CD player cuts out when you turn it up.

[PrInG]

My g/f drives a jetta and she can't turn the volume up past 25... it goes to 30 something. because it shut off the music and you have to turn the deck off and then turn it back on. I pulled the deck out. none of her speakers are run to the deck. They are run to a 4 channel amp that is in her trunk. Anyone have any idea what makes it cut out ? Bad ground or something.
Just trying to help her out and I'm totally ignorant of any kind of stereo equipment. any input is appreciated.

[da_bull]

Turn it down...problem solved...

[da_bull]

I would suspect she probably has one or more bad speakers and it is freaking the amp out. The amp is going into protection (saving itself from blowing up). Then by turning the radio and amp off then back on, it is resetting the protection circuit. Hope that helps...

[e30dream]

I have the exact same problem. mine goes up to 49 or somethign but past 35 and it cuts out. I asked the speaker guys at bestbuy and they said it was out of phase...whatever that means...

[da_bull]

Thats the thing I dislike most about BB/CC. The same guy that is trying to troubleshoot your car can be found the next week trying to sell you a microwave and all of a sudden hes a pro at them too.

Out of phase means you have two speakers playing opposite of one another. Our ears interpet sound by vibrating air waves (compression and vacuum for lack of a better term at 5:00 in the morning). When sitting in the drivers seat, and the left & right speakers move in at the same time, they are considered to be "in phase". If you have one speaker that moves in while the other moves away from you, they are "out of phase". In the car enviroment out of phase (with the midrange speakers only) is not necessarily a bad thing. Most cars are set up terrible for GOOD sound quality. You are sitting 2 feet from the drivers side speaker and 6 feet from the passenger side one. By the time the compression part of the driver's side sound wave hits your ear, there is a slight delay for the passenger side to hit your right ear. Sometimes you can overcome this by purposely putting the drivers speaker out of phase. Some cars sound better this way. My car doesnt because the 5.25"ers are down in the kickpanel, which puts the distance further away from your ears (5 feet drivers and 7 feet passenger) which is slightly better for the sound to hit both of your ears at the same time.

An amplifier doesnt care if your speakers are out of phase, it may or may not sound as good, but it doesnt care. An amp cutting off (whether it be headunit power or an amp), usually is doing what I described up a couple threads.

Sorry for the long post, but after 16+ years at a car audio shop, the "big box" stores really tweak a nerve with me. Yeah you might find one guy every once in a while that knows his stuff, but that isnt the norm. They are salesmen first, knowledgeable beyond their own personal car, dead last.

da_male_mooer...

[PrInG]

so how do I rearrange things so that she can... JAM as she so blondely put it .. lol

[drz]

Get speakers that are matched to the amp outputs (right cow? )

[e30dream]

so...fuck best buy. just replace speaker that doesnt work? or... (i am the worst with audi/video/electrical..trust me...)

[da_bull]

Pring: Daniel is muay new apprentice. Check which speaker(s) is/are bad. Most of what happens is you have a 10-15 year old car with stock speakers in one location or all locations and one goes bad (because of the extra added power), and makes the amp go into protection. Replace as needed. Check and see what the deck actually does go up to. You shouldnt have to EVER go past 2/3 to 3/4's of what the deck can do. If it goes to 35, about 25-28 is all you should ever turn it up to. If its not loud enough at that volume, get a bigger amp/better speakers. What happens is (for arguements sake) at 30, the deck starts distorting (which is what blows speakers), and doesnt get any louder. Then she can "jam"...

[da_bull]

E30: Yes, the heck with BB (not you Bunny of the Beach). Have a reputable shop (a car audio shop that has been around a while, with some older salesmen/installers, someone who has been in it a while) check it out if you dont feel comfortable tackling it. Or if your not in a real hurry, I can probably walk you through it on here. I am only on here of an evening 2-3 times, and in the morning for a few minutes while eating my Honey Nut Cheerios...

[e30dream]

mmm honey nut cheerios are good for your heart!

ill probably do it myself... im not big on paying for audio. i have 2 1-year old alpine speakers in the back..and the front ones are stock... think one of them may be out? should i test them by finding the corresponding speaker wires from them and connecting to wires from the HU and see which one isnt putting out?

[da_bull]

Yup check the stockers first. Take the speaker wires loose and check again...