New to the SQ game

[gr8handogoatness]

pre-out voltage is low.

The more pre-out voltage you have, the better chance to introduce noise into your system.

1 - 4 volts is more than enough.

I think that's backwards. I'm not saying your dumb, or even wrong, I'm just saying this is how I understand it:

Given two identical wires run in the same environment, the same noise will be introduced. Lower voltage will be more affected by it because the amp will have to amplify the signal more to get the same output, thus the noise is amplified more as well. Therefore higher voltage is better. If you are using a balanced signal it will not be as big of an issue. Of course if you are running balanced that means you have some fairly high end equipment and might as well not skimp on a lower quality deck or processor that puts out low voltage. Does that make sense?

Personally I would go for 4 volt pre-outs

The amplifier will do EXACTLY what you tell it to do, and it's job is to amplify the signal injected. Nothing more.

(I work with broadband coax amplifiers every day) ...

Yes, if you give too low of voltage ... it will cause problems and not give out the correct output.

However, it will not "introduce" noise to the system.

But if you give the amplifier too much signal ... You will overwork the input stage of the amplifier. In return, introduce noise into the system by raising the noise floor and decreasing headroom. This can be also know as Distortion ...

and to be honnest, i'm not sure why you are disagreeing with me when I said "1 to 4 volts" would be fine ???

I've seen PLENTY of SQ systems using 2 volts with no problems ...

When it comes to SQ ... You don't want to get the absolute MOST out of your amplifiers, You want them running at their BEST power levels without creating distortion or noise. Which is why you normally see SQ vehicles running very LARGE amplifiers to the point if you crank up the gains ... you will melt the components sets.

Like me ... I'm running 1,100 watts "True" RMS of Class A/B power to my Front Stage alone. Which is a 5.25" component set and a pair of 10s ...

Hey man I think you are misunderstanding me. I'm not trying to go and tell everyone you are wrong nor am I trying to challenge you. I don't want to put you down or belittle you in any way. I'm just saying how it is that I understand it. If I'm wrong that's cool. I've been wrong before and that's ok. I agree with everything you said in this post. I wasn't trying to disagree about running 4v preouts, I was agreeing, as in yeah like he said 1-4 i would just personally shoot for 4.

That being said I still think that running 4 volts out is better than 1v. For the same reasons I mentioned according to my understanding. I will however do some more research on this.

Also I do industrial automation and use all sorts of amps all the time. I run wire hundred of feet around all kinds of voltages and current from a transmitter back to a PLC and then have to filter out all the noise when it gets there. I wish they had higher voltage so that more of the noise would be negligible but, as you said just now, that would be hard on the rest of the equipment. I use twisted shielded pair even but we have a few motors that run off of 4160 and have no other choice but to run by the leads that feed them. You probably work with noise more than I do but don't assume I'm dumb and you are better just because of your being older and having worked longer. I had to explain to a bunch of 30 veteran electricians how this automated chop saw worked and they all thought I was dumb until it worked exactly as I said. I may be dumb for other reasons but not those.

And I also overpower my stuff and have headroom on my 6.5 inch components up front and a pair of 10s in the back. Is it as good as yours? who knows, probably not but that's fine.

All I really wanted to say was, I'm not trying to attack you. Don't stress over anything I say as it is not meant to be an attack on you. I know you are a smart dude as I have seen your posts. I simply had a different understanding of the information in question. I'm not one of these kids trying to get on here and try to make myself bigger or badder than I really am (especially because I'm already like 6'5" 360lbs and would never fit in my car if I got any bigger). Seriously though I'm just here to learn and help others in my free time.

[White Lightning]

Its all good brother ... I'm not stressed about anything. A good debate (arguement) does the body good every now and then ...

[gr8handogoatness]

Indeed.