To keep it simple...most likely.


Clipping is when an amplifier is forced to produce more power than it has the capability too. When clipped an amp can put out many times the power it is actually rated to make...tops and bottoms of the musical signal is actually 'clipped' off.

Now the reason this causes blown speakers...A speaker is rated to take a certian amount of power, and dissapate the heat it makes from that power by the back and forth movement the speaker makes. When clipped, a speaker can reach its mechanical limits (cant move back and forth any further to make it simple) but more power is being applied than the speaker is able to handle, in accordance to its cooling ability. Due to the speaker not being able to cool properly, the end result is a melted coil.

Say a speaker is rated to handle 300 watts. That speakers has the ability to effectivly cool 300 watts going through its voice coil. Now say that same speaker is given 1000 watts. The speaker is still only moving enough to cool 300 watts, yet there is 1000 watts of power going though that voice coil. The speaker has no way to dissapate that heat due to its design, so the only other place for the excess heat to go is the voice coil...which in turn melts.

Confused yet? Im not to good with words...more of a picture person myself

 

http://www.caraudiobook.com/car_audi...o_speakers.htm

 

My kicker solo-baric sub has a max of 900watts and 450rms, my amp puts out 400rms and was tested to put 455watts max. So it sounds like my amp can't put anything out that the sub can't take.?.?. Since I have the gain up all the way will it harm the woofer? I hope it won't cuz it sounds good for a 10".

 

your gonna blow that 10. you also have no clue what your doing, turning the gain all the way up is a sure way to burn voice coils, your clipping no doubt and your amp is a perfect match for the sub, max rating is all but useless, only an idiot would think a 450 rms sub powered by a 455rms amp is underpowered. the gain probably shouldn't be past halfway to be honest with you, the only way to set the gains an be safe is with an o-scope or dmm. back it down now before you do more damage than you already have. put it this way I once was a noob and had a 500 rms amp and 2 400 rms subs with 800 peak... gain all the way up and poof magical blue smoke.. with only half the rms the subs could take, reason was I was new with car audio and got gain greedy, clipping is nothing more than a dc signal at the ends of an ac wave. speakers don't like DC signals at all, have fun with your paper weight tho

 

At least I have a 2 year unlimited warrenty on my sub and amps. Can't be prooven otherwise. Its a 400rms amp and a 450rms sub. THE AMP PUTS OUT 455 MAX WATTS NOT RMS. If I blew it anyway it would give me a good reason to go with a 12" L7. Thanks for informing so kindly .

 

ahem..can we solve my problem first

 

sorry speedy but I would have to hear your problem to tell you what it is. it could be clipping, but it could be a number of mechanical noises, like the box flexing and hitting the back of the magnet... or the box literally jumping up and down on the floor. or an unglued spider. detached VC. even could be an air leak. doubt the VCs bottoming out but it could be that too its hard to tell. without hearing it in person.

warrantys don't cover abuse btw
I'm familiar with birthsheets and 455 rms is about right for a slightly underratted amp if it was a max rating it would be more in the 800 range... It should read 455 max rms tho either way you really don't know what your doing, take it to a professional intaller and have them set the gains (not the "professional" that told you to turn up the gains either)

 

Thanks for the info anyway. I will make sure to turn my gain to 1/2 tommarow mourning.

The place I got my stuff at would rather through more subs at me than even attemt to prove abuse. It would be very difficult to prove too.

 

The birthsheet says 455 max watts. At 2 ohm's it puts 400rms.

 

blown vc = abuse, plain and simple. unless the retailer doesn't realy care but after about the third blown sub they are gonna catch on, I don't know how many volts your preouts are but mine are 2v with the ddx-7015 and just a hair under halfway is about where my gain is set. 2v preouts is pretty low compared to some hu's that have 5v or higher preouts which would need even less gain, just remember that the gain isn't a volume ****, I had set the gains in a buddys truck and told him that's as far as it goes, he was running a mtx1501d and some crappy audiobahn 15s. he looked at me in disgust when I told him any louder an they're toast... well he had to have it his way an turn it up just a little more. and then dropped me off at home, I caught up to him and his blown subs about 4 hours latter... "told ya so" if you can't hear clipping and try to set the gains by ear then your probably gonna blow stuff, some people have real sensitive ears like mine that can detect clipping or distortion at .25db levels... others couldn't hear 16dbs or distortion. anyway kickers birthsheets say max but that is really the max rms rating so even tho your amp is speced at 400rms its really capable of 455rms. that's just how kicker does it

 

Im still on my first sub, so im good. Stock head unit, I don't know what the preouts voltage is on the stock unit. Now that I am sure what clipping is I know that my sub is doing it.

I think I have been misinformed by suposed professionaly installers.

 

was this insall done by a local car audio shop or chain store? if it was a chain store then take it to a pro audio shop asap and have them look it over. chain stores do about the most amature work that I have ever had to fix, I've even had to fix "pro" shop installs too, find a good pro audio shop in your area and let them tune your setup, also ask them to fix anything that's not right ie. twist on wire caps, duct tape, lack of heat shrink, gromets or fuses. if they try to sell you stuff move along