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  1. #1
    Join Date
    Feb 2010
    Location
    Canton, Ga / Lake Lanier
    Posts
    1,600

    Unhappy Kicker Amp Clipping

    Ok so I just had my Kicker ZXM 450.2 and 700.5 installed. I went to pick up the boat and the 700.5 starts clipping. The installer told me that he had this problem last night while he was tuning it. He made some adjustments and it stopped. He let it run for about an hour and had no problems out of it. We turned it on today for a total of maybe 10 minutes (not continuous) and it starts clipping. He had the gains and everything tuned so the Volume level of 35 out of 50 would be the loudest and best sound.

    With all the headache I had with my stupid Prop issue I was really hoping this would be a breeze...apparently not

    Any Ideas what might be causing this???

    The 450.2 is running 1 pair of KMT6s

    The 700.5 is running 3 pairs of Polk DB651s (One pair on the front channel and 2 pair on the rear channel) The sub is a 12" 2OHM Kicker CompVT

    The Headunit is the Kenwood KMR440U

    All equipment is brand new...

    Also, I have a two battery setup...the amps power and ground were run to, what appears to be, the main battery. Is this ok?

    The installer said that if they were run off the other battery you'd have the amps running of one and the radio and other electronics running off the main so they would both be used when the engine wasn't running...

    HELP!!
    SOLD! 2011 Mobius LSV 325HP EFI
    Digital Cruise Pro, Wakeplate, Kenwood KM550U and KCA-RC107MR x2, Kicker ZXM700.5, Kicker 6.5 Cabins, 10'' Kicker CompVT sub, Wetsounds SYN 4, Wetsounds REV10s, Wetsounds WS420Q, Gravity VI Surf Ballast, Acme 537

    Board: '12 LF Harley (Monster) 139
    Her Board: '11 Ronix Krush 128
    Kids Board: '13 Ronix Vision 120
    Skate: LF Faction 44
    Surf: LF Custom Quad & XXX


    Tow Rig:
    2011 Toyota Tundra CrewMax TRD Magnetic Grey
    3/1 Truxx Lift, and some other stuff...

  2. #2
    Join Date
    Feb 2008
    Location
    Traverse City, MI
    Posts
    2,680

    Default

    Are you using the HPF in the head unit, or the amp?
    2013 Outback V

  3. #3
    Join Date
    Feb 2010
    Location
    Canton, Ga / Lake Lanier
    Posts
    1,600

    Default

    Quote Originally Posted by ian ashton View Post
    Are you using the HPF in the head unit, or the amp?
    Yes, the amp has a HPF and a LPF. HPF is being used on Amp 1 and Amp 2. LPF is being used on Sub Channel.

    Headunit also has an HPF and LPF. Neither of which are turned on...I don't think.
    SOLD! 2011 Mobius LSV 325HP EFI
    Digital Cruise Pro, Wakeplate, Kenwood KM550U and KCA-RC107MR x2, Kicker ZXM700.5, Kicker 6.5 Cabins, 10'' Kicker CompVT sub, Wetsounds SYN 4, Wetsounds REV10s, Wetsounds WS420Q, Gravity VI Surf Ballast, Acme 537

    Board: '12 LF Harley (Monster) 139
    Her Board: '11 Ronix Krush 128
    Kids Board: '13 Ronix Vision 120
    Skate: LF Faction 44
    Surf: LF Custom Quad & XXX


    Tow Rig:
    2011 Toyota Tundra CrewMax TRD Magnetic Grey
    3/1 Truxx Lift, and some other stuff...

  4. #4
    Join Date
    Nov 2009
    Location
    Stillwater, Oklahoma
    Posts
    400

    Default

    When you say clipping, I thnk if distortion due to running out of headroom, but I think you are describing sometihg else. Tell me what you call clipping.

