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Amp & Sub recommendations/queries

Hey, I'm new here but I've got a lot of questions so I'll probably be throwing them all out at once.

Basically, I bought a Pro-Plus Amp and Sub a couple of years ago - the Amp has since been replaced once I think, and the Sub about 5 times (I even spent extra to get a 1000watt amp to replace the original 400watt(?) one).

Both have caused me endless trouble. The Amp is only supposed to be

380watts, but somehow kept blowing the 400watt Sub, and even did the newer one too - this was about a year ago. I've never bothered replacing them cause simply... I don't have the money to waste on something that's gonna keep breaking.

So.. I'm hoping to possibly keep the Amp I've got and get a new Sub to go in the box that I've already got. Any suggestions? I'd rather not go with Pro Plus, but the box holds a 15" Sub - so anything specifically to go for that won't cost too much.

And is there any reason why the Sub kept blowing, considering it was supposed to be able to handle more watts than the Amp (which I was running at about half power!!) could provide.

Finally.... any opinions on Audiobahn stuff and where I can get it? Looks like quite an 'elite' make, but if it's worth the wedge, then I may invest in it sometime - apparently there's only one official UK seller of the stuff.

Reply to
Gr8-Scott
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Power is a very subjective subject. excuse the pun ; )

Without going into too much detail, when an amp is driven too hard the power output that the speaker sees is too high even though the actual speakers do noyt seem any louder. The amp output reaches maximium voltage and so cannot exceed this voltage, so the output is clipped. This is what the distortion is.

Reply to
timmmmayyy!

Er, so when you heard the distortion, why didn't you turn the volume down ?

If you're trying to make the sub shout louder than it can, then it'll break. And it did...

Assuming your wiring/alternator isn't shagged, you simply had it too loud. When things start to distort, you need to back off.

I've never heard of ProPlus - it's quite possible they're a purveyor of s**te :)

You'd be much better off spending your money on something like

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sub is matched to the amp, so as long as you don't go overboard with the volume, it should be fine.

Reply to
Nom

I can't see as to how the amp was driven too hard though - it was barely turned up to half power and I didn't have any distortion.

Reply to
Gr8-Scott

There wasn't any distortion. It just one day blew.

Cheers, am checking em out now :)

Reply to
Gr8-Scott

Either it was *shit*, or you were running it CRAZY loud, or you have a wiring problem !

Reply to
Nom

Before you spend any moolah, get yourself down to your nearest garage. Get them to check your alternator's outputting the right voltage etc. just so you can elminate the car's electrics.

Reply to
Nom

I think #1 was probably correct. It can't have been the wiring - cause it took a few months to blow it each time, right?

Reply to
Gr8-Scott

in news:cplafn$54a$ snipped-for-privacy@hercules.btinternet.com, "Gr8-Scott" slurred :

You can have distortion from; 1) the amplifier voltage limiting - this gives obviously audible effects, 2) the amplifier dragging the supply voltage down, again giving audible effects and 3) the speaker reaching the limits of it's compliance - depending on the speaker design, this can be quite a 'soft' distortion, and not necessarily very audible, especially at low freqs.

So whilst you say that you didn't have distortion, you could have had (3) without realising.

Alternatively, some cheap amps actually impose a net DC component on the output. This is completely inaudible, but significantly increases the power dissipation in the speaker and the temperature of the voice coil. This can kill the speaker eventually, but it's easy enough to check with a voltmeter.

HTH.

note: if you have (1) then the amplifier will be delivering twice the RMS power that a sinusoid of the same amplitude, so you should check that your speakers can handle at least twice the power output of the amp (continuous).

Reply to
Albert T Cone

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