Car audio Rumours
I would think just swaping out a better\newer battery would help if not eliminate diming lights for roughly the same cost as a cap.
jstoner22: There is some misinterpretation on both sides I believe. Let me put it this way.
You have a deck playing a 100hz tone ..you raise the volume so that your 4volt deck outputs 2 volts to a 200watt amps.. you set the gain at 1\4 and the amp is connected to a 4ohm resistor..you can calculate from that how much power it outputs, lets say 100 watts continuous. So if you raise the level on the deck (that ups the voltage) or you raise the gain.. both will show an increase in output power from the amp.You raise either or enough and you will hit your 200watts or more if you push either or into clipping.
They are the same. I don't see how one can say the gain isn't a volume seeing as how the definition of volume is so broad:Volume is the term used for loudness in consumer electronics. I don't think you can dispute that raising the gain affects volume.
You can say the word sensitivity all you want
jstoner22: There is some misinterpretation on both sides I believe. Let me put it this way.
You have a deck playing a 100hz tone ..you raise the volume so that your 4volt deck outputs 2 volts to a 200watt amps.. you set the gain at 1\4 and the amp is connected to a 4ohm resistor..you can calculate from that how much power it outputs, lets say 100 watts continuous. So if you raise the level on the deck (that ups the voltage) or you raise the gain.. both will show an increase in output power from the amp.You raise either or enough and you will hit your 200watts or more if you push either or into clipping.
They are the same. I don't see how one can say the gain isn't a volume seeing as how the definition of volume is so broad:Volume is the term used for loudness in consumer electronics. I don't think you can dispute that raising the gain affects volume.
You can say the word sensitivity all you want
ya i don't dispute that it makes it louder. i have come to the conclusion this is similar to the cap debate, i know there are plenty of people that would agree either way. basically i think it boils down to how you percieve the terms.
despite being able to raise the volume, a gain control is not built with this intention, it should simply be used to optimize signal:noise ratio. and there are many people that do not treat it so.
i have not disagreed with anything you have said, but its not because of the technicalities that i said they aren't the same, i said it because of the misuse of gains.
..i didn't even say that word once this time, lol
..oh ya and although i believe caps work if used properly, i agree with those that believe they are worth the money:P
Last edited by jstoner22; Oct 1, 2009 at 07:45 PM.
50 Watt CAFz'r
Joined: Nov 2008
Posts: 223
50 Watt CAFz'r
Joined: Nov 2008
Posts: 223
Amplifier Gain Controls:
Contrary to popular belief, an amplifiers gain control does not determine the maximum power that an amplifier can produce. As long as the preamp/drive signal has sufficient level, the amplifier will produce its maximum power output level. The gain controls are used to match the amplifier's gain to the gain of the other amplifiers in the system (in the case of a multi-amp system). The gain controls also allow you to match the amplifier(s) to the head unit. Not all head units have the same maximum preamp output voltage. Some head units are capable of producing 9 vrms out while others are only capable of 1.5 vrms out.
Please note that a head unit will reach its maximum output level (clipping) well before the volume control reaches the upper end of its range (usually at a point of 85-90% of its maximum range). This is especially true of tape decks, not because the audio section is of lesser quality but because some tapes are recorded at lower levels than others and the manufacturer must design the deck to be able to produce a sufficient output level with virtually any tape. C.D's are like this too as well as MP3's. just not as bad.
So this is what you do.
1. turn all eq,bass,treble,levels to flat.turn loudness off. turn all the amp gains all the way down.
2. find out what your max volume is on your deck. mine goes from 0-50.
3. figure out what 90% of max volume would be and turn you volume to that.(mine would be 45)
4. with the volume on your deck turned to 90% volume,turn up your amp gains till you start to hear distortion then back it off just a bit.(do this to all you amps)
That's it, your done. Your amps are now level matched. now when you crank the volume your using all 5 volts of your pre-outs(just an example, you may not have 5 volt pre-outs)
now that its set,do not touch the gains. from this point on if you wanna tweak the sound in any way do it from you head unit itself. or your EQ.
Contrary to popular belief, an amplifiers gain control does not determine the maximum power that an amplifier can produce. As long as the preamp/drive signal has sufficient level, the amplifier will produce its maximum power output level. The gain controls are used to match the amplifier's gain to the gain of the other amplifiers in the system (in the case of a multi-amp system). The gain controls also allow you to match the amplifier(s) to the head unit. Not all head units have the same maximum preamp output voltage. Some head units are capable of producing 9 vrms out while others are only capable of 1.5 vrms out.
Please note that a head unit will reach its maximum output level (clipping) well before the volume control reaches the upper end of its range (usually at a point of 85-90% of its maximum range). This is especially true of tape decks, not because the audio section is of lesser quality but because some tapes are recorded at lower levels than others and the manufacturer must design the deck to be able to produce a sufficient output level with virtually any tape. C.D's are like this too as well as MP3's. just not as bad.
So this is what you do.
1. turn all eq,bass,treble,levels to flat.turn loudness off. turn all the amp gains all the way down.
2. find out what your max volume is on your deck. mine goes from 0-50.
