Amp tuning help/buzzing

I did a search and found some good info but need some help.

I've got a Cadence TX-3004 for my 6 kicker interior 6.5's and TX-3002 for the 4 kicker tower 6X9's. Problem im having is im getting a buzzing noise at low volume. I set the amps up using just my HU (I run an eq also) volume at 30 (goes to 35) and the same set of rca's, power and ground wires. Speaker wire is 14g.

Setting on both amps is:
gain is just over half
LP is at 100 interior 120 tower
Treble at 6db

The buzzing goes away if I turn down the gain but then the speakers dont sound nearly as good. Any help would be great, thanks.

Oh also if anyone could tell me a good place to start with settings for my L7 12? Im running a Hifonics 1206d to it with 900 rms and its in a sealed 1.8 cube box. Thanks.

(Message edited by bkoz on April 05, 2009)

I dont think gains are supposed to be over 30%..... Thats all I know. I know nothing about speakers, thats just what ive heard when i had buzzing in my speakers.... Oh and make sure your head unit isnt full blast. My JBL goes to 45 volume and ive heard from numerous people to not take it over 40.

if the buzzing is only when the motor is running, it's your ground. check some of the wet sounds threds of late for some good advise for amp tuning.

Volume on the HU is at 30 and max is 35. Im not starting the boat and nothing else in the boat is hooked up, just one amp at a time and they both buzz. I've looked at alot of the amp tuning threads and i've done what I need to so far as that goes but still have the buzzing. Maybe its the gains set too high? Bad RCA's?

Any ideas? Need to figure this out almost boating weather. Thanks.

bryon-

Try chasing the problem by removing rca's at different locations to determine the source of the noise.

start at the amp ,remove rca's and if the sound goes away ,you know the prob exists prior(rca's,eq,deck,etc.)plug the cables back in and disconnect them from the next junction and so on till you work your way back to the deck and you will find the noise.

then you must figure out how to resolve that component and /or replace it

I've got the same issue, and everyone I've talked to says there is nothing I can do about it. It's a grounding issue on boat, which floats in the water, and this is what happens when you have to many/large of an amp. I'm constantly told to deal with it. Good luck, and if you do find a fix, It would be great if you posted it. I would like to hear it.

First, the entire stereo systems needs to share a common ground and positive source, one battery or battery bank. Get your power and ground for the the headunit, EQ, etc, from the amp's power lugs or distribution blocks. Make sure that the RCA'a are not running parallel with power cables, and that any extra RCA cable is not coiled (this creates a magnetic field), bind it up flat. The use of a relay to power the headunit and EQ can be used as well to eliminate noise.

If you EQ is a line driver and has an adjustable gain, turn the amp's gains down and use the EQ's line voltage. Set the gains correctly, gains set too high are a major cause of unwanted noise. Where the gain dial is set on the amp i.e 1/2 way, 3/4 way, is irrelevant to it's setting, USE A PROPER GAIN SETTING METHOD. Kinda like telling the state trooper " I couldn't have been speeding, I only had the pedal half way down"

Thanks guys. Im going to hook up my eq this week sometime and use my Ipod to eliminate the HU to see if that could be the problem. I know i've got the gains set properly as I can without the using a meter. The speakers sound great other than the buzzing at low volume, and its on both amps.

Im setting my amps up one at a time on the floor of the boat through the HU (kenwood). The battery is just a couple feet away so super short 4 gauge power/ground wires with the rca's (one set) and speaker wires running the opposite direction. Im just not sure how I could have any noise coming from them since they never come in contact and arent near each other? I'll also check the ground on my HU as mentioned to make sure its good.

Brett, if I find the whats causing this i'll definitely let you know.

Ok so I mounted my amps and the buzzing was still there and the system sounded horrible. I hooked up my Ipod through the EQ and not a bit of noise, it sounds crystal clear. So either I have a bad HU or the RCA's from the HU are bad. Dunno but I use my Ipod 90+% of the time so im not too concerned about it.

(Message edited by bkoz on April 11, 2009)

(Message edited by bkoz on April 11, 2009)

If that's the case why not just take your head unit totally out of the equation since you don't use it anyways?

Yeah nu bu thats exactly what im going to do. I disconected the RCA's to the HU and i'll just leave the HU mounted for now.

bump