Confused! Stereo issue...

Robf

Robf

Active Member
Apr 17, 2013
367
Winfield, WV
Boat Info
2006 44 Sedan Bridge
Cummins QSC 500s
Walker Bay Center Console Dinghy
Engines
Twin Cummins QSC 500s
Guys, just replaced the Clarion 400 watt amp with a Fusion 500 watt amp and running as 3 channels as the original was run, but now it seems I have hardly any power to the sub on the bridged channel compared to the Clarion. What gives?? I increased my power by 100 watts!! I also replaced the 4 cockpit speakers with JL Audio, and they sound fantastic, but the sub bites!


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I increased my power by 100 watts!!
Click to expand...

There may be a 100W difference in their advertised output, but that certainly will not equate to an extra 100 to the woofer. Maybe a difference of 25-50 watts rms potential, but thats still not reality. Further, its takes doubling the wattage to the speaker, to make an audible difference. Again, this is an actual increase, not an increase in advertised numbers.

So, if you expected more output, sadly i think you will be let down.

If there is a noticeable reduction in output, then you need to look into the amp configuration and tuning settings. Did you purchase the new amp from a reputable Fusion dealer with actual product and marine audio knowledge? if so, they should be your first resource on how to set that amp up for that application and how to tune it. Its their job to support you.
 
Wylie_Tunes (Michael) is a credible authority on things like this so he will help you figure it out.....

lots of other guys on here are also very knowledgeable about audio equipment....

probably a silly question but is the new Fusion amp stable at 2 ohms?....

cliff
 
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CliffA said:
Wylie_Tunes (Michael) is a credible authority on things like this so he will help you figure it out.....

lots of other guys on here are also very knowledgeable about audio equipment....

probably a silly question but is the new Fusion amp stable at 2 ohms?....

cliff
Click to expand...

New amp is stable at 2 ohms. Why do you ask?


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Wylie_Tunes said:
There may be a 100W difference in their advertised output, but that certainly will not equate to an extra 100 to the woofer. Maybe a difference of 25-50 watts rms potential, but thats still not reality. Further, its takes doubling the wattage to the speaker, to make an audible difference. Again, this is an actual increase, not an increase in advertised numbers.

So, if you expected more output, sadly i think you will be let down.

If there is a noticeable reduction in output, then you need to look into the amp configuration and tuning settings. Did you purchase the new amp from a reputable Fusion dealer with actual product and marine audio knowledge? if so, they should be your first resource on how to set that amp up for that application and how to tune it. Its their job to support you.
Click to expand...

Wylie, purchased from west marine after research on other sites. Didn't expect noticeable increase in the sub, but it is noticeably lower than the clarion amp.


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i am a novice at this stuff but I believe if you try to bridge two 4 ohm channels on an amp that is not stable at 2 ohms you will have issues.....I am not sure if these issues will reduce the power output of the bridged channel or if the amp will just overheat and cut itself off....

cliff
 
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The fusion amp is 2 ohm per chnl stable and can be run in 3 chnl mode. It should drive a 4 ohm bridged woofer ok. Its going to come down to setup and tuning. This gets into the nitty gritty details. I do not know to what degree, west marine offers detail marine audio tech support.
 
maybe contact Fusion for help with the amp setup/tuning......I doubt WM is going to be of any help with this type stuff.....

cliff
 
one more thought and I apologize upfront if this seems to be too basic of a thought for your level of experience with this....

is it possible you are bridging the wrong channels of the amp to power the sub?.....I think each multi channel amp will have the bridgeable channels marked on the amp......

cliff
 
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Cliff,

That is a valid question. It is possible to connect the speaker leads to the non-bridged left and right terminals or to even connect the speaker in a non bridged manor. Terminal layout and internal circuitry are not standardized, so they are likely different from one amp to another.
 
CliffA said:
one more thought and I apologize upfront if this seems to be too basic of a thought for your level of experience with this....

is it possible you are bridging the wrong channels of the amp to power the sub?.....I think each multi channel amp will have the bridgeable channels marked on the amp......

cliff
Click to expand...

I have confirmed the sub is correctly connected to bridge the channels. This particular amp allows you to bridge either 1 and 2 or 3 and 4. I bridged 3 and 4 as this is the way the manual showed a three channel setup.
Rob


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The LP selection is made on the sub channel with the crossover for the LP set at approximately 100hz. I have played with moving the crossover up or down with no noticeable difference other than bringing some of the high range music into the sub. I have spent hours messing with the adjustments on this channel, although the only settings are the crossover, the subsonic filter, and the bass boost. At this point I have adjusted the bass boost to about a little over half way with the gain on this channel all the way up. The HP setting is all the way down, but I don't believe this adjustment is relevant when the filter is set to LP. As I did not replace the sub, is it possible that the new speakers are more efficient and therefore significantly louder than the sub? Grasping at straws here!
Rob
BlueYonder said:
How are the low and high pass filters and crossover set?
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@ sublime

This 4 chnl amp has two gain level controls. One controls the level of the front 2 chnls and the other controls the rear two chnls, whether bridged or stereo.
 
A dock mate had the same problem with his Fusion Amp. I believe after many calls with tech support they replaced the amp for him. All was good with the replacement.


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H2ONUT said:
A dock mate had the same problem with his Fusion Amp. I believe after many calls with tech support they replaced the amp for him. All was good with the replacement.


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Click to expand...

Really?? So it was an issue with the amp?


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I am almost positive. I am trying to contact him. He travels a lot so he is tough to get a hold of. I'll let you know for sure when I hear.


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