Does my Eclipse CD7100 really put out 8 volts as it claims, or is it really 5 volts?

 

With music, 2-3 volts TOPS if your lucky...test tones, probably the full 8V....

Keep in mind, this is true for ANY HU playing music...its still very beneficial to have loads of headroom

 

^ what he said. you won't see the full voltage unless you go driving around playing sine waves at full volumes.

 

interesting, thanks.....I had a feeling the 8V was just a marketing ploy =). But I guess it might still put out more voltage in music than other decks.

 

Its not a marketing ploy, its just reality...

Same applies to your amps...with music you are probably seeing at most 20-30% average of your maximum unclipped power....the rest is used for DYNAMICS. Music isn't constant, which is what makes it great

So how do you combat this reality? Headroom...eclipse gives you half of the equation with 8V preouts...as far as amplifiers, usually DOUBLE the power you need is a good start...

 

oh ok....When I had my Audison at 2/3 gain, I noticed distortion. I guess with the Eclipse 8V, you can't have the gain at more than 50% without clipping

 

No, it depends on the setup and the volume that you listen to it at, as well as crossover points and many other factors.

 

Thats amp dependent...unfortunately there are no set rules to determine if you have something too high...

All you can do is trust your ears, or use an o-scope or a DMM that can detect sine waves...

 

too many factors for my tastes In the past I have used a DMM, but don't feel like going through all that again. I'll just leave it at 50% and call it a day. I can't imagine the headaches with an active setup