@@unknowninfamous2346 If your amp is set up properly then turning on the boost will lead to clipping and clipping blows subwoofers. You may have heard the myth that underpowering your subwoofers will blow them, that is why.
most informative bass boost video I've ever seen! I was actually thinking you were serious, when I read the title, and was ready to down vote the video. Glad I watched it all though. Bass boost/clip boost, properly set! Thumbs up! 👍
I keep hearing this over and over, yet for 15 years I have successfully used bass boost to get my bass just like I want it time and time again without clipping or audible distortion. I limit it to around 1/4 turn from zero or 3db boost or less (usually around 45hz). Not saying you are wrong, just saying sometimes we have limited space and EQ options and we have to take advantage of every little trick that gets us the kick we are looking for.
I would love to see a a subwoofer amp with a simple parametric equalizer, so that you could adjust the frequency and then you could cut or boost where you needed it.
Bass boost is there for a reason y'all don't let these ppl control u. Turn it up a little bit it never hurts unless u max it out then ur asking for trouble, especially if u got custom ported boxes. I've used bass boost all my life and I learned that u can use a little of it and that's it. Strong subs can take it
@@DIYAudioGuy because some head units are stock and some aftermarket head units are lacking for car amps. Missing frequencies is a bummer when your subs can't hit them because of car limits. When you have great pre out voltage, great electrical and an excellent aftermarket radio, you don't use bass boost. Proud to know what I'm talking about 🔊
Yeah i let a friend borrow my car and it came back sounding terrible. I reset it using the 'multimeter' method for now while I'm waiting for my oscilloscope to get here. Thankfully my sub can handle it or I'd be on the market for a new sub/amp.
Just got my first subwoofer and amp and I got it installed at Best Buy and he tuned it and he put the bass EQ on 12 dB should I turn it off? It sounds amazing with the bass Eq on 12 not distorted or anything I don’t know if I should leave it on or off.
@@Bletze When you pay somebody to install your system don't touch it after they set it up. If something goes wrong they should be willing to stand behind their work.
I have the previous model MRP m450 Alpine Amplifier. I just checked the setup the other day to make sure the boost was at zero. If I want to adjust it, I use the head unit. The boost on the amp just causes distortion. The gain isn't a volume knob, as many think. It should match the voltage output of your receiver. There's no reason to have one channel gain set any differently than the other, as it's the same signal strength.
Nope - if you set your bass boost properly then you're not going to creating clipping or destroy your subwoofer. It's all about the interplay between gain and bass boost - all bass boost is, is a limited bandwidth gain that should be used to counteract the roll off in low frequency response of some stock units. If you DON'T have a roll off between 100Hz and 0Hz then by all means set your bass boost to '0' but if you do then how are you going to deal with the non-flat low frequency bass response? You need to boost the 30-50hz range whilst NOT boosting 60hz - 100hz so that you don't clip - the only way to do this is to selectively boost the lower frequencies.. Bass boost...
I recently discovered you after purchasing the Alpine ilx-w650 with the mini KTA450 amp for my mids and the Rockford P300-12 for the bass. I could use some help properly setting up the powered sub. It has a LP crossover with 12dB Oct, 50-200Hz. I’ll trust your advice and leave the boost off. Do I leave the remote boost off as well? Can I adjust gain and xover with a meter on this unit? What about the sub level setting on the HU? With it on zero, I have no bass. (Hoping you put out a detail settings vid on the ilx-w650. Thanks for any assistance you can offer!!
I don't have any hands on experience the KTA 450, so I can't help you there. I do have some experience with Alpine head units, and when the subwoofer output is set to zero you don't get a lot of output. You will want that set to max when you set your gains. There is no easy way to get access to the speaker terminals on that subwoofer, so you will just have to set it by ear. There are a lot of old-school installers that only set gains by ear, bit I don't trust me ears.
Hi DIY Audio Guy, thank you for all your videos. I recently start to install and begin my build, your videos are awesome and helped me a lot. I set my amg gain just like you told on your videos, my question is, my head unit has a dedicated rca output for the subwoofer, and then on the head unit configurations i have an on/off on the subwoofer rca, and have gain for thar same rca that goes from 0 to 20. I dont know wich to choose, since i want to set my gain correctly on my focal amplifier.
I would set that control to 20, The goal is to set the gain so that you never clip the sub, so even on the loudest setting you'll never overpower the sub.
If you have a sealed sub as I do you can set the bass boost to +3db at the - 6db rolloff point to extend response. Bass boost on ported I agree set to 0. But sealed subs are often boosted like this in home subs like my Pioneer Elites by the manufactures. The bad crap comes from people cranking this knob on ported boxes,turning them into one note wonders.
If it were something like this with a variable frequency control for the boost I would agree with you. ru-vid.com/video/%D0%B2%D0%B8%D0%B4%D0%B5%D0%BE-gwp4_AyLjK0.htmlsi=R8TXF9mO5ywVdgFT
They all seem to think 45hz and a switch is all you need.Cerwin vega uses a better 30hz center calling it vega bass its very good for sealed boxes if used sparingly,to avoid xmax.@@DIYAudioGuy
So my new sub and amp have plenty of bass on a song that has bass heavy music, but what is the preferred method to increase bass on low bass music? Or is it just always going to be low bass?
