Blown Sub

[99SEDude]

Lets see if I can explain this right:

I have a Kenwood KAC-606, puts out 150watt RMS bridged (300 max x1), 75x2 at 2ohms, 50x2 at 4ohms. It says on the specs that it's 2ohm stable also, but it doesn't specify if it's stereo or mono. Here's the link http://www.kenwoodusa.com/product/product.jsp?productId=220

Anyways, I hooked it up to an Audiobahn AW831T 8" Subwoofer, dual 4ohm voice coil, 200 watt RMS.

The amplifier has a setting, where you can make it mono so you can bridge the sub. I tried this with the sub connected in parallel to make it 2ohm but it didn't work. The sub sounded horrible and the amp would cut off on loud bass notes. So I disconnected the sub, wired one pair of cables to each voice coil and then connected each pair to each channel on the sub. Also changed the setting to stereo. Now, according to the specs, this should have given it 50 watts to each coil. Am I right? Well, last night I took everything apart to clean up the installation and make it more neat. I hooked everything back up and the sub started to sound horrible again. I checked all the connectors but as far as I know I put everything back the right way. Each coil is connected to each channel. I took the car to the shop where I bought the sub and one of the techs checked it out and said that the sub was blown. How can this happen? According to the specs and the way I have it set up, there's no way I could blown a 200 watt sub with a 150 watt amp, or is there?

Anyways, they have a lifetime warranty on these things, covers anything but perforations. So I took it back and got another one. Before I blow this one too I want to know what I'm doing wrong.

[btchn1]

This is going to sound weird but you can blow up a 500 watt sub with the 15 watts on your deck if you tryed. Its not always the amount of power you put to the sub but the amount of distortion. Some subs are tougher then others and can handle more torture like distortion. Some subs can't handle any distortion. That is why I tell people to buy the biggest amp they can afford, because you can always turn down an amp but you can only turn them up so far. My suggestion is get a different sub, like a single voice coil one, so you can pull the most out of the amp. When you have it all wired up, take it down to your local shop and let them set your amp. Peace, Lee

[99SEDude]

So what can I do to squeeze more power out of this amplifier? It's supposed to be 2ohm stable. Could I wire the sub in parallel and then bridge it to the amp, then turn the amp down a bit? I don't really have the money to buy a more decent sound system at this time, and all I want is to add some more bass to the stock system. I don't want any competition stuff and I don't want to wake my neghbors up either, and I surely don't want to blow another sub. I know some day they'll stop giving me free ones.

[Lebult]

As far as my experience goes, its 2ohm Stereo stable.

The only amplifiers I know of that are 2 Ohm Mono stable (and 1 ohm stereo) are the Pheonix Gold's Titanium Series

I think your best bet would be to get another sub.
8" are fine for Hatchbacks and Truck Cabs, but for a trunk, you should have at least a 10"


I have 2 12" in my trunk, and they give more than enough bass.

[btchn1]

Yes it is only 2 ohm STEREO stable which is the same as 4 ohms MONO. Use a single 10 or 12 with a single voice coil and fire it into one of the back corners of the trunk. As far as other amps being 2ohm mono stable there are acually quite a few, but you really pay for it. Peace, Lee

[99SEDude]

Ok, I just realized something on my amp and it may or may not make a difference. The dial it has is to control input sensitivity. It has a range to match the preout level and the max output from the head unit. It goes from 10w - 300 mV to 25w - 4v. According to the setting on the amp, you would set it to max if the output level of the head unit was 10w or to min if the output level of the head unit is 25w. I have this set to max and I didn't realize it. Now, my head unit is supposed to be 50wx4, with only two channels going to the amp, which makes it 25wx2, right? Now, the preout level of the head unit is 1800mV. So I need to set this dial on the amp somewhere between 0.5v and 1.0v, instead of where I have it right now which is 0.15v (max). Anyways, I don't know if this would make a difference or not, but I'm going to try tomorrow. If nothing else I'll blow this one, get another one and then wait until I can get a bigger amp.

Now here's another question. Since my amp can take bridged connections of no less than 4ohms, and since each voice coil of the sub is 4ohms, can I just bridge one voice coil to the amp?

[btchn1]

First things first, do not hook up only one voice coil!! second, the decks output power (50x4) has nothing to do with the sensativity setting. That is to match up the volts on the rca output only. As far as the setting goes though you are on the right track. More so then anyone else. I do still suggest letting a shop set your stuff for the first time till you learn more about distortion and amp settings though. good luck, Lee