I have a kicker ZR240 (i replaced my old one that blew) anyways it runs pretty hot after awhile of play time. I'm using it on some 6x9 speakers in the back with the proper impedence crossovers connected to them and i've checked and checked all the wiring everything seems good. It just gets hot even with 4 ohm stereo. Could the amp be bad?
What are you using for crossovers?
Does the amp heat up if you power it up and let it idle (no audio output)?
Does the amp heat up if you power it up and let it idle (no audio output)?
Perry Babin said:
I'm using kicker reslution impedence crossovers
Yes it does get very warm with no music playing.
The thing is i don't understand the previous ZR240 i had did the same thing??
I also had read reviews that these were "know for running hot".
If it's getting hot with no audio, the bias may be set too high.
Disconnect the speaker wires from the amp. If it still heats up, the bias is very likely too high and needs to be adjusted.
Disconnect the speaker wires from the amp. If it still heats up, the bias is very likely too high and needs to be adjusted.
To check the bias/idle current, you'll need to measure the DC voltage across the emitter resistors (large resistors with red, red, silver, gold bands). It should be near 0.001v at idle.
What do you have on the side of the amp with the transistors marked Q14/Q16?
On the side with Q30/Q32?
I'd recommend that you replace the two 30 amp fuses with a single 10 amp fuse. This will help protect the amp if you make a mistake (probes slipping...).
What do you have on the side of the amp with the transistors marked Q14/Q16?
On the side with Q30/Q32?
I'd recommend that you replace the two 30 amp fuses with a single 10 amp fuse. This will help protect the amp if you make a mistake (probes slipping...).
Just stop worrying and read some reviews online.
These cheap and under dimensioned amps get hot period.
Something which says 60+60 watt on the box might
be able to supply around 20+20 real watts and when
you connect 4 ohm speakers you can only expect it to
heat up and prolly distort as well 😉
These cheap and under dimensioned amps get hot period.
Something which says 60+60 watt on the box might
be able to supply around 20+20 real watts and when
you connect 4 ohm speakers you can only expect it to
heat up and prolly distort as well 😉
I could have sworn his amp was heating up WITHOUT a speaker connected to it. I too vote for a bias problem.
Westerp said:
Westerp said:
/\ Lol, I don't think you realize what amp he's talking about, definately not a quality issue, and very healthy in the power department. Those amps do get pretty warm without even playing audio, but hot to you may only be warm to us. You should do some more reading up and find out how many people say the same thing. If it hasn't been tampered with or repaired, and sounds good then there should be no bias problem. Now if someone's tampered with it, either from repair or maybe even thinking the bias adjustments were gain knobs then you might have the issue targeted.
In my eyes anything running on 12 volts with a chop chop power supply which
is designed to deliver as much (as can be printed on the box) watts fed into
silly looking speakers with absurd long voicecoils mounted in vibrating and
rattling pieces of steel (cars) are not to be taken serious, hot or cold
Westerp said:
In my eyes anything running on 12 volts with a chop chop power supply which
is designed to deliver as much (as can be printed on the box) watts fed into
silly looking speakers with absurd long voicecoils mounted in vibrating and
rattling pieces of steel (cars) are not to be taken serious, hot or cold
Haha this is not a silly amp, I think you may need to do a little more research on american made amps. Our country has been doing well at this for quite a while, lol. Here's his amp:
http://ampguts.realmofexcursion.com/Kicker_ZR240/
Westerp said:
It ain't cheap man. Oh yeah i have a question for you? Why would they advertise it stating it does "60 x 2" into 4 ohms?? Also have you seen a birth sheet for one of these bad boys?? i've seen one with 357 watts into four ohms. And its pretty big for a 240 watt amplifier. All i gotta tell you is do some research.
ppia600 said:
As I said, anything running on 12 volts, made to impress teens and
manufactured, not for producing high quality sound but to make a
fast buck is a silly piece of 'whatever you like to call it' in my eyes 😉
I'd much rather listen to the excursion of the cylinders in a steam engine 😀
And as far as made in america goes.... We all know that there are countries and
people who can do the same and better. I've seen quite a lot of junk coming from
the usa next to good things.
p.s. Are you really sure your 'american made' amps are not put together with
chinese parts and by some underpaid chinese childworker?
I'm not...Perry Babin said:
I got 0.002v with Q14/Q16
And with Q30/Q32 transistors i got 0.003v
I have one question? Are those little white things that have R57 on the left channel and the right channel R20 veriable resistors??? anything to with the heating up? Theres one on each side.
Thanks Perry for the help!
chipper said:
It sure is cheap only you are paying more than it's worth 😉
So the punters will but it.
I'd rather listen to 50 watts into 8 on a decent amp with speakers where
they should be 😉
I did. Thd analyzer and ears into a dummy and into speakers and I did
not like the things I've seen and heard.
Not saying there is anything wrong with the need for more power and
longer excursions, to each his/her own. But these amps are made to
make money not for producing the best (whatever the definition is) sound.
Westerp said:
As I said, anything running on 12 volts, made to impress teens and
manufactured, not for producing high quality sound but to make a
fast buck is a silly piece of 'whatever you like to call it' in my eyes 😉
I'd much rather listen to the excursion of the cylinders in a steam engine 😀
And as far as made in america goes.... We all know that there are countries and
people who can do the same and better. I've seen quite a lot of junk coming from
the usa next to good things.
p.s. Are you really sure your 'american made' amps are not put together with
chinese parts and by some underpaid chinese childworker?
I may be a teen but i'm not crazy over shattering windows and being heard from blocks. And as for you thoughts everyone is entitled to what they think about other equipment, Now i'm not going to fuss over whats made where and who manufactures what, I just want to find solutions to whats causing my amplifier to warm up. I do own one hell of an amp that is truly american and is my The Punch 150 non HD model. End of discussion!
I don't know the circuit board designations but there is a potentiometer in each channel. They are used to set the bias/idle current. Connect the meter across the emitter resistors and turn the potentiometer counter-clockwise slowly until you read 0.001 across the emitter resistors. Allow the amp to idle for a few minutes and recheck it.
This will reduce the idle current and will make the amp run cooler when you're not driving it hard. When you're driving it to full power, expect it to run hot. That's normal.
Everyone should stop replying to westwerp. He's a troll and has nothing to offer.
This will reduce the idle current and will make the amp run cooler when you're not driving it hard. When you're driving it to full power, expect it to run hot. That's normal.
Everyone should stop replying to westwerp. He's a troll and has nothing to offer.
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