Fed Up With Eclipse Amps
Printed From: the12volt.com
Forum Name: Car Audio
Forum Discription: Car Stereos, Amplifiers, Crossovers, Processors, Speakers, Subwoofers, etc.
URL: https://www.the12volt.com/installbay/forum_posts.asp?tid=62227
Printed Date: April 28, 2024 at 7:08 AM
Topic: Fed Up With Eclipse Amps
Posted By: Teamrf
Subject: Fed Up With Eclipse Amps
Date Posted: September 05, 2005 at 11:53 AM
I have had so many problems with this amp I'm just ready to throw it out the window. I have blaupunkt (if that is how you spell it) in the back which are four ohms speakers. I have Kappa perfects in the front with are four ohm speakers. When I have my Alpine door speakers in the front the amp is fine. When I hook up the perfects the amp overheats and shuts down. The speakers are brand new, this is actually the second set of speakers I've gone through. I thought it was my Three.1 eq but I took it directly to the head unit and still the same thing. Anyone have any suggestions?
-------------
~The Rookie~
Rookie of the year that is...
Don't let the smoke out of your equiptment..it doesn't go back in.
Replies:
Posted By: boardinbum
Date Posted: September 05, 2005 at 12:09 PM
Have you tested the speakers with a multi meter to make sure they're showing a 4 ohm load?
Posted By: DYohn
Date Posted: September 05, 2005 at 12:13 PM
Are you certain the Kappas are actually 4 ohms? The newest models are 2 ohm loads. ------------- Support the12volt.com
Posted By: haemphyst
Date Posted: September 05, 2005 at 12:27 PM
Not only that, but why bash Eclipse amps? Is this the amp you are using? I'm lost...
-------------
It all reminds me of something that Molière once said to Guy de Maupassant at a café in Vienna: "That's nice. You should write it down."
Posted By: Teamrf
Date Posted: September 05, 2005 at 12:37 PM
Yes its an eclipse amp. With a DMM the front speakers are showing 4.5 on each channel. When I have the Alpine door speakers in the amp is fine. When I only hook up one door ( driver or pass.) the amp is fine. I've been fighting this problem for a while now. I'm ready to give up on Eclipse amps. ------------- ~The Rookie~
Rookie of the year that is...
Don't let the smoke out of your equiptment..it doesn't go back in.
Posted By: DYohn
Date Posted: September 05, 2005 at 12:52 PM
I'll give you $100 for the speakers and amp right now.  Are the Kappas coax or components? Are you using the crossovers? Post some model numbers, please. How's the amplifier's gain set? ------------- Support the12volt.com
Posted By: Teamrf
Date Posted: September 05, 2005 at 1:18 PM
Its the Kappa components, I'm using the crossover that came with them. The amp gain is set correctly. They aren't even half way up.
-------------
~The Rookie~
Rookie of the year that is...
Don't let the smoke out of your equiptment..it doesn't go back in.
Posted By: DYohn
Date Posted: September 05, 2005 at 1:22 PM
Model year 2005 Infinity Kappa components are 2-ohm impedance. You may read higher DCR, especially through the crossover, but they present a nominal 2-ohm load on your amp. Your gain is probably too high for them. How'd you decide that "half way up" was the correct setting? Again, how about some model numbers, and what's your HU? ------------- Support the12volt.com
Posted By: Teamrf
Date Posted: September 05, 2005 at 1:34 PM
Well I tuned my amp like this...turned the hu up 75% of the way....balanced the front and rear speakers. Then left the gains there. After tunning my amp I looked and the gains aren't pass half way. The speakers are Kappa Perfect 6.1's and the head unit is the Eclipse av8022
-------------
~The Rookie~
Rookie of the year that is...
Don't let the smoke out of your equiptment..it doesn't go back in.
Posted By: DYohn
Date Posted: September 05, 2005 at 1:57 PM
OK, the Kappa 6.1 set is a 2004 model so they are 4-ohms. The AV8022 I believe has the standard Eclipse 8-volt pre-outs. Again, depending on your amp you may simply have the gain too high. I suspect the Alpine speakers present a higher net impedance which allows your amp to stay on is probably what's going on. What's the amp (MAKE MODEL NUMBERS FOR EVERYTHING PLEASE!) and is there anything else in the signal chain? ------------- Support the12volt.com
Posted By: Teamrf
Date Posted: September 05, 2005 at 2:40 PM
Head unit - v8022 Amp (Sub) - Kicker 1200.1 Amp(4 channel) Eclipse 3422 Eq - Audiocontrol three.1 Speakers - Kappa Perfect 6.1 and the 6x9's Blaukpunkt Pcxt693 ------------- ~The Rookie~
Rookie of the year that is...
Don't let the smoke out of your equiptment..it doesn't go back in.
Posted By: haemphyst
Date Posted: September 05, 2005 at 2:48 PM
DYohn] wrote:
I'll give you $100 for the speakers and amp right now.
