Setting gains, Is an oscope the only real way?

[TheMonolith2001]

Yeah I'm not saying it's a bad product or that it doesn't work, and I understand what your saying kranny. It just seems like it would be more useful for detecting clipping than distortion. Again for MY application. This is because:

A good amp should have proper ratings and tell you what kind of distortion it is doing when it is not clipping so you already know - If it's not clipping, I am getting X% THD. It detects distortion once it hits 1%, Class D amps are usually rated at 1% THD. So this matches up perfectly. I am more of a fan of A/B amps which are usually quite a bit lower. I don't want to run a A/B amp that does 1% distortion because in that case I should have just bought a class D which would be more efficient doing so. So I would be using it more to detect clipping - in this case an oscope is probably the better option because I can test at multiple frequencies to account for more variables which I mentioned above. You have also pointed out that apparently this wasn't even its intended purpose.

We all know how much bullshitting is done when it comes to the specs of amps too. So yeah for an amp like that, awesome product. You basically don't even have to know the real specs and you can get it to play without clipping and less than 1% THD with this tool which is totally acceptable for a class D amp. Which is what most people run for a sub anyway. So you can get the most out of whatever amp you have whatever wattage that may really be. This might mean your amp isn't really even bad, it just doesn't do what is advertised, but what it does do it does well.

Since I am so in love with A/B amps, especially old school amps because they don't make a lot of powerful A/B amps anymore at least as far as I am aware, I will probably never have more than 1500-2000 watts. The rarity/collectability factor also appeals to me. Which I am totally fine with because I am not after that crazy SPL/Groundpounder build. A lot of you guys are. Some of the wattage you guys are putting out is fucking nuts! Very impressive, Just not what I am trying to do. I am more after the most watts/lowest distortion possible type deal. I would love to own something like a VLX-400! This is another reason I bought a loaded Fi Q, it is more of a SQ sub and I will never need more than 1500-2000 watts to run it! I have tossed around the idea of building another box for a Fi BL or something similar (around 1500w rms subs) watts just to see what kind of SPL I can get out of such a setup, which will probably be quite loud, but yeah I will never come close to what some of you guys are doing.

You have to understand I was into home audio WAY before car audio. The home audio scene is way different. You just don't have these crazy high wattage setups unless you are doing some kind of PA system. Even then you guys are usually pushing more watts. It's more about efficient speakers/designs and low distortion to get more output than throwing more power into the equation. Output isn't even really the main goal after a certain point - clarity/imaging/etc. is. You have a lot of advantages In a home setup like being able to have HUGE speaker cabinets too which is one of the reasons for this. I have seen some home setups that sound unbelievably good/loud with like 80 watts. This is why I am into what I am into. I like efficiency. I am a lot more forgiving when it comes to the sound in my car however because there are a lot of variables that are either impossible or a lot harder to control in a car compared to the home. For instance it is WAY easier to get imaging right with some cheaper speakers in a room at home than in your car. You also don't have to deal with things like road noise. I can only throw so much money into my car system before its like man I could have accomplished a lot more in my house for a lot less money and it just isn't worth it anymore. I have my limits - and goals, and I'm just trying to remain reasonable while doing what I like. There is a point of diminishing returns for both types of setups not just the car. I don't want you to think I am saying no car system could ever be as good as a home system because I am not. Like I would never buy a set of speakers that costs 2 million dollars even if I was a billionaire. Believe me they do exist, I believe Focal makes some that might even be more. That was why I was so pumped about having Focal speakers in my car. Would I spend a couple thousand though? Yeah probably. 10 thousand? Maybe, I can't afford to though! Anyway I am kind of ranting now and have gotten away from my point sorry haha.

Just thought I would give a shoutout to cablguy though - I admire what that guy is doing and he knows his shit. What he is to car audio I am to home audio and I decided to dabble in this field.

[MrSkippyJ]

Tony D explained it somewhere and I'm on mobile so way too much work to find it, but the DD-1 isn't measuring the same thing as the THD rating you see on amps. I wish I knew enough about it to help explain it to you but I have no clue how THD or the DD-1 works.

[AI James]

I read everything the op wrote. The issue im reading he has. (I have an oscope and a DD1 BTW) When you are testing with a DD1 your getting a clean signal at 40hz. he wants to know how you know other frequencies are clean that you are not testing.

I have personally scoped output at 30hz on an amp after using a DD1 at 40hz and the signal look real nasty at 30 or sometimes 50. I think he is asking for an answer to that, rather then people telling him look for a video or explanation about it.

He doesnt have a DD! but an oscope and from his findings, he was clean at one frequency but dirty at another, he would like to know how the DD1 deals with these things that he is seeing on his scope.

I liked his long post as it was informative about the issue he had and was pretty concise about what he was looking for.

[Karkov]

Steve explained that somewhere in a thread, just read it few days ago. Please do some searching and might get question asnwered

[knowledge]

the search on the forum is pretty weak, most of the time it wont find what i want.