Polk PA 880.1?? and PA 660.4

2

Comments

  • Topper
    Topper Posts: 403
    edited August 2010
    might also want to check the subwoofer volume setting on your radio. Some radios need the sub volume set a little higher to output enough voltage to allow you to keep the gains on the amp lower
  • catch22atplay
    catch22atplay Posts: 130
    edited August 2010
    The amp is 1 ohm stable. Just rewire the speakers. Don't be scared. Should almost double your output. Although it's not listed i'm pretty sure it's a class D amp as all their other mono amps are class D. 8 gauge speaker wire min if in series. 12 gauge min if in parallel. Or something like that. To lazy to look it up.

    What's the fuse size on the amp?

    It also looks like the gain setting is different on this amp. The others are 200mv to 7.5v. And this one is 200mv to 5v. So set gain accordingly. As i've no idea what your preout is i have no idea what the correct setting is. And a bass boost on an amp is used in special cases. A ported box with a real low tuning freq that caused a 3db dip at the boost freq for example. Setting the bass boost to +3db might help flatten out the freq more than not using it. I can't stand bass boosts in amps. Tried them a few times and it always sounded like crap. But i've always used sealed boxes and sealed boxes don't need any boost.

    Recheck your gain settings, power, ground, the big 3, and upgrade the speaker wire. Cause something is wrong here and i doubt it's the amp.
    Dodge Ram 1500 SLT Quad Cab 2007
    Pioneer DEX-P99RS, IPOD Touch 64gb, Rockford Fosgate T1000-4, T600-2 & T1500-1bd CP
    Polk Audio SR speakers, 6.5's, 5.25's, SR tweets and 2 SR124-DVC subs in 1.57cu ft sealed enclosures
  • mizike
    mizike Posts: 32
    edited August 2010
    Ok the rca out voltage is 4volts. I have the gain at 3/4s which should be damn close to 4volts. I have the subb out on the radio all the way up minus 2 notches. Its two 35amp fuses on the amp and I think I have an 80amp by my car battery, figured that would be fine. It is a large ported box. The maximum volume on my head unit is 35 so 21 to 23 is as high as I go on the head unit for no distortion. The only thing I can think of is my speaker wires are too thin, I swear I used like 18 or 20 guage for the speaker wire like I used with my other 10s. Maybe with the extra wattage that is straining the amp unlike the cheapy SAS amp. I really cant think of any other issue, my ground, and power are 4 or 8 guage I know, I will have to double check them but there at minimum 8 probably 4. The speaker wire is way off if it should be 8 guage in series, and that would hurt the fosgates at 1.6ohm even more then these sonys so I will check that out for sure and see if that change fixes it.
  • Roswellien
    Roswellien Posts: 28
    edited August 2010
    As DSkip said I will reiterate. The gain should be adjusted so that there is no distortion presented until aprox. 90+% max head unit volume. If you are indeed running only 8ga (on either the power OR ground) you need to upgrade. The power and ground should be the same gauge. Also with the wattage you are "trying" to push to the subs, or will be trying you should look to 12ga or better speaker wire. Also amp your door speakers asap so that you can also PROPERLY match the gain levels for both since most HU amps do not have a variable gain making them very hard to properly match.

    And to correct Catch22 (sorry sir) the amp is a Class AB which means it has a lower efficiency then a Class D, requiring more amperage from your Alternator and your battery. A Class D amp can normally be expected to push 80-85% efficiency compared to 60-65% efficiency, the sacrifice in efficiency is "normally" associated with higher SQ capabilities class AB can offer.
  • arun1963
    arun1963 Posts: 1,797
    edited August 2010
    hey mizike,

    how many people have to tell you the same thing till the bulbs finally light up in your head? Just asking. BTW if you want better sound the two things you have to do are 1. junk is your xplod hu 2. amp your comps. Ya ya I know of the 'other' amp and your rockfords at 1.6ohms had great sound. :rolleyes:

