are bass knobs all they're cracked up to be?

[BoomBoxStereo 10+ year member]

seems like a good idea, but i hear a lot of negatives about them too

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[supermaxx123 10+ year member]

With a properly set gain I don't see why it would be a negative thing. Mine does make a sorta low pop/scratch noise when turn from off to slightly on but nothing that would ever blow my sub.

 

[Bettr n' Revrse 5,000+ posts]

They are different... Some control gain some bass boost and bass boost is bad...

 

[chillin 10+ year member]

depends on the kind of bass knob and if you set your gains properly. Some bass knobs are centered around a specific frequency ex 45hz. So when you turn up the knob, you are not turning up all bass, just boosting that one area. Others boost the gain of the amp, so all frequencies that are going to the sub. In both cases you want them to be at full when you set the gains and then turn them down when you want less bass. If you have them low when you set your gain, then try to get more bass out of your system from the knob, you will just be clipping your amp.

 

[goingdef 10+ year member]

I run two knobs in my dash one controls the attenuation of my sub amp via patching through the rca's and the second one is a boost knob on my high's but it works by the fact RF shows you the curve of the boost on hpf with the slope and roll off from 15khz so I used that so I have an equal opposite slope set on my HU's eq.

 

[quackhead 10+ year member]

seems like a good idea, but i hear a lot of negatives about them too

In general, it depends on the user and the boost remote, some have a clipping indicator light. With the system properly set up to begin with, it should not ever be needed.

If you are referring to the boost knob on a low wattage class A/B amp, such as the one in your sig, I would highly recommend against it. The subs you have may not be the best there is, but that amp will kill them if driven beyond it's means.

 

[disturbed471985 5,000+ posts]

I kinda like the use of my gain controls over the years its much easier to cut my subs down via a turn of a knob when playing rock rather then going threw my massive HU menu to find where the sub control is.... Just be sure to have knob connected to amp and turned all the way up before you set your gains on amp........ If not you will find out why lol

 

[ChevyRidinLow]

seems like a good idea, but i hear a lot of negatives about them too

on anything you can afford based on the 150 amp budget you stated....its gonna be bad.