I think my amp is getting weaker?

[Angelboy863 21]

hey guys i have a couple questions regarding my mids/highs amplifier. i have a kicker zx 350.4 its the 06zx 350.4 model , this one http://www.sonicelectronix.com/item_6748_Kicker-ZX350.4.html#tabs

i bought it used for $100. it was in excellent condition. only had it for a little over a month.

this amp was a beast! my mids and highs were very loud when i first had this hooked up!!

but now, my mids and highs seemed to have gotten quieter... my bass is still loud.

to check, i unplugged my bass amp so i can just hear my mids and highs and experimented.

id have to get to volume 45 on my headunit to make it sound like it did when it was at volume 28 when i first had the amp.

so i tried a couple of things.. checked my wires, checked the ground, checked the amp tuning everything seems to be fine..

idk what happened, is it possible that my amp is getting weak?

btw gains are half up now, which wont hurt the mids and highs but they arent as loud as they first were.. can anyone help me please?

Edited December 1, 2011 by Angelboy863

[shizzzon 461]

are you using a Y splitter on any of your RCAs?

Is the gain in the same position as it was when you first installed it?

Also check crossover points and make sure they didn't move either.

Have you recently disconnected your battery since this problem?

If you have, radio did a reset.

What things effect the level?

This is dependent on headunit capabilities and features-

Source input level

Bass

Treble

Loudness

EQ

[Bob345 39]

Did you check if the gain nob moved at all? Could have shifted from vibration though it is unlikely.

[XxedgarxX 2]

did you check you rca cables also ?

that can cause amp not to work properly

[Angelboy863 21]

yes i am using y splitters and yes gains are the same as when i first installed the amp. i know i heard that y splitters arent good but i had no other choice because i dont think im upgrading my headunit anytime soon.. (i only have one set of rca outputs on my headunit) headunit features are the way they were as well. but it couldnt be the y splitters if my bass amp works perfectly fine...right?

[audio-neon 34]

Are you sure all of your speaker wires are hooked up... A loose wire would cause a change in impedance, not to mention a speaker not operating... Also make sure no speakers are blown, check the impedance at each coil.

[Angelboy863 21]

Are you sure all of your speaker wires are hooked up... A loose wire would cause a change in impedance, not to mention a speaker not operating... Also make sure no speakers are blown, check the impedance at each coil.

i have yet to buy a DMM lol but i dont think they'd be blown..they're brand new.. i checked all the wires and everything is connected, solid. but if they were blown, doesnt that make them sound horrible? not quiet?

[audio-neon 34]

Are you sure all of your speaker wires are hooked up... A loose wire would cause a change in impedance, not to mention a speaker not operating... Also make sure no speakers are blown, check the impedance at each coil.

i have yet to buy a DMM lol but i dont think they'd be blown..they're brand new.. i checked all the wires and everything is connected, solid. but if they were blown, doesnt that make them sound horrible? not quiet?

Depends on how they blow... and where the speaker fails, sometimes they just die and you never hear from them again

[shizzzon 461]

The reason I mentioned Y Splitters is because it's VERY possible one of the channels may not be connected, working or damaged...

you said you went from vol 28 to 45.. That's like almost a doubling of volume which would indicate to me.. a loss of half the RCA signal.

[XxedgarxX 2]

The reason I mentioned Y Splitters is because it's VERY possible one of the channels may not be connected, working or damaged...

you said you went from vol 28 to 45.. That's like almost a doubling of volume which would indicate to me.. a loss of half the RCA signal.

so true that happen to me one side went bad and it was a noticeable amount of lost out put

[tc300 2]

Maybe one of your preouts on the deck went bad...? I tried those y spliters b4, was HUGE waste of time!!

Do your audio system right the first time! Makes upgrading A WHOLE LOT easier!! Haha

[Angelboy863 21]

Depends on how they blow... and where the speaker fails, sometimes they just die and you never hear from them again

they sound fine to me, just sound underpowered. but i know what you mean.

The reason I mentioned Y Splitters is because it's VERY possible one of the channels may not be connected, working or damaged...

you said you went from vol 28 to 45.. That's like almost a doubling of volume which would indicate to me.. a loss of half the RCA signal.

i did a quick check on the rcas, afterschool ill check them better. yeah its ridiculous how much different the sound is. ive never hooked up a 4 channel amp for myself before with y splitters so this is fairly new to me.

Maybe one of your preouts on the deck went bad...? I tried those y spliters b4, was HUGE waste of time!!

Do your audio system right the first time! Makes upgrading A WHOLE LOT easier!! Haha

ill check my headunit as well. i really like my headunit and wouldnt want to get rid of it, but maybe its time for a headunit with more rca outputs..

[altoncustomtech 773]

Does your subwoofer amp have RCA pre-outs or pass throughs? If it does then you can run your RCA's from your HU to it then connect a set of RCA's from the pre-outs/pass throughs to your highs amp and eliminate the Y splitters.

