How To Adjust Amplifier Settings

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A uncomplicated guide to adjusting the gain on your aftermarket stereo amplifier

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Singing in the car is likely the second most popular pastime while driving. Listening to music in the car is certainly the outset. With that in heed, you want the quality of your music to be as good as it can be, right?

1. ane

   Set the book to zippo on your machine stereo. You lot want to be sure that you lot are starting with no sound distortions.

2. 2

   Turn the gain on your amplifier all the way down. The amplifier is usually an aftermarket part that is installed body of a car or the rear of a truck. At that place will be a knob that labeled "gain." Turning downward the gain means that the amplifier is not amplifying the signal coming in from the stereo head (the part mounted to your nuance).

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3. 3

   Power up your stereo and either play a CD or a radio station. You will non be able to hear anything yet, since your volume is set to zilch.

4. 4

   Plough the stereo up to 2/3 the max book. This is the all-time range to use when setting gain considering you avoid overworking the stereo head. If you lot overwork the stereo head you could end up sending distorted sounds to your amplifier. Digital displays go far like shooting fish in a barrel to tell when you are at two/3 volume, but if you lot do non have 1 y'all can plow the volume all the manner upward (counting the number of turns) so turn it back 1/3 of the style. For instance, if you turn the volume knob iii times to get to max volume, you would plough information technology back down i total turn to get to ii/three book.

5. five

   Twist the gain punch on your amplifier. Turn it upward (clockwise) until the sound (music, talking, test tone, etc.) is as loud as you lot might ever want to listen to it, so long as you do not hear whatever sound distortion or overload your speakers. If y'all do hear a baloney, plow the proceeds back down until the distortion is gone. Some amplifiers will take a knob that tin exist turned by manus, but others may require the employ of a screwdriver to adjust the gain.

6. 6

   Adjust your volume to a normal level. Now that your gain is set, yous tin can get dorsum to the commuter'due south seat and savor the music.

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1. ane

   Summate your target output voltage. You volition need to use a variation of Ohm'southward Law, v=√(P∙R), to calculate your target voltage. To come across the math behind this you tin look at an electric engineering formula wheel. If you do non want to practise the math, you can apply an online converter to plug in the wattage of your amplifier and the resistance of your speakers to get your target output voltage.^[1]

2. 2

   Recognize that the style yous wire your speakers affects resistance. This tin can dramatically change the voltage reading you go and is worth knowing.

   • Speakers wired in series are all connected in a chain and increment the resistance of your system. This decreases the corporeality of power received by each speaker. Each speaker added will besides raise the resistance of the system.^[2] The formula for finding full resistance for speakers wired in series is Z1 + Z2 + Z3 …. = Ztotal. Where Z is the resistance of a given speaker.
   • For example, if you accept three speakers with resistance values of 4 Ohms, 6 Ohms, and 8 Ohms your total resistance wired in series would be 18 Ohms (4+six+8=18).
   • Speakers wired in parallel are all connected to the amp straight. This decreases the resistance of your system. This means more ability will go to each speaker because adding speakers to the excursion will lower the resistance of the system. Practise not subtract resistance also much or y'all will harm your amp. The formula for finding total resistance of speakers wired in parallel is a little trickier. It is (Z1 x Z2 10 Z3… ) / (Z1 + Z2 + Z3…) =Ztotal.
   • So say y'all accept two speakers with resistances of 6 Ohms and 8 Ohms. This fourth dimension it would look like this: one) Multiply the values. 6 x 8 = 48 Ohms two) Add the values. 6 + 8 = 14 Ohms 3) Divide the top by the bottom to discover your total resistance. 48/xiv = 3.43 Ohms (rounded)

3. 3

   Create a test tone. You volition need to create a tone that will allow yous to examination your arrangement. This tin can be done using a program such as brazenness, or downloading the appropriate tone from the internet. You should use a sine wave that is 50-threescore Hz to test a woofer or subwoofer amplifier and use a sine wave that is in the range of ane,000 Hz to test a mid-range amplifier.^[3]

4. 4

   Download the tone to an external media. You will demand to play this tone through your auto's stereo system, so information technology volition need to exist put on a CD or MP3 role player.

5. 5

   Unplug additional accessories. Any speakers, additional amplifiers, etc. should exist unplugged from the back of the amplifier you are testing. This should leave only the stereo caput (the piece mounted in your dash) and the amplifier hooked upwardly.

6. 6

   Turn off all blaster settings on the amplifier. Your amplifier has the ability to filter out certain bandwidths of sound. To set the gain y'all want the maximum range of bandwidth, so you lot should turn the equalizer settings off or ready them to zero. This prevents the filtering of any sound waves.

7. 7

   Turn the gain to zero. This usually means turning the dial counter-clockwise as far as it will become.^[iv]

8. 8

   Set your multi-meter to read A/C volts. If your multi-meter has multiple settings for A/C volts, make sure you choose the range in which your target voltage resides.

9. 9

   Play the test tone through your stereo. Put in the CD or connect the MP3 player that holds your examination tone. Plough the stereo on. Recall that the volume and gain are set to zero, so y'all will not hear your test tone however.

10. x

    Turn your stereo up to ii/3 of its maximum volume. This volition prevent the stereo head from sending distorted sounds to the amplifier, and let you lot to accommodate your amplifier to a crisp make clean sound.

11. 11

    Put the leads of the multi-meter in the output ports of your amplifier. This volition allow you lot to measure the voltage coming out of the amplifier.

12. 12

    Turn upwards the proceeds to reach your target voltage. Plough the gain dial clockwise until your multi-meter reads your target voltage. One time you accomplish the target voltage, the proceeds is prepare on your amplifier.

13. 13

    Turn off the stereo. You no longer need the test tone. Y'all can save it for some other time.

14. xiv

    Plug any accessories back in. Anything that you removed prior to setting your gain (speakers, amplifiers, etc.) should be plugged back in.

15. 15

    Savour music. This is why you purchased your amplifier in the get-go place right? Now y'all tin can enjoy it!

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• Question

  How practice I correctly gear up the crossover frequency on an amp that is hooked to subwoofers?

  

  On your amp, fix the LPF (low pass filter) to around eighty Hz, and if your amp has a subsonic knob, prepare it to 30 Hz. On your stereo, if at that place is a crossover menu, you can set information technology to play total range if you have your amp crossovers set.

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Video

• Set the gain on multiple amplifiers one at a time.

• Do not ready your book to the highest settings because it may distort the sound.

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• Exercise non overload your speakers (set the gain besides high) as this is hard on the speakers and the amplifier.

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