hey guys.. i just hooked up a JL 10 with a pyramid 700w 2 channel amp... the amp is bridged so that the sub is get max power.. but heres my question.. at about 1/4 of the way up on the volume.. the sub sounds GREAT... like perfect.. but when i go higher.. it starts to sound like crap.. and the louder i go the worse.. it sounds like a rattle almost.. and when i look this things flew as it hits.. its like 2 maybe 3 inches back and forth.. (isnt that alot)... so i tried unbirdging it and working with it..and i cant get it right.. i was wondering if it needed to be ported or maybe the sub is bad.. i got it used from friend..

any ideas or suggestions.. thanks!
-B.F.D.M.

 

It's not from too much power- in fact, it's the opposite. That POS (Sorry, no offense) amp you have it likely sending a terribly clipped signal and murdering your sub.

Check your gains and settings on the amp as well, they could also be worsening the problem.

 

I would agree, the quality of pyramid is in line with Boss and a few other makers that I call Flea Market, Walmart, Kmart stereo's

The usable power of that amp is maybe 20 to 25 % of rated power....

you need to amp shop....

 

thanks for the reply.. i know the amp is POS.. it cost me 50 bucks plus shipping.. but im not trying to make the best system ever.. jsut want some bass.. but i did change some of the settings.. i cant rememmber what they are at.. but ... i dunno.. but ur sayin that its bc its not gettin enought power?!.. bc if i turn up the bass boost on the control thing, it soumds even worse!!!

liek.. realllllly bad

 

leave the bass boost at 0, I don't even know why they still make amps with that crap ****

 

yes, leave that bass boost off, its goig to make it worst... what was said about not enough power, is not enough clean usable power... your amp THD level and clipped signal on the amp is whats killing your sub....

thats why when you turn it to 1/4 vol and sounds good, any more the distortion level is climbing thought the roof, also clipping so bad, it killing the sub... if you keep cranking this amp up, it will blow your sub....

I watched a guy bench test a Boss 1100w 2 channel amp a few years ago for the hell of it...
Rated 550w a channel, usable power before clipping was 72w.. yes 72w out of 550w.... sad, sad.... THD was 7.5 at 72w... even sadder

you got what you paid for... a 50.00 amp... good for the 1/4 vol that sound good and thats it... all shes going to do...

 

As said above, bass boost is the devil.

What is the RMS wattage of that amp? I would take that wattage, subtract about 100 watts from it to get closer to that amps real power output, then use the test tone/volt meter method to set your gains.

Im guessing you gains are way high.

 

Bass boost =====

moma said.....

 

Haha I was thinkin' about that when I posted...

"M M M Ma Mamma say that bass boost is the devil"

 

For crap amps you can also just cut the gain all the way to zero, or as negative as possible, then, do the same with the bass boost and forget you have the bass boost at all.

Next turn the volume of your head unit to the desired level for the highs... and at least to the point before the front stage begins it's own cracking and popping (if you have stock squeakers)...

Then ever so slowly, if it's not already sounding like the sub is dying, turn the gain on the amp up to around a 1/4 turn "hotter" - or until the sub begins to "muddy up" or clips out.

Then... buy a real amp.

A good rule of thumb (and if this is still good, someone please back me on this) is that you generally will get 1 watt of usable "amping" per 1 dollar.

In other words, pay $50 = 50 watts, $100 = 100 watts and so on.

There are exceptions to the rule, like some Rockford made Lightning Audio amps at the big "Always" store... but be careful on that too.

Generally, a decent starter sub will RMS at 150 watts MINIMUM... which is "code" for "don't even think of putting less than that to this sub." IN fact you want an amp (ideally) that will not even break a sweat at 150 RMS... and a decent 150 RMS sub should handle 250 watts like no big deal... and sound great/

Less can be more... just do it right. Most people think you need higher wattage ratings on the sub... NOPE! You need more "lifting power" in the amp.

The amp should never break a sweat... and the sub can usually handle at least twice the RMS, or "roughly half" of the advertised "MAX WATTAGE." For example the Lightning Audio's I mentioned often say "700 watts MAX" on the sub... but are 150 rms... give it up to 300 and no more. And the amp that says "150 rms"... may push about about 225... so that's not too bad...

And in my experience they can both be had around $200.

Use the $50 amp on your mids and highs.


btw- Long story short.. trust an amp that has a low number on it, more than a high one... ESPECIALLY if you paid squat for it. Name brand gear that touts big wattage will cost you some cheese.

 

You get what u pay for!
In time, using that amplifier will ruin your amp and sub.
What type of 10 are you running?
I have 2 JL 10w1v2 powered by a JL 250/1 @ 2ohm. Perfect for these subs!