*Ahem* I see this thread has quieted down. Allow me to stir it back up. Please read the last paragraph if you’re impatient, I promise I have a relevant point.
Good morning. My name is Karl. I am an audio engineer, but don’t let my credentials fool you because I have a habit of “listening to the experts” and letting them ruin my work. However, I’m in a mood right now and I’m going to try and change that.
I just bought a system from Crutchfield. I was on a strict budget and had to meet certain requirements so I made some compromises but overall I am satisfied… sort of.
The system: Sony AX6000, Pioneer GM-DX874 (bridged to 2 channels of 300 watts rms), 3-way Infinity Kappa Perfect 600’s, Rockford Fosgate Punch 300 10”, all installed in a 2008 Chevy Trailblazer LS with every single ground wire replaced, new alternator, new battery. Amps are powered by the fuse box terminal under the rear seat, grounded to the body bolts closest to them with the surface ground down to flush bare metal, twelve inch long cables. The Punch is run by 8 gauge, the Pioneer is 4 gauge.
When I installed this system it was loud enough to blow my eardrums if I so chose. It was also as clear as a professional studio. I was in love, because I have built a few professional award winning studios and this system rivaled them all (except one, but that’s another story). And then… the amp started going into protect mode for just a second here and a second there when I would turn the volume up. Now, I can still get loud, but not as loud as a concert (which I need, for reasons), and definitely not loud enough to blow my eardrums (which I also need, although I will never use).
The Fosgate sub does not drop out, ever, so I have ruled out overall system voltage drop due to charging system. The impedance is consistent throughout. Gains are set correctly. I checked the inline fuse for the amp’s positive wire, and it had a little dimple in the fuse wire so just to test it I ordered some replacements from Crutchfield and in the meantime I have bridged that fuse with a thick twisty tie. Since bridging the fuse (it SHOULD have a tolerance of about 150-200 amps) the problem has gotten a little better, but has not been fixed.
So, I called Crutchfield. At this point in time I am a little salty towards them because the first time I called them they gave me advice that I thought was a little weird but I went with it and blew my tweeters (they’ll have new ones to me Wednesday). But, hey, worth a shot. Their response?
The speakers are now broken in, and so I can’t turn them up as loud without using more power and putting the amp into protect mode.
I specifically asked this advisor “so you mean to say that now that these speakers are broken in, basically, I can’t get as much loudness from them?” He said, assertively: “yes, that is correct.” Uh… thoughts? First of all, I am pretty sure I broke these speakers in with the first week of ownership. I drove this truck so much I almost got a divorce. I am now known by pretty much everyone in my small town as the “***hole with the loud truck and the Marine Corps license plate”. I broke them in. Second, he is telling me that now that they are broken in I cannot get as loud, and that REALLY doesn’t make a lick of sense to me. I asked my kids (12, and 9 years old), what they thought about this, because they often are creative the way children are and can think outside my box, and they are as stumped as I am. So that does it. If they are stumped, I must really be screwed. Anyone wanna sidestep the speaker break-in thing and offer some real advice? Anyone else wanna put me in my place and explain how speaker break in can provide me with LESS loudness-per-watt?
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