front speakers, 95 chevrolet ex cab

I don't mean to sound sarcastic but it is not amplifiers that blow speakers..it is the user of the system. The "trick" to not blowing speakers is to keep the volume level within reason..if you hear excesive distortion (the speakers sound like they are "straining") then turn the volume control counter clockwise.

The gain control setting is also critical..especially if there is a problem with listeners cranking the heck out of the system, so be conservative with the adjustment.

Also if that amp is 4channel that's fine but if it is a 2 channel you may run into impedance problems at higher frequencies due to the extra set of tweeters...that in itself won't blow the speakers per say..but in can contribute to the problem with risk of over-powering as well as cause the amp to overheat and go into protection mode..or in the worst case damage the amp.

custom Audio,

Thanks for the response.   I think that you are right in saying that it was my fault.  I will take what you said and change the gain control to the Min level when I get my new speakers.  I think that I am going to put my tweeters on the head unit also so that I am not straining the AMP.  I like my stuff to sound good and part of the problem was that My two Lanzar DC 12's hit to hard and I could not hear the music. 

chris

I would agree, the tweeters will sound better with the amp. Has mentioned you must use a high pass crossover..I highly reccomend using a 12db "slope" per octive network over a 6db (cap or "bass-blocker")

Using a 12db per octive cross-over will cost more then a simple bass blocker but the will prolong the life at least 10 fold and allow you to use more power by better protecting the tweeter from lower frequencies. If you don't understand what a "slope" is or the principles of cross-over networks you just need to purchase "pre-built" ones from a competent source (like a higher end mom/pop car audio shop).

If you feel up to it you can build a 12db per octive x-over yourself using one capacitor and one inductor (coil) per tweeter. To get the best results you will need to know some info about the tweeters parameters...however, even if your values are not dead on you will still be alot better off using the 12db's.

Good Luck

Oh, one other thing chris..you don't nessecarily need to keep your amp gains to minimum..however that is the best starting point IMO. If you find that the system is not loud enough at roughly 3/4 volume..you can turn the gain up a little at a time but once you notice any audible distortion...back er' down.

Now this "by-ear" method is not scientific, but it is the method 99% of professional installers use and as long as you stay on the conservative side, you should get a long life from your speakers.

A thing to note..the gain control is not a volume control..that is on the deck..but as well the gain control does NOT change the power rating of the amp...it's function is to match the decks preamp output with the amplifiers input. Now if there was an industry standard there would be no need for gain controls..but different decks have different preamp voltage output levels and input impedance of amplifiers vary from amp to amp, brand to brand. The gain control if adjusted properly will compensate for this difference.

Custom and roo- dog,

Thanks for the responses....  The Tweeters did have a cross over that was attached to them.  The front Speakers and the Tweeters were crimped with the same positive and Negative wire going to the AMP.  The Front 6.5's and back 4X6 had a 200uf Capasitor attached to the each of the postive terminals of each speaker. 

Now here is the question that I have you you.  If I want to have no bass coming from any of my speakers, I should have a high pass cross over attached to all of them but the subs correct.  If that is the case give me some names that I can check out. and if I do bbuy a crossover, then how to I wire the tweeters, Do I by bypass the crossover if they come with there own? 

What is a good Crossover that would filter out all the bass on all of my speakers.  (Keep in mind that my subs are connected to another amp. 

Thanks

Chris

You need to do a little research on the principles of crossover networks and how they work. There is really no way for a crossover to filter out "all" of the bass going to speakers . I can not give you a particular brand name for a crossover as I will build them myself when using "raw" drivers or use the crossovers that come with the speakers.

When I mentioned earlier about "slopes" and "dB per octive" this refers to the rate at which the crossover will filter out lower frequencies and at what frequency. The slope can be 6 decibels per octive (each "halving" of the frequency in this case) 12dB per octive..as well as 18 or 24. A 6db per octive crossover for high pass is simply a cap...a 12dB is a cap/coil and so on..the steeper the slope..the more components used..it can get tricky as electrical and physical phasing come into play. 

Also taken into account is the "3dB down-point"  which basically measures at what frequency the power is down by 3 decibels. Impedance as well as other parameters decide this as so there is no simple answer without knowing ALL of these variables.

If the tweeters you have comes with crossovers by all means just use them. Since you have a seperate amp for the subs just make sure the amp(s) for your mids/highs is electronically crossed over for high-pass, which as a general rule of thumb is 100hz and up but this to can vary depending on a few factors. If you have a dedicated tweeter amp and/or electronic crossover you can use the "x10" (if it has this setting) to get into the thousands and up hz range.

The tweeters crossover point "generally" will be in the thousands of Hz (perhaps 2k-5k and up) once again depending on all the factors I mentioned..and others as well such as personal taste..after all the fletcher-munson curve depicts the "un-even" frequency response of the human ear....but in addition each human ear is not the same nor is personal preference..something a chart, graph, chamber or computer program can not determine, everything "scientific" can really only be considered a starting point, to simplify.

I know this response may add more confusion to your question but it is the best I can do to share years of experience and trial and error in a few paragraphs. If you want to build your own crossovers you will need to do some additional research and be willing to experiment some.

Sorry I could not give a simpler explaination.