Too much power?

[robble 10+ year member]

The speakers - Focal Polyglass 165 v3e 3 way components. specs 80w rms 160w max.

I'm powering them with a boston acoustics gt-40 (normally 4x45w). original plan was to have the amp power both my fronts and rear 6x9's. The installer talked me into bridging the gt-40 and powering just the front's with it since we wanted the soundstage up front and I wasn't sure I'd be happy with just 45w going to the front. I was thinking - ok, bridging should give about 90x2 which would be pretty much perfect for the speaker rating..

I was reading the owners manual during the final stages of the install while the car was being put back together. When you bridge this amp it isn't 90x2 - it is 140x2 @ 4 ohms RMS!! holy crap I didn't expect that.

Anyway, the system obviously gets really freaking loud which I don't mind at all. I'm just worried about pumping that much power to them continuously. I doubt I'm sending them the full power as it gets too loud even for me but I might be sending them well over 100w continuous. It's not distorted and I know speakers can handle more wattage as long as it's clean but this is quite a bit more than they are rated for. Until I get a sub installed I'm sending full range to the crossovers that were supplied with them and I think it's doing a good job of filtering the stuff below 55hz as I never hear the speaker bottoming out (but then I wouldn't hear a tire blow out at those levels).

cliffs notes:

sending much more RMS than speakers rated for. seems clean but i'm worried.

should i be worried?

should I high pass my amp immediately?

Click to read more...

 

[alphakenny1 10+ year member]

lol bridge power ratings usually equal to power rating at 2 ohms stereo. for example 50 x 2 @ 4 ohms and 100 x 2 @ 2ohms. so bridged usually it'll be 200 x 1 @ 4 ohms. usually of course. it all depends on the design of the amp. but on i wouldn't be worried about giving it that much power at all. as long as you careful with the volume and gain knobs you should be good to go. i've listened to systems when they are pumping 500 watts a side. again be careful with the volume and gain knobs and you'll be ok.

 

[robble 10+ year member]

manual states bridged power is 2x140 @4ohms or 2x190@2ohms this is also at 12.6v - if you go to 14.4 v (while engine is running) it's even higher.

of course you could turn down the gain or volume knobs to get less power - i'm curious about when I'm running near full tilt (which my ears couldn't handle for very long anyway).

I couldn't imagine listening to any system that had 500w per channel going to the front stage - unless the gains or volume were turned down in which case it wouldn't be 500w. Actually I'm not sure it would be possible without immediate and permanent ear and/or speaker damage.

that said your review of those vanadium tweeters makes me wanna get a set.

 

[bigbang 10+ year member]

Well, the amp will never get too hot so distortion will stay lower. More headroom, more control, just don't distort the speakers or make yourself get tinititus with ultra loud mids and highs when you do get a sub and crossover the set.

 

[JustStoppingBy 10+ year member]

^

that post THERE..... FTW...

 

[robble 10+ year member]

Well, the amp will never get too hot so distortion will stay lower. More headroom, more control, just don't distort the speakers or make yourself get tinititus with ultra loud mids and highs when you do get a sub and crossover the set.

I'll have the sub setup within the next couple weeks.

The amp has been bridged to the fronts since it was installed. Yep, it is hella loud.

I haven't blown them yet. //content.invisioncic.com/y282845/emoticons/smile.gif.1ebc41e1811405b213edfc4622c41e27.gif The tinititus is a real possibility though.

 

[kaneo13 10+ year member]

The speakers - Focal Polyglass 165 v3e 3 way components. specs 80w rms 160w max.
I'm powering them with a boston acoustics gt-40 (normally 4x45w). original plan was to have the amp power both my fronts and rear 6x9's. The installer talked me into bridging the gt-40 and powering just the front's with it since we wanted the soundstage up front and I wasn't sure I'd be happy with just 45w going to the front. I was thinking - ok, bridging should give about 90x2 which would be pretty much perfect for the speaker rating..

I was reading the owners manual during the final stages of the install while the car was being put back together. When you bridge this amp it isn't 90x2 - it is 140x2 @ 4 ohms RMS!! holy crap I didn't expect that.

Anyway, the system obviously gets really freaking loud which I don't mind at all. I'm just worried about pumping that much power to them continuously. I doubt I'm sending them the full power as it gets too loud even for me but I might be sending them well over 100w continuous. It's not distorted and I know speakers can handle more wattage as long as it's clean but this is quite a bit more than they are rated for. Until I get a sub installed I'm sending full range to the crossovers that were supplied with them and I think it's doing a good job of filtering the stuff below 55hz as I never hear the speaker bottoming out (but then I wouldn't hear a tire blow out at those levels).

cliffs notes:

sending much more RMS than speakers rated for. seems clean but i'm worried.

should i be worried?

should I high pass my amp immediately?

You have nothing to worry about. Focals like lots fo power and as long as you set your gains and don't play them so loud they distort you should be good. I have 150W going to mine and they are rated at 100W.

 

[robble 10+ year member]

You have nothing to worry about. Focals like lots fo power and as long as you set your gains and don't play them so loud they distort you should be good. I have 150W going to mine and they are rated at 100W.

I love those k2ps. I have a set in my truck. Too bad the woofer won't fit in the door of my MINI Cooper.

 

[solacedagony]

You can find out how much power you're actually sending to them by measuring the voltage. Personally, I highly doubt you're really sending 100+W to them.

In response to the "too much power" question, the more power the better. You can never have too much power on tap. You can, however, send too much power to the drivers.