Help with new sound system - Clipping issue?

[Gp.]

Hi all,
This is my first audio install so bare with me.

As a prerequisite, the issue I'm encountering appears to be clipping. When I play a track with lots of heavy bass or noise at a higher volume, the amp cuts in and out until I back it off. The manual says this is normal if gain isn't set correctly. Let me explain my set up first to make sure I have the wiring correct.

My Kit includes:
* Pioneer Champion Series Sub 1400W 2ohm
* Kenwood KFC-M1642A 280W 4ohm front speakers
* Pioneer TS-A6964S 400W 4ohm 6x9 rear speakers
* Pioneer DEH-3450UB Head Unit
* Pioneer GM-6500F Amplifier 760W

The two 6x9's are wired to the amp, channel 1 for left, channel 2 for right. The Sub is then bridged on the other channels. The head unit has two sets of RCA outputs. Front Speaker & Rear Speaker/Subwoofer.

My front Kenwood speakers are wired to the head unit (the plug with all the different coloured wires including power etc for head unit). That was done by Autobarn.

I've got the RCAs then running to the amp. Obviously the rear speakers/sub from the head unit go to the sub channel input on the amp. My concern/uncertainty is if it's correct to connect the front speaker RCAs from the head unit to the amp for use with the 6x9s. Does it matter it's labeled as "front speaker RCA out" even though I'm using that output with the rear speakers? I was told I can leave the front Kenwoods wired to the head unit and RCA the rear speakers this way.

I've attached a diagram of how everything is wired. I've excluded the fuse in the diagram for the power wire but rest assured there is a fuse installed as part of the kit and this is not a fuse blowing related issue.

If anyone could give me a hand, here's what I want to understand.
1. Why is my Amp cutting in and out at bass intensive tracks or higher volumes? Is this clipping/incorrect gain? How can I push it to the level I want without it cutting out?
2. Is my wiring correct for my system? (Using "Front Speaker RCA for rear speakers etc)

If it is incorrect gain, I have tried adjusting the system in many different ways by toning down the sub on the head unit, playing with the gain on the amp, adjusting the low pass filter etc. I can't seem to get the kick from the bass I want with high volume from the speakers. Is this amp just not gonna cut it, or what is the correct way to get the gain right for both the sub and the 6x9's?

Any help would be greatly appreciated as I'm pretty new to the amp/sub thing.

[HAIGHIE]

HDouble check all the the speaker wires are positive to positive and and negatives areto negitive, sounds sill i know but i had the same problem, and that was my problem,

Check by un connecting one speaker at a time and then play your music to the volume that it will clip at, and that will tell you which circuit is causeing it to clip,

[Clean_Cookie]

Maybe your voltage drops too low and its cutting from that? Maybe get a multimeter and see what the voltage is on the amp terminals during a heavy song?

[rogerstrampoline]

Have you got power and rcas on opposite sides of the car?

[phildough]

Have you added an extra earth cable from chassis to the earth terminal on the battery?

[Gp.]

Originally Posted by Clean_Cookie

Maybe your voltage drops too low and its cutting from that? Maybe get a multimeter and see what the voltage is on the amp terminals during a heavy song?

Doubt a power issue as it cuts in and out just seconds apart and the minute I tone it down just slightly it's fine. There appears to be no affect on the headlights or dash instrument lighting so power seems healthy to the amp.

Originally Posted by rogerstrampoline

Have you got power and rcas on opposite sides of the car?

Yes. Both audio RCAs are on the left side, power is on the right side.

Originally Posted by phildough

Have you added an extra earth cable from chassis to the earth terminal on the battery?

No, but I don't believe this to be a grounding issue. I've already looked at that area thoughroughly and someone told me grounding issues will give you a "buzzing" rather than a clean cut out like I'm getting.


Keep in mind the behaviour I mentioned is IN the manual for the Amp, and relates to gain. What's the correct way to push out what I want and set the gain correctly? I'm wondering if I'll need a seperate sub Amp...jeez.

[JDM323]

shouldn't the amp have gain adjustment

[Gp.]

Originally Posted by shaley323

shouldn't the amp have gain adjustment

It does, my question is really if anyone has tips to correctly set it. It would seem that maybe too much gain is going through from the head unit and then that gain is amplified. I need to get it set at an optimal level to handle any load, but I'm not really sure how.

[HAIGHIE]

to set gain the ideal way to do it is set the gain to 0 turn your music to it's/your maximum desired volume, then slowly turn your gain up untill you here the speakers start to distort, then tapper it of a bit untill theres no more destortion and maybe just a little bit more just to be safe with your speakers/sub

[Spykey]

Like Phil said, you might need extra Gounding from chasis to -ve terminal of battery.

What size of cables are you running?

Any idea on the AMP RMS output power at what Ohm?

What RMS power is your sub? speakers? and resistance?

[Clean_Cookie]

Also. From pro audio days, you want to avoid any gain maxxed out. Ideally you would have the amp an hu with a middle of the road setting.

[Gp.]

Originally Posted by Spykey

Like Phil said, you might need extra Gounding from chasis to -ve terminal of battery.

What size of cables are you running?

Any idea on the AMP RMS output power at what Ohm?

What RMS power is your sub? speakers? and resistance?

Cable is 8AWG I believe. It was part of a wiring kit.
The Sub says 2ohm on the box near the terminals but I can't actually find my sub on the pioneer site. RMS would be something like 1,400 W (400 W)

The specs for my amp are here: http://www.pioneerelectronics.com/PU...eries/GM-6500F

As mentioned in my first post:
My Kit includes:
* Pioneer Champion Series Sub 1400W 2ohm
* Kenwood KFC-M1642A 280W 4ohm front speakers
* Pioneer TS-A6964S 400W 4ohm 6x9 rear speakers
* Pioneer DEH-3450UB Head Unit
* Pioneer GM-6500F Amplifier 760W

[Spykey]

Well the speakers that you are using can handle only 40Watts RMS.

On the Amp website, it says that this particular amp got protection to protect your speakers and amp.
You amp can provide up to 60W Rms.
May be because you speaker can handle only 40W RMS, if you increase the gain of the amp, it will clip anything above 40W RMS.

Try only 50% gain on your amp and see if you still having issues?

[BrownDog]

could still be a ground issue, when i was moving my amps to behind my back seat on my small amp that powers the back speakers the ground wire got crushed by a bracket then torn off. the amp still worked , however the speakers clipped with the beat no matter the volume and if i turned it up it just simply shut off

[Gp.]

Issue seems to be that the sub is 2ohm and the amps max output is 4ohm. See this topic: http://astinagt.com/forums/showthrea...527#post312527