I have a Rockford Fosgate P3 2x12 (two 12-inch subs, 1200W RMS, 2400W max, 1 Ohm impedance) paired with a matching Kicker CX1200.1 Class D Mono amp (1200W RMS, 2400W max). I’ve read about using a multimeter or test tones to set the gain, but no matter what I try, it just sounds like loud bass without any distortion. I love how it sounds, but I’m worried about damaging my speakers.
I drive a 2010 Ford Fusion with a 150-amp alternator. Should I set the gain higher and adjust the bass level from my car depending on the music? Or would it be better to keep the gain a bit lower and get a bass knob for more control? Any advice would be great! Thanks!
You should set the gain based on your radio’s output voltage. If the radio outputs 2V, set the gain to 2V. If it’s 4V, set it to 4V, and so on.
If you’re unsure about the output, you can measure it with a multimeter. Another way is to play a 40Hz test tone and aim for around 34.6VAC at the amp output.
@Baylen
I tried the multimeter method, and the numbers jump around. It went from 34ish to 55 and then back down to 33ish when I slowly turned the gain up. I used a 50Hz, 0dB test tone from Kicker’s website. Is this normal?
@Oli
Are you saying 55 is the highest it goes when turned all the way up and 34 is where it starts? If so, 34 would already be around 1200W, which matches your amp’s rated power. Kicker amps sometimes do a little more than rated, so if you’re looking for a bit extra, you could aim for the square root of the watts from your amp’s birth sheet.
@Baylen
Actually, when the gain is all the way down, it’s closer to 16. As I turn it up, it hits 34, then jumps to 55, and then drops back down to 33 when I go a little higher. It’s confusing me. I’ve checked everything, including my multimeter settings and the amp itself, and it all seems fine.
