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Bronze Member Username: CtxPost Number: 76 Registered: Jun-04 | ive heard that if you underpower a sub it would be not problem cause it does basicly the same thing when you turn down the volume(less wattage to sub)ive also heard that when you underpower a sub it causes cliping and destroys your subs which one is true? |
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Gold Member Username: Jonathan_fGA USA Post Number: 2342 Registered: May-04 | An amp doesn't always clip, but obviously a lower powered amp will strain more than a higher powered amp at the same volume. You won't hurt the sub IF you don't drive the amp into clipping. You want an amp that has the headroom to provide the power needed to meet your goals. That is the reason many audiophiles give their subs/speakers 2x to 3x the power needed to reach full potential of the system, because the power supply will have tons of dynamic range, making it more efficient and the SQ will be much, much better. Amps clip more often than people think they do because of dynamic peaks and transients. |
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Gold Member Username: GlasswolfNorthWest, Michigan USA Post Number: 4695 Registered: Dec-03 | here's the deal: any speaker can really be powered with any size amplifier up to the thermal rating (power handling) of the speaker. if your sub is rated to handle 500 watts, a 100 watt amp is fine, as you noted. the problem is, if the sub needs 300 or 500 watts to really move enough air to sound good, 100 watts won't cut it. this is where problems start. instead of people buying a bigger amp, as they should, they'll turn the gain up too far on the amp to compendate. THIS causes clipping, which causes distortion and damage to the speakers. here's more on the subject: http://www.bcae1.com/2ltlpwr.htm also, in relation to this, keep in mind that "power handling" ratings for a speaker are strictly a thermal rating. this means if a speaker says it can handle up to 500 watts continuous, that simply means the voice coil(s) can handle the heat of that much power without damage. This does NOT mean the speaker NEEDS that much power to reach it's peak output. Often a "1600 watt" subwoofer only needs maybe 350 watts to reach it's Xmech. This is one of the biggest misconceptions I see folks in this hobby mistakenly believe. |