500 watts vs 1000 watts

okay sorry if this sounds like a noob question, but i think i know the answer?

lets say you have two 12" subs both are have a sensitive rating of 90db. both are to be used in a 1.25  sealed box. one sub is rated 500 watts rms the other is 1000watts rms. and you feed them the appropriate power. the 1000 watt sub would be louder correct.

ac delco am radio and sparkomatic 40 watt sound exploder

Two equal subs, one given twice the power of the other will in theory be louder, yes.Support the12volt.com

Louder: yes. By how much? my guess 3dbs. So what does that mean? Noticeably louder. . . NOT TWICE as loud. Usually when we say it SOUNDS twice as loud its about 10dbs louder.

DYohn wrote: Two equal subs, one given twice the power of the other will in theory be louder, yes.

not arguing at all, the only difference in the subs is 1 is ratted 500 watts rms the other 1000watts, so are you really giving it twice the power,  i know 1000 is dbl the watts of 500,

sorry i would test it, but my funds are low,

i know if you have a 500 watt sub and putt 1000 into (if it can thermaly take it) it will be perceived as twice as loud by ear 3db

ac delco am radio and sparkomatic 40 watt sound exploder

Should be. The 1kW sub may be less efficient. (Maybe a intra-core light show, or stiffer, etc.)

OK... SO many things you do not understand... 1: If they are equal woofers, they will have the same sensitivity. 2: If you have two woofers, one rated 1000WRMS and one rated 500WRMS, but you apply the same amount of power, they will have the same output, if, as you say they are both 90dB efficient. 3: If one woofer is rated for twice the power handling of the other woofer, they cannot be the same woofers. 4: If you have a 500 watt woofer, you cannot run 1000 watts to it, and expect it to survive. E V E R 5: If they are different woofers, as indicated by their disparate power ratings, they will have different OTHER parameters. Fs, Vas, Mms... If you try yo put them in the same enclosure volume, one will work better (really, just closer to optimum) than the other. 6: The one that is aligned closer to optimum will likely be louder, (at least in its eficiency band) no matter HOW much power you apply. Additionally...

66sportfury wrote: i know if you have a 500 watt sub and putt 1000 into (if it can thermaly take it) it will be perceived as twice as loud by ear 3db

It can't thermally take 1000W if it's a 500W sub. What, exactly do you think IS the power rating on a woofer? WHAT precisely does 500W power handling mean to you? You are aware that ANY driver's power rating *IS* in fact, the thermal rating of the voice coil/bobbin assembly, right? The question you have asked, with the limits you have placed on it, cannot be answered accurately.

I likes stevdart's reply (may it RIP). If it were the same woofer, then 1kW would be 3db louder than 500W. But it isn't.

oldspark wrote: I likes stevdart's reply (may it RIP).

...what'd I miss...? :P

Haemph, I deleted my two-sentence post because I was just pointing out to the OP that he didn't pay attention to what was already written to him in this thread - that there will be NO perception of "twice as loud".  But then I thought, if he's not paying attention to answers anyway, this answer will be no different.  Then I suggested that his 'what-if' questions were too imprecise for answering and could he just tell us what it is he wants to do?

Then, I thought, I really didn't care.  So I deleted the post.

But I likes your answer, Dave. 

Build the box so that it performs well in the worst case scenario and, in return, it will reward you at all times.

i am listening to the answers and, I'm just collecting information,  yes i know a 500 watt sub cannot take 1000, and I never said they were the same sub, somehow you took that way,  i just said one was 1000watts the other500 and both have a sensitivity rating 90 db.  both work well in the same box.. 

haemphyst thank you #6 was the answer i was looking for,

and yes that's all this is is just "what if" questions, I'm sorry that i wasted your time with this post.

ac delco am radio and sparkomatic 40 watt sound exploder