Just clearing a few "myths"

[sforget]

I've been reading these posts and i've noticed a few people are trying to help people by stating myths. I'll try and clear up the ones i've seen

first off, to be accurate for finding impedance rating of parrallel circuits you don't divide by the number of speakes (anyone who has taken physics or electronics can tell you this) there is a formula to use and it s

1/Rtotal = 1/R1 + 1/R2 +1/R3 + etc. where R=resistance (impedance)

So Two 4-ohm speakers would have a impedance of 1/Rtotal = 1/4 + 1/4 = 2/4 = 1/2

so Rtotal=2 ohms

When wiring in series just add the ratings up. If wiring in Parrallel-series circuit you need to use both formulas.

Also UNDERPOWERING SPEAKERS TO LESS THAN ABOUT 1/3 POWER DOES MORE DAMAGE THAN OVERPOWERING. I don't know why, but ask any installer and they will tell you the same thing. You will also notice more distortion at lower power than you would at higher power.

One basic thing to remember is: DISTORTION DESTROYS SPEAKERS.

Click to read more...

 

[jlaine 10+ year member]

Originally posted by sforget I've been reading these posts and i've noticed a few people are trying to help people by stating myths. I'll try and clear up the ones i've seen

 

 

Also UNDERPOWERING SPEAKERS TO LESS THAN ABOUT 1/3 POWER DOES MORE DAMAGE THAN OVERPOWERING. I don't know why, but ask any installer and they will tell you the same thing. You will also notice more distortion at lower power than you would at higher power.

 

 

One basic thing to remember is: DISTORTION DESTROYS SPEAKERS.

Wow... now that is an attitude... Where did ths chip on your shoulder come from?

Distortion does not destroy speakers, power does... Thanks for saving me from myself... Any educated installer understands the happening of distortion, and knows it's not the issue at hand...

Define underpowering a speaker...

I can run a clean 1/3 power to a subwoofer for DAYS straight and not cause a problem...

//content.invisioncic.com/y282845/emoticons/nono.gif.eca61d170185779e0921b0faa9704973.gif

And the correct way to display that parallel circuit layout is the inverse sum of the inverses.... Your display is incorrect as you turned it into a balanced equation. You need to separate the two to be mathematically correct.

 

[ramos 5,000+ posts]

Originally posted by sforget  

Also UNDERPOWERING SPEAKERS TO LESS THAN ABOUT 1/3 POWER DOES MORE DAMAGE THAN OVERPOWERING. I don't know why, but ask any installer and they will tell you the same thing. You will also notice more distortion at lower power than you would at higher power.[/quote

//content.invisioncic.com/y282845/emoticons/crazy.gif.c13912c32de98515d3142759a824dae7.gif wrong answer Bob, thanks for playing are game. Dan tell the man what he has won.

Our friend Bob has won a chance to hear the truth. UNDER POWERING WILL NOT HARM YOUR SPEAKERS.

As Jlaine said previously I can, and have run speakers with as little as 10% of the rated RMS power. With no problems whatsoever. Maybe the installers you asked were trying to get more money out of you for a bigger amp //content.invisioncic.com/y282845/emoticons/confused.gif.e820e0216602db4765798ac39d28caa9.gif

//content.invisioncic.com/y282845/emoticons/smile.gif.1ebc41e1811405b213edfc4622c41e27.gif

 

[Mark_ab 5,000+ posts]

I've found this "underpowering" jibberish to be common knowledge among non-certified installers (best buy etc).

 

[Corsica 5,000+ posts]

Okay please explain how underpowering does little damage to my speakers? when i have a 350 rms sub on a 250 amp it distorts as a hiogher volume. at that same level on a 400 watt amp that sub didn';t distort. Why not?

J

 

[Mark_ab 5,000+ posts]

Originally posted by Corsica Okay please explain how underpowering does little damage to my speakers? when i have a 350 rms sub on a 250 amp it distorts as a hiogher volume. at that same level on a 400 watt amp that sub didn';t distort. Why not?

 

 

J

The distortion is due to improperly set gains. You're trying to make up for the lack of wattage by increasing the gain on the amplifier. When you do this, the amplifiers input exceeds it's operational limit and sends a clipped sine wave to the subwoofer.

 

[XSNOIZ 10+ year member]

Yeah...I would have to agree. There are alot of rumors floating around here...only you aren't the person ANYONE needs answers from...after that last answer, I'm questioning how much you really know. I mean, s h i t , that's and answer you get from talking with the "know-nothings" at Circuit City / Best Buy / Good Guys.

...and no, you don't win anything. You've been releaved of you're responsibility to post...please, sit in the corner with the 'hat of stupidity' on until a moderator tells you to speak.

**I have no patience for those who waste other peoples time with facts that are not correct. If you don't know what you're talking about...ask someone. Don't pretend to know...//content.invisioncic.com/y282845/emoticons/nono.gif.eca61d170185779e0921b0faa9704973.gif...someone might take you're advice and end up screwed as a result.**

 

[Wonderbread 5,000+ posts]

underpowering wont cause distortion in itself..

trying to push the sub harder than it can go will...

