Blown Fi 15" Q

[Tegan14 0]

Hey all,

Well today on my way driving home from a car meet after about 10 mins blasting my system (full gain using a hifonics 1606d) and my sub stops playing, thinking maybe a wire got loose I go to McDonalds and open my trunk and it was smoking . This is my favorite Fi sub, I have heard in person the BL, BTL, and my Q and Q is by far my personal favorite. It hit the lows so good. Well anyway any suggestions on why it blew or if it can be fixed? If it can''t be fixed will getting another one but this time getting the BP Option prevent it from blowing?

-Thanks

[ABXX49 20]

How did you have your gains set?

[Tegan14 0]

full 100%

[Duran 387]

full 100%

That would be why. That combined with being Hifonics. The Q didn't stand a chance...

[vladd 26]

.....gain should NOT NOT NOT NOT NOT be at 100%. That's why it blew, 100% your fault, it can be reconed and it'll be good as new though. When you get it fixed set your gains the proper way and hopefully get a proper amp.

[mazzasec 0]

Gain 100% full? OUCH! Should have been less then 50% up

[Tegan14 0]

What's wrong with hifonics

[christobear 0]

not very good build quality and highly overrated wattages

think about it, a 1600 watt, 1ohm stable amp for under 300 bucks?

[lee 2]

Was the sub smoking, or the amp?

[95Honda 486]

You blew the sub from too much power. This has nothing to do with your gain setting. If you would have had the volume, bass, loudness, etc tuned down a little, it wouldn't have blown.... Don't think that when you get a new one and you turn the gain down that you are safe. You'll blow it again if your not carefull.

And yes, with single sub amplifier installs there is a lot of reasons to have the gain turned all the way up, it isn't wrong at all. Especially if you have an adjustable subwoofer output. You just can't be a jakcalope with the volume knob....

[JimJ 11]

The whole gain-position-myth-thing needs to be put to bed

[95Honda 486]

The whole gain-position-myth-thing needs to be put to bed

You know, every time I try and explain it, a bunch of people get all fired up and refuse to make the mental leap...

But, what do I know about gain adjustment/funtion, I just been building amps from scratch for the last 15 years..... LOL.....

[christobear 0]

The whole gain-position-myth-thing needs to be put to bed

You know, every time I try and explain it, a bunch of people get all fired up and refuse to make the mental leap...

But, what do I know about gain adjustment/funtion, I just been building amps from scratch for the last 15 years..... LOL.....

you want to give it a nice little simple explanation?

[95Honda 486]

It's simple. You can get full power out of just about any amp at any gain setting. It all depends on the voltage drive on the input.

All the gain setting does is set the voltage gain of the amplifier. It doesn't limit power, decrease clipping, change efficiency or anything else. The sole purpose of the adjustment is to #1 gain match identical amplifiers and #2 match voltage gain to HU voltage drive maximizing S/N ratio. The later reason is hardly of concern to 99% of the people out there in car audio.

Set you gain at 1/2. Lets say this is 1-2V sensitivity (pretty common). What this means is, as soon as 1-2V is present at the input of the amplifier, it will put out full power into whatever load it is driving. Most Head Units will put out 2V.

Set the gain at 1/4. Lets say this is 3-4V sensitivity (again, pretty common) Again, put 3-4V on the input of the amplifier and will produce full power. There are many Head Units that will put out 3-4V, especially if you are not being judicious with the volume control, Eq settings, etc....

Now, lets say we set the gain on the amplifer to match the output of our Head Unit and not clip with our reference CD at a certain volume setting. As soon as ANYTHING is changed in the signal path, this is all out the window. This could be something as little as the CD you are listening to has a different compression technique, the vehicle's voltage has changed or you have adjusted ANYTHING on the Head Unit. Seriously, all that work and calibration is for nothing.

The #1 thing that blows woofers is too much power. You have too much power when your amplifier puts out more than the woofer is rated for. You can limit the amount of power by not turning up whatever the final step in your whole signal chain is ultimately controlling the voltage drive to your amplifier. 99% of the time, this is the volume control you are touching with your fingers on your right hand. If you don't know when you are putting out too much power and keep frying subs, you need to either find a different hobby or get an amplifier that puts out less power. I say this because you can have someone calibrate, adjust, limit your system all you want, if you want it louder, you'll find a way and ulimately start pouring more power into your subwoofers...

You'll either get this, or you don't.

If you don't, then turn your gain down a whole bunch and sleep better at night....

[stealth 113]

but say he has a 4 volt out on his deck, full gain. at like volume 5 he should already be so close to clipping lol..

[vladd 26]

I'm not saying that the right person can't set their gain at 100% and be ok, i'm saying that it should not be done by 99% of the people. It's too risky for people that don't fully understand when to turn the volume knob down.

keep your gain down and the volume knob on the radio is the most sensitive adjustment, the way it should be for most people.

[KU40 173]

With as much distortion as that thing was probably playing I'm surprised you liked it so much

[95Honda 486]

Set your gain wherever you want, most of the time you can still blow the sub (easily) if your amp is powerfull enough.... That is the point I'm trying to make....

The people who usually don't get this, are the ones who blow subs when they aren't intentionally abusing their systems.

If you can run an amp hard enough to destroy your subs, and don't notice a problem beforehand, there really isn't anything that can help you if you have any type of real power on tap...

[kkiiaann33 0]

it actually played lows real nice and no there was no distortion. i never smelled burnt toast in the back of his car

[dbjunior 0]

sounds like the best bet is to get a dual 1ohm recone if possible and run the amp at 2ohm rated at less than the sub so a lot less chance of blowing it and if you want it louder get a second sub and wire to 1 ohm so they both see around 700w. i feed my q18 600wrms and it is very happy with it. also a new box may help to increase efficiency of sub to compensate for lower power.

[NDMstang65 403]

You broke it...it needs a recone..

We really need to figure out how to educate people in not doing things like this...

Lesson learned, you'll have to send it in for a recone.

[ABXX49 20]

sounds like the best bet is to get a dual 1ohm recone if possible and run the amp at 2ohm rated at less than the sub so a lot less chance of blowing it and if you want it louder get a second sub and wire to 1 ohm so they both see around 700w. i feed my q18 600wrms and it is very happy with it. also a new box may help to increase efficiency of sub to compensate for lower power.

I think if he just set's everything up properly and knows his limits he'll be fine the way it was(1ohm).

[lee 2]

You broke it...it needs a recone..

We really need to figure out how to educate people in not doing things like this...

Lesson learned, you'll have to send it in for a recone.

I agree 100% I'm amazed how often this happens due to, the sub letting you know when it's in distress, either mechanically or thermaly. I have never had that happen to me unless I was intentionaly trying induce the speaker into a failure. Trust your senses, your ears will alert you of mechanical issues, and your nose alerts you of thermal abuse

[Aaron Clinton 2,372]

I believe part of the issue is people are so fixated on wattage ratting of an amplifier when in the end, for the masses it does not make too much difference.

[seanbw 1]

You just can't be a jakcalope with the volume knob....

couldn't have said it any better myself! i think your sub has suffered from some volume jackaloping!