WOW ..what a huge difference a line driver makes on a Xenon.

gentlejax2 · Post by **gentlejax2** » Tue Nov 18, 2008 11:09 am

Just installed a Audiocontrol line driver to my 200.2 ....I wont need a sub now its rocking so much harder than without....

...all I can say is wow....

and that the Audiocontrol works better than the PG I used to have...also the Audiocontrol has led's so it tells me in increments what voltage its putting out....and even has one for MAX....

I am very pleased with the new output.....gains are all the way down on the Xenon also...

deathcloud · Post by **deathcloud** » Tue Nov 18, 2008 11:11 am

what is the model of the audiocontrol one you have? What PG line driver did you have before?

Post by **stipud** » Tue Nov 18, 2008 11:14 am

Assuming you are gain matched, there should be no volume difference

deathcloud · Post by **deathcloud** » Tue Nov 18, 2008 11:16 am

yea thats true huh....

Post by **fuzzysnuggleduck** » Tue Nov 18, 2008 12:32 pm

gentlejax2 wrote:and that the Audiocontrol works better than the PG I used to have...also the Audiocontrol has led's so it tells me in increments what voltage its putting out....and even has one for MAX....

Indicator LEDs are all fine and well, but they don't replace measurements with a DMM.

Post by **Francious70** » Tue Nov 18, 2008 12:41 pm

stipud wrote:Assuming you are gain matched, there should be no volume difference

Not if his HU puts out shit for voltage like mine.

Post by **stipud** » Tue Nov 18, 2008 12:50 pm

Francious70 wrote:
stipud wrote:Assuming you are gain matched, there should be no volume difference
Not if his HU puts out shit for voltage like mine.

Gain range is 0.25v-8v. Unless your deck is putting out less than 0.25v, the amp should be able to reach full power. Granted it would sound shitty, but it shouldn't be louder...

gentlejax2 · Post by **gentlejax2** » Tue Nov 18, 2008 1:57 pm

oh yeah...

well....I have a older Clarion 9675z and until I put the line driver on it..I had the gains on the amp set to roughly 3/4 and it wasnt all that loud.

I have the gain on the amp at minimum..whatever that was...and the amp is putting out the power with more authority...

Now it may not be making more power but its doing whatever it is doing with more force and clean...

the LED's are labeled....2volt...4 volt..5 volt...7.5 volt..9 volt...or something like that....

as the gain is turned up the volts increase....till its putting out max...

I forget the model # but its the 2 channel model....

I had the 6 channel PG line driver with the gain pots under hood....just like everyone else on here has or has used...

This is much better....

whatever the case may be I am now getting my power out of the Xenon where before I was not getting it all...

..and again...its strong and clean and no noise

Post by **stipud** » Tue Nov 18, 2008 2:01 pm

You're not gain matched at all then

The amp, set to 3/4 gains with your lower preamp voltage was probably not producing as much power as it is now... and that's the difference you are hearing. Done properly, you would have no more power before or after, but a slightly lower noisefloor.

You would have no audible difference between the AC and TLD either, if you did this, and gain matched their outputs.

Do this:
http://phoenixphorum.com/gain-setting-w ... vt280.html

deathcloud · Post by **deathcloud** » Tue Nov 18, 2008 2:01 pm

so would you be selling the TLD-66? I am assuming that is what you have.

And that is crazy that one is better, my dad has the TLD-66 and it puts out 10 volts when we had a DMM hooked up to it. I am trying to get a TLD-66 but if it isn't as good as the audiocontrol one then I may just get that one you have. Pm me if you are selling it.

deathcloud · Post by **deathcloud** » Tue Nov 18, 2008 2:05 pm

asdfasdf

Stipud do you think an audiocontrol line driver could actually be better than lets say a TLD-66 or even a SLD-44? I thought they all do the same thing....

edit

Now i am considering getting this one instead of a TLD-66... but if they all do the same I don't need to pay extra for a display of voltage and all that which i think is why the price is kinda high.

audiocontrol Matrix 6-channel line driver

Post by **fuzzysnuggleduck** » Tue Nov 18, 2008 2:12 pm

deathcloud wrote:Stipud do you think an audiocontrol line driver could actually be better than lets say a TLD-66 or even a SLD-44? I thought they all do the same thing....

Amps all do the same thing too, but as you know well there are variations of quality and power. It comes down to how much clean gain can your LD produce. If the TLD max output isn't enough for you, look elsewhere. If it is, it should produce the same results as another quality LD such as the AudioControl (assuming they put out the same voltage).

gentlejax2 · Post by **gentlejax2** » Tue Nov 18, 2008 2:14 pm

ok...let me clarify..what I mean by better.....

for the sake of adjustment the Audiocontrol is better....the gain adjust is on top and I can see the actual progression of voltage or at least what they consider the progression....it may not be 100% acurate but its something.....

with the PG line driver ..you had to remove the cover and mess with the littel pots....

the one I HAD made some hellacious noise issue when I tried to adjust it sometimes...made it hard to mess with.....

