MythBusters: CA.com - Episode 1

[jmanpc 5,000+ posts]

-Observation-

It's a common misconception that underpowering a subwoofer will cause it to fail thermally. I'm tired of hearing all this and that about blowing speakers with too little power.

-Experiment Description-

Step 1: Locate a low-powered amplifier

Step 2: Locate a sub with a power handling higher than the RMS wattage of the reciever

Step 3: Hook up the amplifier to the subwoofer for an extended period of time playing a 45hz, 0db sine wave.

Step 4: Check at regular intervals over a 24 hour period for driver failure

-The Equipment-

Amplifier: RCA HTIB Reciever.

Subwoofer channel output: ~50w @ 4 ohms

Subwoofer: Mach 5 MAW 12 Dual 2.2

Start time: 11:00 PM EST

Pics and vids soon.//content.invisioncic.com/y282845/emoticons/biggrin.gif.d71a5d36fcbab170f2364c9f2e3946cb.gif

Click to read more...

 

[Megalomaniac 5,000+ posts]

subscribed //content.invisioncic.com/y282845/emoticons/biggrin.gif.d71a5d36fcbab170f2364c9f2e3946cb.gif

 

[TypeRBass 10+ year member]

werd. finally make people realize that underpowering subs won't blow them.

 

[Kenny Pollock 10+ year member]

In an hour? Cool.

 

[937DYTBOI 5,000+ posts]

finally something useful

 

[supa_c 5,000+ posts]

* sets DVR to record*

 

[Chevyaudio 5,000+ posts]

lol... Make sure if that MAW has a cooling vent, that you dont set the sub on the floor. Or else you will kill the driver thermally over 24 hours.

 

[Megalomaniac 5,000+ posts]

i believe they look like this

 

[jmanpc 5,000+ posts]

Ok, I made a 5:00 0db 45hz tone, about to put it in the reciever for testing

 

[PV Audio 5,000+ posts]

I don't think that anyone on here thinks that underpowering speakers makes them blow, it's just the uneducated kids at best buy who want their Duals to beat harder than their friends' JLs.

 

[jmanpc 5,000+ posts]

Pics will have to wait.... dead batteries ftl and im all out.

 

[faulkton 5,000+ posts]

I don't think that anyone on here thinks that underpowering speakers makes them blow, it's just the uneducated kids at best buy who want their Duals to beat harder than their friends' JLs.

i think you're a terrorist

 

[jmanpc 5,000+ posts]

Ok, for a test run, I went ahead and hooked it up, and turned the reciever up until I could hear audible clipping. Looking great. The MAW is doing about 1/4" P2P right now.

 

[matrxx dude 5,000+ posts]

well underpowering wont kill it,but most people with not enough power for a sub turn it all the way up to be louder they say,and distortion is what ends up blowing the sub.

 

[jmanpc 5,000+ posts]

well underpowering wont kill it,but most people with not enough power for a sub turn it all the way up to be louder they say,and distortion is what ends up blowing the sub.

but when their sub blows, they blame it on the amp underpowering the sub. They don't know about clipping or anything. I just want this to be a reference so whenever someone comes in saying 'their boy' blew his sub because it was getting too little power, we can just point at this..