TRUE - less power, means less output (GENERALLY - dont jump on my back on that one)

so underpowring does not directly damage speakers, playing "volume master" does...

know the limits, know distortion when you hear it, and then back it off alittle...

dont try and get your speaks to do waht they cannot...

its like throwing nitrous or a big fat supercahrger onto a stock 4 banger... give it some time, and you will be looking through your windshield into a big dang cloud fo smoke...

BUT do everything else around it, allow for the ezxtra input, and you will be seeing smok in your rearview... //content.invisioncic.com/y282845/emoticons/wink.gif.608e3ea05f1a9f98611af0861652f8fb.gif

 

[XCivic 10+ year member]

This is pretty informative.

Now I know and knowing is half the battle. Dont know about the other half though

Thanks for the info.

//content.invisioncic.com/y282845/emoticons/smile.gif.1ebc41e1811405b213edfc4622c41e27.gif

 

[kookysmonsta 10+ year member]

Originally posted by XSNOIZ Yeah...I would have to agree. There are alot of rumors floating around here...only you aren't the person ANYONE needs answers from...after that last answer, I'm questioning how much you really know. I mean, s h i t , that's and answer you get from talking with the "know-nothings" at Circuit City / Best Buy / Good Guys.

 

...and no, you don't win anything. You've been releaved of you're responsibility to post...please, sit in the corner with the 'hat of stupidity' on until a moderator tells you to speak.

 

**I have no patience for those who waste other peoples time with facts that are not correct. If you don't know what you're talking about...ask someone. Don't pretend to know...//content.invisioncic.com/y282845/emoticons/nono.gif.eca61d170185779e0921b0faa9704973.gif...someone might take you're advice and end up screwed as a result.**

Yeh I agree I know very little about car audio, and If someone told me somethin that was false and I messed up something id be pissed off. I would rather take advice from a person that has worked with audio for a long time than take advice from somebody that keeps their heads in the books and has no or little experience.

 

[bass_mekanik 10+ year member]

underpowering wont cause distortion in itself.. trying to push the sub harder than it can go will...

TRUE - less power, means less output (GENERALLY - dont jump on my back on that one)

so underpowring does not directly damage speakers, playing "volume master" does...

know the limits, know distortion when you hear it, and then back it off alittle...

dont try and get your speaks to do waht they cannot...

its like throwing nitrous or a big fat supercahrger onto a stock 4 banger... give it some time, and you will be looking through your windshield into a big dang cloud fo smoke...

BUT do everything else around it, allow for the ezxtra input, and you will be seeing smok in your rearview...

true true that is what i mean when i say that distortion kills speakers it is when you crank the amp

 

[sforget]

I have been working with car audio for over ten years, and buy every issue of Car audio & electronics. These guys will tell you the same thing. basically to clear up what I meant. Underpowering speakers causes more distortion. Distortion causes the speaker to act erratically instead of following the wave of power that it is given. this erratic performance causes damage to the spider, and sometimes to the voice coil.

Also for the guy who can't seem to grasp this. running power wires next to rca's can inductnoise into the rca cable. All wires have a magnetic feild around them when they have power flowing through. this magnetic feild when brought close to another conductor ( the sheild in an rca cable) will cause a small current to flow in the second wire. This results in noise. The body of the car is so vast that the magnetic field is irregular and cannot induct a current as well as a wire carrying a current, which creates a circular feild, like that found in a "'generator", hence why it generates a small amount of current in parallel wires.

 

[RangerMan Premium Member]

This should get interesting...

 

[ramos 5,000+ posts]

Originally posted by sforget I have been working with car audio for over ten years, and buy every issue of Car audio & electronics. These guys will tell you the same thing. basically to clear up what I meant. Underpowering speakers causes more distortion. Distortion causes the speaker to act erratically instead of following the wave of power that it is given. this erratic performance causes damage to the spider, and sometimes to the voice coil.

I have been involved in car audio for a couple of decades myself //content.invisioncic.com/y282845/emoticons/biggrin.gif.d71a5d36fcbab170f2364c9f2e3946cb.gif Although I don't buy every issue of any magazine.

I don't care what anybody will tell me. I know what I have seen with my own two eyes. Underpowering speakers does no harm. Underpowering does not cause any extra distortion. The user cranking the volume way up to compensate for the lack of power causes more distortion. Which brings us back to underpowering does nothing. Speakers are damaged by exceeding the thermal limits of the voice coil and motor assembly. Or by some yahoo poking a screwdriver or some other sharp object through the cone, dust cap, or surround. //content.invisioncic.com/y282845/emoticons/smile.gif.1ebc41e1811405b213edfc4622c41e27.gif

 

[Mark_ab 5,000+ posts]

Originally posted by RangerMan This should get interesting...

You said it. I hope the heavyweights come out (zane, Loyd, Josh - ramos already did)! I love cognative dissonance, you almost feel embarassed for him...almost.