If the music doesn't have bass then it just doesn't have bass. A lot of people like to use a bass knob so they can give themselves a little more juice on those kinds of songs. I recommend this thing. ru-vid.com/video/%D0%B2%D0%B8%D0%B4%D0%B5%D0%BE-Fa1sQOu0erQ.html
So I get it, but I’d be grateful if you humored my extrapolation of different factors: So subs are usually set to 40hz, and low pass at 70-80hz, but what if you low pass to 100hz, have 60hz set to nominal voltage, then use bass boost to lift the lower frequency voltage drop to nominal output at 35hz with a high pass at 25hz or so… does that make sense? Am I not understanding bass boost? Does it just boost the whole frequency range or is it something more specific? Cheers!
@@DIYAudioGuy ok, I thought that the boost was potentially a frequency specific boost, like 35-45hz or something. I do have mine all the way down, turned the head unit to -6db to subs, and used my dmm to set the voltage with the bass mechanic tracks, I then found a mix that clipped so went back and calibrated to that, I’m still finding some heavy tracks that clip, but am just turning down the bass knob when that happens (I tuned it with the knob set to max). 2 skar zvx18-d1’s, rpx4500.1, wired to 4ohm for proper rms. In my Silverado crew cab… it’s glorious.
I don't understand how the engineers designed amplifiers to have an option to add DB yet so many people promote turning the DB off. I believe that the DB was designed to be used if a person wishes to add DB. The main thing is that you pay attention to the heat that goes to your speakers and play your music at correct levels.
I had 250 watt rms @ 2 ohms powering a 10" sub rated for 350 watts rms going for 2 years. Had gain turned up 3/4 way up and bass boost about half way just adjusted till every till sounded the way I wanted. Later, I bought amp this Christmas to match the 350 watt rms. Used volt meter adjust to 26.45 volts volume at 75% Used a 50hz -5db test tone and crossover set to 80hz with bass boost off and it is disappointing. I listen to metal and there isn't enough bass from double kick drums. Is there another way or test tone to set this up for this type of music if not using bass boost. Have an LOC with AccuBass brings back bass at higher volume where everything set at. Just not alot of low tones. So what your saying turn up gain and this will fix everything the way it use to be and will not be a need for bass boost.
Yes, if the gain is set properly you do not need the boost. Since you got three devices (head unit, amp, loc) you're going to need more than a multimeter to set this up properly.
@DIYAudioGuy That's all I got for the time being. As far turning up the gain still didn't get me the results, I was looking for. My situation is different because of genre of music I'm trying to tune to and maybe bass boost doesn't apply to all music.Using the bass boost did the trick for me for my liking. It didn't add bass per say but thicken up the sound which I was after. I set bass boost at 6db or at 12 o'clock and adjusted the gain until it was back to the 26.45 volts. Again, maybe bass boost is not necessary for all type of music which is not lacking bass but the drums sound without boost made that 10" sounded like a mean 4" 😂.
In four channel mode all 4 input channels are routed to their corresponding output channel. In 2 channel mode the front input channels are sent to both the front and rear output channels. Two channel mode might be useful for something like bridging the rear channels for a subwoofer and running some components off the front channels.
Hey mate, Have a MlPower 4 Amp intend to use the high level inputs, is there any benefit to putting the signal from front and rear speakers into it? or is it only if i want to be able to retain the front/rear transition in the head unit?
I'm not familiar with the amp, some four channel amps require four channels of input to get four channels of output. I would recommend that you look through the owner's manual.
I have a Rockford rf 2.9 x amp for my 4 6x9’s in the rear deck and doors. I have a bass knob but when I turn the subwoofer off, the 6x9’s don’t put out any bass and basically just sound like tweeters. Could it be the gain settings or the bass eq ? I even played with the equalizer settings and still no deep bass coming from the speakers .
Hey man maybe you help after installing a after market headunit (kenwood) with after market rear and front speakers , no subs no amps, my soeakers sound terrible worst than before, coukdnt even turn up without distortion, so i got a 4 channel amp to power those speakers and my front speakers are so quiet compared to the rear, its bad enoughy i have to turn the head unit volume damm near to 30 just to get some loadness cant harley hear anything at 15, but why is my front speakers so low
Did you get this figured out..If not..does the rms per channel of the head unit match the rms of the speakers...sounds like you need an amp for your highs because the head unit cant push them.
sooo... if im understanding this correctly, i should set the bass boost all the way down... off... well dangit man, why didnt u just say so? (read in sarcastic font haha) thanx dude, god bless
@@aaront2172 The problem with boost is a lot of people don't buy a big enough system to satisfy their bass craving, so they crank up the boost, distort and clip, sound like crap, blow their gear. If you feel like you need just a little bit more boost then go ahead give it a little boost.
@@DIYAudioGuy Unless you have really small and weak 100W RMS sub. In that case setting up gain properly is not going to result in good amounts of bass unless you turn your head units volume up to a point where your ears start bleeding from loud mids and highs.