$150!
What is the quality of your ground? What is the quality of your power? How old is your battery? How big is your alternator? What kind of car is it?
A 1200 watt amplifier *IS* (not might) going to cause some current starvation, and if one set of speakers is more efficient, the less efficient set will cause you to possibly run the volume a bit higher, compensating. This could possibly overwork the amplifier. One set of speakers, as DYohn says, might have a lower nominal impedance, making the amp work harder...
I expect it is NOT the amp! ------------- It all reminds me of something that Molière once said to Guy de Maupassant at a café in Vienna: "That's nice. You should write it down."
Posted By: DYohn
Date Posted: September 05, 2005 at 3:00 PM
I agree. The 3422 is an outstanding 50wpc amplifier and is not likely to be the problem. Setup is the most likely problem (power/ground as haemphyst suggects, gain or even crossover setting). How do you have the high-pass set? ------------- Support the12volt.com
Posted By: Teamrf
Date Posted: September 05, 2005 at 3:02 PM
I just regrounded the amp this morning. The resistance on the ground is .4ohms. The 1200 watt amp is not even hooked up at the moment. I have 4awg wire for power and ground. My battery is not even 9 months old yet. Its an optima yellow top. My car is a 01 Honda Accord.
-------------
~The Rookie~
Rookie of the year that is...
Don't let the smoke out of your equiptment..it doesn't go back in.
Posted By: haemphyst
Date Posted: September 05, 2005 at 3:11 PM
.4 ohms sounds a little high. Are you saying your ground, from amp termianl to battery post is .4 ohms? While that's pretty good, it could be better. What are you grounding to? Are you using a seatbolt? Well, DON'T... It's not a good place for grounding!
-------------
It all reminds me of something that Molière once said to Guy de Maupassant at a café in Vienna: "That's nice. You should write it down."
Posted By: Teamrf
Date Posted: September 05, 2005 at 4:02 PM
I thought a good ground should read 0.01 ohm. I have it grounded on the back of my seat. Its a spot that seperates the trunk from the inside of the car. Its a bar there. I guess I could move the ground and see if that helps. ------------- ~The Rookie~
Rookie of the year that is...
Don't let the smoke out of your equiptment..it doesn't go back in.
Posted By: DYohn
Date Posted: September 05, 2005 at 4:09 PM
Teamrf wrote:
I thought a good ground should read 0.01 ohm.
Yes, ideally. Realize your 0.4 ohms reading is 400 times higher (and therefore worse) than 0.01. But really, anything less than one ohm is usually not an issue, and should not cause the problem you have. It is possible you have defective speakers, although I still think an improperly set gain is the issue. ------------- Support the12volt.com
Posted By: Teamrf
Date Posted: September 05, 2005 at 4:20 PM
I've never had a problem when it came to setting the gains on a 4channel amp. Not saying that I'm perfect but I don't know...it works fine with the other 6.5" speakers.
-------------
~The Rookie~
Rookie of the year that is...
Don't let the smoke out of your equiptment..it doesn't go back in.
Posted By: Ravendarat
Date Posted: September 06, 2005 at 2:44 PM
I gotta say that logic dictates that its not an amp problem. You switch speakers and the problem is gone, wouldn thtat point the finger to the speakers. Also that 3.1 does either 8 or 9.5 volts rms output which means that if the gains are set properly they would most likely be kissing the floor not sitting half way. Just something to think about.
-------------
double-secret reverse-osmosis speaker-cone-induced high-level interference distortion, Its a killer
Posted By: Poormanq45
Date Posted: September 06, 2005 at 3:15 PM
I'm going to say that the gain is set too high.
You're using Infinity components which can handle how much power? Your amplifier puts out 50w RMS pc, correct?
More then likely your amplifier can't even cause the components to distort. So how did you know how high to set the gain(s)? Note that I recently ran into this problem on an install that involved Boston Components all around and a Phoenix Gold 5.1 channel amp. It took a bit of trial and error to get it right.
-------------
Posted By: geepherder
Date Posted: September 06, 2005 at 5:11 PM
Poorman, Just because the amp's RMS rating is less than the speakers' RMS rating does not mean the amp can't cause them to distort. It can. Distortion is not only caused by pushing a speaker past it's mechanical limits (bottoming out), but also by pushing the electrical components (amps/ source units) past their limits. Think about it- if you upgrade all your speakers, but power them with the factory head unit, will they not distort? ------------- My ex once told me I have a perfect face for radio.
Posted By: Teamrf
Date Posted: September 07, 2005 at 6:22 PM
Well I've re-adjusted the amps gain and it seems like there is a voltage drop somewhere. Last night when I went to get gas...the amp was cutting out and coming on. At the time when it was cutting out...the monitors in the visors were flashing. So I'm thinking there maybe a voltage issuse somewhere.
-------------
~The Rookie~
Rookie of the year that is...
Don't let the smoke out of your equiptment..it doesn't go back in.
|