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ive got a 400w 10" splx sub, 2x13cm 110w splx speakers and 2x10cm 80w splx speakers. my head unit is a jvc and it is a 45x4w.....when i turn the volume on full all the speakers crackle, does any 1 no why this is?

I wouldn't suggest running the speakers at full volume for a prolonged period of time, as you will shorten their life. Have you considered bass blockers? If not, have a word with metz.

Karl.

I think it's pretty normal for speakers to crackle/distort on full volume.

Try redirecting all the bass (low frequencies) to the larger speakers, using the head unit if you can. That's what I do. All my bass and a bit of the mid-range is handled by the rear speakers, and all the vocals and higher frequencies come out of the smaller front ones.

However, it's whether your HU has a facility to do this.

Never a good idea to regularly go over 80% volume, the quality really starts to suffer... by that point the peak output isnt getting much higher and the amp's just increasing the level of the quieter sounds out of proportion (ie analogue "compression") --- something's eventually gotta give, and thats why you get the crackle.

Used to run my crappy paper cones like that, but thats only because i didnt care about them. Crackle - sound of either speaker or amp being overdriven.

Why are you having to put them so high? Just showing off, or are they really lacking in volume?
If the former, well, is it worth blowing your stereo, your cans, or both?
If the latter, then your equipment might need an investigation - too high an impedance, speakers connected in series rather than parallel, dicky wiring or HU amp???

My own situation I tend to run my stereo about 85% if i'm on the motorway to get a "reasonable" volume (as someone else has said before - not "considerable" by any chalk!), its a decent sony so it can just about stand it (it automatically reduces the bass boost almost to zero as you near 100%, for one thing)... only do it because my speakers are unbalanced however, got 4-ohm (ie louder but slightly noisier - standard impedance for car audio these days) JBLs up the front that can kick out a lot of noise if the fader is 50-50.. but it tends to be more 70-30 towards the back as i have 8ohm (quieter but more refined) speakers there nabbed from an old home stereo - they really need a separate amp as its all my head unit can do to provide a reasonable balanced sound in this configuration as they are so quiet with only 45w per channel on tap. (gets a bit better when the boot's empty..)

A setup where there were 3ohm (like the stock vw units from 1990) or 4ohm speakers at the back and maybe 6-8ohm up front would be a whole lot better, for the driver and front seat passenger anyway!

Ive never used full volume. Infact I have no idea what volume my radio goes up to. It starts to distort on about volume 20 and I dont think Ive been past 25.

Ditto