    I'll help out-

    Phil
    Kicker

  5. #5
    Join Date
    Jul 2010
    Location
    Pacific Northwest
    Posts
    241

    Default

    Quote Originally Posted by E4NASH View Post
    With all the headache I had with my stupid Prop issue I was really hoping this would be a breeze...apparently not
    this cracks me up... boats are a constant maintenance imo. i don't think the headache will ever go away, lol... i wonder if you'd be able to rewire up your two battery setup such that the main battery supplies power to accessories and the other for starting. not sure your current setup how the batteries are wired but that would be the route i would persue.
    2004 Moomba LSV Blue

  6. #6
    Join Date
    Feb 2010
    Location
    Canton, Ga / Lake Lanier
    Posts
    1,600

    Default

    Quote Originally Posted by philwsailz View Post
    When you say clipping, I thnk if distortion due to running out of headroom, but I think you are describing sometihg else. Tell me what you call clipping.

    I'll help out-

    Phil
    Kicker
    It is apparently shutting off and then when you change the volume or gain setting it comes back on. But there isn't one combination where it will stay on. You can turn the gain completely down and turn the volume up and it will shut off.
    SOLD! 2011 Mobius LSV 325HP EFI
    Digital Cruise Pro, Wakeplate, Kenwood KM550U and KCA-RC107MR x2, Kicker ZXM700.5, Kicker 6.5 Cabins, 10'' Kicker CompVT sub, Wetsounds SYN 4, Wetsounds REV10s, Wetsounds WS420Q, Gravity VI Surf Ballast, Acme 537

    Board: '12 LF Harley (Monster) 139
    Her Board: '11 Ronix Krush 128
    Kids Board: '13 Ronix Vision 120
    Skate: LF Faction 44
    Surf: LF Custom Quad & XXX


    Tow Rig:
    2011 Toyota Tundra CrewMax TRD Magnetic Grey
    3/1 Truxx Lift, and some other stuff...

  7. #7
    Join Date
    Nov 2009
    Location
    Stillwater, Oklahoma
    Posts
    400

    Default

    Before we go into system - specific details for your stereo know the following:

    The head unit should be wired to the same power source as the amp(s) and often we recomend using the biggest amp's power terminals to connect the radio power to.

    Both amps need to be wired with the proper wire gage. The 700.5 should be wired with 4 ga for both power and ground. The 450.2 needs to be wired with 4 ga also. Any less for either amp and you can run into thermal problems due to voltage sag.

    Radio EQ settings should be set to flat, or as close to flat as possible. excessive BASS and TREBLE adjustment just makes amps work harder. If you find yourself adding lots of EQ to your settings, it points to deficiencies of speaker selection, or a bad understanding of what music really sounds like.

    Similarly, BASS BOOST on an amplifer should not be used excessively. If you find you have the BASS BOOST on any sub amp more than about 40% up, you likely need a larger amp or more woofers. BASS BOOST on full range channels should usually be totally off.

    Batteries shuold be fully charged. Too often a system behaves badly due to no more than a battery being depleted. Check the voltage at the amp with the system playing at a reasonably loud level. If it is sagging to 11 or lower, you have a dead battery.

    These are common things to start with...

    Phil
    Kicker
    Last edited by philwsailz; 04-28-2011 at 03:25 PM.

  8. #8
    Join Date
    Nov 2009
    Location
    Stillwater, Oklahoma
    Posts
    400

    Default

    Quote Originally Posted by E4NASH View Post
    It is apparently shutting off and then when you change the volume or gain setting it comes back on. But there isn't one combination where it will stay on. You can turn the gain completely down and turn the volume up and it will shut off.
    Outside of the things I just wrote, do you know if your speaker wires are shorted somewhere?

    When it shuts off, does the status light go from green to red, or does it go totally off?

