amp issues, whose to blame?

[vawakemonster]

I have a phoenix gold amp that is 50 by 2 chanels pushing my 55 watt speakers. and after 20 or so days it blew and I mailed it back to PG. they fixxed it told me it was the powersupply it was shorted and they fixxed some cracked soders they thought were to blame. got it back on thursday and I blew up again today.

The gain wasnt all the way up maybe 7/8s and the music wasnt distorting however it was at a moderate-high volume. I had another amp hooked up to the same power line and the same speakers when this one went out of commision and it worked fine so that leads me to blame the amp itsself or me pushing it too hard.

When I call PG should I ask for a whole new amp or ask them to try and fix this one again? whose fault could this be?

[ben62670]

George Bush!

[dudeinaroom]

George Bush!

I second that

[MacLeod]

Its just a faulty amp. However you do have your gains way too high. They shouldnt be any higher than half way.

I would just get in touch with PG and let them know youve got a lemon.

[vawakemonster]

really? if I turn my gains down will the amp still reach full power just at a higher volume on the HU? should I aslo gain down my sub i ahve that amp about the same and its 300 RMS powering a momo 10

[1996blackmax]

Some good info....

http://www.caraudio.com/forum/showthread.php?t=206371

http://www.subwoofertools.com/forum/setgain.asp

[MacLeod]

A gain is not a volume control. Its only there to match the input of the amp with the output of the head unit so when the CD player is at 50% the amp will be at 50%. If the gain is set too high then the amp could be at 75% when the CD player is at 25% and so when you crank the CD player to 75% you push the amp to 125% which drives it into clipping, which makes it send out a severlely distorted signal at more than double the amps rated power which could shred your speakers.

[vawakemonster]

I know that, I set the gains correctly, I thought. I turned the HU up to 50 of 62 and cranked the gains till I heard distortion then I brought them back. I never let my stuff distort either

[PoweredByDodge]

turn head unit to about 75% or 80% ... then crank gains till it distorts, and come back a tiny bit.

on a side note -- phoenix gold octane amps are garbage.

you probably cooked the output stage this time, least that's a likely thing considering the gain level you're at.

[vawakemonster]

so should I sell it when I get it back and get a different amp? or re-instal it again and watch the gains? the Gain was set the same both times. no bass boost. the fuse blows the second it touched the terminal even when the amp is off

[hearingimpared]

George Bush!

AAAHHHHAAAAA So you are another Rskarvan's other numerous monikers!!!

[PoweredByDodge]

if the fuses are blowing without the head unit even turned on - then its the sameproblem you had before -- power supply. but, again, that may be due to a fried output stage.

please do not take this as an insult, but -- either that model amp is a total lemon (which is very possible) or you are causing the damage yourself due to improper operation.

personally... i think its a lemon.

and to answer your question -- when you get it back... sell it on ebay as a "factory refurbished phoenix gold whatever it is", get when you can for it.... and get something better (not necessarily more expensive... just a better quality product).

for the record -- phoenix gold tantrum stuff from a few years ago is AWESOME. the octane line just blows though.

[vawakemonster]

what would be better? around 100-150 dollars and gives 2 by 60 RMS

[PoweredByDodge]

Amps...

Respectable - $ 58 (65 x 2 rms @ 4)
http://ikesound.com/product-product_id/2216

Good - $ 135 (75 x 2 rms @ 4)
http://ikesound.com/product-product_id/5831

Good - $119 (75 x 2 rms @ 4)
http://ikesound.com/product-product_id/6154