safe level of watts

[align600 10+ year member]

getting an amp to run 2x rockford fosgate p1653 & 2x kicker ds693.

is 100x4 rms tipping the scales?

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[Falcons 5,000+ posts]

Just keep the gains down

 

[align600 10+ year member]

cos i see alot of amps are like 50, 60, 75 watts x4, when the rockfords are rated at 60rms. and the kickers 70 watts.

 

[duanebro 10+ year member]

It will be fine. Just make sure you set everything up correctly.

 

[align600 10+ year member]

should i just run inbetween 50-75??

 

[duanebro 10+ year member]

You are more apt to clip a smaller amp. There is nothing wrong with a bigger amp. But will that extra wattage be needed? Depends on what you listen to and how loud.

 

[wickedwitt 10+ year member]

We always way overpower our mids. Make sure the gains are properly set, and good crossovers are in place. They will come alive.

 

[align600 10+ year member]

the rockfords have built in cross overs (3 way full range coaxial) , pretty sure ds693's are standard 3 way full range coaxials.

 

[align600 10+ year member]

and gains properly set??? someone point me in the direction of properly tuning an amp.

 

[wickedwitt 10+ year member]

For mids and highs, get a test cd with a 1000hz note on it. Turn the deck to the loudest point you would ever listen to it at. Play that tone and turn your gain up until the noise changes pitch. Back it off some where the noise is completely gone. Your gains are set, and you will not be sending a clipped signal to the mids. If you know someone with an O-scope, that is even more accurate, but you can definitely get by with doing it by ear.

 

[zako 10+ year member]

There should be no problem unless all you do is play synthetic test tones.

 

[trumpet 5,000+ posts]

You're talking about a difference of 25-40 Watts of rated power, of which the amplifier's efficiency is already reducing, plus this is at 14.4V. The theoretical difference in output measured in decibels when comparing 60 Watts to 100 Watts is an increase of only 2.4 dB. This is audible but it's not enough to make you think, "Wow, I'm glad I got the bigger amp". It's a difference of a few more clicks on the volume.

The real danger is excessive heat over time, which is caused by playing music into clipping levels. There can be massive differences in music levels depending on how it was originally mixed and what was done to that music by the time it got to your head unit.