I have 2 15s running with a 1000rms amp. I setup the gain property by using a multimeter, I put the bass boost on 0. But it was not loud enough. I just don't get it. I do was using a sealed enclosure
i dont understand why bass boost gets so much hate , its just eq for bass. if set properly i dont see the problem ? every vehicle is different and cars in general are a horrible listening environment so how the music was originally recorded might now sound that great in your set up or maybe you just generally like more bass .
Most Engineers who designed different brand name amps are dumb then😄, nooottt. I use my punch eq to listen to my music at low vol but still feeling the bass. Never blown anything un my 30+ years in car audio, stop the nonsense and explain it better without being a smart @#$
It is a gain that is typically set at around 45hz so isn't really an EQ as you say however if it is a two dial setup that allows variable frequency & level adjustment then it can be useful with roll-off or to help flatten the response of your system but in most cases it is easier to just leave it turned down/off.
Tbh I'm not even sure why they even ADD bass boost, I have NEVER used it. I remember 1 time my friend kept blowing his subs and he just thought it was his amp, I took a look at it, HE HAD EVERYTHING MAXXXED OUT!! 😂 needless to say after I helped him, he didn't blow anymore subs
I had bass boost on thinking it sounded better but then realized why folks say turn it off. Bass boost cause my system to be a one hit wonder. Meaning, I’d be slapping hard around 35-40Hz and nothing below or above that. Shut bass boost off and reset gains and now my system slaps across a larger frequency and now it sounds very musically. Play good from 28hz all the way up into 50hz range now. Only a few songs sounded good with boost….now it’s off, all types of music sounded good. I’ll never use bass boost again.
I’m still new to adding amps to a aftermarket head unit. First my set up sounded like trash. Problem? Loudness was on. After I turned that off it got better. Now the sub. Bass boost is on. 😅
I think you misunderstood how it works and when to use it.. As you increase Bass Boost this increases power at the lower levels BUT the amp has a max power that can't be exceeded so you get clipping.. When you use Bass Boost you need to reduce the gain to stop the clipping. The result is lower lows but less total volume. When BB is applied it applies it on most amps at about 45hz and it linear reduces as the frequency goes up. So it works best on speakers that have a linear drop off.. so is best with door speakers and sealed enclosures. And obviously if you can get to 45hz (large sub) without BB then it's not needed. BB is therefore best deployed to small speakers. I use it in 6.5 inch door speakers.. Would i use it on a 12" ported enclosure.. NO
The rule for any EQ (bass boost is just a one-band EQ) is to set the gain and then even out the frequency response by CUTTING frequencies that are to loud.
Bass boost and bass eq cause distortion and sound that’s not supposed to be there so I don’t care what anyone says or thinks it’s bad good luck with that
I think because all of the competitors have it and customers expect it. You can use it if you want, just have to be careful with it so that you don't clip.
I have my bass boost up two notches and I don't know how to set my gain and I don't have a smd or volt meter so I have no clue how to know if it's clipping. I Hate it I want the most bass my sub can get
I turned mine all the way down. Was not satisfied. I like my clean bass but that doesn’t do it for me. I can’t add “more bass” I just don’t have room for it. :(
Because if you properly set up your subwoofers amp gain, you are not going to get max bass unless you also turn your head units volume way up. This is not really a problem with good and powerful subwoofers but with something small and weak like 100W sub it's going to be a problem because there may not be any good and loud bass untill your volume is turned up to ear bleeding level of mids and highs.
@@CoreMaster111 im guessing that’s only true if you’re running your mids/highs and sub on the same amp. If you’re running bass through a separate amp then I don’t think you need bass boost, correct?
Nope, you set the gain and leave the boost alone so you don't clip. ru-vid.com/video/%D0%B2%D0%B8%D0%B4%D0%B5%D0%BE-MBcGOoRJ4Ro.html ru-vid.com/video/%D0%B2%D0%B8%D0%B4%D0%B5%D0%BE-oBNETr9AHwA.html if that is not enough bass then get a bigger amp and more subwoofers.
@@DIYAudioGuy I’ve often theorized that cheaper brands do this in hope of having people blow their speakers and buy new ones from the same company but that wouldn’t explain why more expensive companies do the same thing. If someone continues to blow speakers they will stop caring. Very damaging to the car audio community as a whole. I like to blame the fact that car audio is such a niche hobby on bass boost. Or Maybe I’m just dumb.
I don't know the answer but I have some suspicions. I try not to make a video on something unless I'm pretty confident that I know what I'm talking about.
Bass boost can be useful if you’re trying to restore bass roll off or if you listen to music that doesn’t have a lot of bass to begin with, but you should always set your gains after you’ve adjusted the bass boost to your liking
Because if you properly set up your subwoofers amp gain, you are not going to get max bass unless you also turn your head units volume way up. This is not really a problem with good and powerful subwoofers but with something small and weak like 100W sub it's going to be a problem because there may not be any good and loud bass untill your volume is turned up to ear bleeding level of mids and highs.
