amplifier question

[carguy6702 0]

i was wondering if someone could explain it to me i picked thisamp cause its the first one i found

500/1 Class D Monoblock Subwoofer Amplifier Features:

500/1

Description: Class D Monoblock Subwoofer Amplifier

Patented Technology: High-Damping Class D Circuit with discrete control circuitry (U.S. Patent #6,441,685)

Differential-Balanced Input Topology: 1 pair of inputs

On-board Crossover: Fully-variable (40-200 Hz), selectable-slope (12 or 24 dB per octave) LP

Preamp Output: 2-channel (independent active filter, parallel with amp filter or pass through)

Bass EQ: Single-band parametric with variable boost up to +15dB and Remote Bass Option

Infrasonic Filter: Fully-variable 24dB/octave from 15-60 Hz

Signal-Sensing Turn-On: Permits operation without remote lead

Dual mono speaker output connections: Accept up to 8 AWG wire

+12V and Ground connections: Accept up to 4 AWG wire

Click here to download the owner's manual (PDF).

500/1 Class D Monoblock Subwoofer Amplifier Specifications:

500/1

Rated Power: 500 W RMS @ 1.5 ohm - 4 ohm (11V-14.5V)

THD at Rated Power: <0.05% @ 4 ohm

S/N Ratio: >95dB below rated power (A-weighted, 20 Hz - 20 kHz noise bandwidth)

Frequency Response: 5 Hz - 500 Hz (+0, -1dB)

Damping Factor: >500 @ 4 ohm / 50 Hz

>250 @ 2 ohm / 50 Hz

Input Range: Switchable from 200mV-2V RMS to 800mV-8V RMS

Dimensions (L x W x H): 13.40 in. x 9.25 in. x 2.36 in.

340 mm x 235 mm x 60 mm

[JimJ 11]

What's your question?

[carguy6702 0]

ok i want to know what the underlined phrases are and how they incorporate into output of the amp

On-board Crossover: Fully-variable (40-200 Hz), selectable-slope (12 or 24 dB per octave) LP

Preamp Output: 2-channel (independent active filter, parallel with amp filter or pass through)

Bass EQ: Single-band parametric with variable boost up to +15dB and Remote Bass Option

Infrasonic Filter: Fully-variable 24dB/octave from 15-60 Hz

THD at Rated Power: <0.05% @ 4 ohm

S/N Ratio: >95dB below rated power (A-weighted, 20 Hz - 20 kHz noise bandwidth)

Frequency Response: 5 Hz - 500 Hz (+0, -1dB)

Damping Factor: >500 @ 4 ohm / 50 Hz

>250 @ 2 ohm / 50 Hz

Input Range: Switchable from 200mV-2V RMS to 800mV-8V RMS

[JimJ 11]

I had a very eloquent reply typed up and the site bombed on me.

Go to BCAE1.com, they explain it better than I could anyway.

[carguy6702 0]

thanx for the link, but didnt find what i was looking for

[JimJ 11]

Alright...you really should Google these terms to get a complete understanding, but here's a start...

Crossover - the job of the low pass crossover is to allow lower frequencies to pass while higher frequencies are attenuated (rolled off). Otherwise, you'd have a full range signal going to your sub. A 100Hz/24dB crossover setting, for example, would mean the filter starts rolling off frequencies above 100Hz - at 200Hz (double the frequency, one octave above), there would be 24dB of attenuation - at 400Hz, 48dB of attenuation.

Preamp output - another set of outputs so you can run a second amp off the same signal from the head unit.

Bass EQ - Fancy name for bass boost. Don't use it.

Infrasonic filter - think of it as the low pass Xover in reverse. Instead of blocking high frequencies, it's blocking very low frequencies that might damage your sub if played in a ported enclosure. Set it to 5Hz below the tuning of your box, or leave it off if it's sealed.

THD - Total Harmonic Distortion. Don't worry about it.

S/N ratio - Signal to Noise ratio. Again, don't sweat it.

Frequency Response - basically...what it says. The total bandwidth that the amplifier covers, it's a worthless spec to some degree because you aren't going to be running a 500Hz signal through your sub anyway, it just needs to cover the speaker's passband without major dips.

Damping Factor - the impedance of the load (in ohms) divded by the amplifier's output impedance (also in ohms). Once again, it's not a spec you particularly need to be concerned with.

Input Range - this is used for gain setting, and will depend on your head unit's preout voltage. If you have a head unit with preouts greater than 2V, you want the higher range.

[///M5 2,833]

And really in your case it is easy. That is a JL sub amp and will pretty much allow you to run 500w to almost any sub.

[carguy6702 0]

ok thanx Jim

also which of these factors would hurt the sub if not set right and how would they hurt it?

[JimJ 11]

You really only have a few things that you can set.

Too much bass boost would potentially damage things, as would not setting the input gain correctly. Setting the LPF too high wouldn't damage anything but it'd sound horrible. And unless you have an enclosure tuned very high, having the subsonic filter turned off or set too low usually won't hurt anything with normally-recorded music.

[carguy6702 0]

one more question

what makes and amp good? and what are good brands of amps?

[JimJ 11]

what makes and amp good?

Ability to do rated power, excellent build quality...

That JL is fine, don't worry about it "Good brands" depend on what your budget at the time is...

[carguy6702 0]

i guess i have to save up my money...... well before that i got to get a job:)

what are good brands that you would recommend and why?

[JimJ 11]

Zapco, Sundown, older generations of Phoenix Gold (Titanium, Tantrum, ZX, M series), Rockford Fosgate, Rainbow, Helix, Tru Technology...

[carguy6702 0]

what do you think of JBL Keenwood Hifonics Pioneer?

[JimJ 11]

JBL...not too bad.

Hifonics, their XX series.

The rest you can keep.

[carguy6702 0]

The rest you can keep.

lol ok