Just finished adding a sub/amp to my stock BOSE. Everything sounds clean and strong but I have my gains/bass turned all the way up and i feel like I should be getting more out of the setup. Please help me to turn down my gains.

Im using a JL 12W6 in a sealed box powered by a JBL 300.1. My signal is provided by tapping one of the front speaker inputs from the BOSE amp.

I am fairly sure that Im under powering the JL driver which would probably prefer around 500 watts and not the 150 that I'm probably giving it now. Anyone know the proper way to bridge the channels on the amp? I tried + and - from the 2 channels to the driver, then connecting the other + and - to each other, (was under the impression that was how it's done) but my amp protested will no music and a red light. needless to say, I disconnected it immediately. Would i have to use two separate connections then bridge/merge them at the driver?

Any input appreciated

 

If I understand correctly you connected a + to a -, which results in a dead short and is why your amp protested.

The manual should tell you exactly how to bridge your amp.

Edit: Oh, and there is the possibility you wrecked the amp. Usually you will just blow a fuse though.

 

A 300.1 is a single channel amp. It has two sets of output terminals in case you want to wire a pair of subs.

 

Well, it sounds like your under powering your sub (which is bad).

 

Please elaborate.

 

Since when is underpowering bad?!

 

You're tapping a high passed signal from the front speakers, you should have tapped directly behind the head unit. You are losing out on alot of bass.

 

Actually, it's not so much underpowering the sub as it is over powering the amp.
Any amplifier (whether it be part of your HU or an external one) will start to clip the signal in the upper range of the amp's gain capabilities. As long as you keep the gain on the amp below 75% or so, then using a small amp won't hurt the sub. If you start cranking the gain to max in order to get your sub louder then you will definately send a clipped signal and start to do damage to the sub.

So, the reason underpowering a sub is bad is you will inevitably turn the gain up cause the sub won't be playing loud enough and hence my comment above.

 

lol

 

Don, I need components and amps installed on the supra
Let me know when you got time... weekend if possible.

wanna redo the alarm while at it
j/k

 

 

since when does homer ever say " hence "????

 

Gimme some numbers to work with and Ill throw it together.

Always a pleasure to work on that thing !

 

what cross over setting are you on on the amp? define what you did in tapping the front door wires your polarity might be reversed, you need to get a good clean connection in tapping off the speaker wires, and does you amp accept speaker inputs or did you use and LOC(line output converter) to tap off of for your rca jacks to your amp?

 

thanks, all for your responses

I thought the input at the amp (in the trunk) would be the same signal as behind the HU. I guess Im not going to get out the easy way. Ill rewire to the HU and let you know how it works out.

Thanks

 

I did not use a LOC. i just used wire taps to tee off of what I thought was the front speaker INPUT from the HU to the amp in the trunk. This way I did not have to run the wires through the car into the trunk, though it look like that's what I have to do now.