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Hey all, i was searching but couldn't find a result for this problem...so bear with me if it was answered already.

I have the following modest budget setup (and frankly i need nothing more...for now):

Boston Rally 5.25 Components (FD)
Kenwood Typhoon 10" Sub
Kenwood KAC-8452 4 Channel 70rms x 4 Amp
Aiwa CDC-304 (which i got because it was cheap and i can hook my ipod to the front AUX, yes i am lazy and on a tight budget)

Now the problem is this: Whenever i turn on the volume (and i can notice it quickly on heavy bass songs) after a short period of time, say 10-15 mins the volume drops, the amp doesnt shut off, it just lowers the volume.

I don't know if its not getting enough juice (the amp has a 40A fuse) or its the head unit or the amp, but everything is new, and basically im hoping it isnt a problem with the amp...

Any ideas on this? its really annoying when your volume drops, just like when its cut off completely...could it be that the amp is overheating?

 
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what gauge of wire are you running?

 
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These may seem like obvious questions, but it never hurts to ask:

-- Does the amp feel hot to the touch when this happens?

-- How are your wires run? (Power down one side of the car, signal down the other?)

-- What gauge power and ground wires are you using?

-- Have you checked your grounds?

 
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Maybe you're just ruining your hearing. Listen for 30 seconds then leave the car, but keep the music going. Go back in after 10-15 and see if it really dropped. I used to think the same thing about my system but it was really just my ears getting tired and becoming used to the loud music.

 
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thanks for the reply!
Im running 8 gauge wire, and the installer ran the power and the signal wires on the same side (passenger side).

My hearing is fine, the thing is the volume drops...then goes up again...then drops...i tend to believe its the amp having some sort of protection agaisnt heating up...because it does get somewhat hot, but i thought it was normal, maybe it isnt...could a cooling fan be a good option?

Btw, im driving a 03 Civic EX.

 
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Even if you put a fan on it, it should not be getting hot. You really arent pushing it very hard to get hot. Try turning your gain down a little. Does the Headunit get warm at all? Make sure the grounds are on a clean surface and are very tight.

After all that it sounds like your amp might be going bad, it should not get hot. warm after long extended periods of use, but not hot

 
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I'm gonna try setting the gain on the subwoofer down a bit, sometimes (in some hip hop songs) it can be downright overpowering. We'll see, but yeah i think the amp is going into thermal protection mode, i tried pushing it harder earlier today and it shut off after a while. So its the amp, the HU doesn't get hot.

 
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if your pushing alot a bass the car's altenator and battery might not be able to keep a consistant charge.. are your headlights dimming as well?

also make sure that you ground cable is the same guage as the power cable and that the ground is making good contact with a metal surface.

 
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hi all. Thanks for caring.
Seems like the problem was the amp's gains were "too high" (around 65%).
So far, i managed to do this: set the gain on the components to around 45%, Xo'd at 100hz (was on 85 before) and the bridged sub channel to like 40%, and while now it doesn't get "as loud" at least it didn't overheat this morning on my 35min commute.

I guess either the amp isn't all that great or the HU's preamps is a POS.