Amp/sub cutting out at high volume

[StereoInstaller1]

The only real issue you have is amplifier incompatibility.

You have a DVC woofer that is 4 ohms/coil. It is just not logical to use that amp on a single DVC woofer. it can be done properly, but it is sill illogical.

You can wire each half of that amp to each coil and that will fix the issue, but that would be a "work around". What you really should consider is getting an amp that will make around 300 watts on a 2 ohm load, like this: http://www.amazon.com/Audio-Jx500-Mo.../dp/B0081K3M5G (only an example, there are literally hundreds of choices)...then you can use the 4 channel Sony to run your mids and highs to they will sound better.

[SmokeE30]

I tried messing with the settings and managed to make it sound better but it still cuts power to the sub if I turn it up too much. I will have to check over how the headunit is wired, I simply made the existing connections more solid I did not actually confirm if it was wired correctly, one i get some time I will sit down and wire it up using the etm and the headunits diagram. Once that is confirmed good then ill have somebody more versed in stereo stuff take a look at it. The sound is pretty decent as is but once cruising at speed with the windows down the I have to either deal with having it at level 25 with bass or turn it up and listen to stock speakers :(

[UpstateMike]

I've never run an amp above 2/3 gain. Any higher than that I've always found distortion. Better brand amps can be run above this level but is it really necessary?

[AndrewBird]

my amp
http://www.sonicelectronix.com/item_...M-GTX6040.html

my sub

http://www.crutchfield.com/S-csqWUoJOytl/p_500SWR1242/Alpine-SWR-1242D.html?XVINQ=DST&XVVER=GRP

DVC 4 Ohm.

im gonna attempt to follow a youtube video to tune this thing and see what happens lol


Edit:

I attempted to follow a youtube amp tuning guide but now im confused.

this was the guide http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RpE6QQi--Lg

I used http://www.sengpielaudio.com/calculator-ohm.htm

to calculate what voltage I needed I used 300W and 4ohm (my amps bridged max rating) to get 34.64 v

however with the gain all the way up it only makes 16.5V car off and 20.5V running.

is this a sign I need to use bigger wires? help lol

300 watts is the max power of the amp. You want to use RMS power, or slightly less.

I've never used this method for setting an amp's gain, so maybe I'm wrong about this, but it seems like a very odd way of doing it. At least, the way the guy explains how to do it. For one, the ohm rating on a speaker is not it's resistance, it is its impedance. I don't know enough to know whether this matters in this case or not, but it seems like it does.

On top of that, he says that a head unit will clip at anything above 3/4 volume, which is probably about true if you are using line-level outputs, but if you have an amp, you should be using pre-amp outputs.

I suggest you try this simpler method explained by Luke. It worked great for me.

http://www.r3vlimited.com/board/showthread.php?t=285119

[SmokeE30]

Is the sub SVC or DVC. If DVC 2 or 4 ohm?
Is the amp being used as bridged?

my amp
http://www.sonicelectronix.com/item_...M-GTX6040.html

my sub

http://www.crutchfield.com/S-csqWUoJOytl/p_500SWR1242/Alpine-SWR-1242D.html?XVINQ=DST&XVVER=GRP

DVC 4 Ohm.

im gonna attempt to follow a youtube video to tune this thing and see what happens lol


Edit:

I attempted to follow a youtube amp tuning guide but now im confused.

this was the guide http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RpE6QQi--Lg

I used http://www.sengpielaudio.com/calculator-ohm.htm

to calculate what voltage I needed I used 300W and 4ohm (my amps bridged max rating) to get 34.64 v

however with the gain all the way up it only makes 16.5V car off and 20.5V running.

is this a sign I need to use bigger wires? help lol

[SmokeE30]

Is this your amp?

http://www.sonicelectronix.com/item_...M-GTX6040.html

yup that's looks like the one. im gonna try messing with it a bit more this aftrernoon

[StereoInstaller1]

Is this your amp?

http://www.sonicelectronix.com/item_...M-GTX6040.html

[UpstateMike]

Tremendous advice greg

[Gregs///M]

Sorry to threadjack, but my problem is similar to yours, but all my lights including dash lights are dimming and my headunit is turning off. I know it is a power issue, but I just replaced the battery with a new one last month. Do I need a higher amp alternator to supply more juice to the battery? Or is mine just going bad? I'm currently running a Alpine mono 500w amp with gains maybe 3/4 the way up and headunit gains around the same. It was working fine up until today, so I am thinking it is draining the piss out of my battery. I'm thinking my alternator is shot, but I am also thinking I need more amperage as well? Heard something about using a 7er 140 amp alternator with slight modification and I should be good?

I'd start with inspecting your vehicle electrical system. Make sure you verify your battery to ground cable is secure and clean.

Also, and most importantly, the engine to chassis ground cable that runs from the oil pan to the frame rail on the drivers side. This can be considered the ground cable for all engine electronics including the alternator. Be sure it is not oily, corroded, or loose. Replace it if you have it. I sell heavy duty upgraded ground cables specifically for cars with large wattage amps.

Also check the power connections at the alternator. Lastly, have your alternator checked. For a 500 watt amp, you should have a minimum of 4AWG cable.

[UpstateMike]

Put a multimeter on the amp and check voltage at the amp while music is playing. You don't want to see a drastic voltage drop when bass hits. If you do have voltage drop check all connections. GROUND is extremely important. Determine the size of wire you're using and report back to thread and maybe we can help dial it in for you. Sounds like alternator may be an issue as well. But 8 times out of 10 it's a bad ground or wire is of insufficient gauge. Good luck.

[reelizmpro]

Sorry to threadjack, but my problem is similar to yours, but all my lights including dash lights are dimming and my headunit is turning off. I know it is a power issue, but I just replaced the battery with a new one last month. Do I need a higher amp alternator to supply more juice to the battery? Or is mine just going bad? I'm currently running a Alpine mono 500w amp with gains maybe 3/4 the way up and headunit gains around the same. It was working fine up until today, so I am thinking it is draining the piss out of my battery. I'm thinking my alternator is shot, but I am also thinking I need more amperage as well? Heard something about using a 7er 140 amp alternator with slight modification and I should be good?

Check your voltage regulator first.

[gtdragon980]

Sorry to threadjack, but my problem is similar to yours, but all my lights including dash lights are dimming and my headunit is turning off. I know it is a power issue, but I just replaced the battery with a new one last month. Do I need a higher amp alternator to supply more juice to the battery? Or is mine just going bad? I'm currently running a Alpine mono 500w amp with gains maybe 3/4 the way up and headunit gains around the same. It was working fine up until today, so I am thinking it is draining the piss out of my battery. I'm thinking my alternator is shot, but I am also thinking I need more amperage as well? Heard something about using a 7er 140 amp alternator with slight modification and I should be good?

[Onizukachan]

Gain is too high, signal is clipped and amp is going into protect.

Turn your gain back down, turn loudness a d bass boost features off on the head.

Set the gain with a DMM instead of just by "loudness".

[reelizmpro]

Replace the amp fuse with known good quality fuse. Consider it insurance. I had made a power wire out of two old ones I had laying around. I crimped and soldered them together, then wrapped them. Come to find out it was the source if my amp cutting off when the bass hit. The connection had become corroded and brittle. I ran a fresh new wire to an agu fuse holder that used screws to sandwich the big 8-10 wire. This solved all of my power problems. Had this happen in two of my cars. It helps to have an extra amp around to troubleshoot too.

[Jean]

Is the sub SVC or DVC. If DVC 2 or 4 ohm?
Is the amp being used as bridged?