How much power do you really NEED ?

[ultimate157 5,000+ posts]

Everyone these days seems to look at one thing first and foremost: Power handling. Most manufacturers are trying to make every last drop of power from their amplifiers, and this tends to lead to much lower quality in terms of output and physical components.

15 years ago they were running entire systems with less power than some people have on just their mids/highs today.

So two questions come up: Why such a huge increase in power, and where do you draw the line?

Keep in mind I'm talking about pure quality installations... Not looking for competition vehicles.

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[Louisiana_CRX 5,000+ posts]

one can never have enough power //content.invisioncic.com/y282845/emoticons/biggrin.gif.d71a5d36fcbab170f2364c9f2e3946cb.gif

 

[Louisiana_CRX 5,000+ posts]

thats like too much sex //content.invisioncic.com/y282845/emoticons/biggrin.gif.d71a5d36fcbab170f2364c9f2e3946cb.gif

 

[terra 5,000+ posts]

I'm running 6400rms daily. sounds fine to me and gets plenty loud.

i could survive on 800 ish..

 

[lilmaniac2 5,000+ posts]

Everyone these days seems to look at one thing first and foremost: Power handling. Most manufacturers are trying to make every last drop of power from their amplifiers, and this tends to lead to much lower quality in terms of output and physical components.
15 years ago they were running entire systems with less power than some people have on just their mids/highs today.

So two questions come up: Why such a huge increase in power, and where do you draw the line?

Keep in mind I'm talking about pure quality installations... Not looking for competition vehicles.

I can run an entire setup off 1000 watts and be plenty happy

 

[yanks fan 10+ year member]

Because most people who don't know much see a RMS rating of 1000+ and think it'll be the loudest thing ever....when really it takes a whole lot more than a mere rating to get loud.

From a business point of view, its smart to have amps and subs rated high cause thats what most people want to see. Whether its over rated or built of poor components, uninformed people want to see it because they believe it will automatically be loud since it puts out "1000rms" or can handle 1000rms.

Forgot to add in, a nice 1k to the sub and nicely blending mids is enough for me.

 

[lil_italy773 10+ year member]

as for a SQ or SQL i could do 1000 to 1500 total and be happy

 

[ultimate157 5,000+ posts]

I can run an entire setup off 1000 watts and be plenty happy

as for a SQ or SQL i could do 1000 to 1500 total and be happy

I was thinking more along the lines of 50x4 and like 300w for a pair of 12's IB

 

[lil_italy773 10+ year member]

I was thinking more along the lines of 50x4 and like 300w for a pair of 12's IB

there is nothing wrong with that at all and will be really balanced imo

i was thinking bout that with my cusins truck he likes alot of county and rap ever once and a while was lookin at a couple 10s 400 peak between the 2 and 50-60 x 4

 

[lilmaniac2 5,000+ posts]

I was thinking more along the lines of 50x4 and like 300w for a pair of 12's IB

not a fan of IB, I'd do small sealed and a decent amount of power on a single driver to compensate for seald ******* lol

 

[FoxPro5 5,000+ posts]

RMS does not = average power delivered to your speakers.

Speakers are more than 95% heat producers, 5% sound producers.

Practically no one makes a proper baffle for their speakers.

It takes 2x the amp power to get another 3 dB in SPL. 10 dB sounds twice as loud.

All this adds up to a shitload of power, IMO. Just buy as much as you can afford.

 

[bobtista 10+ year member]

old school! I installed a soundstream Rubicon 500 watt mono block on 2 brutus 10" square subs ported. the guy says he has to turn it down its so loud, and his girlfriend makes him cut them off before she will get in the car. It just as loud as a Fi BL 12" on 1200 watts.

 

[Beerdrnkr 5,000+ posts]

I love my music loud but not rediculously loud and it also depends on what I'm listening to. I think for me 1500wrms - 2500wrms for subs and the 600wrms I have on my 3way frontstage is plenty for me. My main goal for my setup is to have the ability to go from sq to lsq depending on what music I'm listening to.

 

[deLeo 10+ year member]

a good box makes a good setup //content.invisioncic.com/y282845/emoticons/smile.gif.1ebc41e1811405b213edfc4622c41e27.gif if u have FI 18"BTL and a sundown 3k but have it in a shitty box a 12" with half the power in a nice box will be louder

 

[tapout 5,000+ posts]

One of my faves was 2 JBL 12s off a JBL 601.1

Sealed. Sounded amazing.