Myth Or Fact: Under Powering a Subwoofer?

[AARKing419]

Is it possible to damage a subwoofer by giving it less power then the RMS Rating?

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[gckless 5,000+ posts]

No. No. Until the end of time, no.

 

[timhof13 10+ year member]

I say myth, I think of the damage comes from people clipping the speaker to death trying to get more output

 

[What was that? 10+ year member]

I would like to see one actual laid out thought trying to explain how a sub could be damaged by less power. Please someone, even if it's made up, give us a legimate sounding explanation of how underpowering subwoofers causes damage. Then maybe we could use this thread for future reference.

This is not a shot the person asking this question. The fact they ask a question means they are miles ahead of the idiot that told them a speaker could be damaged by less power.

 

[thirdgen]

I think because when you under power a sub, a lot of people will turn it up past the point of clipping, to get the output they want, and therefore damaging.

 

[C1500martin 10+ year member]

No one drives at full tilt 24/7 from the second they turn on the car. Only at full tilt are you giving your sub full power so technically EVERYONE gives there system less power than rated.

 

[What was that? 10+ year member]

If I turn the gain up on my 5000k amp that is hooked to my 150w sub even at 1/4 volume I am overpowering it. So we are not always underpowered.

I do see how the clipped signal thing could cause someone to say underpowering damaged my woofer. " it wasn't loud enough so I turned the gain up all the way". I guess I would never think that way.

 

[gckless 5,000+ posts]

If you're clipping, you're giving it more than RMS, just generally. Depends on the severity of the distortion, but clipping will drive your power level up exponentially.

For all intents and purposes of this discussion, I think clipping should be disregarded. That can happen at any power level.

 

[What was that? 10+ year member]

No, I'm not arguing or debating. There is only one answer for the original question. I'm just looking for a reason why people come up with the answer "my sub's blew cause I didn't have enough power". So clipping could be a part of a bull crap explanation!

 

[trumpet 5,000+ posts]

Peak-to-peak voltage stops increasing once clipping begins. It's power over time that increases.

 

[thirdgen]

But to answer the question, subs should not blow from " under powering ". They will be happy, but not as happy as when they are given full power.

 

[Dmac1991]

**** I guess we all better not ever turn our system down. We'd blow our subs from underpowering them

/OP

 

[Moocow16 10+ year member]

If this were true, subwoofers would be impossible to build, as the second it's done being built it would be underpowered by 100% of what it's rated at, OHS NOS!!!

Also, this is a perfect situation to say "Turn down for what?"

 

[whitedragon551 5,000+ posts]

I think because when you under power a sub, a lot of people will turn it up past the point of clipping, to get the output they want, and therefore damaging.

Thats not the fault of under powering. Thats clipping causing the damage. The fact is under powering a sub without clipping it will never in anyway, shape, or form damage the sub.

 

[AARKing419]

Thats not the fault of under powering. Thats clipping causing the damage. The fact is under powering a sub without clipping it will never in anyway, shape, or form damage the sub.

How do you in fact "Clip" a sub with the amplifier? Im new to this.