, and well he is also going to add a car battery, an isolator, remove the 4 gauge wire, and put some 0 gauge wire. I don't know if he was going to get someone to upgrade the alternator, but yeah. i think he was going to do something else, but those are the main things he would probably do for about 2,000. OH yeah he was going to Dynamat my truck too.
would ALL this be a really good system? I mean about how many DBs could i be able to hit inside the truck? will i blow my old one out of the water bad? thanks, oh does Dynamat make a huge difference? and any suggestions would be appreciated. thanks again swez for all the help, you really know your **** hah thanks
swez on 07/24/2006 09:32:52
That is one huge plan Stan. But if you are looking for a lot of solid bass and maybe do some DB Drags, this proposed system should get you there. This won't be a cheap job either. Some major electrical upgrades will be needed to feed a sub amp of that magnitude. (+150 amps of current)
Yes, matting is good as it will seal in the sound and dampen panel resonances too. The doors and rear wall will definitely be on the list and maybe other places as well.
As for your present setup, avoid running this amp too hard at 2 ohms bridged. This is very hard on the Mosfet transistors and excess heat is their enemy. Heat leads to premature electronic component failures.
The mentioned HU EQ settings can have a huge impact on how hard your amp works. Some setting give a very large boost in bass frequencies. (+6 to +9dB boost) That's very hard on a small amp that is being pushed beyond its limits. Try this setting on the HU EQ and see how it works out for now:
1. Highs +3 to +6 boost
2. Bass -3 to -6 cut
3. Sub -3 to +3 cut/boost
FYI: Subs often run as high as +10% distortion. We cannot really hear anything notable below about 3% THD. Even then, it's most noticable in the mids and highs. When we get high distortion values from an amp, we usually note muddy and poorly defined bass. In the mid/highs, we note shrill highs and muddled mids that sound very un-natural.
Yeah, Old Man Audio has been at this a while and knows the difference between schnitz and shinola. We do our best at CK to educate, facilitate and give useful tips on how to get the most form any given system. We appreciate avid learners who do their homework, ask good questions and give accurate details about thier gear.
Thanks for the kuddos! It's always good to get feedback from our readers. Good, bad or "other" feedback report cards help us to help others better in the future.
Good luck and keep in touch,
Swez
PS This is a user supported forum. We are here to help others and ask very little in return. I personally invite you to make a donation to CK, so we can help others, as we have helped you. The Golds donate time and money to keep this board going. All we ask, is that users do thier part to keep the site financially viable. Server time, site upgrades and the like, do cost money. Can we count on you to help this site remain strong for others? SMILE
PSS CK is a PG rated site. We appreciate it when our readers avoid colorful language. That's one of many reasons that CK is different form many other sites. Thanks and good luck on your new project! CLAP
cecilio87 on 07/24/2006 17:46:42
Swez seriously thank you very much for all the information you've given me. I've learned alot more in this web site than by screwing around and blowing things up. Yeah i will donate some money to keep this web site running, and once again thank you. If i have any questions about car audio i know where to look
swez on 07/24/2006 19:17:37
That's being a good soldier! Once you get the hang of things, come back and join the Gold team members. We're always looking for fresh talent at CK.
You're seriously welcome Cecilio!!! Was hoping you'd change your mind on the earlier "hit or miss strategy" mentioned earlier. For some, it does work out eventually. However, the cost of that type of learning curve and experiementation are high and long.
Think "PASS" as you go through life and learning new things:
P...lan our work
A...sk for help as needed
S...tay focused
S...killfully work the plan
Thanks for the promised donation. We appreciate every reader that makes a contribution at CK. Hopefully, we'll be here another 10 years if technology and demand premits.
Swez
Copyright ClubKnowledge 2009 * All Rights Reserved
