my question is where in the gain is the rated max output of the amp. maybe the question isnt worded right... my kenwood is rated for 460w rms on 4 ohms, is that at 0% gain or 100% gain? or is it somewhere in between. im lookin to go as loud as i can safely...

just for reference:
my set up is Orion xtrpro102 powered by a kenwood KAC-7201

Amp:
Bridged Power Output at 14.4V (1kHz, 0.8% THD): 460 Watts x 1
Maximum Output Power: 800 Watts

Sub:
RMS : 500
Peak: 1000

 

in retrospect sayin is it as 0 gain is stupid..obviously its not

 

My amp currently does it's max power at 0 gain.

The gain knob on an amp is not a volume knob. It's sensitivity. Since I have 9v outputs from my line driver I can safely get my maximum power output from my amp without touching the gain knob. So how high you set your gain depends on the voltage output of your hu and the sensitivity range of your amp.

 

It all depends on the signal that it's receiving from the source unit. It could be in the middle on one and maxed out on another.

I know two ways to properly set your amp's gain.

I. Requires Test Equipment

http://mobile.jlaudio.com/pdfs/gainSetting.pdf

II. Simple way:

1. Turn the input level control on the amp to minimum (fully counter-clockwise).
2. Play a CD and turn up the receiver's volume control until:
   • you hear distortion on the speakers connected to the amp (this can happen even with low output), or
   • you reach about 3/4 volume setting.
3. When you begin to hear distortion, you have exceeded the maximum setting for the volume control on the receiver. Turn the volume down slightly until the distortion is eliminated. This is the highest clean signal available from the receiver.
4. Now you can turn up the input level on the amp to a comfortable volume. If you begin to hear distortion, turn the input level down slightly.

 

Nowhere, it’s apples and oranges. Gain would be measured in dB power (dBw) or voltage (dBv) not %. Think of the gain setting as a way of matching the input level (voltage) to the amplifier so that it can provide its max output level without distortion.

The math would be too involved to calculate the required gain in dB for a given input voltage to achieve a desired power into a certain load. I can do it, but your average DIY installer can’t, so just supply an input voltage in your amps range and follow the set up instructions for your gain setting and you will be good to go.

Another way to look at it is the gain control is an input signal match. Using it you can set the amp for full output at any input level in the amps specified range

Jeff

 

thx just gotta play with it til i hit the butter zone i suppose

 

Forgot to mention but it was mentioned in another thread that you're getting a lot of distortion thru your head unit. Might want to fix that first, before any attempts to hit the butter zone are attempted.

 

wasnt thru the head unit.. am on stock interiors and i use an aux mp3 jack so its not the clearest signal... but im starting to get back into cds.