    rgds
  • catch22atplay
    catch22atplay Posts: 130
    edited August 2010
    Perfectly fine correcting me as i'm fallible as we all are. But i don't see any literature saying if it's class A/B or class D. The manual for the other 3 older mono subs say Class D. If it was a class AB amp with 2 35amp fuses it would be near impossible to achieve it's rated power according to my math. It would need to have an efficiency rating above 79% to achieve it. Never seen nor heard of any class A/B amp achieving efficiency numbers that high. :)
    Dodge Ram 1500 SLT Quad Cab 2007
    Pioneer DEX-P99RS, IPOD Touch 64gb, Rockford Fosgate T1000-4, T600-2 & T1500-1bd CP
    Polk Audio SR speakers, 6.5's, 5.25's, SR tweets and 2 SR124-DVC subs in 1.57cu ft sealed enclosures
  • Roswellien
    Roswellien Posts: 28
    edited August 2010
    I did have another thought though. What brand is the power/ground cable, past experience dictates that "off brand" cable can indeed be of much lesser quality. For instance I have some 0ga absolute laying around that while indeed larger in external circumference than the kicker 4ga I have currently installed, the actual internal wire circumference is actually smaller, closer to 8ga then even 4ga. And that is "0ga" when purchased.

    For this amp I would say quality 4ga wire (i suggest knukonceptz for "on the cheap wire") minimum if you plan on running a 4ch/2ch for your door speakers.
  • Roswellien
    Roswellien Posts: 28
    edited August 2010
    Perfectly fine correcting me as i'm fallible as we all are. But i don't see any literature saying if it's class AB or class D. The manual for the other 3 older mono subs say Class D. If it was a class AB amp with 2 35amp fuses it would be near impossible to achieve it's rated power according to my math. It would need to have an efficiency rating above 79% to achieve it. Never seen nor heard of any class AB amp achieving numbers that high. :)

    I agree hole heartedly which is actually why started this thread. There is a stark lack of concrete information out about either amp. But I can say for sure in the manual and on bestbuy.com (only place Ive found selling it) it is listed as a class AB amp.

    (edit) And with the efficiency, we can dream, we can dream....
  • catch22atplay
    catch22atplay Posts: 130
    edited August 2010
    Sucks talking about products when i don't have a data sheet. Polk's website needs to be corrected with the new products. The DXI speakers are listed incorrectly as well or incomplete. PDF links don't work. Is the actual manual correct? Does it need an addendum added?

    So yes as your very first post suggests, we need correct and real numbers. And correct classifications. Cause we're all confused here as some things make no sense.
    Dodge Ram 1500 SLT Quad Cab 2007
    Pioneer DEX-P99RS, IPOD Touch 64gb, Rockford Fosgate T1000-4, T600-2 & T1500-1bd CP
    Polk Audio SR speakers, 6.5's, 5.25's, SR tweets and 2 SR124-DVC subs in 1.57cu ft sealed enclosures
  • Roswellien
    Roswellien Posts: 28
    edited August 2010
    Well I can say the manual lists the PA880.1 as NOT 1ohm stable when it has now been confirmed as 1ohm stable by me and others. BestBuy also lists it as a 1 ohm stable amp. All I have to go on right now with on this amp is experience, which while somewhat extensive I currently lack the tools and time to do any proper tests.

    Like my review says so far I am very satisfied with how this pushs semi high end (better then sold in most stores/shops) subs. Its 1 ohm stable, and very clean.
  • mizike
    mizike Posts: 32
    edited August 2010
    Why do you keep talking about distortion and blowing speakers. Not once have I said there is any distortion or having the head unit cranked to 35. I said the head unit runs at 20 to 21 no distortion, the rca is 4volt out. The amp is at 3/4s which in the past has been pretty damn close to the voltage match of any head unit I have used. The gain may not be set perfect I agree, I will have to work on that, didnt think I would have to lower it that much though or cause it to overheat, thinking that maybe the speaker wire is too thin, will have to check my ground and power, it is 4 or 8 guage cant remember what I ran a couple years ago for my other amp. The sony head unit, yeah maybe I should switch that now, it did work very well with 2 other amps though and clean at like you say about 60 to 70 percent max which is where i run it volume at 20 to 21. NO DISTORTION, that is why I have NEVER BLOWN A SUB EVER IN MY LIFE.
    What do you mean YA YA you know the other amp and 1.6ohm fosgates sounded good, yes they did, and the polk was bought brand new to push the fosgates not these xplodes but I wanted to have them on the xplode subs at 2ohm first before I went dropping it to 1.6ohm fosgates.
    Yes I am going to amp the MB Quarts with my phoenix gold that is at my house, wating to get home to hook it up. My alternator and battery might not have enough juice for the amp I guess, maybe that could make it overheat more as well. The quality of the power and ground not sure, it was a kit I bought years ago. I lowered the gain to half, turned off the bass boost, no loud set on my sony and I have the sub out on the head unit 2 notches from max. I drive home tomorrow and will see if it can make it most of the ride without overheating or if all this turned down it still heats up after 3 or 4 hours. If so, will do an overhaul.
  • arun1963
    arun1963 Posts: 1,797
    edited August 2010
    We are going around in circles and not getting anywhere. That was the back ground of my last post.

