Amp Question

[BlackTigers]

Question...

I recently installed my amp and my new components.

I got some CDT CL-61i's, rated to 150w RMS.
The amp I have is putting out about 125w RMS.

Now, here's where I'm confused. Can I turn the gain on the amp up more? I have it at about 1/4 of the way up, but is the rated 125 at "max" gain? Not trying to blow these, but goddamn do they sound much better than stockers.

 

[jlee]

Turn your head unit volume all the way up and the gain all the way down. Put some music on and slowly increase the gain until speakers start to distort or clip, then back it down a little.

That's how I've always set them, anyway. You can probably run the amp at maximum gain.

 

[BlackTigers]

Turn your head unit volume all the way up and the gain all the way down. Put some music on and slowly increase the gain until speakers start to distort or clip, then back it down a little.

That's how I've always set them, anyway. You can probably run the amp at maximum gain.

Thanks.

That's how I tuned my subs, I set the HU to 80%, and increased gain until clipping occured, then turned it down.

But with the speakers, they stayed clear all the way up the gain, which confused me, haha.

 

[jlee]

If your amp is giving clean power all the way and your speakers can handle it, you're set. I have an older 50x4 Rockford Fosgate amp driving Polk Audio components which can take a lot more power than that - gain is max'd out and I have no distortion or clipping.

If I'm wrong, I'm sure someone will correct me soon enough.

 

[bommy261]

yep that is how i setup my speakers in my car. did u use the crossovers that came with the speakers? you don't want em playing frequencies they aren't designed to play.

 

[brblx]

it's hard to mess up setting gain for front speakers. if it's too high, you're just going to have the HU volume really low. your ears will probably bleed before you get into clipping territory.

biggest risk is to your mids from overexcursion. make sure your high pass crossover is set right. 50hz, minimum, preferably 60-70hz. those speakers aren't that awfully strong, i have DLS's with much beefier motors on the woofers and i'm sure full power from my 125x2 amp would destroy them.

 

[Hyperlite]

If your amp is giving clean power all the way and your speakers can handle it, you're set. I have an older 50x4 Rockford Fosgate amp driving Polk Audio components which can take a lot more power than that - gain is max'd out and I have no distortion or clipping.

If I'm wrong, I'm sure someone will correct me soon enough.

Well that's the key right there, clean power. That can be hard to judge sometimes. Many amps start to square-off waves before max gain...but like you said, some certainly can. Just be smart with it, listen for things that don't quite sound right.

 

[bommy261]

you'll know when an amp is sending a sqaure wave by the sound of speaker parts flying at you. clipping is absolutely horrible for a speaker.

 

[BassBomb]

my amp is nearly maxed for my subwoofer because it doesnt seem to put out nearly as much power as it should be

compared to my speaker amp it is fail, it has never clipped and works perfectly though... i just need a relay

 

[brblx]

if you're maxing the gain on your sub amp, it's clipping.

 

[BassBomb]

if you're maxing the gain on your sub amp, it's clipping.

i am pretty sure its not clipping, it sounds the same at low gain with high volume as it does with high gain low volume

it sounds perfect

 

[bommy261]

if you dont hear it clip it isn't clipping.. if your gain is turned up all the way it just means your sub can handle the power the amp is sending to it

 

[brblx]

if you dont hear it clip it isn't clipping.. if your gain is turned up all the way it just means your sub can handle the power the amp is sending to it

wrong and wrong.

go read up on what clipping actually is.

 

[BassBomb]

wrong and wrong.

go read up on what clipping actually is.

From what I know clipping is when the amplifier is pushing too hard and the sine waves become topped off ie clipped..

I am extremely confident the amplifier is not clipping, especially because my headunit is not sending max signal to it.