Why do subs distort

Thread starter Shenoizy Start date Nov 26, Shenoizy Active Member. The thing I should have done in the first place was to identify the best cross-over point from my main speakers to the subwoofer.

I had my sub's cross-over accepting everything up to Hz on its manual adjustment but I found that even with the amplifiers 0. Reducing the subwoofer's cross-over to just under 70Hz eliminated them. Finally, so as not to have a gap in the frequency range I reduced the amplifier's subwoofer cross-over from 80Hz down to 60Hz. Bassline sweeps down the range are now seemless and without any of that annoying rattling - apart from the walls, ceiling and floors, where it should be! I've also been able to turn the bass volume up to bring it in line with what it should be.

Having taken the time to measure things I've also moved the subwoofer to a better position and it sounds excellent. It sounds so much better. Thanks for all the advice and other threads relating to this which have helped me fix the problem. DodgeTheViper Moderator.

Excellent news I must do something like this with mine. It may even be inside the subwoofer itself. Alex, A signal can clip at any power level, regardless of the devices' ratings. The original source can be clipped, overloaded receiver circuits can clip the signal, and incorrectly set amplifier gains can result in clipped signals.

Colton, As long as the amp puts out less than the sub's rating, it'll be safe. Rory, Without knowing precisely what amp and subs you're referring to, we can't know for sure, but it sounds like running a W sub with a W amp is the issue.

Shawn, Your amp's gain may be set too high, allowing the sub's coil assembly to bottom-out, hitting the back plate. Or the sub is already damaged and it shows up when played loudly. John, You should never adjust an amp's gain control while playing music. The gain should get set when the amp is installed and then left alone.

It sounds like your amp gain's controlling potentiometer is dirty which is why it makes crackling noises when adjusted. And it also sounds like your subwoofer is blown because of it.

Frank, This article refers to car audio subwoofers, where matching subs to amps is important for safety. For example, if you try and power a sub rated for watts RMS with an amp putting out watts RMS, and the sub blows, we would not honor the warranty because the rating was exceeded. Home theater subs don't have this issue because the amps and subs are matched by the manufacturer.

Ryan, It sounds like you should turn the amp gain down no matter what subs you use. Shop our selection. The easiest way to shop car audio online Find what Fits your vehicle Remove. Checking fit Related products. In stock. Rockford Fosgate Punch P Kicker 11HS8. Kicker 46HS Go back See more. Car subwoofer buying guide Our subwoofer shopping guide will help you determine which kind of subwoofer and bass system you need, to get the sound you want.

Headlights dim when the music plays Here we discuss the most popular fixes for an underpowered electrical system: the big 3 upgrade, a capacitor, a high output alternator, and a second battery. Tuning your subs What does the gain control do anyway? How to match subwoofers and amplifiers This step-by-step guide will help you make sure that your amps and subs are evenly matched and work well together.

Subwoofers FAQ Which subwoofer will sound the loudest? What are dual voice coil subwoofers? Subwoofer wiring diagrams There are many ways to connect subwoofers to an amplifier.

How to build a subwoofer box Helpful tips and step-by-step instructions for designing and building your own custom subwoofer box. Subwoofer Installation Guide This article describes the steps involved in installing a subwoofer in your vehicle.

Audition speakers before you buy. Virtual Audio technology allows you to compare sonic characteristics between speakers so you can make a more informed shopping decision. SpeakerCompare simulates the sound of home and car speakers through your headphones. It lets you compare sonic characteristics between speakers so that you can make a more informed shopping decision.

Learn how SpeakerCompare works. Select your headphone brand Brand. Select your headphone model Model. Don't see your headphones? Rent our Listening Kit. Please turn active noise cancelling off for best results. Add up to 4 items. What to listen for.

We're here to help For free personalized advice, call Learn more. Why selecting your headphones is important. SpeakerCompare tailors your listening experience to the exact headphones you have, so that what you hear is comparable to auditioning speakers side-by-side in person. Two different listening modes.

In an actual listening room, you'd find that some speakers play louder than others when fed the same amount of power. In equal power mode, you'll hear these differences in loudness as they naturally occur between speakers. In equal volume mode, we've made the loudness of each speaker about the same.

This gives you a more direct comparison of subtle voicing differences between speakers. Nothing beats listening to speakers in your space. SpeakerCompare gives you a sense of the sonic differences. But performance in the real world is affected by the acoustics of your car or home, your choice of amplification, and your source material. We're here to help. Noise, on the contrary, is an external signal that finds its way into the original sound signal, thereby making the original sound have extra, unwanted signals.

Distortion is simply about an original signal being altered into something else. Distortion often happens when a speaker develops mechanical failure due to high volume. The result is distortion and worse, there may be total damage to the speaker since the components may tear or become loose. When a speaker receives higher volume than it can handle, it can experience thermal failure that results in distortion.

Feeding a speaker with too much power results in a lot of heat on its components. As the heat exceeds, the glue that keeps the cone held together in place starts melting. The speaker ends up producing distorted sound. The answer is yes, you can play music too loud and damage your speakers.

There are a couple ways this mishap on your part can occur too which you should familiarize yourself with. When you over-power low-frequency speakers or subwoofers, it's either electrical or mechanical in nature.

Several ways can be used to minimize distortion caused by shrinkage: Do not overweld. Use intermittent welding. Use as few weld passes as possible. Place welds near the neutral axis. Balance welds around the neutral axis.

Use backstep welding. Anticipate the shrinkage forces. Plan the welding sequence. Unwanted distortion is caused by a signal which is "too strong". If an audio signal level is too high for a particular component to cope with, then parts of the signal will be lost. This results in the rasping distorted sound. Once the component's maximum dynamic range is breached, you have distortion.

No, that's normal, especially subs with stiff suspensions. Once they loosen up, they will play louder and sound better. Audio distortion can occur for a number of reasons. Common reasons include: A microphone or sound source, like a computer, is overloaded with sound.