MSP Sound System

[1sty]

A local store that has kenwood maybe be able to slip you a pair for a few bucks. Every kenwood radio comes with them.

 

[Newf]

1st mp3!

Whaddup

Kinda off topic. But, in comparison, the speakers in the MP3 vs the speakers in MSP. Which ones do you think are better. I know what your going to say...their all crap, but between the two, which ones are better? Not including the sub. Just the speakers in the doors, and back window.

 

[1sty]

Other then the rears being the 6.5"s in the MSP and 6x9s in the MP3, I think the fronts may be the same speakers.. Ether way they are basicly the same. just basic kenwood drop in replacement speakers you can buy at a store for under $100 a pair. Probalbly under $75.

 

[122 Vega]

Gain has nothing to do with RMS power rating. As you increase your gain you decrease your amp's headroom, allowing clipping of the audio signal. That is what kills speakers. In my old system I had Rockford Punch 200ixs running to each speaker mono (@700wrms) and one stereo to my tweeters. Seven 200ix and only ever blew one 18" sub, because my Epicenter was clipping. My tweeters? They still are fine almost ten years later. Of course I an a little deafer now and require a lot less power to make myself happy.

Britt

 

[1sty]

Gain has nothing to do with RMS power rating. As you increase your gain you decrease your amp's headroom, allowing clipping of the audio signal. That is what kills speakers. In my old system I had Rockford Punch 200ixs running to each speaker mono (@700wrms) and one stereo to my tweeters. Seven 200ix and only ever blew one 18" sub, because my Epicenter was clipping. My tweeters? They still are fine almost ten years later. Of course I an a little deafer now and require a lot less power to make myself happy.

Britt

I would like to add a little more to this.

The gain is a setting telling the amplifier what amount of AC voltage it can expect from your radio pre-out. An amp needs this becuase the it will take and increase the power of the incoming audio signal by a set amount, 20:1 10:1, whatever. However it can only creat power to a certain point after that the amp will be driven into what is called saturation meaning it is trying to ramp a signal higher then it possibly can. This is when clipping will happen as the amp is trying to force the signal above its own threashold and the nice round wave forms get the tops and bottoms chopped off. AKA clipping.
The gain being to high will tell the amp the voltage from the radio is lower then it actualy is and the amp will attemp to creat more power then it is capable of.

To clarify the amps power rating can not be increased. It is only capable of so much. If you lye to it and raise the gain more then you should you will begin to creat distortion aka clipping and not clean power.

And yes, CLIPPING IS WHAT KILLS SPEAKERS.

 

[unwrittenLaw]

Sorry for the dumb question, but I'm a car audio noob..
How do I turn down the gain on the amp...since I heard it is set too high...

Thanks

 

[1sty]

With the little dial on the side marked, "Gain".

 

[unwrittenLaw]

I turned down the gain a bit...sounds like the bass isn't as powerful, but if its better for the sub..then thats good.

 

[Fakhelek]

With the little dial on the side marked, "Gain".

Funny thing, I don't see a "Gain" dial. Is "Input Sensitivity" the same thing? I have one of those.

 

[1sty]

yes

 

[Street KingFD]

It's a stock Kenwood 8" sub not a JL Audio W7. The stock sub ain't that bad.

 

[SpicyRay]

its okay, not a ground shaker (which is good)...btw, if i turned that input sensitivity thing down and turn the bass up is that still ok? my "gain" was like at 75%...yeesh...

 

[fhexed]

After my sub burnt out, all the other speakers seemed to lose there power. I got it replaced, but now something seems to be loose and rattles after each bump. Anyway Im scared to go to 20. But the system doesnt sound the same.

 

[1sty]

Use the NF level not the bass!

 

[fhexed]

I just have it set to what Kenwood recommended. That little paper with all the settings, thats what i go by.

 

[yay for cars]

is all this talk about keeping the gain low just for the msp/mp3 amps? with my alpine m200 and my jl 10w0, i have the gain up almost all the way, but i dont hear any distortion. at least i dont think i do. is it normal to be able to have the gain this high? im sorry 1st mp3, cause i know weve kinda been over this, but im scared of hurting the sub.

 

[1sty]

Most of the time a gain has no buisness that high.

All a gain is, is a setting telling the amp what signal voltage it will see frm the RCAs. All the way counter clockwise is the highest incoming voltage. All the way clockwise is the lowest incoming voltage. Set to high and the amp will tell the amp you have a very small amount of voltage coming from the RCAs and the amp will try to boost the signal more then it actualy can cuasing distortion and subwoofer death.

Any radio with a subwoofer level or NF level will have its highest voltage output at the max of this level. Thats why when setting gains you set the NF level to max, the radios volume to 3/4 and then adjust the gain as high as possible without distortion.
Ofcoarse the best wayto do it is to use an oscilliscope but not to many people have those laying around.

 

[yay for cars]

would having 4V preouts change the necessary gain setting? it just seems like im barely getting bass out of the sub until its up there pretty high. but i dont think im hearing distortion either.

 

[1sty]

Yes a 1 volt preout will be basicly dead max and on many amps a 4 volt preout will be almost all the way down. Ofcoarse that is if the deck is really cranking out the spec'd voltage and they usualy don't. As long as you don't hear distortion and you know what your listening for then no problem.

 

[DaKidd]

Hey 1st, I am sure uve went over this in another thread somewhere in this MASSAVE forum, so if u have then could someone post a link to direct me to it? but if u havent, then here is my question... What should the deck/amp settings be set to in order to deliver the deepest bass safetly possible, the crispest highs (w/o the crackle noise), and reasonable mid sound? I have been play'n with the settings some, even tried the seeting reccomendations that came with the car, but they just sound weak and a lil TOO flat all around.
thanx