Why do so many on here suggest to people to set the gain by ear?
Don't you realize that's the worst way possible?
That's why I have simplified the mystery.
The purpose of the gain is to match the signal volts RMS coming from the source (CD player, etc.) to the input of the amp to prevent clipping (damage by over powering).
Here is a guide that will help you set the gain correctly http://www.datafilehost.com/download.php?file=6d26c621
You'll need a multi-meter (AC voltmeter), Microsoft Excel and a way to burn an audio CD from an MP3.
If you don't have Excel, use this link http://www.box.net/shared/nkkw1dhk4g
See my site for more info http://spkrbox1.spaces.live.com
Scott p,
No. The reason is you would be adjusting the gain to match the ipod and not the CD palyer so it won't be right.
At $0.28 a CD you won't waste much.
Here's where I earn a bunch of "thumbs down". Sorry, Sparky.
The reason so many people set their gains by ear is this: inaudible clipping isn't really much of a problem, especially for subwoofers.
I know the conventional thinking is that clipping can damage your speakers. I understand the reasoning for this: a clipped audio signal contains more energy than an un-clipped signal of the same amplitude, but most of the extra energy is converted to heat, which overheats the voice coil and causes it to burn out.
The part that's overlooked is that speakers are highly inefficient devices to begin with. Almost all of the energy sent to a speaker is converted to heat, regardless of the amount of clipping. Any speaker that can handle an undistorted 500-watt sine wave should handle a 500-watt fully clipped wave.
Let's say you have a speaker that's 5% efficient. (That's actually pretty high efficiency rating for a car audio speaker). If you connect it to an amplifier playing a 500-watt sine wave, then you have a 475-watt heater. 95% of the power input does nothing but heat up the voice coil.
Now lets play a 500-watt signal at maximum clipping. Let's say 250 watts represents the base audio signal, and all the rest of the power is the unwanted distortion added by clipping. Let's assume all of the extra 250 watts is converted to heat. Now, instead of a 475 watts heating the voice coil, we have about 488 watts heating the voice coil. Is the extra 13 watts going to make the difference between an undamaged speaker and a blown speaker? Maybe, but probably not.
Of course, that's an extreme example. Clipping to that extent would be very easily audible. Additionally, most people don't play pure sine waves on their car audio system, so any clipping that occurs will be on musical peaks, and of short duration--even less likely to make the voice coil overheat. Furthermore, power rating for speakers isn't a very exact science; most speaker power ratings represent a "best guess estimate" in any case.
Bottom line: if you have a high quality speaker in the proper enclosure, use it with a well-matched amplifier, set the gains carefully by ear, then use a little common sense when playing it, you're not likely to have any problems---even if some clipping occurs.
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