    1. Since there is conflicting information on 1 ohm stability on the 880.1, you (mizike) need to touch base with CS at Polk to find out if the amp is 1 ohm stable. If it is, hook up the RF's and be done with it.

    2. You are running the 2 xplod 10" subs off the 880. Assuming the subs are wired to show a 2 ohm load, the amp is putting out 500watts. Your components on the other hand are getting all of 15-20 watts at 21-23 volume level. You're telling us that with this setup you're still lacking bass and that you're not a bass head??:confused:

    3. Amping your compos will give you better balance.

    4. I don't see how you were running the RF's at a 1.6ohm load off the US Amp XT 1600.2. That amp is not 1 ohm stable in bridged mode. So you were probably running the each sub at 2 ohms of the two channels. At 2 ohms each sub would be getting 400 watts. Hence total of 800 watts to the subs. THAT is obviously going to sound louder than the 500 watts from the 880.1. If you had the subs wired to 1.6 ohm and then bridged it to the 1600.2, that would explain why you needed a new amp (880.1) for the subs. :)
  • mizike
    mizike Posts: 32
    edited August 2010
    The head unit is putting out enough wattage for the sound at this point with the max bass I can get from the polk and two Sony 10inch, the bass is not overpowering the sound, the sound is crystal clear 40 watts RMS each speaker not major sound but plenty loud to match the bass right now. Its 60 watts max each channel x 4. Not a bass head meaning I do not like hearing only bass, and that is not how it is now or is going to be, even with the Polk at 3/4s and cranking the subs the sound is still very loud and clear, all the words, instruments, sound nice in and outside of the car, not just a boom. NOW A BASS HEAD just meaning I want to move up to more bass YES LOL but a balance of sound as well.

    When I ran the U.S. Amp with the fosgates then yes it was way too much bass for the sound, I am putting the Phoenix on my components. Just drove back from myrtle beach today same thing overheated even with gain at half, no bass boost or loud on and one of the back seats down. Now maybe it is just too damn hot out in the trunk 100 degrees out then the heat of the amp in a trunk.

    The U.S. AMP I was only running one channel at 1.6ohms both Fosgates in parrallel, not bridging my amp because no it is not 1ohm stereo stable. So it was pushing about 250 watts rms to each sub, should be about the same as the Polk.

    I checked my wires, the power and ground are 8 guage, maybe that is not good enough and the speaker wires at 20 guage maybe that is causing more draw and heat as well.

    Yes I want to put the Polk on the Fosgates mono at 1.6ohms. That would be perfect bass with the phoenix gold on my MB QUARTS I believe but I didnt want to throw it on till I can stop it from overheating. Now on a normal day riding for an hour or two back and forth to work and around it will never overheat but a couple hours and it will for sure so I need to figure out why, becauase at 1.6ohm its going to be even more stressful on it then its at now. I hope its the power and ground and speaker wires.

    The class A/B might be a big change as well going from my Class D amp.
  • mizike
    mizike Posts: 32
    edited August 2010
    I wasnt trying to get defensive it just seemed like only small pieces of what I was saying was being pulled out of context. Like you just said gains set to where you cant go over 60 percent volume? I can turn it pretty much as high as you would want with no issues in sound or blowing anything, no one is going to go over 27 on the head unit it just wont sound good and 20 to 21 is too loud for almost anyone who has ever got in my car lol. I have a trunk so the bass is not that powerful when everything is all closed up which is why I guess I want more bass then the avg joe, my hatchback sounded way louder of course. I kind of want the sound I get when I open up one of the back seats and lay it down, thats the bass I want to hit and it sounds pretty damn good even with the HU.