I didnt do a A/B test with both line drivers...I sold the other PG line driver long time ago

this Audiocontrol also has balanced inputs / outputs .....

they might not sound any different but for the person who isnt going to pull out a dmm and some test tones then this is better to use....

that is what I meant by better....

I dont have the PG line driver any more..... I had a 6 channel with the gray cover...tantrum series I think.

Capital_M · Post by **Capital_M** » Tue Nov 18, 2008 6:37 pm

Don't xenons need a high (over

input voltage to reach max power? If thats the case then it should make a difference.

thedeal7235 · Post by **thedeal7235** » Tue Nov 18, 2008 6:47 pm

couldnt a line driver , "appear to make it sound louder", b/c its sending a CLEANER signal? Kinda like subs , sometimes tend to sound better/more output, b/c all the RATTLES got deaden?

Post by **bdubs767** » Tue Nov 18, 2008 7:16 pm

from what errin's said the xenon are weird and need a shit ton of voltage to run power.

deathcloud · Post by **deathcloud** » Tue Nov 18, 2008 8:04 pm

Well maybe i will save for the audiocontrol 6 channel line driver. Since PG doesn't make any of them anymore. Wish they did

Post by **stipud** » Wed Nov 19, 2008 7:39 am

thedeal7235 wrote:couldnt a line driver , "appear to make it sound louder", b/c its sending a CLEANER signal? Kinda like subs , sometimes tend to sound better/more output, b/c all the RATTLES got deaden?

The gain section of the amp does the exact same thing as a linedriver, all it does is up your pre-amp voltage. The linedriver may have a different op-amp than the gain section of the amp. Because of this, it may reinforce certain frequencies better than a crappy chip. I don't think this is a real issue with PG amps however.

Though, even with different chips, a 60Hz tone played and gain matched through both of them will be equally loud either way.

gentlejax2 · Post by **gentlejax2** » Wed Nov 19, 2008 8:29 am

obviosly the gain was wrong but quite frankly I was already way past the point I normally like to go....

I prefer having the signal voltage upped before and leaving the gains on the amp all the way down....

I am guessing the voltage out on this deck is weaker than the advertised 4 volts...

not a problem now.....

Post by **stipud** » Wed Nov 19, 2008 8:54 am

gentlejax2 wrote:I am guessing the voltage out on this deck is weaker than the advertised 4 volts...

Guarantee it. You're probably lucky to get 1 volt out of that thing, which is what I measure out of typical "4 volt" headunits. The RCA ratings seem to be no different than the "55x4" ratings for the speakers (they mean 10x4).

God I love it when people say "why would I install a 75 watt amp when my Sony deck does 60 watts already!?".

deathcloud · Post by **deathcloud** » Wed Nov 19, 2008 10:31 am

So does that mean my kenwood excelon x592 isn't going to put out 4 volts from the deck? I was hoping it would...

Post by **kg1961** » Wed Nov 19, 2008 10:47 am

isn't going to put out 4 volts . I know only H/U decks.

gentlejax2 · Post by **gentlejax2** » Wed Nov 19, 2008 11:55 am

mikelycka wrote:isn't going to put out 4 volts . I know only H/U decks.

what? ...I know only H/U decks....

what are you trying to say...?

but yeah..that Kenwood isnt one of the high end ones so its not going to do the 4volts...plus if it ever did 4 volts its would be max and not constant...

you want real head unit volts then get an Eclipse 8 volt deck.....or get a line driver...best $50 I ever spent..

Post by **stipud** » Wed Nov 19, 2008 12:01 pm

Nope, sorry.

But you have linedrivers anyways, so no worries

If 4 volt headunit put out a realistic 1 volt, imagine what your typical 2 volt headunit does.

Either way, higher voltage is going to be better, it's just not going to be accurate.

deathcloud · Post by **deathcloud** » Wed Nov 19, 2008 12:42 pm

stipud wrote: If 4 volt headunit put out a realistic 1 volt, imagine what your typical 2 volt headunit does.

Either way, higher voltage is going to be better, it's just not going to be accurate.

I am not picking up what you are putting down... unless you are saying if my deck that is 4 volts actually does 1 volt (which is shitty it could at least do 2 volts) and a 2 volt deck does like .275 or something just so small YOU HAVE to have a line driver for some amps...

Yes I do have a line driver, 2 in fact, I may just have the front rear from the SLD-44 for my x200.4 and have the PLD-1 in the back for my xenon sub. Point is I didn't want my Line drivers to work that hard to get my voltage up so I wanted my deck to have a pretty high voltage so that I wouldn't have to be cranking the line driver almost full to get desired voltage.

WOW ..what a huge difference a line driver makes on a Xenon.

WOW ..what a huge difference a line driver makes on a Xenon.

Re: WOW ..what a huge difference a line driver makes on a Xe