Over or Under RMS

[Sweet'n Low 10+ year member]

Is it bad to run your speaker over or under it's RMS? If so which is worse? I know in a Subs case, you can have clipping at too low watts. I doubt running a speaker at it's peak non-stop can be good for it.. I'd hate to sound like a total noob but I feel like I need to know while picking out my AMPs.

Example:

I bought a Denon DCA500 and it's RMS is 50 while my speakers RMS is 70. Both at 4ohm.

Anything to worry about? I get the feeling it is.

I'm just looking to see my speakers to their potential.

Red=Wrong or Corrected within thread.

Click to read more...

 

[plugitin 5,000+ posts]

1. Is it bad to run your speaker over or under it's RMS? If so which is worse? I know in a Subs case, you can have clipping at too low? watts. I doubt running a speaker at Max non-stop can be good for it.. I'd hate to sound like a total noob but I feel like I need to know while picking out my AMPs.

wrong...

 

[Lizardkinged 10+ year member]

wrong...

Now explain why to him, otherwise your post was a waste of bandwidth and just to make you feel better about yourself.

 

[S_B 10+ year member]

You don't get clipping from running under the rms of a sub you get clipping from overdriving your amp. Most people get clipping from trying to use a small amp and mis adjust there gains tring to run the amp to the max to get more power than the amp can give. Over driving a Sub of course would cause more damage. Due to thermal and bottoming the sub. But can be done if you are careful and know what your doing.

 

[plugitin 5,000+ posts]

Now explain why to him, otherwise your post was a waste of bandwidth and just to make you feel better about yourself.

why should i take time out of my day to search for things that have been explained before??

 

[Sweet'n Low 10+ year member]

Now explain why to him, otherwise your post was a waste of bandwidth and just to make you feel better about yourself.

Appreciated. You can only imagine how often I get responses like that with the same purpose behind them. Dragnix has a point to be fair though lol

 

[plugitin 5,000+ posts]

Appreciated. You can only imagine how often I get responses like that with the same purpose behind them.

you dont know how to use google, or search these forums?

 

[Sweet'n Low 10+ year member]

why should i take time out of my day to search for things that have been explained before??

why would you take the time out of your day to even respond in that case?

what would you suggest i search? if i put the same thing i typed sumed up in one sentence, i'll prob get some yahoo answers junk and i'll be looking for years though threads for the info I'm looking for with search. Didn't think i was asking for much

 

[dragnix 5,000+ posts]

Now explain why to him, otherwise your post was a waste of bandwidth and just to make you feel better about yourself.

I think your post is even a bigger waste of bandwith.

OP, clipping will occur when you push an amp past its potential. That will never happen by running it less than its potential.

Using what you have, running 50watts to your speakers won't do anything other than perhaps not using it to its full potential. However, if you decide to crank your gain and causing it to go past its 50watts rating and causing clipping, then that might kill your speakers. Hope that helps...somewhat.

 

[Bumpin' Goalie 10+ year member]

IMO its always better to have an amp that can do over rated power (headroom) so you can keep your gains way down and have no shot at clipping. also for future upgrades.

however as long as you set your gains properly and dont overdrive your amp (sending clipped and distorted signal to your speakers) you'll be fine either way.

 

[gtbike900 10+ year member]

i like to over power speakers so that they see at least all there reccomened rms and just watch my volume and then know what my max is instead of trying to make my speakers get loud by cranking the volume and posibly clipping my amp thus sending square waves to my speakers and destroying them do to distoration

 

[plugitin 5,000+ posts]

op, do you know what the gain setting does on an amp?

 

[PioneerSPL1990 10+ year member]

its all in the wave, you can throw more than rms at a subwwofer or speaker as long as it isproperly crossed over and your signla is not clipping or it is a nice clean wave the best way is to scope it if you cant scope it turn your amp to 65$-75%/100% or 50% for cheapo amps thats my general rule, and keep the bass boosts and BS to a minimum all they are is distortion.

 

[plugitin 5,000+ posts]

i like to over power speakers so that they see at least all there reccomened rms and just watch my volume and the what my max is instead of trying to make my speakers get loud by cranking the volume and posibly clipping my amp thus sending square waves to my speakers and destroying them do to distoration

punctuation, its your friend.

 

[Ineed$ 10+ year member]

Using that amp isn't going to be bad for your speakers. They just won't be as loud as they could be.