Kicker Subwoofer/amp help??

[JLG]

i currently have 4 kicker 12L7 4ohm 750watt rms subs running off a kicker zx2500 watt 2 ohm stable amp powered with 0 gauge wire approx 16ft to batteries and fused. The subs are in factory built minimum kicker specification sealed boxes built for the L7 subs. when i purchased them the dealer said the amp was enough to power them but i was unsure. I wired them in series as told and they wouldn't play to full potential and amp protection light was constantly flashing at high volume. I then re wired them in parallel and sound was way better but amp protection light still flashing. I then unhooked 2 of the subs and have had very few times where the light flashes and sound is pretty good. I have 3 deep cycle fully charged batteries powering the system. Question is do i need another amp like a 1500w for the other 2 subs or should i start over with 4 new 2ohm subs and a pair of kicker 1500w amps powering 2 subs each? As I have heard a set of 2ohm 12L7s on a kicker zx1500 and they pound!! any help would be great.

[chpthril]

Jlg,

4 kicker 12L7 4ohm

Are they 2 ohm DVC's wired in parallel to 4 ohm, or 4 ohm DVC subs? Clarify this for me and we can figure out the best way to wire them so the ZX2500 runs in at a safe impedance.

The next step is to know the voltage at the amp when the problem pops up, the size enclosures they are in, where they are in the boat in relation to each other, and how the amp is tuned. But lets focus on the total load at the amp in order to stop the protect light.

[JLG]

The subs are 4 ohm dvc subs and the amp is only stable down to 2ohm i believe so im wondering if i need to go with 2 smaller like 1500 watt amps that are capable of a 1 ohm load. But again im no stereo wiring expert just try to research a lot before i spend anymore money on this setup.

[JohnnieMo]

This really sounds like a wiring issue. To get the most out of your amp you have to wire the subs in such a way as to present the amp with your 2 ohm load.

If you connect an ohm-meter to the leads running into your amp (first disconnect the wires from the amp), you will know the impedance of the setup you have now. (give or take a bit) If you run each subwoofer with its voice coils in series, then the subwoofers in parallel with each other, you will present the amplifier with a 2 ohm bridged load and your amp says it is rated for that.

Overall, there is NO way that 2500 watts shouldn't absolutely hammer that boat of yours. I don't care how many subs you put in there. That is incredible power.

As chpthrl said, it could also be a variety of other problems if this doesn't fix it for you.

[Timmy!]

Here's some options for you for 4, 4ohm DVC subs, look at Option 2 to get a 2 ohm load:
http://www.the12volt.com/caraudio/wo...s.asp~Q~4~I~42
Basically you are going to wire the voice coils in series and get an 8 ohm speaker and then wire the 4 subs in parallel to achieve a 2 ohm load on the amp. That should give you ~625 watts to each sub.
I have a single 12" L7 running off of the KX1200.1 and the thing hits very hard! I can't imagine what 4 would sound like.

[JLG]

I am beginning to think I am not getting enough power to the amp. I see that the amp recommends 14.4 volt to run effectively at 2 ohm which seems impossible unless the boat is running. I have not tested anything yet as my ohm meter somehow stopped working. I will test power to the amp to see what i have. I also noticed the box terminal nuts are a poor design and don't clamp tightly so maybe am losing power there. the amp certificate states it was rated at 2779 watts so i should have more than enough amp to move these subs. I will take the wiring diagrams and redo everything maybe i did them wrong or crossed a wire. I hope to have issue solved before next summer!! Yes timmy they should be loud as s*** i agree. i had 2 12L7 2 ohm subs in my last 20i on a cheap amp and they were loud but i have more room in this boat and well why not have more sound!! either way i will tear into this on saturday and hope to solve the issue.

[JohnnieMo]

Check all your power connections. It might be starved for current due to a bad connector. As for voltage, power equals current times voltage. If you are low on voltage, it will just draw more current. (so long as there is enough supply)

[chpthril]

Yes, the amp is only stable down to 2 ohm. It looks likes Timmy has your wiring solution that will get those 4 subs to 2 ohm.

I wouldn't worry about having 14.5v at the amp. I would make sure you the cable gauge is ample, probably needs to be 1/0. Next would the condition of the battery(s) and the connections. These can also send an amp into protect mode.

I would also inspect the condition of those enclosures. If they are getting soft the subs will.sound muddy.

[JohnnieMo]

I'd love to see a picture of where you hid four 12" subs in a 22Ve!

[Bruizza]

This is just me but I would buy 2 separate amps to run a pair of subs each. Asking 1 amp to push 4 subs is A LOT IMO. Seems like it would be working at full tilt pretty much all the time. This would make me think it would go into thermal protect pretty frequently. Plus 2 1500w amps will give you MORE power!!!! Plus neither amp should be working as hard as the single amp you have now. Just my opinion though.

[chpthril]

Don't order new amps just yet. Going to a pair of amp is not going to be that simple. If you split the subs I to pairs, you will either a 4 or 1 phm load. 1 ohm is even more stress then a 2 ohm load and 4 ohm on the amp would net less power to each sub then what they are getting now.