    The components will be powered this weekend, I ordered a phoenix Gold amp for them before I left for vacation, that will increase the sound and quality of the sound, but not fix the bass issue, the deep 60 to 120hz bass at least.

    The SAS amp didnt need a thicker wire which is why I probably got away with it, since it was only 250 watts max mono, it never got hot ever for 3 years. The U.S. Amp and this Polk is much higher wattage and power so I am praying its the ground and power wire and speaker wires causing it to heat up. I literally just took it out now for maybe 30 minutes and touched it, majorly hot, did not shut off or anything but man this thing gets hot.

    I bought an amp kit off ebay its on the way, going to rerun all my wires, got 12 gauge for the speakers, its a 4 Gauge kit with new inline fuse, connections and everything. Im worries about the power coming from the battery on my car if I add this Phoenix Gold amp to it. Im praying it is the wires causing the heat, I want to put my Fosgates back in and the Phoenix for clear sound, the Polk sounds good just heats up.

    3/4s gain seems to be about right if it is max at 7v then 3/4s would be close to the 4 volt rca out from the head unit. It is not exact but shouldnt effect it like that to cause major overheating I would think. I can drop it a touch below 3/4s, that should be really close to 4volt out.

    Will see what happens, I appreciate any input I just didnt like the way some things were being said with wiring it up, briding my U.S. AMP to blow it, distortion, only a bass head etc when everyone of those things were incorrect, so sorry if I got a little defensive.
  • mizike
    mizike Posts: 32
    edited August 2010
    Yes I like the BOOM but I also like the clear high quality sound of music. I listen to Linkin Park type rock, some harder rock MCR, KORN, ETC and a lot of rap and stuff like Florence and the Machines, Dave Mathews etc, so I enjoy a strong combo of sound, hearing the instruments and having BASS. My highs are not tinny at 21 volume but yes any higher no good, cant wait to get the phoenix Gold amp in and try the new wiring.

    I just put the fosgates in the box with the Polk AMP pushing them and the freaking SONY XPLODES actually handled the wattage better for sure and have more room for more power. The Polk maxes out the Fosgate subs but the Fosgates produce a cleaner higher range of bass on the low and high end of the spectrum, but they only handle 150 watts RMS vs the Sonys 500 plus RMS each.
  • mizike
    mizike Posts: 32
    edited August 2010
    Ok I take it back the Fosgates hit as hard but just dont have any more room for more wattage but man they are clean, and the Polk sounds so sweet. I just have to get the overheating issue fixed and I will be very happy lol.
  • Roswellien
    Roswellien Posts: 28
    edited August 2010
    Thats good to hear that the polk push's the Fosgates how you like Mizike, when you get the fosgates in there with the PG amp on the components and balance out the gains on the amps I am sure you will be pleased. Bring the gains down on both amps so that max tolerable volume is as high as possible on the HU.

    You mention you bought a new 4ga kit on ebay. What brand? reputable? Price? again as I mentioned off-brand can very often equal very low quality cable and you could be in the same situation.

    You mention you want good SQ and not the Boom, I assure with the amp tuned correctly you can have both.
  • catch22atplay
    catch22atplay Posts: 130
    edited August 2010
    Maybe it's just the huge difference between the old US Amps watts vs what you have now. Quite a difference in wattage. But i also know that DKSkip is right in that the midbass really makes a difference. I know i blew about 6 pairs of component speakers trying to match the level of the sub. Only the Polk MM3065's survived. Without that midbass sound was terrible and the perception of subwoofer bass loudness wasn't there.

