Buy an amp to overpower subs?

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chevyman26

Copper - Posts: 227

Joined: April 14, 2004

Location: United States

Posted: May 11, 2004 at 4:31 PM / IP Logged

O.K., I read in a Car Audio & Electronics that you should buy your amp at least a couple hundred watts bigger than what your subs are rated for so that the subs are being driven well within the amps "clean" capabilities. Does this sound right, and if so how would you set your levels so as not to fry the sub? For example, I have 2 SVC subs that handle 500W ea. I want to buy an amp that is rated at 1400W ( all RMS, of course.) Am I playing with fire here?

You'd better get me out of this lord... or else you'll have me to deal with. -- Hunter S. Thompson "F.A.L.I.L.V."

kgerry

Platinum - Posts: 3,455

This member consistently provides reliable information

Joined: February 07, 2004

Location: Saskatchewan, Canada

Posted: May 11, 2004 at 4:39 PM / IP Logged

i have always overpowered my own systems and i've never blown up anything ever.... you can turn it up and still be using clean power...just use your ears as a benchmark... distortion ( the amp clipping ) will fry a speaker far more quickly than an excess of clean power.....

Kevin Gerry

Certified Electronics Technician

MECP First Class Installer

Owner/Installer

Classic Car Audio

since 1979

Mrhunter

Copper - Posts: 86

Joined: December 22, 2003

Location: United States

Posted: May 11, 2004 at 4:50 PM / IP Logged

What does clipping mean?

chevyman26

Copper - Posts: 227

Joined: April 14, 2004

Location: United States

Posted: May 11, 2004 at 5:08 PM / IP Logged

DYohn wrote:

Clipping is distortion that occurs when an amplifier is being pushed beyond it's usable limits. It is called clipping because on an oscilloscope you can see the waveform tops being "clipped" off and flattened out. Trained ears can her it when it begins, and most anyone can hear it when it's severe. Lower quality amplifiers (and especially head unit buiilt-in amplifiers) tend to go into clipping at the RMS output limit.

Clipping can destroy a speaker, and in very severe cases can destroy an amp.

You'd better get me out of this lord... or else you'll have me to deal with. -- Hunter S. Thompson "F.A.L.I.L.V."

chevyman26

Copper - Posts: 227

Joined: April 14, 2004

Location: United States

Posted: May 11, 2004 at 5:12 PM / IP Logged

Is there a way to tell by ear if you are pushing too much power to the subs, even if it it is clean power? It shouldn't be clipping, but will there be any indication?

You'd better get me out of this lord... or else you'll have me to deal with. -- Hunter S. Thompson "F.A.L.I.L.V."

stevdart

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Joined: January 24, 2004

Location: Pennsylvania, United States

Posted: May 11, 2004 at 5:59 PM / IP Logged

I am guessing that the opinion you read and referred to in your original post was from a participant in a forum, and not a highly qualified audio engineer. I am just a forum participant too, and certainly no engineer of any kind, but I know that buying an amp that is one to two hundred watts more powerful than the speaker can handle is just plain foolish. You better have some extra speakers on hand to replace the ones you ruin.

It seems like it is the common mistake of not understanding how to adjust the amp sensitivity (using the gain control) with the volume on the head unit. An amp that will produce 1000 watts is going to make that much power no matter where the gain control is set. Let's say you bought that advice and decided to overpower your speakers. As you turn the volume up, you won't get to that 'critical stop' point where distortion begins and you know to back off because you're at the limit. Too much power is fed to the speakers and they over-excurt. Too much heat. And some other things I don't know about. Goodbye.

However, if the amp and speaker RMS are matched, and the amp input sensitivity is set to match the output of the head unit (see setting gain), as you turn the volume up you will reach that 'critical stop' point because the distortion will sound terrible and you'll turn it back down. That is, if you are pushing it past the point on the dial you know not to go past.

This can be argued, and is, either way. Because truth is both will destroy a speaker. But one way makes sense and the other way doesn't.

To answer your Question " is there a way to tell by ear...", the answer is sometimes and sometimes not. Maybe and maybe not. Don't overpower your speakers so you don't have to find out for yourself.

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

chevyman26

Copper - Posts: 227

Joined: April 14, 2004

Location: United States

Posted: May 11, 2004 at 6:06 PM / IP Logged

The guy that wrote the article was Steve Brown from Alpine USA. He designs and builds alpines show cars.

You'd better get me out of this lord... or else you'll have me to deal with. -- Hunter S. Thompson "F.A.L.I.L.V."

pureRF

Silver - Posts: 619

Joined: July 22, 2003

Location: United States

Posted: May 11, 2004 at 6:07 PM / IP Logged

No you shouldnt overpower your subs. You should buy a good enough amp that will run its true RMS which should match the subs RMS

dream it, build it, fiberglass it

stevdart

Platinum - Posts: 5,816

Joined: January 24, 2004

Location: Pennsylvania, United States

Posted: May 11, 2004 at 6:17 PM / IP Logged

I went to high school with a Steve Brown. He was a real bullsh!!ter. I'm going to search for his article.

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

Mrhunter

Copper - Posts: 86

Joined: December 22, 2003

Location: United States

Posted: May 11, 2004 at 6:18 PM / IP Logged

A little bit of a common name isnt it?

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