What makes a car audio amplifier run hot?

Question

I have an amp that runs hot. The amp is a 1200 watt off market one hooked up with a sony sub. I had 2 6x9's hooked up with the sub bridged and that made the amp just unbearable to touch. I unhooked the 6x9's and just have the sub still bridged and it still runs alittle hotter then I think it should. although not as hot as it was. the amp does not out way the speakers or visa versa they are perfect wattage wise. Could it be a ground problem? or what any ideas or suggestions would be help full.

Answer 1

Is is not uncommon for class a/b amps to get too hot to hold your hand on, especially when running a 2 ohm load. If you have a dual voice coil sub make sure it is wired correctly. Class a/b amps create heat in the process of making sound. You may consider adding a small 12v cooling fan to blow across the amp.If the wiring is correct I would not worry about it too much.

Answer 2

ther is problem with low impedance load. If you are going down with the impedance, you are running your amplyfier almost like shorted one, so the energy is returned into a heat in the output transistors and power supply. To make higher efficiency (lower heating) you should use higher impedances like in PA applications. In car audio, it will not give you enaugh power, because amplyfiers are not able to work at high impedances with high power output. Why? because it is cheap to build them like they are now. this meas that your amp is gonna make heat anyway. your problem :D car audio manufacturers are mot*er*uc**rs...

Answer 3

Bridging an amp will make the amp itself run hotter regardless, because it's combining the channels.

You could try wiring in a Fan off the remote wire of your amp.

Just an idea. I have fans cooling down my amps.