running subs under rms wattage

[bmk6795 10+ year member]

I have 2 750 watt subs and I don't gave the electrical to run them at 1500 watts just winding if itd be ok to under power them that much, thanks. Subs are kicker compvxs and amp is an audiopipe 1500, I know its kicker but free stuff is free

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[DoesDad 10+ year member]

Underpowering a sub isn't going to hurt it. This is one of those stupid myths someone thought up.

 

[wickedwitt 10+ year member]

OMG NO YOU'LL KILL THEM!

JK. Make sure you have a clean signal, and a decently proportioned box and you can go from as little power as you wish, to a bit overpowered without issue.

 

[bmk6795 10+ year member]

Aight guys thanks

 

[zako 10+ year member]

It depends on the music that you play. In my opinion if you listen mostly rock, anything instrumental, or pop most amplifier/subwoofer combos have more than sufficient head room (except if you do something stupid like run a subwoofer of a 100watt channel) to be able to be tuned just by ear and enjoy. If you listen rap or anything demanding of the lows, then use the DMM to set gains accurately. Use a DMM to find out what's the maximum amplifier gain and head unit volume setting where clipping occurs, and then never turn above that level.

 

[rebelfromva 10+ year member]

Which ap amp do you have? You just need 0 really for 1500.

 

[subzero 5,000+ posts]

the only reason tha subs would be unsafe is if you took that ap 1500watter and clipped the **** out of them subs. Just make sure you dont clip. and also could try building a more efficient box to help the lower rms power

 

[denim 5,000+ posts]

Music is dynamic, the amplifier is rarely sending full power.

 

[Ineedmorebass 10+ year member]

Damaging subs by running them under powered is the biggest crock of crap I've ever heard.

I'm gonna dispel that stupid myth right now.

Unless you have, say, a 2000 w rms sub, and a 1500 w rms amp running at like full gain, and clipping the hell out of the subs, it is NO

problem at all.

Saying that running a sub under powered causing damage would be telling me that having an evenly matched amp and sub, and only

listening to music on say, half volume, would damage the sub.

Gonna try to tell me that I'm hurting my speakers unless I have them running full blast all day? I dooooon't think so.

 

[IonRL205 10+ year member]

Damaging subs by running them under powered is the biggest crock of crap I've ever heard.
I'm gonna dispel that stupid myth right now.

Unless you have, say, a 2000 w rms sub, and a 1500 w rms amp running at like full gain, and clipping the hell out of the subs, it is NO

problem at all.

Saying that running a sub under powered causing damage would be telling me that having an evenly matched amp and sub, and only

listening to music on say, half volume, would damage the sub.

Gonna try to tell me that I'm hurting my speakers unless I have them running full blast all day? I dooooon't think so.

Also if you play a song that is clipped to hell you can still damage it.

People tend to forget that clipping doesn't just occur from your audio equipment, but can occur from the actual music file itself.

 

[wErd 5,000+ posts]

The average consumer doesn't know what clipping is, that's where that myth basically got derived from. They turn the gain all the way up

 

[Ineedmorebass 10+ year member]

I've always tried to shoot for an amp that handles at least 25% more than my subs are rated for, that way you have a little room to play and don't have to work the amp's full potential to the point where you could cook meat on the thing...

Then again, what would be better than bassin' down the street smellin' a porterhouse cookin' at the same time...

 

[RSDXzec 10+ year member]

thinking about it now it seems like such a stupid question, but i asked the same thing when i first started with car audio.

Just think of it as turning down the volume and you realise how stupid the question was lol.