Quality to power ratio?

[Ceezer 10+ year member]

Kind of an odd question, I guess, but will all subs of any reputable quality have high power requirements?

I was looking at the MB Quart PWH304 12, which handles 500W RMS, because I was wanting something that could get loud but maintain decent sound quality. I would have to buy a new amp because I'm currently a 4-channel amp for the subs & fronts that's not putting out anywhere near that much power.

I suppose running 2 amps is an option, but I'd like to keep things simple so I was looking at 4-channel amps, but getting one that will bridge 2 channels to 500W RMS starts to get pretty expensive (beer budget).

So I was thinking about looking for a sub with lower power requirements so that I could look for a cheaper amp.

Any thoughts or suggestions on that? Is it possible to get a good sounding sub that doesn't need 500W?

And how would a sub that could handle 500W but only receiving, say, 300W sound versus a sub rated for 300W RMS getting the full 300W? Would it sound better since it was more appropriately matched up, or would it sound the same since 300W delivered is 300W either way (for the sake of argument, let's say these are the same make & model speakers, just different sizes; i.e. the 10 is rated for 300W RMS and the 12 for 500W RMS)?

I guess what I'm asking is, would I be better off getting this sub and an amp that isn't fully powering it, or settling for one with lesser requirements? Keep in mind I'm trying to keep this simple and cheap. Not cheap-ass cheap or junk cheap, but I-have-a-family-and-other-priorities cheap.

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[Ceezer 10+ year member]

Thank you, but I'm actually trying to reduce space. The current box my 2 10s are in takes up too much space and is always getting in my way. I'm wanting to get a single sub so I can fabricate a corner enclosure for it.

I'm just looking for some insight, but that's not going too well...

 

[JimJ 5,000+ posts]

but will all subs of any reputable quality have high power requirements?

No.

Some of the most well-built subs out there, and some of my favorites, don't need, or could tolerate, much power at all.

 

[Ceezer 10+ year member]

Ok, so I can still get good quality sound at decent levels without having to push ridiculous amounts of power to them. Is that possible in a single 10" sub? And doing so for under $150?

 

[squeak9798 5,000+ posts]

I guess what I'm asking is, would I be better off getting this sub and an amp that isn't fully powering it, or settling for one with lesser requirements?

That is going to depend on the specific subs in question. It isn't a yes or a no question.

But to answer the underlying question; No, you don't have to send 500w to a sub that can handle 500w. Really, the difference between 500w and 300w is only ~2db maximum, which is an audible but not dramatic difference. If the sub would satisfy your needs with 500w of power input, then it would probably still satisfying your needs when it's 2db quieter (300w). That's not a world of difference change in output.

If you're looking for affordable quality in a 10" Driver, I'd start by looking at the Dayton Ref 10HO and CSS SDX10. Both are under $150 and should satisfy your requirement for good sound and adequate output. Mind you, they are 10's.....so they aren't going to rock the neighborhood. But it should be enough to fill out the bottom octave.