If you want to get a very DEEP bass, but Play your system to 2/4 of maximum volume, then you can raise your gain level, BUT DONT PLAY IT LOUD, because you may clip your subwoofer too much and damage it.
if your volume goes from 0-60, then your maximum now MUST be 25-30, higher than that you most likely will damage your subwoofer, but if you keep it low 20-25, you should get a very deep bass, with minimal or no distortion at all.
That is a good way of blowing your amp. It doesn't take much. Your guide of 2/4 of maximum volume is misleading too. Some amps will die before reaching that, while others may survive. If you max bass boost or tone controls on your HU, it'll also have dramatic effect on volume level. In summary, not a good idea at all.
You're just limiting the voltage on the HU, and adjusting the gain accordingly. There's no rational explanation as to why that would effect bass output unless you have a HU that reduces the low end at high volumes.
The only certain result your method will produce is an increased noise floor since the difference between the signal voltage and the floor voltage is so much smaller than it could be just by adjusting your gain correctly.
Have you seen what'll happen to amps when over driven? What may appear to you as "NO DISTORTION" could actually contain lot of it. Depending on the amp's design(QA), some may produce very little, while others can double or triple the distortion. Unless you have very exceptional hearing, it'll be quite hard to detect at moderate to low volume, especially with bass.
Get yourself a signal generator, scope and DMM. Then run the same test and see the results. You'll be surprised.
99% of ALL anons are douchebags. Just out to cuss the foreigner out cuz he's got more bass than you, coksucker? Well, just go suck on another one, fagboy. Until you fagets grow some hair on your nutz and REGISTER your little names and then actually say something even 1/2way intelligent, the real brains & coolcats of this forum (eg. Isaac, Joe S., GlassWolf, Jonathan and others) will continue to baffle you with their knowledge, and stomp your a$$es in the dirt like the litlle crybabies you are. Punk
Personally, I like to hear the highs, not just the bass. If I wanted bass only, I'd go get some bass mech. or other bass tracks.
Just curious, Panamanian, are you new to car audio? I used to do very similar things, until I learned how enjoyable actually hearing all the different pieces of music in a song come together could actually be.
Well said Seth. This is very true not recently did I notice that with my new install that Bass isnt the key. The bass can drive me crazy when I cant hear what the people are saying, and everything else music has to offer. "A SYSTEM NEEDS TO BE WELL ROUNDED TO REALLY BE ENJOYABLE" Alot of BASS is ok from time to time but sometimes I'd rather listen to the words. Seth has a good point.
Lol Demon, IDK why but that made me laught out loud in the middle of class.
I'm new to car audio and gain is something I still don't get at all. There are so many topics on it, but many different points of view. More bass is good, but the last thing i'd want to do is damage a sub.
gain: a sensitivity adjustment to allow the amp to make optimal power at the same point the HU produces peak unclipped voltage.
Setting it too low keeps your amp from producing the power it's capable of, setting it too high causes it to clip which, one - sounds bad, and two - CAN damage speakers if they can't handle the extra power.