I will try to elaborate more lager if I get time.

[JohnnieMo]

I will try to elaborate more lager if I get time.

It's 5 o'clock somewhere!

I could go for a lager too.

[chpthril]

It's 5 o'clock somewhere!

I could go for a lager too.

Yeah I do better with 5 or 6 in. Lol

Damn auto correct.

[chpthril]

Ok,

With the four 4 ohm DVC subs wired as Timmy indicated, you will have a 2 ohm final impedance (load) on your zx2500.1. Its output will be 2500W rms to the subs, with each netting 625w. Now, for a single L7 12, 625W rms is a little below its RMS, but when you take into account that the boat has 4 of these, thats nothing to sneeze at.

In RE to changing amps to "lighten the load" on the zx2500: This amp is designed to run at 2 ohm. If the impedance is 2 ohm or higher, the amp should run just fine providing the battery supply is good and the cable size is ample. The amp will not know if its driving 1, 4 or 10 subs, it only knows the impedance placed on it. So the amp will work just as hard driving 4 subs at 2 ohm, as it would driving a single sub again at 2 ohm. This difference is headroom. If we drive a single sub or a pair of subs well above the RMS, we have headroom. This means we can achieve the desired volume level with a lower gain setting and @ a lower volume setting on the volume dial. With these 4 subs and zx2500 combo, theres not really any headroom. The subs are powered a little below their RMS and the amp is at its lowest operating impedance. But, keep in mind that theres 4 12" subs and 2500W rms. Thats a chit load of bass. To truly increase the headroom and reduce the work load on the amp, without dropping the wattage to each sub, you would have to add a 2nd zx2500 and run them both at 4 ohm. This would be 1500W rms, with each sub receiving 750W rms.

Reason being is due to the sub coil configuration. As noted, four 4 ohm dvc subs can either be a .5 ohm, 2 ohm or 8 ohm. Not many amps will handle a .5 ohm load and not many will deliver the needed power at 8 ohm. This leaves us with the 2 ohm configuration. If these are split into 2 pairs of 2 woofers, our wiring options become 1 ohm and 4 ohm. A 4 ohm load on the zx1500 is 750W rms. So this leaves each woofer netting 375W each if you swapped the single 2500 to a pair of 1500. IMO, this is a huge step backwards. So again, to lighten the load on the current zx2500 without reducing the wattage to each driver, you would need to add a 2nd zx2500. No way around it, we cant cheat the coil impedance. So the rules are set, the options are what they are, we just have to work withing those options.

Correct the coil wiring configuration, correct the amp's power cable size if needed, make sure the battery(s) is up to par and you should cure that protect mode issue.

[chpthril]

Ok,

With the four 4 ohm DVC subs wired as Timmy indicated, you will have a 2 ohm final impedance (load) on your zx2500.1. Its output will be 2500W rms to the subs, with each netting 625w. Now, for a single L7 12, 625W rms is a little below its RMS, but when you take into account that the boat has 4 of these, thats nothing to sneeze at.

In RE to changing amps to "lighten the load" on the zx2500: This amp is designed to run at 2 ohm. If the impedance is 2 ohm or higher, the amp should run just fine providing the battery supply is good and the cable size is ample. The amp will not know if its driving 1, 4 or 10 subs, it only knows the impedance placed on it. So the amp will work just as hard driving 4 subs at 2 ohm, as it would driving a single sub again at 2 ohm. This difference is headroom. If we drive a single sub or a pair of subs well above the RMS, we have headroom. This means we can achieve the desired volume level with a lower gain setting and @ a lower volume setting on the volume dial. With these 4 subs and zx2500 combo, theres not really any headroom. The subs are powered a little below their RMS and the amp is at its lowest operating impedance. But, keep in mind that theres 4 12" subs and 2500W rms. Thats a chit load of bass. To truly increase the headroom and reduce the work load on the amp, without dropping the wattage to each sub, you would have to add a 2nd zx2500 and run them both at 4 ohm. This would be 1500W rms, with each sub receiving 750W rms.

Reason being is due to the sub coil configuration. As noted, four 4 ohm dvc subs can either be a .5 ohm, 2 ohm or 8 ohm. Not many amps will handle a .5 ohm load and not many will deliver the needed power at 8 ohm. This leaves us with the 2 ohm configuration. If these are split into 2 pairs of 2 woofers, our wiring options become 1 ohm and 4 ohm. A 4 ohm load on the zx1500 is 750W rms. So this leaves each woofer netting 375W each if you swapped the single 2500 to a pair of 1500. IMO, this is a huge step backwards. So again, to lighten the load on the current zx2500 without reducing the wattage to each driver, you would need to add a 2nd zx2500. No way around it, we cant cheat the coil impedance. So the rules are set, the options are what they are, we just have to work withing those options.

Correct the coil wiring configuration, correct the amp's power cable size if needed, make sure the battery(s) is up to par and you should cure that protect mode issue.