4drctr420

I am having an issue with my 4ch amplifier and was hoping someone here could give me a bit of insight.

I recently noticed that when I adjust the gain/level on one set of channels it will lower the volume of the speakers on the other set of channels. Also if I unplug the rca's from one set of channels or turn the gain/level all the way down on one set the volume on the other doubles if not more.

My setup is:
1x amp-exile s400.4, 8gauge power/ground to amp and speakers
2x subs- 10" pioneer champion series, 350w rms, 4ohm DVC's,
Headunit- alpine cde-145bt, 2v Preout @10k ohm
I have the both the subs wired with one 4ohm coil on each sub connected to a bridge on each set of channels - should be running 200w rms@4ohm to each sub.

Is this a common problem with running 4ch amps with 2 bridges or could my amplifier be internally damaged? Any help is greatly appreciated.

cruizinmax

iTrader: (2)

It sounds like a wiring issue. You should be wiring the subs voice coils together in a 8 ohm load. Then connecting the 8 ohm load to a pair of bridged channels on the amp.

NerfGunner420

this is how it should be wire to a 4 channel amp

NerfGunner420

also make sure all features are turned off. like loudness. dm+ subwoofer level to 0db etc.also remember the gain is not a volume control if you are not satisfied with the sound at where its suppose to be at, then you need something with more watts, putting up the gain just to "gain" what you want to hear can harm your subwoofer in the long run. the more gain you put up the more heat you introduce to the coil, and that is how you blow a woofer specially in a sealed boxed you won't ever smell it so goodluck hope you made a great choice. would hate to see these subs hurt just because the bass is not enough and put up the gain

Tyler Dirden

iTrader: (3)

Amp wil perform very differently with different loads (voice coil Ohms 2/4/8 ).
An amp may never reach it's designed full output with a higher Ohm (resistive) load like 8 Ohms. DVC speakers allow one to tailor the loads put up against an amp by arranging them parallel or series.
Parallel will LOWER the Ohms and bring the full power out of the amp.
Series will increase the Ohms and lower the power delivered by the amp.

All amps have a rating wich sould be observed and never tested beyond it's ratings. Most will give a lowest stabil load connection to avoid overloading the amp.
PS, the lower the resistance will offer the lowest distortion from high quality amps too.

4drctr420

First of all I would like to thank everyone for their input eventhough it isn't necessarily helpful. That being said I know all the options i have to wire my subs to my amp. 8 ohm is not the only option, just the simplest. I would like to get a new amp capable of powering 700w rms at 1 ohm so I could connect both woofers in a paralell circuit, but I have better things to spend that kind of cash on.
I do not believe the configuration of my speaker wiring is the cause of my issue, a 350w rms 4 ohm dvc woofer should accept around 65% of its rms without problems if tuned properly. my amp should run 200rms when wired to a 4ohm bridged configuration, to both bridged channels. It seems that when I only run one of the 2 channels I get the full rms but as soon as I activate both it seems that the power drops in both channels and is portioned by the gain settings. Say I have the gain around 2/3 on one and 1/3 on the other it's like one channel is getting 70w rms and the other 130w.

cruizinmax

iTrader: (2)

Before you say it's not helpful you should try wiring it up like I and the diagram below me states and see if it makes a difference. Obviously the way you have it hooked up is not working and you are out of ideas to troubleshoot or you wouldn't be posting.

4DoorBoom

Technical Details
Brand Name: EXILE AUDIO
Model: S400.4
Warranty: 1 Year
Product Description
The Exile “Shift” series is our commitment to old school product design that blends form, function and reliability. We are proud to present a new family of Exile amplifiers that are for every street loud customer looking for a step up in performance and value. The sleek anodized chassis and low profile design make it possible to install Shift amplifiers under seats and other hidden areas of a vehicle while still providing the speakers ample raw output power. Here’s the run down:Ultra Low Profile Design At 2.0” height the Shift amplifiers are very compact and pack a big punch.Bass Controller Ready Each Shift amplifier is equipped with the SRBS port to add a remote low pass level controller that provides added control of bass response. Adjustable Internal Crossover Flip a switch to select high pass / low pass or all pass crossover control. Shift amplifiers offer recessed **** adjustments that keep the controls away from hands and feet.Built in High Level Inputs Perfect to make factory or OEM system integration simple. No need to run extra RCA cables. Just plug into the factory harness and your ready to go. S400.4 Specifications Output Power: 4 x 50W @ 4 ohm or 2 x 100W bridged configuration,Power inputs: 4 gauge down angled connections,Minimum Load: 4 ohm stereo,Crossover: 12dB per octave

First, as you probably know, each sub can either have a 2 ohm or 8 ohm impedance. Your amp only does 100 watts x 2 channels at 4ohms so if your subs are at 2 ohms you are only giving a little over 100 watts and if you are running them at 8 ohms you are giving them less than 100 watts each. Or if you run only ONE of the voice coils from each sub to the amp, you may be getting exactly 100 watts. Either way you are underpowering them by a lot.

Second, when you set gains higher for one pair of channels than for the other pair, of course that sub will play louder. You are making the amp put out more power to the channels with the gain up. Adjust both gains evenly to get even output. If you turn the gains up too much you will get distortion/clipping which really makes your subs sound bad.

Third, try buying a used amp. There are many high quality name brand amps being sold on ebay and c-list for very reasonable prices. I bought a used Fosgate T5001 for $75 off c-list and it works perfectly. I have my gains turned all the way down and it still slams my Punch P3.

I highly suggest buying a used amp that is 1 ohm stable and puts out a little more power than needed and running your subs in parallel to 2 ohms x 2 and parallel again to 1 ohm and just setting your gain lower so you don't distort. As for your electrical system, that will be another story...