    I also ran a class A/B 800watt amp for the subs. It would often go into protect mode. You could just about fry an egg on it. I was running 8 gauge power and ground wire and even the wire got very warm. Warm wire typically means it's to small for the amps going thru it. I never bothered changing it and just lived with it. Amp was located inside the cab of the truck and my a/c is almost always on. If it was in a truck i'd of had to upgrade that wire and not play it as loud. It's as simple as that.
    Dodge Ram 1500 SLT Quad Cab 2007
    Pioneer DEX-P99RS, IPOD Touch 64gb, Rockford Fosgate T1000-4, T600-2 & T1500-1bd CP
    Polk Audio SR speakers, 6.5's, 5.25's, SR tweets and 2 SR124-DVC subs in 1.57cu ft sealed enclosures
  • mizike
    mizike Posts: 32
    edited August 2010
    Yeah I am praying that putting the new 4 guage wire and 12 guage speaker wire fixes the heating issue because in about 40 minutes the amp overheated today on the way home from work, pushing the fosgates and gain at half. Something does not seem right.

    Yes I think the U.S. Amp was much stronger then I thought and kinda wish I didnt sell it now lol. Praying amping my components does do way more for me then I think.

    I hope this amp kit is solid.
    HITRON KIT4 4 GAUGE AMPLIFIER INSTALLATION KIT Ebay Reviews were solid on the wires they have sold. I guess I wont know till I get it. I just didnt want to spend freaking 100 bux on brand name yet unless it is completely necessary. HITRON makes some amps and even there 100 watt x 4 amp they say 4 gauge power and ground required for proper installation so hoping that is my heat issue. ITs OFC speaker wire. Hoping the size is true 4 gauge.
  • Roswellien
    Roswellien Posts: 28
    edited August 2010
    I have no experience with Hitron but looking at prices and reviews they appear to be about on the same level as power acoustik, pyle, boss, absolut, ect. Which is pretty much bottom of the barrel. Also looked at some detailed pics and it looks like a dead ringer for the POS absolut wire i have sittin here.

    Does not mean the amp wiring kit will be crap, but its not a good sign either, if your previous wire is a good name brand make sure to compare the actual internal diameter of the wire itself to it before you start hacking away at the new stuff so you can at least hopefully get your money back. If its smaller or similar size you got ripped and you will gain nothing by installing it.
  • arun1963
    arun1963 Posts: 1,797
    edited August 2010
    mizike wrote: »
    I checked my wires, the power and ground are 8 guage, maybe that is not good enough and the speaker wires at 20 guage maybe that is causing more draw and heat as well.

    That most likely is your problem. 4gg power and ground and 12gg on your speakers (specially once you amp the components) would be ideal, yes.
    mizike wrote: »
    that will increase the sound and quality of the sound, but not fix the bass issue, the deep 60 to 120hz bass at least. ..

    60-120hz is not deep bass. 70-200 is your mid bass. 20-50hz is the low end. Your mid bass range will improve by a big margin once you amp your components. Make sure you have sealed your doors.
    mizike wrote: »
    3/4s gain seems to be about right if it is max at 7v then 3/4s would be close to the 4 volt rca out from the head unit. It is not exact but shouldnt effect it like that to cause major overheating I would think. I can drop it a touch below 3/4s, that should be really close to 4volt out..

    Assuming your hu has a 4v signal, the hu would put out the 4v at about 85-90% of volume at 5-8% (min) THD. That's pure noise. Cut your sub, and only play the components off the hu. Turn up the volume and see how far you can take the volume before you start hearing distortion? Chances are it will be much lower than the volume of 23. At the lower volume you're not getting 4 volts. Its more like 2-2.5 volts. Hence you need to set the gains lower. You don't hear this distortion with the sub because the bass is masking out a lot of your upper midrange where you would normally hear distortion.

    I run a p-80prs which is rated at 5v. My amp gains are around the 3v mark.

    Roswellien wrote: »
    I have no experience with Hitron but looking at prices and reviews they appear to be about on the same level as power acoustik, pyle, boss, absolut, ect. Which is pretty much bottom of the barrel. Also looked at some detailed pics and it looks like a dead ringer for the POS absolut wire i have sittin here.

    Does not mean the amp wiring kit will be crap, but its not a good sign either, if your previous wire is a good name brand make sure to compare the actual internal diameter of the wire itself to it before you start hacking away at the new stuff so you can at least hopefully get your money back. If its smaller or similar size you got ripped and you will gain nothing by installing it.

    Unless its really crappy, wire is just wire. So, as long as the Hitron is 4gg it may solve Mizike's issues.

