question for the audio gurus

[deejay21]

On Friday I got 2 Kicker '04 S8L7's which I installed in the box I already had for my previous Eclipse 8" subs. I've got a Fosgate amp powering the subs which was installed by a stereo shop under the driver seat. After pounding on the subs for a while, the amp overheated and kicked off to reset, but when driving it seems to be okay (Spyder). Aside from location, what else could be causing the amp to overheat? Could the gain be set wrong? (It never overheated with the last subs) Could my amp not be powerful enough for the subs (450 rms apiece)? I'm pretty capable, just inexperienced with car audio. Any suggestions would be most appreciated.

 

[Nerfherder]

The RMS rating of your woofers is kind of a duty-cycle for speakers. They can handle over that amount of RMS input for small periods of time. If you are not providing all 450Watts to the subs, that is not an issue and would not cause your amp to overheat. Impedance (sort of a resistance) can cause overheating. If you are running two woofers connected in a series configuration, with 4-ohms of impedance each, the total impedance is 2 ohms. You have a Rockford amp, so I'm sure it is capable of supplying power at this impedance (2-ohm stable.) Running a system at 2-ohms will cause more heat, though, and more distortion. I'm guessing that the location of your amp is the issue. If you are bumping at high volume levels for a long period of time, the amp and the speakers are going to heat up. Does the amp have an internal fan? If not, and you want to run an amp under the seat, you might want to find an amp that has one. That, or just wait for winter. Good luck.

 

[Attack Eagle]

most 2 channel amps are not capable of running bridged into a 2 ohm load... those that can run really hot.

if had fosgates that would get hot enough to literally cook an egg into a 4 ohm load.

if it is not an issue while driving try a squirrel cage fan... they are low enough in profile to sit right necxt to the amp and provide it with constant airflow.

 

[deejay21]

I forgot to mention, I also wired the subs (which are the 4-ohm dual voice coil models) to where they run an 8-ohm load. Maybe this is the reason and I need to run a 2-ohm load instead?

 

[Mack]

The higher the resistance, the lower the current for the same voltage. So running them at 2 ohm would increase the current flow.
What model amp is it? You're most likely driving the amp way too hard for what it is, maybe clipping it too. Might have to buy a bigger amp to get the amount of bass you want.

 

[deejay21]

Also, I forgot to mention that the amp being used (which I didn't know till now) is a Rockford 300s punch mono 2 channel 300w amp. It looks just like I need a bigger amp, so what do you guys think would be a good replacement? Thanks

 

[Mack]

How much are you looking to spend...then we'll tell ya....

 

[pinknuggit]

That new rockford amp won't get anywhere near pushing those L7's to their full potential.
I would turn the gain down until the amp stops overheating and save up for a new one.
If you have dual 4 ohm subs, you can only get a final impedance of 1, 4, or 16 ohms. Wire each sub series, then wire them together paralell and it will yield a 4 ohm load, which your amp should be able to handle. Turn the gain down until you can afford a new amp.
I'm not much for amp reccomendations because I am biased and I have personal standards.

 

[realitytb]

rockford is good, but yes, the new ones arent as good. Look on ebay and get an older style amp thats rockford, or get a different brand. I have an older rockford, and ive NEVER had any problems. its wired at 2ohms (i think) and works great with my JL's.