Amplifier issues with stock head unit
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Amplifier issues with stock head unit
I have a 2011 CVO Electra with the stock head unit and no amplifier. I changed out the speakers to 4ohm Polk 6.5's in the fairing and rear passenger pods. I then ran the speaker wires from the head unit to a an active 4 channel line out put converter. Then to a 4 channel amplifier. My problem is even with the gains on the active line output converter all the way down and the gains just barely up on the amplifier. The sound is so loud and sounds like it has distortion that i can't turn the volume up more than 3 or 4 notches on the stock radio without it just sounding horribly too loud with distortion.
I'm not sure if it's because it is a cheaper amplifier or what is issues might be.
It is a taramps 400.4 amp. Which says;
I'm not sure if it's because it is a cheaper amplifier or what is issues might be.
It is a taramps 400.4 amp. Which says;
- @ 13.8 VDC - 2 OHMS - 400 W RMS (4 x 100W RMS)
- @ 13.8 VDC-4 OHMS - 252 W RMS (4 x 63W RMS)
- Bridged @ 13.8 VDC - 4 OHMS - 400W RMS (2 x 200W RMS)
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From: Andover, MN
Stellar HDF Member
Joined: Jul 2016
Posts: 2,217
Likes: 672
From: Andover, MN
I used the old 9 volt battery method to make sure the speaker moved outward but I will double check just to make sure. I am using;
NVX
NVX
Man, that is one hell of a line converter. I've never used or seen that one. I usually just use a $10 PAC one. My guess is its something to do with that converter.
Have you measure your output voltage on the amp with test tone to see what it's putting out for watts?
One another note, there's absolutely nothing wrong with not having the gains up at all on the amp when using that type of converter. It's all a matching of voltage. I like to setup DSP's so that I barely have to turn up the amp gains.
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Thanks for the replies.
No I haven't checked the polarity of the wires coming from the radio. I will double check those when I get home tonight. I have not checked the output voltage on the amp either. I'll use the voltmeter and covert it as well to get the wattage. i know i originally was using two amps which does 200x2 in 2ohms. so I had 200 going to each speaker and I assumed that was why it was so overbearing. I am now using just one amp which is rated around 67watts per speaker x4 but it sounds just like when I was using both amps bridged and had the speakers bridged. It's just very strange.
No I haven't checked the polarity of the wires coming from the radio. I will double check those when I get home tonight. I have not checked the output voltage on the amp either. I'll use the voltmeter and covert it as well to get the wattage. i know i originally was using two amps which does 200x2 in 2ohms. so I had 200 going to each speaker and I assumed that was why it was so overbearing. I am now using just one amp which is rated around 67watts per speaker x4 but it sounds just like when I was using both amps bridged and had the speakers bridged. It's just very strange.
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From: Lake, Ms
Check the voltage coming out of the LOC at 3/4 volume. That particular LOC could be your culprit and possibly sending too much voltage into the amp.
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Well, I haven't had a chance to check anything because my dang water line bust and I had to have someone come out and dig the yard up and patch the line. Anyway, i did screw up and I do have a factory amplifier under the trunk. When I first installed the system I used the cheap passive PAC line output converter and it was still way to loud and distorted. So I though maybe it was too much wattage for the passive and that's why I bought the active converter to handle more input wattage. I did not bypass the factory amplifier. I just took the wires going from the amplifier to the speakers and put them into the input converter and then ran new speaker wires to the new speakers to the new amplifier.
I will still check for polarity going into converter and voltage coming out of amplifier when I get a chance this weekend.
btw, it's so loud, even with the gain all the way down that I can't go more than 1/4 volume on the stock radio without thinking I might blow the speakers.
I will still check for polarity going into converter and voltage coming out of amplifier when I get a chance this weekend.
btw, it's so loud, even with the gain all the way down that I can't go more than 1/4 volume on the stock radio without thinking I might blow the speakers.
Last edited by krackken; Sep 9, 2022 at 02:29 PM.
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From: Andover, MN
Well, I haven't had a chance to check anything because my dang water line bust and I had to have someone come out and dig the yard up and patch the line. Anyway, i did screw up and I do have a factory amplifier under the trunk. When I first installed the system I used the cheap passive PAC line output converter and it was still way to loud and distorted. So I though maybe it was too much wattage for the passive and that's why I bought the active converter to handle more input wattage. I did not bypass the factory amplifier. I just took the wires going from the amplifier to the speakers and put them into the input converter and then ran new speaker wires to the new speakers to the new amplifier.
I will still check for polarity going into converter and voltage coming out of amplifier when I get a chance this weekend.
btw, it's so loud, even with the gain all the way down that I can't go more than 1/4 volume on the stock radio without thinking I might blow the speakers.
I will still check for polarity going into converter and voltage coming out of amplifier when I get a chance this weekend.
btw, it's so loud, even with the gain all the way down that I can't go more than 1/4 volume on the stock radio without thinking I might blow the speakers.