Can you blow an underpowered sub?

[mjjstang 10+ year member]

A guy told me today at the Car audio store that having an amp with 250 RMS powering a 1600 RMS sub will likely hurt the amp and the sub. I know Im going to have to look for a new amp soon if I want to get the Brahma up to its full potential. but will it actually hurt the sub. He also said that I could even go over the RMS rating by a couple hundred watts and It wouldnt hurt it. I really doubt him but he works at a car audio store and Im 17 and just got in to this stuff about six months ago. So I would think he knows a lot more than me.

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[Randy Savage 5,000+ posts]

Originally posted by mjjstang A guy told me today at the Car audio store that having an amp with 250 RMS powering a 1600 RMS sub will likely hurt the amp and the sub. I know Im going to have to look for a new amp soon if I want to get the Brahma up to its full potential. but will it actually hurt the sub. He also said that I could even go over the RMS rating by a couple hundred watts and It wouldnt hurt it. I really doubt him but he works at a car audio store and Im 17 and just got in to this stuff about six months ago. So I would think he knows a lot more than me.

I wish I can go back their with you and ***** slap him...
A Brahma can reach it's full potential with 800 watts...it all depends on the box...

Underpowering a sub will NEVER hurt the sub, unless the amp is sending it crappy wattage...but underpowering a sub will never hurt it with clean wattage...

 

[evo2k3 10+ year member]

if that were true playing the sub at low volumes would hurt it to (afterall your just reducing the amps output to make the sub play softer)......as for running more power....thats really dependant on the sub, some companies under/over rate rms values.....generally running more power constantly is like pushing your car to (or beyond) its intended preformance.....in the long run your taking miles off the cars life. I have over powered subs, but generally your not going to get much more out of them (rms usually is around peak efficency) so if your buying an amp, buy one that is rated at what the sub wants and remember that amps are also rated at rms....they WILL peak higher for harder lines.

crappy wattage...clean wattage

lol...that makes me laugh....although i understand what your saying the terminology is lacking //content.invisioncic.com/y282845/emoticons/smile.gif.1ebc41e1811405b213edfc4622c41e27.gif

 

[mjjstang 10+ year member]

Yah that guy was pretty shady...... hes the same guy that reccommended the dynamat substitute stuff. I guess Im getting clean watts with the amp I have right now because my subs still work after 6 months. So you guys would say its pretty safe to run the brahma with 250 watts for a couple months while I save up for the JBL 1200 or nine.1

 

[Randy Savage 5,000+ posts]

Originally posted by mjjstang Yah that guy was pretty shady...... hes the same guy that reccommended the dynamat substitute stuff. I guess Im getting clean watts with the amp I have right now because my subs still work after 6 months. So you guys would say its pretty safe to run the brahma with 250 watts for a couple months while I save up for the JBL 1200 or nine.1

Yeah, should be ok, won't move it too much though...
I'd go with the nine.1 over the JBL too...

 

[mjjstang 10+ year member]

Thanks I was thinking the nine.1 too. whats the RMS rating on the nine.1

 

[Randy Savage 5,000+ posts]

Originally posted by mjjstang Thanks I was thinking the nine.1 too. whats the RMS rating on the nine.1

At 14.4 volts its 1200+ @ 1 ohm

 

[mjjstang 10+ year member]

dont you have to mess with your battery and electrical system to get 14.4 volts. If so then what would the rating be if I have the 12 volt elecrtical system. also the Brahma Can run at 1 Ohm right.

 

[Randy Savage 5,000+ posts]

Originally posted by mjjstang dont you have to mess with your battery and electrical system to get 14.4 volts. If so then what would the rating be if I have the 12 volt elecrtical system. also the Brahma Can run at 1 Ohm right.

Most cars will run at 14.4...generally your car should idle between 13.6-14.4 volts...
The Brahma is DVC 2 ohm, ran in parallel thats a 1 ohm load.//content.invisioncic.com/y282845/emoticons/wink.gif.608e3ea05f1a9f98611af0861652f8fb.gif

 

[mjjstang 10+ year member]

all right thanks a lot for all the help and I definitely think Im going to get the nine.1

 

[ridered36 10+ year member]

OK, i have a XXX powered by a JBL 1200.1. I am really paranoid about blowing the sub up, even though i know the 1200.1 cant even give it enough power to blow it. I know, kinda wierd, but i guess im just paranoid.

 

[MikeofTulsa Moderator]

Originally posted by mjjstang So you guys would say its pretty safe to run the brahma with 250 watts for a couple months while I save up for the JBL 1200 or nine.1

yep....jus make sure u dont set the gains to high...thats the only way u could damage that sub w/ that much wattage.....enjoy

 

[mjjstang 10+ year member]

I know Its all in the box but if I have a brahma in a 1.25 cubed ported box and hooked it up to a 1200 rms amp couldnt I technically turn the gain all the way up since the sub is rated at 1600 rms.

 

[evo2k3 10+ year member]

Originally posted by mjjstang I know Its all in the box but if I have a brahma in a 1.25 cubed ported box and hooked it up to a 1200 rms amp couldnt I technically turn the gain all the way up since the sub is rated at 1600 rms.

thats not what a gain is for....a gain to to match the signal input voltage.....to acount for different pre amp outs and minimise distortion.....although it does effect the volume, it is not a volume control.

 

[BonusBobo 10+ year member]

Originally posted by snova031 A Brahma can reach it's full potential with 800 watts...it all depends on the box...

I can personally attest to that.... ah... it's good to be me. (I have a Brahma 15 sealed getting 800W and trust me, it's reaching xmax)