Can I run this amp with this sub, how do ohms work, help/recommendations...

mikeym · 02-03-2007, 11:18 PM

hey guys,

I have a Bazooka EL150.1A amp that it says puts out 100 watts at 4 ohms and 150 watts rms at 2 ohms.

Specs:

Max Power: 250W
Output Power: 4 Ohm 100W x 1 @14.4
VDC: 2 Ohm 150W x 1 Frequency Response +-1dB: 20Hz - 400Hz S/N Ratio (A-weight): >90dB THD with 22k filter: 15Percent
Low Input Level: 200mV-4V
Protection (Short, Thermal, Overload): Yes
Crossover: LP
Variable Hi-Low Pass: 40Hz-400Hz
Crossover Frequency: 85Hz Crossover Slope: 12dB/Oct
RCA input/Output

First question:

How does that work? I don't see anything on the amp that would switch it between ohms...

Does that have to do with how you wire your sub? Can someone please explain to me how you would wire your sub for 2 ohm, 4 ohm and 8 ohm.

2nd question.

I have an Audiobahn dual voice coil 500 watt sub. It was wired like this.

left voice coil positive - amp
right voice coil negative - amp

left and right voice coil, negative and positive were jumped together.

I do not know the ohms of the sub, I looked couldn't find it on the sub and don't have a multimeter. It looks like this:

http://www.sonicelectronix.com/item_140.html

I'm assuming it runs at 4 ohms.

Question 3

What did that jumper do? Bring it down to 2 ohms?

__________________________________________________ ______

Well when i got this sub it was used so naturally i wanted to try it out. It was wired the way said above and i hooked it up to my Bazooka amp, of which I know it is a mono amp and puts out 250 watts max at 2 ohms.

I turned it on. OOhh sounded good. I turned it up a little louder. It started to crackle. So I turned it down. And then no sound what so ever.

What the heck...

So i hooked my amp back up to my boston acoustics sub that was in the car (200 watt sub) sounds great, so its not the amp.

I took apart the box and sub and found the wiring like above.

I took off the jumper and found out i think one of the voice coils is shot. Cause if i plug it into my stereo in my room (8 ohms) on one side it works, on one side it doesn't.

Question 4

What caused that voice coil to burn out?

I cranked it up on the 8 ohms 500watt system in my room (hooked it up like a normal speaker) and it works fine...

Ultimate Question

Will this other voice coil blow if i hook it back up to my bazooka? What do I need to properly run this sub. If a bigger amp is in order no problem.

Can somebody give me rules of thumb for this stuff?

I didn't find this info. in the stickies.. so if i get helpful results that may help others, could we sticky this?

thanks!

mikeym

XC-C30 · 02-04-2007, 12:04 AM

Basically you probably fried your sub, caused by the clipping of your amp. Audibahn and bazooka are crap! Keep that in mind and put the fact that you did put a 500watt sub on a 150watt amp (which I'm sure it will NEVER do, and what caused the clipping).

If it's the sub in the picture, it's a 4Ohm DVC sub, meaning you van run it at 2 or 8 Ohm or 4 Ohm if in stereo but you can't do that with a mono-amp), neither of what your amp can handle.... Again a reason to asume you've blown your sub, or at least a VC.... Throw away the sub and the amp I'd sugest, and basicaly start all over. I'm sorry I have to say that...

edit:This may probably answer some of your questions

mikeym · 02-04-2007, 10:07 AM

IC, thanks for the info! Yep I'm pretty sure I blew a VC.

I've picked up everything super cheap which is why I'm holding on to it. The sound quality may not be the best, but the bazooka has never let me down.

Is clipping like a short in the VC that causes it to eventually burn out?

I took a look at the amplifier thing last night. On wiring subs... I found that confusing and not really clear. (due that it was using 2 subs)

For example:

for a dual voice coil sub would it have 2, 4 ohm coils?
it shows wiring up 2, 4 ohm subs in the wiki and getting 8 ohms in series.

so if i did what was explained with a dual voice coil sub. I would wire it like this:

left voice coil positive - amp
right voice coil negative - amp

left and right voice coil, negative and positive were jumped together.

does that lower the ohms to 2 or increase it to 8?

mikeym · 02-04-2007, 10:09 AM

also, ultimate question you missed IC.

I don't have a lot of money so i'll be holding on to this audiobahn (possibility I'll pick u 2 xtants cheap)... what amp would you recommend to run a 500watt sub? something 500 watts, 4 ohm?

thanks!

spuzzdawg · 02-04-2007, 10:37 AM

clipping is when the amplifier cuts off the top and bottom sections of the sound signal being sent to the subwoofer. A clipped signal has more power than an unclipped signal which is why it can blow up your sub.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Clipping_%28audio%29

Taking a stab in the dark here, i think the low power rated amplifier may be able to blow a high power rated sub because a clipped signal contains many high frequency harmonics that the sub was not designed to handle, and i believe most subs don't have filters on them because they expect the amp to take care of that for them.