    My worst audio spend was $ 150 on 15' of Pear Comice 12gg speaker cable. I heard no difference over my $ 40 Kicker 12gg. I was pissed as hell. ;)
  • catch22atplay
    catch22atplay Posts: 130
    edited August 2010
    Wire is not wire. And crap does equal crap.

    If the price is to good to be true then you're getting ripped. It could be built using copper clad aluminum. Use of extra thick insulation so they can use less copper. Less than optimal amount of strand count. The price of copper went way up. Even knuconcepts sells the cheap arse copper clad aluminum stuff unless you buy their top of the line wire. You don't buy products from some fly by nite made in tawain company. Look for deals from reputable companies. You'll get ripped off every time if you don't. There are lots of good deals out there that are made by reputable companies. Just gotta search a bit.
    Dodge Ram 1500 SLT Quad Cab 2007
    Pioneer DEX-P99RS, IPOD Touch 64gb, Rockford Fosgate T1000-4, T600-2 & T1500-1bd CP
    Polk Audio SR speakers, 6.5's, 5.25's, SR tweets and 2 SR124-DVC subs in 1.57cu ft sealed enclosures
  • arun1963
    arun1963 Posts: 1,797
    edited August 2010
    Wire is not wire. And crap does equal crap.

    If the price is to good to be true then you're getting ripped. It could be built using copper clad aluminum. Use of extra thick insulation so they can use less copper. Less than optimal amount of strand count. The price of copper went way up. Even knuconcepts sells the cheap arse copper clad aluminum stuff unless you buy their top of the line wire. You don't buy products from some fly by nite made in tawain company. Look for deals from reputable companies. You'll get ripped off every time if you don't. There are lots of good deals out there that are made by reputable companies. Just gotta search a bit.
    arun1963 wrote: »
    Unless its really crappy, wire is just wire. So, as long as the Hitron is 4gg it may solve Mizike's issues.

    My worst audio spend was $ 150 on 15' of Pear Comice 12gg speaker cable. I heard no difference over my $ 40 Kicker 12gg. I was pissed as hell. ;)

    I think I covered the points you raised. If it is 4gg and the metallurgy is consistent, its fine.

    Ok, assuming the hitron is 100% consistent in its metallurgy, could be any metal and is 4gg, why would it sound different from the top of the line, 100% copper, Knu power cable?
  • catch22atplay
    catch22atplay Posts: 130
    edited August 2010
    Talking watts here, not sound quality. An unregulated amp would look like this with 80% efficiency.

    14.4vX70aX.8=806watts

    Same amp with a voltage drop to amp to 12.5 volts.

    12.5vX70aX.8=700watts

    700 watts to speakers using 20 gauge speaker wire 6 feet in length combined is -100 watts approx.

    700-100=600 watts real power to subs.

    Note that changing to 4 gauge may not solve the problem. The alt and battery are important as well. I'd be swapping that speaker wire 1st for sure.
    Dodge Ram 1500 SLT Quad Cab 2007
    Pioneer DEX-P99RS, IPOD Touch 64gb, Rockford Fosgate T1000-4, T600-2 & T1500-1bd CP
    Polk Audio SR speakers, 6.5's, 5.25's, SR tweets and 2 SR124-DVC subs in 1.57cu ft sealed enclosures
  • mizike
    mizike Posts: 32
    edited August 2010
    Yeah Im really hoping chaning the wire fixes this. The amp overheated in 15 minutes today on the way home, it is hot as hell out and hot in the trunk im sure but damn thats insane. I will lower my gain. Yes it is 4volt out, I will turn it up with no sub, I think it is close though with no distortion to go up to 20 to 21 anytihng higher gets distorted though.

    What does the wattage, battery, alternator have to do with it heating up? If my battery is not strong enough will it make my amp overheat? I can have the AC on and sitting still bass cranking and it does not drop. My U.S. Amp would lose its bass with ac blowing full power and bass up though.

    I think my old wire was high quality but it is 8 guage. I know the Hitron is not phoenix gold wire but it is oxygen free copper and from what I have read, really close to actualy 4 guage size from the reviews on ebay, not a bunch of insulation. Not sure about the strand count though. Im sure its not close to the 100 dollar kit, but wasnt trying to put that out yet.

