Overpower Amp

Hi,

Is it possible to "overpower" an amp? I have a Rockford T20001BD rated @ 2000W RMS pushing 2 T112D4s rated at only 600W RMS each. There should be plenty of power to spare yet when I turn the volume to the max there's a nasty burning plastic smell emanating from the amp. What exactly is happening inside the amp?

Thanks.

First thing why are you even attempting to turn your volume to the max, my god 3/4 volume should be loud enough for anyone .. damn go get a hearing exam

As for the smell, your gain settings are most lilkey are set incorrectly and that amp is about to take dump on you
no electronic device should ever smell like burning plastic

-------------
2004 Honda Civic Ex 4Dr

Kenwood DDX-7015/W Nav
4 Fosgate T152C
Hifonics Brutus BX1500D
RE XXX 12 in a 4 Cube Snail Shell

people think of gain as the volume, it's not really ment to be like that, you are ment to match the input voltage to the amp, so if you have lo voltage rca's you turn up the gain, and if you have high voltage rca's you can turn it down, it is also ment as a level controll, but it's not ment to just be turned 100% if you want your subs to be 100%, even at 75% you are probably still getting some clipping unless you have VERY low powered rcas

-------------
Bad Boys Customs
    audio - video - security

If you use it. Suport it. Donate to the 12 volt!

I also have a very high power setup and my amp eminates the smell of burning plastic too, I've been running the amp for about 3 years now without any problems. I'll also note I play my system most of the time I am driving.

Here's what I'd do. Rewire the subs at 4-ohms rather than 1-ohm, as that's how I assume you're running them now. 750w rms is more than enough. You gain a whopping ~4 SPL max output by going from 750w to 2000w. Hardly worth it.

Learn to set your gain correctly. Don't touch it again. NEVER turn your volume on the deck past where it was when you set the gain.

Take these steps, you won't lose much SPL, you'll gain life on your amplifier and remove some distortion. (You'll save some of your hearing too).

If you don't want to take these steps, then you need to do something else to cool the amplifier. You can buy extra fans. Remove carpet from around the amplifier. Make sure the heatsinks are pointed in the right direction.

-------------
New Project: 2003 Pathfinder

I would have to agree. If you are running that amp at 1ohm, it is probably getting very hot. Either rewire the subs at 4ohms or get a set of 2ohm DVC subs and wire then for a 2ohm load. The amp will run considerably cooler this way.

Chris

-------------
Alpine CDA-9833 HU
Diamond Audio M661 Components
MTX Thunder T6.6 Components:rear fill:
Cadence Q400 4 Channel Mains + rears
Thunder 801D Subs
MTX 1004 10's
Dual 4g wire to rear
4g grounds

How do you set the gain? The amp doesn't seem to get very hot at all, except in that area where the funny smell comes from. I would rewire the subs to a 4Ohm load but why do that? Aren't these $1,400 amps supposed to take beating and still keep on ticking? What's the point of shelling out the bucks if you're not going to have any fun?

I'm not ignoring any of the replies but other than the gain setting, all the others haven't really answered my question.

LeanNCut wrote:

---

Aren't these $1,400 amps supposed to take beating and still keep on ticking? What's the point of shelling out the bucks if you're not going to have any fun? 

---

Thats kinda like saying "Why spend 100 thousand on a hummer if I cant drive it off a cliff." The reason is that its not ment to do that. Your logic is really quite flawed. As for the gain setting just use the search feature and search for setting gain, or using a dmm to set gain. This has been beaten to death and really doesnt need to be rehashed again

-------------
double-secret reverse-osmosis speaker-cone-induced high-level interference distortion, Its a killer

setting your gain level should be pretty simple, first, turn it down, way down, like off, then put a cd with some good amounts of bass in your player, something you listen to,, turn your cd player up to a level that's about as high as you would ever listen to it, (or from what it sounds like with you... all the way up,, just kidding) but put it at your max cruzing level, then turn your gain up slowly, and turn it up untill you can hear a little bit of distortion in the speakers, you will notice that bass notes in music that starts off quite and builds up, will start to stay at the same volume, this is clipping, once you get there, you are to far, turn it back down untill you are sure it's not clipping anymore, (it doesn't even have to be set this loud, but it sounds like you want it as high as you can get it) and then leave it there, that way the subs are tuned to match the rest of the audio in your car, and if you tune it this way, to make sure that your amp never goes above the point of distortion, you will be good, because amps that don't play distortion last longer, and subs that get clean power (no distortion) LAST LONGER, that way your $$$140000000 amp, wont be sitting in your garage in a month.. have fun, invest in some ear plugs

-------------
Bad Boys Customs
    audio - video - security

If you use it. Suport it. Donate to the 12 volt!