I haven't answered any of your other questions because I found your post a little hard to follow. Draw up some pictures in pait of the way everything was/is connected and how they relate to your questions

Spuzzdawg

XC-C30 · 02-04-2007, 01:33 PM

Quote: Originally Posted by mikeym

also, ultimate question you missed IC.

I don't have a lot of money so i'll be holding on to this audiobahn (possibility I'll pick u 2 xtants cheap)... what amp would you recommend to run a 500watt sub? something 500 watts, 4 ohm?

thanks!

I really would pick up an other sub. audibahn is crap already, running only 1 VC will make it sound even worse.... I'd pick up some other sub from a better brand. Doesn't have to cost much. Say a infinity kappa for $50 second hand, or a reference for even less....

As far as tge amp goes, if you really wanna use the audiobahn.... get something that puts out 200-250watt RMS (be sure you don't go off of MAX-ratings) @4Ohm.

scott_fx · 02-04-2007, 02:14 PM

here is an inexpensive sub that may work for you:
http://www.partsexpress.com/pe/showd...number=295-550

where are you located?

XC-C30 · 02-04-2007, 02:23 PM

Quote: Originally Posted by scott_fx

here is an inexpensive sub that may work for you:
http://www.partsexpress.com/pe/showd...number=295-550

where are you located?

buy that sub, look for a second hand amp (PLEASE don't go for crappy fleamarket brands!!!!) and you're set for less than $300

[off-topic]@ scott, found a a couple of new subs already?[/off-topic]

edit: or what about this one.... http://www.partsexpress.com/pe/showd...number=264-854... only 8" though.... But it has big excursion so it will hit pretty hard!!!

scott_fx · 02-04-2007, 02:43 PM

[off-topic]went with the tc-9 and going to shoe horn that in![/off-topic]

mikeym · 02-04-2007, 03:15 PM

well here are some other options guys...

i don't need crazy good bass etc. just some not distorted. It will be going in the back of a buick i'm buying...

This is what I currently have:

Bazooka amp EL150.1A
Audiobahn 15" 500w sub
Boston Acoustics 8" sub (with 2 holes punched in surround cause i was a dumbass, but "fixed" with rtv silicone)
Bazooka 10" powered tube (got real cheap)

I have the possibility to buy 2 Xtant 12" subs at a cheap price. Lets say 50.00 I don't know the model but what do you guys know about extant?

mikeym · 02-04-2007, 03:22 PM

Quote: Originally Posted by spuzzdawg

I haven't answered any of your other questions because I found your post a little hard to follow. Draw up some pictures in pait of the way everything was/is connected and how they relate to your questions

Spuzzdawg

spuzz,

here you go man. sorry its primitive. I had a hard time following the diagrams on our amplifiers wiki about series and parellel.

How is this sub wired? This is how that audiobahn was wired when I got it second hand.

Assuming that its a 4 ohm rated sub. What does that do? Lower or higher the ohm impedance?

thanks!

XC-C30 · 02-04-2007, 03:46 PM

that way the sub"ll play at 8Ohm

You need to wire it this way to play @ 2Ohm :

TheQuinsta · 02-05-2007, 03:12 AM

Dude

No way in hell you can run that sub off that amp, common problem with boys and their toys is they look at the max power and go WOW Your RMS is the key your sub (from the page you posted up) says that it is 500W RMS if you amp is output power (100W @14.4 ) this is basically your RMS value you are running your sub way under at least half of what it should be. Ideally you should run a speaker over its rating by a small percent of its total so that your amp doesnt work as hard.

Normally you would connect up DVC (dual voice coils) subs in parallel that is what they were designed for basic SPL for the big boys doing sound offs, alternativly you would place two single speakers in parallel to achieve this as long as the amp is rated to go into 2 ohms, the amp doesnt have switches to change this its just how the amp works..

Resistances in parallel effectivly halve ie 4 ohm spk in parallel with another gives you two speakers at 2 ohms this allows you to split the power over both speakers without ****ting you amp and gives you "twice the sound".
As IC-C30 pic shows this is correct the coils are 4 ohm coils so if you parallel the coils up like the picture you effectivly get one speaker at 2 ohms.

In short get a bigger amp, if you are running a single 15 and thats it probably go for a single channel amp 2 ohm supporting and dont forget