Kenwood 901-5

[Don Hammond]

My wifes has a 21018 Mazda CX5. The Kenwood amp shuts down while playing music and sometimes when she is on the phone. The amp i heard shuts off when it goes into protect mode and you physically have to shut off the car and turn it back on for the amp to turn back on. The few times my amps  ever did this they come out of protect mode after i turn the volume down. Is this a Kenwood issue. Is there a better 5 channel amp that I could go with? I am curious if when the base hits and the sub drops slightly below 2 ohms is it causing the amp to go into protect mode. I don't know much about the Kenwood amps so any help would be great

Factory head unit

Audio Control DM608

Front Focal PS 165 v1 4ohm

Rear Focal AC 165's 4ohm

Sub DC Audio Lev 3 D4 12 wired to 2 ohms

Amp Specs

CEA-2006 Standard	60 W x 4	RMS Watts per channel @ 4 ohms, 1% THD+N
	400 W x 1	RMS Watts per channel @ 4 ohms, 1% THD+N
	78dB	Signal to Noise Ratio (Reference: 1 Watt into 4 ohms)
Max Power Output	-
Rated Power Output	14.4 V
	60 W x 4 / 400W x 1	(4Ω) (20 Hz - 20 kHz, 1.0% THD) (20 Hz - 200 Hz, 1.0% THD)
	75 W x 4 / 600W x 1	(2Ω) (1 kHz, 1.0% THD) (100 Hz, 1.0% THD)

[Mike4068]

Poor ground? Is it getting adequate operating voltage? Is it hot? Any wires loose? 

[Don Hammond]

No good ground, 13.35V when running and volume up , all wiring is skyhigh OFC 1/0 & 4/0. I even did the big 3.

I thought it could be a loose wire from the DM 608 Remote out but I double checked everything and nothing is lose. She wants a small system so I figured a 5 channel amp. I have a sound digital 4 channel and a sound digital 1200.1 2ohm evo maybe I will throw those in there and see if they do the same.

[Jessica]

Meh, I had a 9105d, clipping made it drop volume till you backed off it. Others had same issue. It's some b.s. kenwood puts in there Chinese built amps to keep you from killing them. 

 

So maybe set gains properly or avoid clipping. My best guess

[mothra]

did you meter wiring to confirm a connection isn't loose or did you just look at it and determine it's not loose?

[Don Hammond]

Yes I metered all my wiring I always do, being an electrician that's always my first rule. Test for opens, shorts, ground faults and impedance before anything goes live. It is not clipping all gains have been set accordingly using a DD-1. The DM 608 also has a clipping indicator for each active input and there is no clipping coming from the headunit into the DM 608. I am thinking it is a Kenwood issue even if its rated for 2ohm mono on the 5th channel it does not like it if it goes a little below that while playing. I will install the sound digital tonight and see if it has the same issue.

[mothra]

did you meter the remote wire when it shuts off or any of the speaker wires, mainly the channels 1 and 2, going to the DM608. FYI just b/c you say you're an electrician doesn't mean anything. I get guys that say that all day in the shop b/c "they hooked it up right but it doesn't work".