Questioni hooked up an alpine amp to my subs and the amp has power but its not getting any power to the subwoofers
AnswerHi,
I apologize for the extreme delay in answering this question.
I'm guessing you've probably got the problem sorted out by now, but here's what I can tell you just in case it's useful:
Generally, when you have an amplifier that's powered but not producing sound, you'll need to figure out whether an audio signal is getting to the amplifier in the first place. It's possible that the problem is in the source unit, or in the RCA cables.
When I'm troubleshooting, I use a small portable powered speaker that I can connect directly to the RCA plug at the amplifier. If I get a sound through the speaker, I know there's an audio signal getting to the amp. If there's no sound, then I start troubleshooting the head unit and cables.
If you don't have a powered speaker to use for testing, you can try supplying a different audio signal to the amplifier instead. This can be done with any portable audio player, like an MP3 player, iPod, or cassette player. You'd need a Y-adapter cable to convert the portable player's headphone output to RCA's. Plug the portable player into the amplifier, and see if you get sound. If the subs play using your portable player as a source, then you'd know there's a problem with the source unit, not the amp.
If the amp is getting an audio signal, but isn't producing an output, then you should check the subwoofers. It's possible that there's a damaged sub or wiring problem that's putting the amplifier into a "protect" mode. This can also be caused by using a subwoofer system that's a lower impedance than the amp is designed for. Look for a "protect" light on the amp; if it's on, then try disconnecting the subs. If the protect light goes away, it's likely that there's a subwoofer problem. You can also try connecting one sub at a time to the amplifier, instead of both; if there's a problem with just one sub, then this will help you find it.
Hope this helps!
Brian