3. figure out what 90% of max volume would be and turn you volume to that.(mine would be 45)
4. with the volume on your deck turned to 90% volume,turn up your amp gains till you start to hear distortion then back it off just a bit.(do this to all you amps)
That's it, your done. Your amps are now level matched. now when you crank the volume your using all 5 volts of your pre-outs(just an example, you may not have 5 volt pre-outs)
now that its set,do not touch the gains. from this point on if you wanna tweak the sound in any way do it from you head unit itself. or your EQ.
500 Watt CAFz'r
Joined: Jan 2008
Posts: 537
One question about the Cap's strength and capacity though. A fellow member on the Grand Prix club I'm on, installed a 25 Farad Cap bank maybe 2 years ago. His voltage was 16-17V, and he sometimes had problems starting his car as with all electrical equipment have ranges that they work in. Well one morning the PCM wouldn't start the car because the voltage was too high. Everything else in the car was either too bright, working quicker than normal of course or certain features wouldn't work. In terms of an audio systems...this would be a good thing...lol, but the fact that it's in a vehicle that now won't function....isn;t that the whole point.
Which is better sustained Voltage or a High capacity of current, or potential current.
Which is better sustained Voltage or a High capacity of current, or potential current.
500 Watt CAFz'r
Joined: Jan 2008
Posts: 537
i think he was referring to our debate on whether the gain control on amplifiers is the same as a volume ****.
but it applies nonetheless to the cap debate as well. lol, no one is going to win if both sides think the same point backs up their argument. the cap dilema has and will go on forever
Amplifier Gain Controls:
Contrary to popular belief, an amplifiers gain control does not determine the maximum power that an amplifier can produce. As long as the preamp/drive signal has sufficient level, the amplifier will produce its maximum power output level. The gain controls are used to match the amplifier's gain to the gain of the other amplifiers in the system (in the case of a multi-amp system). The gain controls also allow you to match the amplifier(s) to the head unit. Not all head units have the same maximum preamp output voltage. Some head units are capable of producing 9 vrms out while others are only capable of 1.5 vrms out.
Please note that a head unit will reach its maximum output level (clipping) well before the volume control reaches the upper end of its range (usually at a point of 85-90% of its maximum range). This is especially true of tape decks, not because the audio section is of lesser quality but because some tapes are recorded at lower levels than others and the manufacturer must design the deck to be able to produce a sufficient output level with virtually any tape. C.D's are like this too as well as MP3's. just not as bad.
So this is what you do.
1. turn all eq,bass,treble,levels to flat.turn loudness off. turn all the amp gains all the way down.
2. find out what your max volume is on your deck. mine goes from 0-50.
3. figure out what 90% of max volume would be and turn you volume to that.(mine would be 45)
4. with the volume on your deck turned to 90% volume,turn up your amp gains till you start to hear distortion then back it off just a bit.(do this to all you amps)
That's it, your done. Your amps are now level matched. now when you crank the volume your using all 5 volts of your pre-outs(just an example, you may not have 5 volt pre-outs)
now that its set,do not touch the gains. from this point on if you wanna tweak the sound in any way do it from you head unit itself. or your EQ.
Contrary to popular belief, an amplifiers gain control does not determine the maximum power that an amplifier can produce. As long as the preamp/drive signal has sufficient level, the amplifier will produce its maximum power output level. The gain controls are used to match the amplifier's gain to the gain of the other amplifiers in the system (in the case of a multi-amp system). The gain controls also allow you to match the amplifier(s) to the head unit. Not all head units have the same maximum preamp output voltage. Some head units are capable of producing 9 vrms out while others are only capable of 1.5 vrms out.
Please note that a head unit will reach its maximum output level (clipping) well before the volume control reaches the upper end of its range (usually at a point of 85-90% of its maximum range). This is especially true of tape decks, not because the audio section is of lesser quality but because some tapes are recorded at lower levels than others and the manufacturer must design the deck to be able to produce a sufficient output level with virtually any tape. C.D's are like this too as well as MP3's. just not as bad.
So this is what you do.
1. turn all eq,bass,treble,levels to flat.turn loudness off. turn all the amp gains all the way down.
2. find out what your max volume is on your deck. mine goes from 0-50.
3. figure out what 90% of max volume would be and turn you volume to that.(mine would be 45)
4. with the volume on your deck turned to 90% volume,turn up your amp gains till you start to hear distortion then back it off just a bit.(do this to all you amps)
That's it, your done. Your amps are now level matched. now when you crank the volume your using all 5 volts of your pre-outs(just an example, you may not have 5 volt pre-outs)
now that its set,do not touch the gains. from this point on if you wanna tweak the sound in any way do it from you head unit itself. or your EQ.
thank goodness for www.bcae1.com lol
But what if it is scratched off and you can't make out what it says?
Unless you have a special definition of what "volume" means that is different from what I posted, I will not be convinced.
That's not to say I use it AS a volume myself.
Unless you have a special definition of what "volume" means that is different from what I posted, I will not be convinced.
That's not to say I use it AS a volume myself.