    Phil
    Kicker

  9. #9
    Join Date
    May 2009
    Location
    Dallas, TX
    Posts
    887

    Default

    E4NASH,
    Did you purchase all the equipment from the installer who put it in?
    If you have dual batteries then I assume you have a dual battery switch. If you have a switch then everything should be running to the switch rather than battery direct.
    Has anyone checked the voltage at the amplifier primary terminals when the amplifier begins to clip?
    Give us a bit more description of what you are hearing when the system is "clipping"...the five-channel amplifier only, right?
    While the sub impedance and all other speaker configuration/impedances appear to be fine as you have it, you may want to disconnect the sub and try it. If a voice coil is in the early stages of failure it can behave differently once heated up. Eliminate a set of channels at a time.
    Flip the front and rear RCAs to the two amplifiers to take the HU out of the equation.
    Triple check all the power terminations as they can look fine until you really tug on them. The continuity and voltage can measure fine at zero current draw on a meter but under serious current draw can be starving. Hopefully all the supply cable gauge is adequate.
    I would automatically say its a voltage problem and it would certainly show up on the amplifier with the sub section first. But with showing up in one amplifier only it could be the amplifier. The dealer that you purchased it from should be able to bench check the amplifier under enough load and induce enough heat that when tested independently of the boat they can determine whether its product or not.
    Thats a start.

    David
    Earmark Marine

  10. #10
    Join Date
    Feb 2010
    Location
    Canton, Ga / Lake Lanier
    Posts
    1,600

    Default

    Quote Originally Posted by philwsailz View Post
    Before we go into system - specific details for your stereo know the followinf:

    The head unit should be wired to the same power source as the amp(s) and often we recomend using the biggest amp's power terminals to connect the radio power to.

    Both amps need to be wired with the proper wire gage. The 700.5 should be wired with 4 ga for both power and ground. The 450.2 needs to be wired with 4 ga also. Any less for either amp and you can run into thermal problems due to voltage sag.

    Radio EQ settings should be set to flat, or as close to flat as possible. excessive BASS and TREBLE adjustment just makes amps work harder. If you find yourself adding lots of EQ to your settings, it points to deficiencies of speaker selection, or a bad understanding of what music really ssounds like.

    Similarly, BASS BOOST on an amplifer should not be used excessively. If you find you have the BASS BOOST on any sub amp more than about 40% up, you likely need a larger amp or more woofers. BASS BOOST on full range channels should usually be totally off.

    Batteries shuold be fully charged. Too often a system behaves badly due to no more than a battery being depleted. Check the voltage at the amp with the system playing at a reasonably loud level. If it is sagging to 11 or lower, you have a dead battery.

    These are common things to start with...

    Phil
    Kicker
    The batteries in the boat are low however he hooked them up to a battery charger connected to the wall and it is still generating a constant 12V.

    I believe the bass boost is turned up a little on on the sub channel. I also have the Remote Bass knob which at one point was turned all the way up.

    On Amp 1 and 2 the Gain is set at about the second notch I think. HPF is set around 100 - 120.

    Quote Originally Posted by philwsailz View Post
    Outside of the things I just wrote, do you know if your speaker wires are shorted somewhere?

    When it shuts off, does the status light go from green to red, or does it go totally off?

    Phil
    Kicker
    I don't think there is a short but obviously that could be a possibility. The status light goes to red and then I think it goes completely off if I correctly heard him talking to the other owner of the shop.

    Thanks for the help!
    SOLD! 2011 Mobius LSV 325HP EFI
    Digital Cruise Pro, Wakeplate, Kenwood KM550U and KCA-RC107MR x2, Kicker ZXM700.5, Kicker 6.5 Cabins, 10'' Kicker CompVT sub, Wetsounds SYN 4, Wetsounds REV10s, Wetsounds WS420Q, Gravity VI Surf Ballast, Acme 537

    Board: '12 LF Harley (Monster) 139
    Her Board: '11 Ronix Krush 128
    Kids Board: '13 Ronix Vision 120
    Skate: LF Faction 44
    Surf: LF Custom Quad & XXX


    Tow Rig:
    2011 Toyota Tundra CrewMax TRD Magnetic Grey
    3/1 Truxx Lift, and some other stuff...

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