Amplifier Questions. I need help.

[BL4CK M4GIC]

If your amp is getting hotter than it should you may not have proper voltage. In general, kenwood amps are pretty current hungry. You ill want to check your voltage at the amp. Also, your gain setting is not a volume knob. It is to match the input from your head unit. The higher the voltage your amp sees through the signal cables the lower you need to set your gains.

What is your electrical like? I would imagine you are starving your amp for current and sending distortion to your sub.

What is your budget for your amp?

Edit: what do you have subsonic and LP crossover set to?

Are you SURE that you are wired to 2 ohms? How do you know this?

I know because its a dual 4 ohm sub. I also hooked a multimeter to the pos. and neg. and i got around 2 ohms. It only has LP and its set to 15hz. can be 0, 15 or 25

Your LP filter is set to 15hz??

Sounds like you mean subsonic which is basically like a HP filter. What enclosure are you running? You need to raise your SS filter setting it sounds like.

Oh oops. LP is set to 100. the Infrasonic Filter is set to 15hz. running a custom built slot ported box built and tuned to jl spec

[BL4CK M4GIC]

Well I have an alarm system but that only draws when its on. The cap and amp are the main power drawing things I have. also got fog lights but never really have them on

[rockFord_Expedition]

If your amp is getting hotter than it should you may not have proper voltage. In general, kenwood amps are pretty current hungry. You ill want to check your voltage at the amp. Also, your gain setting is not a volume knob. It is to match the input from your head unit. The higher the voltage your amp sees through the signal cables the lower you need to set your gains.

What is your electrical like? I would imagine you are starving your amp for current and sending distortion to your sub.

What is your budget for your amp?

Well I dont wanna go broke from an amp. Something that can power it and not overpower my wallet lol. 250-300 most likely. right now im running 4 gauge power & ground and it gets the correct voltage. also have a power cap. I tune my amps at 3/4 volume on my deck so its not distorted that high.

Is your electrical stable enough to support a cap? If it isn't then your cap isn't helping. What alt do you have and is your big 3 done?

Big 3? lol sorry im a partial noob. Ive heard of that but have noo clue what it is. ive got 4 gauge to starter, fuse box, amp and also 4 gauge battery ground to chassis.

Ok if you want to get louder there are things you can do to help that, what enclosure are you running, whats your electrical like? If your amp is getting really hot your probably clipping the hell out of it. You can not hear clipping at all, it's not the same as distortion.

Pick up a DD-1 to insure your not clipping and you remain distortion free!! (if you do it right lol)

Edit: straight ninja'd

Im running a slot ported box custom built & tuned to jl spec. Electrical is good. nothing wrong. It probly is a little but not much. I might soon hahaha!

Not having your big3 upgrade done almost guarantees that your electrical isn't "good"

Look up the tutorial on here, you will be glad you did.

[BL4CK M4GIC]

Alright! thanks man! Im still gonna upgrade my amp but il do the big 3 first lol

[rockFord_Expedition]

Ok. Just know the big3 isn't the end all be all that cures all problems, but it is definitely something everyone should do to their ride, system or not.

Here is some homework..

-Raise your SS filter to 25-28 hz

-Check your voltage at your amp (with a DMM)

-Check your subwoofers impedance at the amp.

-Look into a DD-1, there is also a tool locator on here that can help you find someone local that has one.

-Do your big 3 the right way. See the tutorial for help.

-Try taking your cap out of the equation, in your case it is probably doing more harm than good. Caps aren't always bad, but 99% of people that run them don't have everything set up right, and that's assuming your cap is a good one.

[BL4CK M4GIC]

and 900 watts kenwood rms is not 900 watts if it was an excelon series i would say yea but that amp would work with the sub regardless as long as it is distortion free and clip free to the subwoofer the min u put that shit to if it will go poof eventually

so if it doesnt push 900w rms... then the one i have now doesnt push 500w rms???

[rockFord_Expedition]

Alright! thanks man! Im still gonna upgrade my amp but il do the big 3 first lol

Try to get everything set up right and can get the 500W out of this amp, because there won't be much of an audible difference between 500 and 600 w rms.

[rockFord_Expedition]

and 900 watts kenwood rms is not 900 watts if it was an excelon series i would say yea but that amp would work with the sub regardless as long as it is distortion free and clip free to the subwoofer the min u put that shit to if it will go poof eventually

so if it doesnt push 900w rms... then the one i have now doesnt push 500w rms???

I would bet money that you aren't getting 500W out of your amp with your current set up.

[BL4CK M4GIC]

Try to get everything set up right and can get the 500W out of this amp, because there won't be much of an audible difference between 500 and 600 w rms.

Very true. Im trying to find the big 3 as we speak lol

[ric006]

nope need to double power up to get that not higher