[altoncustomtech 773]

I just looked at the amp you have in your signature and it has the pre-outs/passthroughs labeled as output (looked at a 10zx400.1 picture though). All you have to do to eliminate the Y splitters is connect the RCA's from your HU to the sub amp then connect your highs amp RCA's to the output RCA's on the 400.1

That is if you're still using that amp.

[Angelboy863 21]

I just looked at the amp you have in your signature and it has the pre-outs/passthroughs labeled as output (looked at a 10zx400.1 picture though). All you have to do to eliminate the Y splitters is connect the RCA's from your HU to the sub amp then connect your highs amp RCA's to the output RCA's on the 400.1

That is if you're still using that amp.

thats how i had it. rca from headunit to bass amp, rca from bass amp to mids/highs amp, then i had to use y splitters to connect the first two channels with the last two on the mids/highs amp.

[shizzzon 461]

Ah... maybe u might not have it wired right.

so u have a left out, right out

You need chan 1, 2, 3, 4 in so u need y splitters.

Do the following-

Y split Left out

Y Split Right out

Pay REAL CLOSE attention here-

On 4 channel amp-

Chan 1 and 3 are connected with LEFT OUT from bass amp.

Chan 2 and 4 are connected with RIGHT OUT from bass amp

do not wire them any other way or you WILL cut the signal in HALF which is what it sounds like you have done.

You know.. i might be wrong about what i just said...

Find out for me.. wire it the way i said and see if it works a lot better...

If not, at least i'll know

[Angelboy863 21]

Ah... maybe u might not have it wired right.

so u have a left out, right out

You need chan 1, 2, 3, 4 in so u need y splitters.

Do the following-

Y split Left out

Y Split Right out

Pay REAL CLOSE attention here-

On 4 channel amp-

Chan 1 and 3 are connected with LEFT OUT from bass amp.

Chan 2 and 4 are connected with RIGHT OUT from bass amp

do not wire them any other way or you WILL cut the signal in HALF which is what it sounds like you have done.

You know.. i might be wrong about what i just said...

Find out for me.. wire it the way i said and see if it works a lot better...

If not, at least i'll know

lol i hope the way you said it is right then id call you a f*ckin genius!

i cant right now because im doing a research paper thats due tomorrow and its already 10:33!!!

EDIT: wait if i do it that way the wrong tuning is going to go to my stuff because on channel 1 + 2 is my midrange and channel 3 + 4 is my highs...

Edited December 2, 2011 by Angelboy863

[shizzzon 461]

Well, it SHOULD be wired that way regardless....

If it will solve your problem, we'll see.

This is why-

Stereo output section #1-

Chan 1= Left

Chan 2= Right

Stereo output section #2-

Chan 3= Left

Chan 4= Right

Left out on bass amp needs to go to both LEFTS on 4chan amp which is Chan 1,3

Right out on bass amp needs to go to both RIGHTS on 4chan amp which is Chan 2,4

Running Left out on chan 1,2 and Right out on chan 3,4 would be like running only 2 rcas to the 4chan amp instead of 4....

Of course u are still y-splitting the signal by wiring it the way i said, but at least the Left will be left and the Right will be right instead of left being the whole output side of Section 1 and right being the whole output side of Section 2.

That would be like running 2 Channel Mono on a 4 channel amp.

[Angelboy863 21]

Well, it SHOULD be wired that way regardless....

If it will solve your problem, we'll see.

This is why-

Stereo output section #1-

Chan 1= Left

Chan 2= Right

Stereo output section #2-

Chan 3= Left

Chan 4= Right

Left out on bass amp needs to go to both LEFTS on 4chan amp which is Chan 1,3

Right out on bass amp needs to go to both RIGHTS on 4chan amp which is Chan 2,4

Running Left out on chan 1,2 and Right out on chan 3,4 would be like running only 2 rcas to the 4chan amp instead of 4....

Of course u are still y-splitting the signal by wiring it the way i said, but at least the Left will be left and the Right will be right instead of left being the whole output side of Section 1 and right being the whole output side of Section 2.

That would be like running 2 Channel Mono on a 4 channel amp.

..so should i switch it and make mids channels 1, 3 and highs channels 2, 4? i understand what your saying and i wanna give it a shot,.

[audio-neon 34]

Nope. Mids should be on a "channel" or more specifially a pair of channels. So:

Left Mid: 1

Right Mid: 2

Left High: 3

Right High: 4..

So your low pass/high pass filters are affecting the right speakers.

[Angelboy863 21]

sooo.. any ideas why my mids/highs are quiet lol

[audio-neon 34]

Bad RCA, loose wire, blown speaker. Short somewhere.. rca's not grounded properly, bad y connector... Amp is bad... those are the general ideas.

[bassahaulic 155]

Go trouble shoot it we cant fix the shit from here.

[Angelboy863 21]

Bad RCA, loose wire, blown speaker. Short somewhere.. rca's not grounded properly, bad y connector... Amp is bad... those are the general ideas.

what do you mean, rcas not grounded properly?

[shizzzon 461]

did u ever run the rcas the way i said? Curious as to if it helped any or not so we can progress to other options.