Okay first of all my amp burned up so I had to replace it. I just removed the amp when it became obvious that it wasn't going to work anymore and I wouldn't be able to get it repaired. I bought the same amp to replace it (PPI DCX 800.5). I took it to Audio Express because I don't have a lot of experience with this stuff and I just didn't want to mess with it. They quote me $50. I take it it there and its $75. I was like okay whatever I just want to get this done and I'm outta here. All I wanted them to do was hook it up just like it was before because beyond the amp burn up I had had no problems. I think the amp burned up because I removed the subs but did not turn off the amp - like an idiot - all the more reason I wanted pros to do it. They hook everything up but then there was some weird whining noise that was obviously from the setup they did. Plus my system was running really soft. Turns out they didn't hook up the audio control that I had. I tell them to hook it up correctly and the guy looks at it for a little bit and decides he thinks my rca or something is bad and determines that the original installation which was done by a different company is messed up and he's gonna have to redo it to the tune of another $75. I get all pissed off because the system ran fine before and I had no problems other than the amp thing - talk to the manager and then he says I only need to pay $50 more. I take it back this morning with the understanding that they are going to get the job done for $50. I leave it there and after about an hour another guy calls and says that its going to be another $75 on top of the $50 plus $20 for the new rca's because the job is going to take them the rest of the day. I feel like I'm getting totally screwed. Whats the deal here? Do you think this is reasonable?

 

Would that be true? A connected amp with no subs or speakers connected to it would cause it to burn up? I have an amp like that right now because I'm waiting on the box for the sub.

 

I dont know...thats just what I assumed happened. That I disconnected my subs from the amp but then I didn't disconnect the amp from the power source. I didn't have any problems until I disconnected the amp from the subs.

 

Youre getting ripped off. Ive had my subs disconnected with amp still powered many times in diff cars for various reasons. The whining noise is most likely engine whine from running the power and lead on the same side. Take your car somewhere else, hopefully to a friend that knows what they are doing and save some bucks.

 

Yeah i mean before the amp blew up there was def no whine. So you don't think that disconnecting the subs without disconnecting the amp was the problem with the amp burning up? What do you think it could have been? Bad wiring?

 

disconnecting the subs without disconnecting the amp should do nothing to the amp. the whine is coming from the new wiring which has been done which in turn is bad wiring. Did u check the fuses on the amp just to make sure that wasnt the problem? Dont have any experience with PPI amps? you said you have? r u running a cap or anything? do you have it bridged? Just get out of that shop and take it somewhere else. Someone on this board who lives close could probably hook this up right and save u some money. if u were in l.a. id do it for a 6 pack

 

Let me see here. If you disconnect the subs, leave the amp hooked up, amp powers on, speaker leads going to the sub that are not hooked up any longer make contact with each other, you just have shorted out your amplifier.

 

yeah i figured that thats what happened but i've heard from multiple people that that result would be kind of irregular - even from the guys at this audio install place....

 

sub wires touching eachother creates a 0-ohm load which effective makes the amp see a 0-ohm load. Dropping speaker load makes the amp work harder, thus increasing heat on internal components(resistors/transistor/ect). Theoretically you could say that this would short you amp out, but the real question is: Did you have you music playing and how high was the volume? What is you output gain set at also? If there is no A/C voice signal coming into the amp, there is nothing to amplify. So I would say if you weren't playing any music, the amp being turned on would have no relevance to the subs burning it out. But then again, we usually assume that the amp is directly triggered by the HU, so the HU was probably on and playing music. I guess you'd have to answer those questions for us as well as what stability the amp is capable of and at which ohm load? This is my theory. I could be wrong

As far as the installers.....I'd take my system elsewhere. Fixing a ground hum and shotty workmanship should not come out of your pocket.

 

if you diconnect speakers and amp is connected and speaker leads positive and negative touch yes you can short the amp out

there is still power coming from your power wire , to that amp

 

were the speaker leads left to flop around after you diconected subs

 

fyi a pro is not someone who claims to be the master of the one dollar installation for future refrence.