    And with your theory of the gain setting and 4 volt voltage only being 2volts at the lower volume, so lower the gain, but I play the radio at high volume 90 percent of the time, so wouldnt it then be a lot closer to 4 volts 90 percent of the time so gain should match the 3.5v to 4 volt range?
  • KaosTsoc
    KaosTsoc Posts: 372
    edited August 2010
    DSkip wrote: »
    Start with upgrading that power/ground. The amp is straining to produce the power it should with that size cable. I'd be willing to bet that your previous amp wasn't producing what you thought it was with 8 ga wire ran to it.

    Please understand that everything I say isn't meant to pick on you, so please don't get defensive. I keep mentioning you blowing subs, its because of your gain settings. With gains set where you can't get above 60% volume, theres a good chance you or someone else in the car might unknowingly crank it up and destroy the subs. Setting a proper gain helps ensure that you won't be making mistakes with the volume knob that could send you to the local best buy/car audio shop.

    Everyone is at different levels here, and everyone is wanting something different with their sound. Kaos and I talked quite a bit about that when he listened to my system. He loved the sound, but he wanted heavier bass. Sometimes, he likes to be noticed, and thats fine. My bass is very level with the rest of the music, with only a small amount of the bass actually escaping the cabin of the car. It's nothing that would turn heads by any means.

    Your HU doesn't put out enough power to those components. Look at an entry level amp. Compare it to the size of your head unit. Know that the HU has a cd player, decoder, and all the electronics in there to make it run. Also know that the amp is all about power. Once you get them amped, you will hear a world of difference.

    A/B amps do run hotter than D amps, and that might be another concern.

    Yes we are all different in what we are wanting, and yes Dskip's speaker were so clean, and nice (which is what I am looking for in the highs), but thought that the mid bass could be a little more, but that is just me. Dskip is all about the SQ, and let me tell you what...... It sounded so goood. It was like candy for my ears. Man...... At anyrate. I like to be heard when I want to be a bass head, but I also am looking to get the SQ when I listen to bands like Tool. They have a very complex sound stage, and you need to have that clarity to hear all of what the indended you to hear to get the full understanding of the music.

    Now with you amp over heating, you should not be surprised about this at all considering where you have it placed. I mean think about it for a second.. Lets place you in a trunk, and we say that you have lift 50 lbs for the next hour consitantly. Now, with the weather outside being hot, that heat is also going into the space where you are. You are already creating your own heat, by lifting that 50lbs (or what I will call doing work). So combinded with the heat outside that is being obsorbed by the trunk your in, and the heat that you are creating yourself, by doing work. You would over heat in no time as well. So, the same concept here for you amp. Not to mention all the other things you have in front of you, power wire being to small etc etc. So, yeah you should not be surprised that it over heats.

    Thanks.
    2006 Prerunner Access Cab
    5 Speed 4 cycl 2wd

    Audio:
    Pioneer P860 Head Unit
    Polk Audio MM6501
    Alpine PDX F-6
    Two SR124(SVC)
    Alpine PDX M12
    Kinetik HC2000 battery and Sleeve
    200 Amp Mean Green High Output Alternator




    Need a DJ, photobooth, or both for rent?

    http://photoboothdallas.org
  • mizike
    mizike Posts: 32
    edited August 2010
    Not sure what you mean by I keep saying distortion sets in at 20 to 21, yes that is A FACT. I just went outside turned the bass off, turned my head unit up and it is loud and clean and comfortable at 20 to 21, nothing to do with the gain at this point because there is no amp and sub in the equation. Yes I can turn the volume higher on the HU but it gets too tinny and does not sound great, that is why the PG amp is going in for the components, but my gain is not set improperly because I can only go to 20 to 21 on my HU, the gain had nothing to do with that at this point.

    I have my gain set at a 1/4 now, the bass hits damn hard at a 1/4 and volume on the head unit at 20, and clear but it did heat up in about 15 minutes which is not good.

    Yes I thought maybe its because of the trunk but where the heck else do I put the amp, and every amp I have had has gone in the trunk. Maybe I am putting more wattage then I ever have into my subs now so the heat is increasing. I am confident that my gain is set properly and as low as you could possibly want to go.

    Volume is not distorting at 20, gain is at 1/4 and sounds good, just overheats. I will rerun the wires this weekend. I also had the amp on the top of my box, I have now put it on the trunk floor. Maybe any amp at that wattage will overheat in a freaking trunk in summer lol. not sure.
  • KaosTsoc
    KaosTsoc Posts: 372
    edited August 2010
    mizike wrote: »
    Not sure what you mean by I keep saying distortion sets in at 20 to 21, yes that is A FACT. I just went outside turned the bass off, turned my head unit up and it is loud and clean and comfortable at 20 to 21, nothing to do with the gain at this point because there is no amp and sub in the equation. Yes I can turn the volume higher on the HU but it gets too tinny and does not sound great, that is why the PG amp is going in for the components, but my gain is not set improperly because I can only go to 20 to 21 on my HU, the gain had nothing to do with that at this point.

    I have my gain set at a 1/4 now, the bass hits damn hard at a 1/4 and volume on the head unit at 20, and clear but it did heat up in about 15 minutes which is not good.

    Yes I thought maybe its because of the trunk but where the heck else do I put the amp, and every amp I have had has gone in the trunk. Maybe I am putting more wattage then I ever have into my subs now so the heat is increasing. I am confident that my gain is set properly and as low as you could possibly want to go.

    Volume is not distorting at 20, gain is at 1/4 and sounds good, just overheats. I will rerun the wires this weekend. I also had the amp on the top of my box, I have now put it on the trunk floor. Maybe any amp at that wattage will overheat in a freaking trunk in summer lol. not sure.

    Wow you had your amp on your box. Me I would not do that ever. The reason for this is when you bass hits the whole box is shakeing, and so is you amp. It is being shook to death with it being on your box, and this will also cause some of wiring in the amp to become disconnected. I mean setting it on the floor is good, and yes there will still be vibrations getting to it, but at least with it stuck on the floor the foundation will be a lot more stable.

    I think what is being said about the gain is that if it is not set to the correct voltage of HU then you are putting to much power to the amp, which could also explain why it is getting so hot. Plus like has been said the wiring is also key here as well.

    As for placement of the amp you could set it under the seats, or behind the seats on the floor, and if you did that you power cable run would alot shorter, and at least you amp would be in a climate controlled area.

    Thanks.
    2006 Prerunner Access Cab
    5 Speed 4 cycl 2wd

    Audio:
    Pioneer P860 Head Unit
    Polk Audio MM6501
    Alpine PDX F-6
    Two SR124(SVC)
    Alpine PDX M12
    Kinetik HC2000 battery and Sleeve
    200 Amp Mean Green High Output Alternator




    Need a DJ, photobooth, or both for rent?

    http://photoboothdallas.org
  • mizike
    mizike Posts: 32
    edited August 2010
    Ayight DEAD HORSE lol. I got it at 1/4 gain so it should be on point for that setting, gonna have to amp the components and change the wires and pray that fixes the heat issue.

    Yeah wasnt thinking right with the amp on top I guess, but I did have it lifted off of the box with 4 pegs covered with felt to keep air going all around the amp, but didnt think about the bouncing. I think I will put it under the seat when I rewire to keep it in a cooler environment too.
  • Roswellien
    Roswellien Posts: 28
    edited August 2010
    @arun Of course i refer to getting ripped off by buying junk brand wire and it ending up being all insulation and no actual internal wire. Like i said have a run of Absolute 0ga sitting here that is closer to actual 8ga than anything else.

    @mizike Think of the power/ground/speaker/battery/alt (IE power system) as an asthmatic. Throw the amp trying to draw an extra 80amps of power from the system is like having the asthmatic run laps without an inhaler. Without the proper tools neither your amp nor the asthmatic will last very long.

    With improper wiring/power system on an amp that is admittedly less efficient and thus more power hungry then your previous amps you are essentially choking it.

    It also sounds like you are finally beginning to understand the need for proper gain setting, just make sure you go through the same process when you amp your components. Unlike with your HU running the comps you will end up having an actually balanced system. You will notice that you will have to set your volume at a higher level then previously most likely but it will be loud AND clear instead of loud and distorted.